THE DUCKWORTH HAGGERTY GROUP Duckworth, Haggerty, Lattimore, Sims Duerr

Private Wealth Advisors
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The Duckworth Haggerty Group works closely with individuals, families and institutions as they address the complex challenges of preserving, enhancing and managing their wealth. When we listen deeply and work purposefully, we can help improve the quality of our clients’ lives.

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.

Additional Resources

The following specialists do not make securities recommendations. Please contact your Merrill Private Wealth Advisor if you have questions about how a specialist might be able to assist you.

Jill Sovick

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #444294

Recognition

Merrill is proud of our advisors who’ve received recognition from financial industry publications or directly from Bank of America Corporation. We believe they are setting the standard for exemplary client service.

Michael Duckworth

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2023
Published on January 12, 2023. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022.*

Barron's "Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State" 2011 -2022
Published annually in February - March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of the prior year.

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
Published annually Jan- April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Jennifer Haggerty

Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” 2023
Published on February 2, 2023. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2022.*

Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" 2018 - 2022
Published annually Jan- April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Working Mother/SHOOK Research's "Top Wealth Advisor Moms" 2018
 Published on October 2, 2018. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2018.

Click here to learn more about these awards

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

A Skilled, Experienced Team

"Your client experience will be delivered by outstanding team members who are driven to simplify and improve your life, and have access to a vast array of services.”
 
Michael Duckworth
Managing Director
Private Wealth Advisor



The Duckworth Haggerty Group works closely with individuals, families and institutions as they address the complex challenges of preserving, enhancing and managing their wealth. We are driven by the strongly held belief that our purposeful effort—matched with our individual and collective skills—can help clients improve the quality of their lives.

Michael Duckworth, Jennifer Haggerty, Helen Sims Duerr, and Chris Lattimore, our team's Private Wealth Advisors, are highly trained and dedicated to the delivery of innovative financial strategies often demanded by the intricacies of substantial wealth. With more than two decades of professional experience to draw upon, our advisors focus on small numbers of ultra-high-net-worth clients so they can devote the necessary time and understanding to help them manage the financial responsibilities—including retirement and tax minimization strategies—that can accompany great wealth.

Our approach is multidimensional and includes investment advice and guidance; risk management; retirement income planning services; wealth transfer, trust and estate planning services; and care coordination* for families with special needs, as well as access to Bank of America banking services.

 
Merrill Private Wealth Management

Merrill Private Wealth Management provides tailored strategies to help meet the distinct needs of individuals and families with substantial wealth. Clients are served with a boutique-like approach by teams of rigorously trained and experienced advisors who are skilled in working with wealthy clients, their families and businesses. Clients can enjoy a caliber of resources and future-focused strategies that is typically reserved for the world's largest enterprises.

Our Philosophy

We believe your unique goals should be at the center of all of your financial decisions and form the foundation of your financial strategy. Because significant wealth requires customized goals-based financial strategies, we believe in building lasting relationships with a limited number of clients, taking the time to understand your most important priorities for today, tomorrow and your long-term future. Our philosophy celebrates collaboration. Working with a team of specialists, we draw on the resources and insights of a global financial institution to create strategies that reflect your aspirations for yourself and current and future generations of your family. Finally, we believe that while significant wealth brings complex challenges, our experience, passion and perspectives can help you simplify your life.

Simplifying Your Financial Life

The single most important determinant of your experience with us is the quality of the relationship we develop with you. Of course, you expect thoughtful, professional financial advice and guidance, and we are committed to delivering it. However, it is the information that flows from the relationship—about you, your family, your goals, dreams and concerns—that allows us to offer value-added advice and guidance developed specifically for you.

  • We are part of a remarkable financial services company that is distinguished by its people, thought leadership and global presence.
  • We work with a select client base.
  • We emphasize asset allocation, risk-awareness and diversification in our disciplined investment process.
  • We review client investment portfolios so that asset class exposure stays aligned with your long-term allocation strategy

A Wealth Management Strategy Centered on You

A thoughtful, customized wealth strategy does not come “off the shelf.” It evolves from information that we learn about you and your family.

Laying the foundation for an individualized strategy requires insight and discipline. It is more than simply selecting investment managers; it is a process. It starts with gathering information about you so that your strategy and investments reflect your values.

It is dynamic and requires steady attention so that your strategy can change as your life changes. We focus on the broad aspects of your financial life, from wealth accumulation, reservation and intergenerational transfers, to philanthropic giving and legacy strategies.


Merrill Private Wealth Management Professionals

Our rigorously trained Private Wealth Advisors and Private Wealth Associates provide clients with a direct line to all of the resources and capabilities of a truly global investment firm—in ways that are more in keeping with a small, very exclusive boutique-like firm. Concierge services, family meetings, and private seminars and events are all part of the experience.




"Our wealth management process is driven by you. Your vision of the future, your financial needs and life passions are essential ingredients."

Jennifer L. Haggerty
Managing Director
Private Wealth Advisor

Services for Families With Special Care Needs

The Duckworth Haggerty Group has experience helping high-net-worth families across the country address the issues involved in funding lifetime care and support for a child or other family member with special needs. We recognize that preserving the wealth you have accumulated is an important concern, and we can help you develop strategies designed to avoid well-intentioned but inappropriate actions that may adversely affect the long-term financial security of your family member with special needs.

We can also work with you and your family to integrate special needs concerns into your broader wealth management approach. Our aim is to offer a high-quality concierge service, acting as an intermediary between you and the services your wealth enables. Our services include:
  • Advice and guidance on allocating funds to provide for a client's current and future financial needs.
  • If appropriate, coordinating with clients' other professional advisors (including CPAs, attorneys and fiduciaries) and specialized resource providers (such as medical equipment vendors, rehabilitative health care professionals or payroll services).
  • Educating and assisting clients to make informed decisions on wealth preservation and legacy planning strategies.
  • Helping families determine eligibility for public benefits.


"We are sensitive to both the financial and emotional challenges of providing support for a loved one who has a special need or disability."

Michael D. Duckworth
Managing Director
Private Wealth Advisor

A Commitment to Service

Merrill Private Wealth Management is committed to providing a select group of clients with highly personalized one-on-one service. When you work with us, our knowledgeable, rigorously trained private wealth advisors will gain a deep understanding of your goals, help you develop a multigenerational wealth strategy, and help you update your strategy as needed. We are committed to providing you access to the investment insights of Merrill and the banking convenience of Bank of America, and Merrill will continue to invest in client tools and new technology to enhance your overall experience as you and your private wealth advisor pursue what’s most important to you.

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

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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.