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 on the core belief of placing their clients’ interests ahead of all others. Paul has dedicated his professional life to helping individuals, business owners, and nonprofit 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 (401(k) 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 the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^SM (CRPC^®) designation from the College of Financial Planning^® and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) designation from Fi360. Additionally he has earned the designation of 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 serves on the executive committee of Virginia Beach Vision, the board of directors for the Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce, and belongs to the Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council. He was a member of Rep. Scott Rigell’s Business Advisory Council and is a 2011 graduate of LEAD Hampton Roads. Paul is a long-term supporter of the local St. Jude charities and has served for years on the organizing committee of the St. Jude/Bruce Rader Golf Tournament.

Paul resides in Virginia Beach with his wife Virginia.