Financial advisors in New York for Tax Planning

Aaron Murphy is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He works closely with clients to understand their priorities and develop strategies aimed at achieving their short-, mid-, and long-term financial goals. His services encompass a wide range of areas including executive and equity compensation, legacy and liquidity management, retirement planning, portfolio management, small business strategies, tax minimization, and retirement income. He also coordinates with Bank of America specialists to offer solutions related to banking, credit, home financing, and small business needs. Aaron holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) designation and is recognized as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned a bachelor's degree from Queens University of Charlotte and completed his secondary education at Myers Park High School. Aaron’s approach is centered on uncovering what matters most to each client and their family, in order to create tailored financial strategies. Outside of his professional role, Aaron enjoys a variety of personal interests including chess, golfing, hiking, music, pickleball, rock climbing, running, and spending time with his family.

Matthew Kilmer is the Sales Manager and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been serving since 1998. He leads the Central New York Complex and is part of the Eidlin-Kilmer & Associates team, focusing on guiding high-net-worth individuals through complex wealth management challenges. Matthew has been recognized on the Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list from 2018 through 2025. With over 25 years of experience, Matthew's expertise includes divorce transition planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, retirement planning, and investment strategies for individuals and corporations. He holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP), Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester. Matthew is actively involved in his community, serving as a corporate board member of the YMCA of Greater Rochester since 2011, including roles as Annual Campaign Chair and Board Chair. He also volunteers with Volunteers of America. Outside of work, Matthew enjoys boating, golfing, skiing, and spending time with his family. He resides in Pittsford, New York, with his wife and three daughters.

Victor Quintana is an International Wealth Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a member of The Graham-Quintana Group. Since entering the financial services industry in 2007 and joining Merrill Lynch in 2013, he has worked with international families, entrepreneurs, first-generation wealth creators, multigenerational families, and global institutions. Victor assists clients with investment management, liquidity, foreign exchange solutions, international trust and estate planning services, and managing transitional financial events such as retirement, inheritance, or the sale of a business. He also supports clients' commercial banking and financing needs through Bank of America and collaborates with clients' other professional advisors on estate planning and tax minimization strategies. Victor holds a bachelor's degree in finance and investments from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business. He carries several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Fluent in English and Spanish, he offers clients customized investment strategies and guidance on complex cross-border financial matters. Outside of his professional role, Victor enjoys physical activities such as soccer, swimming, hiking, running, biking, boxing, skiing, and running marathons. He values lifelong learning and spends his leisure time reading non-fiction, biographies, self-help books, and market and current-events publications. Victor also enjoys traveling and exploring different cultures with his wife and two young children.

Anthony Matrone is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he works to help clients develop personalized financial strategies tailored to their unique ambitions and priorities. He joined the Chau Gardner Group in May 2020 and previously served as a Financial Advisor at MassMutual, focusing on financial planning for small business owners and families with Special Needs children. Anthony offers guidance in areas including college education planning, personal retirement planning, liquidity management, small business strategies, and specialized services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University. He is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and leverages access to top-tier specialists in banking, credit, mortgages, business solutions, and trust management to address a comprehensive range of client needs. He values getting to know clients personally to create tailored financial plans that reflect their goals across short, mid, and long-term horizons. Outside of his professional work, Anthony resides on Staten Island with his wife and their young twins. He volunteers as a fundraiser for Volunteers of America (VOA) and has interests including biking, cooking, football, genealogy, music, photography, spending time with family, and table tennis.

John Paul Pawlowski is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He provides a planning-based asset management service to a select group of successful individuals and businesses. John Paul works closely with specialists across various areas to offer a range of services including portfolio management, market research, wealth preservation, retirement planning, income solutions, rule 144 equity sales, and lending services through Bank of America, N.A. His client focus includes college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, tax minimization, and retirement income. John Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Muhlenberg College. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, a CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), and a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He began his career at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2002 and serves as a Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor. He lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with his wife, Eliza, and their two sons, Jack and Logan. Outside of his professional responsibilities, John Paul spends most of his free time with his family and enjoys basketball, golfing, running, and skiing.

Wendy Brown is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing over 20 years of experience to her role. She specializes in a range of areas including college education planning, divorce transition planning, employee benefits planning, family wealth management strategies, and retirement planning among others. Wendy works closely with clients to develop personalized financial strategies aimed at pursuing their long-term goals, drawing on her background in accounting and finance to manage both assets and liabilities effectively. Wendy holds a Bachelor's Degree from New York University and is a Retirement Benefits Consultant, assisting businesses and corporate executives with retirement solutions and concentrated stock positions. Her professional designations include CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). Wendy is also active in her community, serving as a mentor for the NYU Business Plan Competition and the Roslyn High School Next Leaders program. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Wendy enjoys a range of activities such as biking, cooking, gardening, hiking, horseback riding, skiing, tennis, traveling, yoga, and spending time with her family. Her philosophy emphasizes developing financial strategies through one-on-one collaboration to help clients achieve their personal and financial objectives.

Jonathan Kass is a Managing Director and Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1995 and has been in the financial services industry since 1993. Jonathan is a founding member of The Kass/Freeman Group and focuses on providing wealth management services, estate planning, professional portfolio management, small business planning, lending, and retirement plans. He helps a diverse client base including high-net-worth families, corporate executives, and business owners with customized strategies to address their financial goals, wealth transfer, and investment planning. Additionally, he supports businesses with retirement benefit plan design and implementation and access to credit and lending through Bank of America products. Jonathan holds a Bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College and has earned several professional designations including the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Equity Plan Consultant (EPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). His work has been recognized by numerous industry publications, including consistent rankings in Barron’s “America’s Top 100 Financial Advisors” for fifteen consecutive years as of 2025. He has also been featured in Barron’s “Hall of Fame Advisors,” Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors,” and the Financial Times’ lists of top financial and retirement plan advisors. Residing in Westchester, New York, Jonathan lives with his wife and two sons. Beyond his professional commitments, he contributes to the community as a youth basketball coach and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Harvey School. He is also involved with the Syracuse University Martin J. Whitman School of Management Parents Advisory Council. His personal interests include basketball, cooking, fishing, football, golf, reading, tennis, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with his family.

James Makrianes is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he collaborates with individuals and families to develop personalized investment and retirement strategies. He emphasizes a client-first philosophy, aiming to understand each client's unique goals, values, and priorities to create tailored financial plans. His practice includes expertise in areas such as equity compensation services, legacy planning, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, and tax minimization. James also integrates lending solutions through Bank of America, N.A. to provide comprehensive wealth management. With a Bachelor's Degree from Michigan State University and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation, James applies a disciplined approach to help clients define meaningful financial objectives and establish actionable strategies. His work spans asset allocation, risk assessment, retirement income strategies, cash-flow analysis, and trust and estate planning. James's mission is to deliver results that align with clients' goals and provide lasting financial assurance for them and their families. James resides in New York City and grew up on Long Island. Outside of his professional work, he stays active through basketball, snowboarding, and spending time by the ocean. He is also involved with the community through the organization Hoops 4 Hope.

Grant Aidner is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in working with high-net-worth families to simplify financial complexity through a family office-inspired approach. He provides a comprehensive suite of services including investment management, tax-aware planning, credit strategies, and family governance, serving as a single point of accountability to help clients streamline decision-making, coordinate their financial lives, and preserve wealth across generations. Grant’s expertise encompasses education planning, family wealth management strategies, retirement income planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and liquidity solutions for major transactions. He began his financial services career in 2003 and holds multiple professional designations, including Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Vermont. Outside of his professional work, Grant is involved with the Peninsula Soccer Club, where he serves as a coach. His personal interests include cooking, golfing, running, skiing, surfing, and yoga. He emphasizes understanding clients’ life priorities to develop personalized wealth management plans aligned with their goals and aspirations.

Sean McGee is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in managing client wealth by developing a deep understanding of each individual’s financial picture through a personalized planning process. Mr. McGee structures accounts and allocates investments to align with clients' risk levels, objectives, time horizons, and liquidity needs, and actively manages portfolios through dynamic decision making in changing markets. As one of a limited group of Senior Portfolio Managers, Mr. McGee is qualified to manage investments directly without delegation, offering discretionary management using his own Personalized and Defined Strategies, which often include individual stocks and exchange traded funds. His client focus areas include executive compensation, family wealth management, liquidity management, retirement planning, tax minimization, and retirement income. He also assists clients with home financing, securities-based lending, and banking needs through Bank of America, N.A. Mr. McGee holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. He holds several professional designations including Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). His community involvement includes past leadership roles such as Chair of the Reunion Committee at Lehigh University, Board Member at Raritan Valley Community College Foundation, and Vice President of the Board of Trustees for the Hunterdon Art Museum. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys biking, photography, swimming, and traveling.