Merrill veteran Jonathan Stogsdill joins Trinity Wealth Advisors in St. Louis

Jonathan Stogsdill, CRPC, has joined Trinity Wealth Advisors, a registered investment advisory firm in St. Louis, Missouri, as senior wealth advisor, with more than two decades of financial services experience to the independent RIA.

He was most recently a vice president and financial solutions advisor at Merrill where he spent more than eight years working directly with clients on retirement planning, investment strategy, and financial goal-setting across different life stages.

The hire reflects a broader pattern of experienced wirehouse advisors moving toward independent and values-aligned practices. In March 2026, Cyndeo Wealth Partners added Glenn Rodriguez, a Merrill veteran with roughly $235 million in client assets, to its advisory roster – one of several similar transitions that have played out across the industry this year as advisors cite greater autonomy and mission alignment as key drivers of their moves.

Stogsdill’s background spans client advisory work, internal mentorship, and institutional service. At Merrill, he also supported Bank of America employees through the company’s Employee Financial Services program, helping staff navigate investment, retirement, and financial planning decisions. Prior to that, he held branch management and mortgage lending roles at Bank of America for more than 12 years combined.

A deliberate cultural fit

Trinity Wealth Advisors, founded in 1997 by Jim Matush, operates around what it calls a Life-Wealth Planning philosophy – an approach that centers clients’ personal priorities, values, and long-term aspirations rather than focusing narrowly on portfolio performance.

The firm integrates investment management, retirement planning, tax strategy, estate considerations, and charitable giving within a coordinated, team-based model.

“Jon brings something we value tremendously at Trinity: a genuine heart for serving people, supported by years of practical financial experience,” said Matush, CEO and founding partner. “We have always believed that wealth is more than what someone accumulates. It is a resource to be stewarded thoughtfully in service of family, faith, and the things that give life meaning.”

That philosophy was a deliberate draw for Stogsdill. “What drew me to Trinity was the opportunity to be part of a team that sees financial planning as something much more personal than managing investments,” he said. “I believe we are called to walk alongside individuals and families, understand what is truly important to them, and help them steward their resources with clarity and purpose.”

Community ties and long-term outlook

Beyond his professional record, Stogsdill is an active presence in the St. Louis community. He serves as an elder at his church and has volunteered with several local organizations, including the Jason Motte Foundation, Friends of Kids with Cancer, Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis, Mission: St. Louis, and Connections to Success.

The move reinforces a trend InvestmentNews has tracked across its coverage of advisor recruitment and RIA growth: experienced wirehouse professionals increasingly seeking practices where their client philosophy and their firm’s business model align.

As InvestmentNews‘ Rising Stars 2026 report found, the ability to build and maintain long-term client trust remains a defining attribute of the industry’s most successful advisors, and the emphasis on that trust – rather than scale alone – appears central to Trinity’s hiring approach.

For more on the firms leading the shift toward client-centric wealth management, see InvestmentNews‘ 5-Star RIA Firms for High-Net-Worth Clients 2026.