The Bates Caputo Group operates as a wealth management division of Merrill Lynch, headquartered at 200 Park Avenue in New York. Founded by John Bates and Scott Caputo, both senior vice presidents and senior financial advisors, the firm was established by professionals with combined 30 years of experience in investment banking across prominent global financial institutions, where they worked in fixed income, commodity, and equity divisions serving institutional investors.
The firm offers a comprehensive suite of wealth management services including portfolio customization, wealth preservation and transfer strategies, personal and commercial banking through Bank of America, lending solutions, retirement and savings account planning, insurance products, and investment access. They provide trust and wealth planning services, often coordinating with clients' CPAs and attorneys to structure complex financial arrangements such as trusts and family office strategies. Their platform integrates Bank of America retail banking, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management investment solutions, and Bank of America Private Bank services.
The Bates Caputo Group distinguishes itself through its focus on high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clientele, including family offices, private equity and hedge fund professionals, business owners, foundations, and endowments. Their approach emphasizes long-term strategic planning grounded in understanding each client's specific goals, life priorities, and investment knowledge before crafting customized, risk-adjusted portfolios. The firm leverages its banking heritage to identify lending opportunities and provides coordinated wealth management across multiple family members and generations.
This is a legitimate, established wealth management practice operating within the Merrill Lynch institutional framework with regulatory oversight through FINRA. However, it is not a consumer credit repair or credit-building service, and the current categorization on CreditDoc is entirely incorrect. The firm serves exclusively high-net-worth clients and is not positioned for consumers seeking credit repair, debt relief, or credit-building services. Consumers with typical credit challenges or moderate incomes would not be appropriate clients for this advisory group.