Our Team

Paul L. Merritt is a founder and principal of NTrust Wealth Management.  He began his career in the financial services industry in 1999 with Merrill Lynch following 21 years of service in the U.S. Army.  In 2009, Paul opened NTrust building upon the core belief of placing his clients’ interests ahead of all others.  Paul has dedicated his professional life to helping individuals, business owners, and non-profit organizations navigate the complex world of investments, cash flow analysis, and long-term planning to bring structure and organization to their financial lives.

Paul also specializes in working with business owners with the selection and implementation of highly competitive corporate retirement plans.  Recognizing that retirement plan fees, if left unchecked, can substantially degrade savings, Paul is driven to match the right plan with the right fee structure that meets the unique needs of each business.  Once the right plan is in place, Paul is dedicated to bringing his broad financial experience to helping employees make the most of their retirement plan savings through relevant education and advice.

Raised by parents who placed great emphasis on education, Paul believes that education is a life-long commitment.  He began his early career by earning a BS degree in Finance from Virginia Tech.  He has since been awarded an MBA from the University of Cincinnati with a concentration in Finance.  After leaving the military, Paul has earned a number of special designations including the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designation from Fi360 and the Certified 401(k) Professional® (C(k)P®) through the Retirement Advisor University^TM in collaboration with the UCLA Anderson School of Executive Management.  Paul is a 1978 Distinguished Military Graduate of Virginia Tech and has been inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international Business Honor Society.

Paul is active in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk communities.  He currently serves as a member of the Virginia Beach Transition Area/Interfacility Traffic Area Citizens Advisory Committee, serves on the Neptune Festival Board of Directors, and the Executive Leadership Team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s—Costal Virginia.  Additionally, Paul is past-president of Virginia Beach Vision and currently serves on the Executive Committee.  Paul was a long-time supporter of the local St. Jude charities, serving as the Volunteer Chairman for the Bruce Rader/St. Jude Golf Tournament for the last 12 of the tournament’s 20-year legacy.  Paul is also a 2011 graduate of the LEAD Hampton Roads program providing a rich overview of the Hampton Roads area.

Paul resides in Virginia Beach with his rescue pit bull, Penny.