William Scott

Katherine Younce is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in helping individuals and families pursue long-term financial goals through customized wealth management strategies. She focuses on areas including family wealth management, legacy planning, retirement income, philanthropic planning, tax minimization, and small business strategies. Katherine partners with clients to develop actionable plans tailored to their priorities, leveraging Merrill Lynch’s investment expertise alongside Bank of America’s banking and lending solutions. Katherine holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and maintains the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. With experience rooted in both the mortgage industry and her own life as a wife and mother, she understands the importance of planning for homeownership, education, retirement, and healthcare costs. Her approach centers on simplifying complex financial concepts and fostering transparency to empower clients on their financial journeys. Outside of her professional work, Katherine is committed to her family and community. She has been married for 29 years and enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. Her personal interests include football, gardening, reading, and traveling. Katherine actively volunteers with local non-profits such as the Boys & Girls Club of North Beaufort County, the Foundation of Educational Excellence, and Hopeful Horizons, reflecting her values of growth, stewardship, and connection.

Patrick Cunningham is a Senior Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor leading The Cunningham Team, a wealth management group based in Beaufort, South Carolina. The team has served clients in over 25 states since its founding in 1995 and operates with the resources of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Bank of America to provide comprehensive financial planning and investment management services. Patrick's expertise includes family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, small business strategies, and retirement income. He has been recognized on multiple Forbes advisor rankings, including the Best-in-State Wealth Advisors from 2022 to 2025 and Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors (under 40) from 2022 to 2024, achieving the #1 ranking in South Carolina in 2024. Previously, he served on Merrill's NextGen Leadership Council. A Beaufort native, Patrick holds a bachelor's degree from The Citadel and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) professional designation. His community involvement includes service on St. Peter's Catholic Church Finance Council, presidency of the Beaufort Chapter of The Citadel Alumni Association, and graduation from Leadership Beaufort. He resides on Lady's Island with his wife Becky and their twin boys.

W Clark is a Private Wealth Manager with Merrill Private Wealth Management, serving clients since 2014. In this role, he focuses on developing financial strategies tailored to clients’ specific objectives, time horizons, risk profiles, and liquidity needs. His responsibilities include investment manager research and review, assisting with the design of wealth management strategies, executing trades for discretionary portfolios, managing executive trading and hedging strategies, and chairing his team’s investment committee. He also provides investment advice to young professionals, clients’ children, and recent collegiate graduates. Clark has been part of the Hise Lowry Group since graduating from McGill University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Chemistry. He holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. His expertise emphasizes tax-efficient investment management within individual client risk frameworks.

John C. Troutman, Jr., CPWA®, CPFA, serves as a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining the firm in 2011, he has focused on addressing the wealth management needs of affluent client families. His approach emphasizes personal attention and professional discipline, informed by over two decades of experience in the field and a family background in banking. John holds the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor credential. He earned bachelor's degrees in Finance and Management from the Moore School of Business and in Religious Studies from the College of Humanities at the University of South Carolina. His expertise encompasses a broad range of client focus areas, including family wealth management strategies, legacy and philanthropic planning, divorce transition planning, tax minimization, and portfolio management services. He works closely with clients, coordinating retirement, estate, and tax planning strategies with their CPAs and attorneys. In addition to his professional responsibilities, John is actively involved in community organizations. He serves on the board of The Historic Beaufort Foundation and has contributed to several other groups, such as the YMCA, Beaufort Rotary Endowment, Moore School of Business, Bluffton Self Help, and Penn Center. John resides on Lady’s Island with his wife Danielle and their four children.

Nicole Herron is a Benefits & Planning Consultant specializing in Executive Services at Fidelity Investments. In this role, she partners with executives to help them understand their employer benefits and supports them in developing confidence in their financial plans through a consultative approach. Nicole has extensive experience within Fidelity Investments, having held various positions since 2013, including Planning Consultant, Relationship Manager, Financial Consultant, Investment Consultant, and Financial Representative. Prior to joining Fidelity, she worked at Suntrust Bank as a Personal Banker and at Sterling Capital Management LLC as an Investment Associate. Outside of her professional work, Nicole has personal interests that include boating, cooking and baking, fitness, football, gardening, and spending time with her pets.