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.
Intergenerational Family Wealth
As a family that spans multiple generations, you have needs that go beyond preserving assets, tax minimization strategies and designating heirs. Your goals also likely include passing on values and helping the next generation become effective stewards. We can help with personalized wealth transfer strategies, family wealth education and developing and implementing philanthropic visions. In working with you to create an approach that reflects your family’s intentions and helps ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes, we proceed in a manner that recognizes the complexities of your life challenges and the unique nature of your goals. Our extensive experience working with other families of significant wealth helps us to see and share best practices to help you achieve them.
Corporate Executives
We understand the complexities that come with your executive position and the extreme demands on your time. We can help you develop a customized strategy that your finances and compensation require. We can help with risk management strategies for your concentrated stock position while navigating complex SEC rules, trading restrictions and reporting requirements. If you’ve just been promoted and would like help evaluating your new compensation plan, or if you’re looking to develop a long-term financial strategy for you and your family — designed to enable you to live life as you want it, with reliable access to cash — we can help simplify your financial life, as well as develop new strategies as your career and goals evolve.
Company Founders, Private Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
When you have built your own business, your personal finances and the life of your company are closely intertwined. You may be thinking about how to invest in your company’s growth while also deciding how best to use your personal assets. Helping ensure the future of your business likely involves employee benefits, retirement plans and succession planning. Helping secure your family’s legacy could entail wealth transfer strategies, trusts and philanthropy. Whatever your specific needs, we at Merrill Private Wealth Management can help entrepreneurs and business owners balance their personal financial lives with their life’s work. We are dedicated in providing the experience and resources to help support your ongoing success.
Entertainment Industry Professionals
As rewarding as success in the entertainment industry can be, income is often cyclical and careers can be subject to swift change. Managing your finances requires a disciplined, knowledgeable and experienced approach to help ensure you are able to live as you want, with strategies for helping manage risk and providing for your future. Merrill Private Wealth Management provides personalized, boutique-like service to a select group of successful entertainment professionals. Drawing on the extensive capabilities of a global institution, we offer financial strategies aimed at simplifying the complexities of your financial life and building the legacy you envision.
Jones Zafari Team description
From our three locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palo Alto our group of investment professionals provides financial services and strategies for ultra-affluent individuals, families, corporations, endowments, and foundations. Clients who have entrusted us with $26.7 billion in assets as of December 31, 2021. Clients include entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 executives, media personalities, non-profit organizations, and owners of private corporations; accounts range in size from $10 million to over $1 billion.
Our senior partners have received a number of accolades:
Barron's magazine, ranked #1 on "America's Top 50 Private Wealth Management Teams," 2020
Barron's Advisor Hall of Fame
Barron’s magazine, “Top 100 Financial Advisors nationally,” 2005 – 2021
Barron’s magazine, “Top 1200 Financial Advisors State-by-State,” 2009 – 2021
Barron's magazine, "Top 100 Women Advisors," 2013-2018.
The Financial Times, ”Top 400 Advisors,” 2013 – 2020
Wealth Management magazine, “Top 100 Wirehouse Advisors in 2016"
Forbes' “Top 250 Wealth Advisors,” 2016-2021
Forbes' "America's Top Women Wealth Advisors," 2017-2021
Forbes' "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors," 2018-2021; Richard Jones and Reza Zafari ranked #1 and #2, respectively in Los Angeles (Private Wealth)
Source: The Barron's "Top 50 Private Wealth Management Teams" list, April 17, 2020. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/oCSYX0 . Barron's is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: Barron's "Hall of Fame", October 2019. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/k5sotG . Barron's is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: The Barron's "Top 100 Financial Advisors" list, April 16, 2021. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/MriJWa . Barron's is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: The Barron's "Top 1,200 Financial Advisors" list, March 12, 2021. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
https://www.ml.com/articles/awards-recognition.html . Barron's is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Years prior to 2014, this Barron's list consisted of 1,000 advisors.
Source: The Barron's "Top 100 Women Financial Advisors" list considers advisors who have a minimum of 7 years financial services experience and been employed at their current firm for at least one year (June 11, 2018). Other quantitative and qualitative measures include: client assets, return on assets, client satisfaction/retention, compliance records, and community involvement, among others. Rankings are based on the opinions of Barron’s and not representative nor indicative of any one client’s experience, future performance, or investment outcome and should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. For more information, visit
https://www.barrons.com/report/top-financial-advisors/women/2018 . Barron's is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights
Source: The Financial Times "400 Top Financial Advisers" (FT 400) list, April 16, 2020. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/fTgbvQ . The Financial Times "400 Top Financial Advisers" (FT 400) list is an independent listing produced annually by Ignites Research, a division of Money-Media, Inc., on behalf of the Financial Times. All rights reserved.
Source: WealthManagement Magazine’s “Top 100 Wirehouse Advisors in 2016” list, May 1, 2016. For information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/YmYuUA . WealthManagement Magazine is a trademark of Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: The Forbes “America’s Top Wealth Advisors” list, August 24, 2021. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/4ZzeSL . Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Source: The Forbes "America's Top Women Wealth Advisors" list, March 24, 2021. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/NtSDE5 . Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Source: The Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list, February 11, 2021. For more information about the selection criteria, go to
http://details-he.re/qg4zAM . Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved.
The ranking or ratings shown here may not be representative of all client experiences because they reflect an average or sampling of the client experiences. These rankings or ratings are not indicative of any future performance or investment outcome. Such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the 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.
Depth of Experience
We draw upon the combined talents and efforts of all of our team members. The breadth of our group enables us to provide clients with in-depth knowledge within an intimate, attentive framework that is highly focused on their needs. Each client has direct, one-on-one access to a partner of our group. The immediacy of this relationship, combined with the scope of our services, creates a powerful dynamic that seeks to enhance, organize, and streamline clients’ financial lives.
Focused Attention
We inherently recognize that the needs and desires of high-net-worth clients are distinctive, requiring the upmost professionalism, discretion, and focus. Our strategies and offerings are designed to address clients’ complex, wide ranging financial needs:
- Trust and estate planning strategies
- Tax-effective hedging and diversification strategies
- Credit and banking needs through Bank of America, N.A.
- Access to family office services
Dedicated Investment Analysis
The open investment platform within Merrill enables our group to access portfolio strategies wherever they are housed. Given the size and scale of our group, we have dedicated resources for investment manager due diligence. Our team conducts over 1,000 calls and meetings with investment managers each year. This commitment to investment analysis provides us with valuable insight into market conditions, investment capacity, new portfolio strategies, and rising talent. We parlay this knowledge into timely strategic and tactical investment approaches that seek to enhance portfolio returns while dampening risk.
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