A $420 million Merrill Lynch team joins LPL

A four-person team that managed $420 million in assets at Merrill Lynch in Melville, N.Y., has gone independent and affiliated with LPL Financial. The Choice Group Wealth Management, led by advisers Ira Katz, John Scala, Bryce Wilinski and Daniel McNicholas, will operate as a hybrid. Its offices will be in Melville, a Long Island suburb. Mr. Katz began his securities career at Citigroup Global Markets in 2001 and joined Banc of America Investment Services in 2006. He had been with Merrill Lynch since 2009. Mr. Scala, who also joined Merrill Lynch in 2009 from Banc of America, began his career in 1996. Mr. Wilinski joined Merrill Lynch from Banc of America in 2009 as well. He started his career in 2005 at Morgan Stanley. Mr. McNicholas' first position in the securities business was with Merrill Lynch, which he joined in 2011.