Jeff Erdmann

Founding Partner and Managing Director Merrill Private Wealth Management (The Erdmann Group)

Last Reviewed: July 30, 2026

Executive Summary

Jeff Erdmann (legal name John F. Erdmann III) is the founding partner and Managing Director of The Erdmann Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management in Greenwich, Connecticut. He is the only advisor ever named the #1 wealth advisor in the United States by Forbes for eight consecutive years, and has led his team to manage nearly $20 billion in assets for high-net-worth families and corporate executives.

Career Highlights

• The only advisor to be named #1 on Forbes’ “America’s Top Wealth Advisors” list for eight consecutive years, 2016 through 2023.
• Ranked #1 in Connecticut (Private Wealth) on the 2026 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list.
• Named Connecticut’s top financial advisor for twelve consecutive years by Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State.”
• Named to Barron’s “America’s Top 100 Financial Advisors” every year from 2004 to 2023.
• Founded The Erdmann Group, which manages $19.8 billion in client assets as of December 2025.

Professional Journey

Erdmann joined Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker in 1985, beginning his career in the firm’s Philadelphia office. Within his first several years, he concluded that wealthy families needed more than stock-picking advice – they needed a coordinated team of professionals to manage every aspect of their financial lives. That insight led him to establish The Erdmann Group within Merrill’s private banking division, building a team-based model focused on estate planning, lending, philanthropy, and multi-generational wealth stewardship rather than transactional brokerage.

Over four decades, Erdmann grew The Erdmann Group into one of the most recognized private wealth teams in the country, now based in Greenwich, Connecticut, with more than 30 team members overseeing $19.8 billion in client assets as of December 2025. His clients include corporate executives, business owners, and multi-generational high-net-worth families. In 2010, he was joined by Tony Carpentieri, later recognized on Forbes’ “Top Millennial Advisors” list, helping expand the team’s reach.

Beyond his practice, Erdmann is active in Fairfield County community organizations, serving on the Board of Trustees of the Open Door Shelter, the Advisory Council of the Fairfield County Community Foundation, and previously as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Education

Erdmann is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University.