Managing wealth is more than just investments and assets. It’s the ability to take care of loved ones, to navigate through the different stages of life, to reduce worry, and to lead a more fulfilling life.
The Fox Group understands that mindset.
Our team has been taking care of families at Merrill since 1981. We believe we’ve created a different kind of culture:
- We prioritize excellence.
- We live the values of our Christian faith.
- We demonstrate our abiding care for each person through our actions.
- We deeply prize the value of family.
Our team founder, Jim Fox, established our team with a vision in mind: “We go the extra mile for clients. And we’re there for them, helping them solve problems, remove obstacles, and showing them how much we care about them.”
Today, Jim’s son, Mike Fox, leads our team with the same qualities: integrity, character, and a desire to foster positive long-term outcomes for each family. Our team understands families because we are one ourselves—5 members strong, spanning 3 generations.
We’re proud to have gained national recognition for our work:
J. Michael Fox
- Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in the U.S.,” 2016 – 2025 (Published annually in Feb-March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year.)
- Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors,” 2018 - 2024 (Published annually Jan – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year).
Together, we look to create an exceptional client experience, helping clients take positive action toward more purposeful and satisfying financial lives.
*Source: The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State” list, published annually in February-March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year. The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” ranking considered advisors with a minimum of seven years financial services experience and who have been employed at their current firm for at least one year. This is a list of the top advisors in each state, with the number of ranking spots determined by each state’s population and wealth. Other quantitative and qualitative measures include assets under management, revenues generated by advisors for their firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices, regulatory records, internal company documents, and 100-plus points of data provided by the advisors themselves. Rankings and recognition from Barron’s are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. *Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, published annually Jan - April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year. Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence meetings to measure best practices; also considered are: client retention, industry experience, credentials, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, such as: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.
Clients come to us from diverse backgrounds, professions, and geographies:* Families look to us for a host of needs—wealth planning, investing, higher-education savings, family wealth dynamics, special-needs planning, and access to banking services and residential lending. We acutely understand families because we are a family—attuned to the same joys and challenges as the clients we serve.* Business owners and professionals look to us for long-term strategy, business optimization, pre-liquidity event planning, and access to credit and banking services.* Retirees come to us to help assess their readiness for a secure retirement. We use advanced planning tools to help form a game plan for the future.* Women work with us from diverse paths. Some have demanding professional lives and see the value we can bring in organizing and managing their wealth. Others engage our help after a major life transition—sometimes the death of a beloved spouse or a divorce. To each of these situations, we bring empathy and understanding, supporting women in becoming more capable and informed stewards of their wealth.* Senior executives seek our assistance with concentrated and restricted stock, diversification, tax-sensitive investing, retirement strategy, and wealth transfer to the next generation.* Athletes engage us to help develop a long-term plan that can support a sustainable income stream and a diverse investment portfolio, given the distinctive nature of their career paths. As former professional athletes themselves, Mike, Blake, and Jim Fox have real-world experience that can help athletes better anticipate the financial factors to consider—both now and for the eventual transition to life after sports.##### *Banking and Lending Services are through Bank of America, N.A.
Bringing fresh perspectives to your financial life
The financial decisions you make today can help determine the future you build for yourself and your family. Carving a clear path forward starts with connecting your life and finances. A Merrill advisor provides access to the investing insights of Merrill and banking capabilities of Bank of America to help you make informed decisions as you pursue your goals.
