Stephanie Guyton
FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Delivers sophisticated, tax‑efficient wealth and transition planning informed by a background in public accounting, corporate M&A, and advanced financial analysis. As an Assistant Vice President, Senior Financial Advisor and CDFA®, she help clients strategically organize, protect, and grow their wealth – especially during pivotal life and financial transitions.
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Stephanie Guyton, CDFA®, is an Assistant Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch who has built her career around a deep commitment to guiding individuals and families through some of life’s most important financial decisions. With more than two decades of professional experience spanning public accounting, corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and wealth management, she brings a rare combination of analytical rigor, strategic insight, and personalized care to every client relationship. Her dedication to excellence was reflected in her inclusion on the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams list in 2026 – an honor highlighting the quality and consistency of her client-focused approach.
As an Assistant Vice President, Senior Financial Advisor and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional, Stephanie has developed a specialized strength in helping clients navigate financial transitions – particularly those related to divorce, separation, and the restructuring of longterm assets. Her CDFA® designation enables her to blend financial expertise with sensitivity to the emotional and practical challenges clients face during major life changes.
She is known for her ability to clarify complex issues, simplify financial decision-making, and support clients in building strong, resilient longterm plans.
In every aspect of her practice, Stephanie emphasizes collaboration, education, and long term relationship building. She takes the time to understand each client’s values, priorities, and vision for the future, crafting strategic financial plans that reflect both the technical and personal elements of wealth management.
Driven, thoughtful, and deeply invested in the success of those she serves, Stephanie remains dedicated to helping clients achieve greater clarity and confidence in their financial lives – today and for generations to come.
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Stephanie’s academic and professional foundations were established early. She graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara, to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting. This strong quantitative training led her to begin her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Irvine, where she gained invaluable exposure to financial analysis, audit discipline, and the regulatory environment governing both corporations and individual financial planning strategies. Her time at PwC sharpened her attention to detail and reinforced the importance of integrity and transparency – principles that continue to guide her advisory practice today.
Seeking to broaden her experience beyond public accounting, Stephanie transitioned to the Strategic Development team at Ingram Micro, a global leader in technology and supply chain solutions. There, she played a key role in evaluating and executing U.S. mergers and acquisitions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to assess financial viability, operational impact, and long-term strategic value. This immersion in complex deal structures strengthened her ability to evaluate financial scenarios, manage risk, and consider long-range implications –skills that now directly benefit the clients she serves in wealth management.
Stephanie later earned her MBA from the prestigious Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. Her graduate studies deepened her expertise in finance, organizational leadership, and strategic planning, complementing her prior experience in both accounting and corporate development. Shortly afterward, she joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where she has built a practice focused on delivering thoughtful, goal aligned guidance tailored to each client’s unique circumstances. Her approach emphasizes comprehensive planning across investments, retirement, generational wealth, and tax efficient strategies designed to help clients preserve and grow their wealth over time.
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Email: stephanie.guyton@ml.com
Phone: (949) 456-8123
