Ellison Kibler
Managing your wealth begins with a deep understanding of your full financial picture. Based on what matters most to you, our advisors can help create a strategy as flexible as today's changing market conditions, and help provide access to the investment insights of Merrill and the banking convenience and lending solutions of Bank of America. We will work to help you pursue your goals through personalized wealth management strategies.
Helping institutions meet their investment needs
We put the resources and intellectual capital of Merrill to work for institutional clients like you by delivering thoughtful advice and sophisticated investment strategies through focused client-centric consulting. We help organizations like yours address today’s complex investment challenges through an integrated, goals-based investment process that enables them to redefine success, manage risk and help fulfill their missions.
Investment Solutions
We provide access to a broad suite of potential investment solutions for non-profit organizations, foundations, endowments and corporate retirement and pension plans. Our level of involvement is based on your preference — from traditional consulting, to client-directed implementation, to full discretionary outsourced CIO services. We work with your CFO, board of directors and investment committee to develop a tailored investment strategy that is consistent with your culture, goals, preferences and risk profile.
Disciplined Investment Process
We follow a disciplined process that helps to address your organization’s changing needs and provides you with a potentially higher probability of achieving your long-term investment goals.
Endowments, Foundations and Nonprofits
We understand the issues nonprofits, endowments and foundations address in funding their missions in an ever-changing financial climate. Drawing on the global resources of Bank of America Corporation and its affiliates, we offer insight, guidance and personalized service to help institutions develop and execute investment strategies focused on what matters most to them and the people they serve.
Defined benefit plans
Whether your defined benefit plan is an active part of your overall benefit offering, is closed to new participants, or fully frozen, Bank of America's service model allows you to outsource the many administrative tasks associated with the maintenance of a pension plan to fulfill plan obligations and manage risk.
Key services include:
• Investment consulting service
• Open architecture investment management platform
• Liability driven investment implementation
• Actuarial services and discretionary investment management
E. Robertson "Bud" Kibler was a pioneering force in the wealth management industry and a founding advisor of the Ellison Kibler practice at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. With a career spanning over four decades at Merrill, Bud earned widespread respect for his innovative thinking, deep client commitment, and visionary leadership. His influence continues to shape our team and inspire everything we do.
J. Hagood Ellison was a larger-than-life figure, guided by a deep belief in service over self. His visionary leadership, selfless dedication, and unwavering passion for both family and clients set a standard few could match. Driven by the conviction that things could always be improved, Hagood helped lay the foundation for a team built on integrity, excellence, and a commitment to serving others. While Hagood is deeply missed by family, friends, and clients, his vision and values remain at the heart of our practice.
In 1983, Bud and Hagood partnered to establish one of the first dedicated wealth management teams within Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. This bold and forward-thinking move helped redefine how financial advice was delivered to affluent families, corporations, institutions, and foundations. United by a shared vision and complementary leadership styles, they built a practice rooted in integrity, service, and excellence. Under their guidance, Ellison Kibler grew into one of the most respected private wealth teams in the Southeast, earning national recognition including Barron's "Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams" List in 2024 and 20251, Forbes "America's Top Private Wealth Teams: High Net Worth" List in 2023 and 20242 , and Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" List in 2023-20253.
Today, the team that Hagood and Bud helped build oversees more than $12 billion in client assets (as of 9/30/25) and continues to grow, guided by the leadership they instilled and the values they championed. Their legacy lives on in the enduring success of the practice and the lives of the clients and colleagues they inspired.
1 (Published annually in May. Years pre-dating 2024, published as Barron's "Top 100 Private Wealth Management Teams" list annually March - April. Rankings based on data as of December 31 of prior year.)
2(Published annually in November. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of current year.)
3 (Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.)
CIMA®, CPFA®, CRPC™
CFP®, SE-AWMA™
CEPA®, CIMA®, CPFA®, CRPC™
CIMA®
CRPC™
CRPC™