It can be a Herculean endeavor to find the appropriate wealth advisor. From solo consultants to multinational conglomerates, the market is rife with choices. You can prevent making a catastrophic error if you are aware of which choices you should not choose. Brian Hetherington Merrill Lynch is one such advisor you should stay far away from.
If you’re seeking for a financial planner in New Canaan, Connecticut, you could come across his name. He employs a wide variety of dishonest strategies to bilk his customers out of money. This analysis will shed light on some of his strategies so that you may make an informed decision about whether or not to hire him and his company, the Brian Hetherington Group.
Who is Merrill Lynch’s, Brian Hetherington?
Brian Hetherington Merrill Lynch is the head of the Brian Hetherington Group and a private wealth advisor. His office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and the address is 2 Pine St, New Canaan, CT 06840, US. You can reach him at (203) 972-2523 or his office.
To a small clientele, he provides boutique-style services and individualized financial plans. Peter Luppino, Senior Vice President, and Carrisa Marz, Private Wealth Associate, are two other significant employees at Brian’s organization.
Goal-oriented planning, philanthropy, digital banking, wealth structuring, trust and estate-planning strategy, family wealth planning, credit and lending services, long-term investment strategies, and more are just some of the services offered by the company.
Similarly, Brian Hetherington has received numerous awards for his work. However, many consumers are blinded by such praise and fail to notice the warning signs while working with a financial counselor.
For instance, Brian’s legal issue with a customer would likely remain a well-guarded secret. It’s critical to weigh the pros and cons of a potential advisor.
Disagreements and Warning Signs in Brian Hetherington Merrill Lynch’s Provisions
Making Unsuitable Suggestions (Client Complaint)
The FINRA BrokerCheck database is a valuable resource when seeking a financial advisor. The database contains detailed information about each advisor, including their education, credentials, work history, and any disciplinary actions taken against them.
Brian Hetherington Merril Lynch has had one customer complaint listed on their FINRA BrokerCheck report.
In 2002, the client started complaining that she couldn’t get the 8% annual return she sought while still keeping her initial investment safe. The investments they suggested were inappropriate, she said.
Neither the amount of damages she sought nor the basis for Brian Hetherington and Merrill Lynch’s denial of her claim was disclosed. Remember that it is typical practice for fiduciaries to reject a client’s claim without investigating its validity. Glen Pahnke RBC is another AF who has utilized this strategy to reject client claims.
For this reason, before entrusting a fiduciary with your capital, you should carefully review any potentially risky clauses in their terms and conditions.
Exposing Customers to Unacceptable Danger
The fact that Brian’s fees are contingent on his success is a major factor in his disclaimers. Your financial advisor’s compensation, in the form of a performance-based fee, is tied to how well they do relative to some industry standard.
Due to this, they have an incentive to use high-risk methods regardless of whether or not the client’s portfolio can handle them. Because of this, pricing based on performance is frowned upon in the financial sector.
Since your advisor stands to gain by increasing your risk exposure, they may choose to disregard your needs and ignore your long-term objectives. This is a regular problem with financial counselors, who may put their interests ahead of yours.
High-risk bets rarely pay off.
They may increase in value temporarily, but they are detrimental to investment portfolios over the long term. You should run far away from advisors that use this fee structure if you want to invest to build long-term wealth.
Paying your advisor based on performance means you have no recourse if they advise you to pursue high-risk investments. Strategies with a high potential for failure often end up losing a lot of money. When you begin working with an advisor, you will be required to sign a waiver, which means you will be unable to take legal action against them if your portfolio suffers as a result of their high-risk suggestions.
Hetherington, Brian Since Merrill Lynch already employed this strategy in his 2002 disagreement, filing a challenge against him for major losses is unlikely to end well.
However, if the high-risk approach pays out, you’ll be on the hook for a lot of money in fees due to the performance-based nature of the arrangement. This is why, before 1985, it was against the law to base compensation on a client’s success.
Using the 12b-1 Fee System
Brian Hetherington’s 12b-1 fees are another major drawback to using Merrill Lynch. He receives this as compensation for advertising particular investments.
The 12b-1 charge adds unnecessary expense to the investment and adds no value. There was no correlation between 12b-1 costs and lower returns on investments, according to SEC research.
Investments that tack on a 12b-1 fee were found to have a worse return on investment (ROI) due to their much greater costs. If you pay this fee, you won’t see any difference in your returns.
And because it’s a percentage, the charge goes up as the value of the portfolio grows.
Conclusion
Predatory clauses in Brian’s disclaimers demonstrate his lack of concern for his customers. You should go elsewhere in New Canaan for a financial advisor who places a premium on his client’s best interests.https://www.repdigger.com/gms-group/
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