Merrill Financial Advisors in Bloomfield Hills Honored

Five Merrill financial advisors from Bloomfield Hills were recently named to Forbes magazine’s “Best-in-State Advisors 2020” list.

Melissa Spickler has been named to the Forbes list for the third straight year. She joined Merrill in 1980 and today helps motivate, advise and guide women in transition, executives, closely held businesses, retirees and entrepreneurs as they pursue their financial goals. Melissa is a graduate of Michigan State University.

John Low is a Senior Vice President for Merrill. He brings experience in wealth transfer, asset management, portfolio design and implementation, and retirement income replacement strategies. Low is a graduate of Michigan State University and began his career in the financial services industry in 1995.

David Pappas has earned this honor for three straight years starting in 2018. He is a Senior Vice President for Merrill and has more than 36 years of investment experience. David provides clients with an individually tailored approach to investing and risk management.

Derek Ashcraft has been an investment professional since 1995. Derek provides services including retirement planning, investment planning, estate planning, wealth planning and risk management. This is the third year in a rowhe has been on the Forbes Best-in-State list. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University.

Phillip Appel joined Merrill in 1993 and has over 25 years of experience helping clients acquire, grow and preserve assets over successive generations. Phillip is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years experience, and the algorithm weights factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients.