Ryan Parson

Barry Smith is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management with more than 20 years of experience. He works with high-net-worth individuals across Texas and 25 other states, developing integrated wealth management strategies tailored to clients’ personal and professional goals. Barry has built long-standing relationships with clients that often span multiple generations, and he leads a multi-generational team including his son, Barry III, to ensure continuity of service for client families. Before joining Merrill Lynch, Barry was a Certified Public Accountant and worked in institutional sales for seven years, providing him with a perspective that supports clients in addressing tax consequences and market volatility. He helps translate complex financial principles into clear concepts to give clients confidence in their investment decisions. Barry’s areas of focus include college education planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, investment strategy, tax minimization, and retirement income. Barry earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Dallas and raised in Houston, he resides in Houston with his wife, Mary, and their son. Barry enjoys basketball, bicycling, hiking, racquetball, tennis, and spending time with his family. He also helps manage a scholarship fund that provides tuition support for medical students.

Steven Penton is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining Merrill in 1994, he has been part of the select group of Merrill Institutional Consultants, providing integrated consulting services to institutional clients including Taft-Hartley retirement plans, corporations, foundations, endowments, and nonprofit organizations. His expertise encompasses executive wealth management, advisory services, managed money, and equity and fixed-income analysis. Steven is authorized to offer consulting services for complex defined-contribution investment plans, assisting retirement plan sponsors with the design and administration of 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans, as well as nonqualified defined-contribution plans and supplemental executive retirement plans. He holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation, the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) credential, and is a member of the Investments & Wealth Institute™. He earned a high school diploma from Western Reserve Academy and a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Steven resides in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with his wife and two sons. Outside of his professional responsibilities, he enjoys skiing, running, golf, and bike riding.