The Padalino Group

Private Wealth Advisors
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Our mission is to simplify and modernize our clients' financial lives, enabling them to pursue their life passions.

We take a team approach to working with families and their key advisors, typically their trust and estate attorneys and accountants. 

We’re committed to helping our clients think about and deploy their wealth in meaningful ways.

For each family, that path is unique. Our clients' priorities become our priorities.

Meet the Team

The private wealth advisors with Merrill Private Wealth Management are rigorously trained to help meet your specialized needs with relationships based on trust and personalized service.

Strategies designed to help you achieve your goals

As a client of Merrill Private Wealth Management, you have access to services and resources ordinarily reserved for the world’s largest institutions. We work with individuals, families spanning multiple generations, business owners and executives. Using a goals-based wealth management approach, we put our clients at the center of every personalized strategy.

Our Approach

About Us

Diane Padalino and Kendall Cotten have been partners for over 17 years and take great pleasure in working with their client’s family members across generations. In 2021 Diane became the sole principal of the business and Kendall transitioned into a consulting role. He is still dedicated to their clients but is now able to spend more time with his family.

Our Clients

The majority of our clients are entrepreneurs who have sold their businesses, divorced and widowed individuals, or family members who have recently inherited wealth and are newly responsible for its management.

We have significant experience guiding these types of clients through the process of developing a wealth management strategy. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you, hear your family’s personal story, and discuss your unique vision and priorities.

Our Process

We use a four-step process:
1) Document: First, we have in-depth conversations to discern your lifestyle, legacy and aspirational goals.  Integral to this step is our analysis of your personal financial statements, including your balance sheet.

2) Create: Next, we develop a fully integrated strategy that includes investments, trust and estate planning services, and traditional banking* – each component customized for your goals. Every step of the way we are seeking the lowest cost, most tax-efficient and easiest to understand and execute strategy.

3) Implement: We then assist you in opening and funding investment and banking accounts, while overseeing the completion and execution of your trust and estate documents. 

4) Evaluate: Finally, we provide you with online interfaces and apps so that you can track your progress toward your goals. We suggest quarterly meetings to assess investment performance and annual meetings with key advisors to evaluate your estate and tax-planning initiatives.



*Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.
*Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

*Trust, fiduciary, and investment management services are provided by Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”), and its agents.

Let's have a conversation

Your dedicated Merrill Private Wealth Management team is ready to help you pursue what’s most important to you.

Our Vision

For clients of substantial means, Merrill Private Wealth Management provides an experience that is both powerful and personal. We are dedicated to helping you pursue your goals for today while developing an approach designed to support your family members for the years to come.

Your private wealth advisor and team of specialists work with a limited number of clients, enabling them to focus their time, training and passion on helping you simplify your personal and business finances and prepare your next generation.

Boutique-like service with the access to the investment resources of Merrill and banking convenience of Bank of America

We combine the personalized attention and feel of a smaller firm with the power and insights of a global financial institution, creating financial strategies tailored to your unique situation.

A relentless commitment to transparency and customized strategies

As our client, know we are working in your best interests, providing goals-based financial strategies designed to anticipate and help meet your evolving financial needs.