Merrill Lynch Relaxing Its Approach To Cannabis Businesses

Merrill executives unveiled plans for “streamlining” and adding more “flexibility” to the process of onboarding clients who own or invest in marijuana-related businesses, as part of its new initiative, reported Advisor Hub.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management executives launched the Project Thunder initiative to address some of the frustrations of the firm’s financial advisors.

The program is introducing relatively small tweaks initially and will include a total of at least 24 changes over a period of eight weeks.

The Project Thunder initiative

The two-month-long so-called Project Thunder campaign will focus on four points:

1) doing business;

2) product and platform enhancements;

3) success and culture;

4) promoting the visibility of the Merrill brand.

According to Merrill Lynch Wealth Management president, Andy Sieg, the company plans to invest “over the next two months and beyond in areas that matter most to our employees, based on direct feedback from the field.”

“Consistent with our history and culture, Merrill is committed to listening to our advisors, client associates and their teams, and acting on suggestions for making their work more efficient and enjoyable, and that will help them better serve clients,” Sieg added.

Now, they will be able to seek approval for clients with marijuana-related businesses at the divisional level in “lower risk situations,” without the (no longer) required blessing from a New York-based executive.

Photo courtesy of Giorgio Trovato from Unsplash