PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

The O'Toole, Lilley, Gross Group

Our Philosophy
We organize and manage the financial affairs for a select group of families and privately held businesses in the Capital Region. We specialize in the transition to financial independence, when the savings our clients have spent a lifetime nurturing, need to be turned into a reliable income that can last their lifetime. Our team has been immersed in preparing retirement plans of all types for individuals, couples and families since the 1975. We have two CFP® certificants, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and two PIA Portfolio Managers. Our understanding of corporate benefit plans and retirement income tax laws enables us to provide clients with a practical, durable investment foundation designed to take the worry out of retirement.

Our Investment Approach:

We employ a risk-based investment philosophy focusing on cash flow over growth, which may occur naturally over time. We do not design portfolios to seek unsustainable, high rates of return. We manage assets with the intent to generate cash flow.

We form portfolios through the consistency and reliability of cash flow. The building blocks of portfolios we oversee include fixed income securities and bond "ladders" (which stagger the maturities of bond holdings) when appropriate. Stocks and alternative investments are also used, when appropriate, to complement bonds. When appropriate, we also employ stock overlay strategies such as covered call options in an attempt to increase the cash flow and decrease the risk in portfolios.

We advise 170 Affluent Family and Corporate Clients with assets of over $250 Million in The Capital Region and Nationally.

John W. O'Toole Jr., PIA
First Vice President-Investments
Senior Financial Advisor

Jack has been with Merrill Lynch & Co. since 1975. He is a portfolio manager in the PIA program for Merrill Lynch. He also advises corporate clients with retirement planning and cash management. He has served on a number of boards and associate boards in the Capital Region and was Chairman of the Capital Region Sports Foundation. Jack lives with his family in Clifton Park, New York. He enjoys traveling, golf, and is actively involved with promoting youth of the Capital Region through sports.

Robert B. Lilley, Jr., CFP®, PIA,
First Vice President-Investments
Wealth Management Advisor
NY Capital Complex Sales Manager

A Graduate from LaSalle University, Bob joined Merrill Lynch in 1996. He is a Certified Financial Planner® Practitioner. Bob is a Portfolio Manager in the PIA Program within Merrill Lynch. He specializes in retirement income optimization and manages the asset allocation models for the team. Bob lives in Delmar, NY with his wife, Maura and three children. Bob enjoys skiing, golf and fancies himself a good cook.

Joseph A. Gross, CFP®
Assistant Vice President
Investment Associate

Joe started in the financial services industry in 1999 and has been with Merrill Lynch since 2003. He is a Certified Financial Planner® Practitioner. Joe is a native of Troy, N.Y. and a graduate of Siena College, with a B.S. degree in Finance. His primary areas of focus are retirement and investment strategies for individuals and small business owners. In addition, Joe manages the portfolio changes for the team. Joe resides in North Greenbush, NY with his wife Nora.

Jamie Decosse
Registered Client

Jamie joined Merrill Lynch in July of 2006. In addition to being series 7 and 66 registered, she oversees the daily operations of the team, assists with client service, and performs client account maintenance. She is a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh, where she received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling and playing volleyball. She resides in Latham, NY.