Prentis Wealth Management Group team

(Left to right: Andrew Bevan, Stuart Bevan, Peter Prentis, Michael Knuff, Joseph Bennett, Edita Mertira)

Prentis Wealth Management Group

The Prentis Wealth Management Group is a deeply experienced group of professionals backed by extensive resources from Wells Fargo Advisors. Together, we have the depth and breadth of experience to help clients successfully navigate complex wealth challenges and build lasting legacies.

The Prentis Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Top Wealth Management Teams in 2022.2

Forbes America’s Top Wealth Management Teams 2022

Peter D. Prentis, CFP®

Managing Director- Investments

  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
  • Private Wealth Financial Advisor
  • Financial Advisor since 1981
Best in state 2022
Best in state 2021

How I can help you

Peter provides comprehensive investment planning and leads the portfolio management activities for the team. He uses a disciplined and prudent approach to help clients achieve their wealth management goals.


What makes me knowledgeable

Peter is a founding member of Prentis Wealth Management Group and has been helping clients invest with their values for more than four decades. As a Private Wealth Financial Advisor, Peter is among a distinct group of advisors at the firm with a history of serving the unique needs of high-net-worth individuals, families, foundations, and institutions. He is among a select group of financial advisors who are entrusted to manage client portfolios with discretionary authority through the Private Investment Management (PIM)1 program. Peter has been with Wells Fargo Advisors and its predecessor firms, Wachovia Securities and Prudential Securities, since 1981. Peter's honors include being recognized as a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor by Forbes2 in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. He was also named to Barron's Top 1,000 Advisors in the Nation in 20093 . He is a former Board Member of the International Association of Financial Planning (IAFP)-NY Chapter, was the founding Chairman of the chapter's Wall Street Division and served as Vice-President of Education for three years. He has also taught investment courses at The New School of Social Research. Peter earned a Bachelor’s degree from The Colorado College and his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification from Adelphi University. He holds Series 7, 31, and 66 securities registrations, as well as life, variable and long-term-care insurance licenses.


Getting to know me

Peter lives in Quogue, New York with his wife, Paula. Paula is a licensed social worker and wellness coach. Together, they have four daughters and a yellow lab. When not working on their respective life passions, Peter and Paula spend time with their family and friends in eastern Long Island where they enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle at the beach ocean-kayaking, playing golf and tennis.

Michael P. Knuff, CFP®, CPWA®, CIMA™, CDFA®

Managing Director – Investments

  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
  • Certified Private Wealth Advisor® professional
  • Financial Advisor since 2008
Best in state 2022
Best in state 2021

How I can help you

Mike provides comprehensive investment planning and co-heads the portfolio management activities for the team. He provides the sophisticated advice clients need to achieve their goals.


What makes me knowledgeable

After an internship with the Prentis Wealth Management Group in 2001, Mike returned to a full-time position in 2008. He is among a select group of financial advisors who are entrusted to manage client portfolios with discretionary authority through the Private Investment Management (PIM)1 program. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors, he worked in Application Engineering and Business Development for Nuclear Power Plants at Flowserve, was a Special Effects Design Coordinator at FXperts Inc.—working on the film Pirates of the Caribbean 3, and was a Product Design Engineer at Ingersoll Rand. Mike has been recognized by Forbes as a Top Next Generation Wealth Advisor in 2018, 2019 and 20204 , placing him in a select group of advisors nationwide that are leading the wealth management industry into the future. He was also most recently recognized by Forbes as a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor in 2021 and 20222 . Mike earned a Master of Science degree in Engineering with a focus in Entrepreneurship and Scientific Decision Making from The Pennsylvania State University, where he also completed a Bachelor's degree as a member of the Schreyer Honors College. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and he earned the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® certification from the Yale School of Management. He achieved the Certified Investment Management Analyst® certification from the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania. Mike is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® 5 and holds Series 3, 7, and 66 securities registrations, in addition to life, variable, and long-term-care insurance, and a NJ mortgage originators license. CA Insurance License 0N08244. Resident State CT.


Getting to know me

Mike lives in New Canaan, CT and spends his free time with his young daughter and his wife, Lili, who is an attorney. Mike and Lili share passions for world travel, unique culinary experiences, and snow skiing. Mike also enjoys spending time on the open water, surfing and kiteboarding. He is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for a pop/rock cover band called Men or Myth that performs at various charity benefits and private functions. Mike’s music has led to his involvement assisting with the event planning and fundraising efforts of many charitable organizations. He is on the Board of FamilyKind, a non-profit that provides support to families in transition due to separation or divorce. Mike is also a member of the Junior Board of the Metro-NY Make-A-Wish® Foundation and volunteers his time as a “wish granter,” serving as a liaison between the organization and the critically ill children and their families.

J. Stuart Bevan

Senior Vice President – Investments

  • Harvard MBA
  • 20+ years experience in private wealth management
  • 20+ years of management consulting experience

How I can help you

Stuart helps design and manage portfolios that help clients achieve their goals. He leverages his broad business background and experience working with senior executives to add value to the process of evaluating investment opportunities.


What makes me knowledgeable

Stuart has been with Wells Fargo Advisors and its predecessor firms, Wachovia Securities and Prudential Securities, since 2002. He joined the Prentis Wealth Management Group in 2018. Stuart was formerly a Managing Director and a senior research analyst at Havens Advisors, LLC hedge fund in New York City, focusing on merger arbitrage. Before that, he worked for more than 20 years as a management consultant, assisting senior executives with strategic planning, marketing and business development challenges. Stuart was a principal at the New England Consulting Group and Marketing Corporation of America and also held product management and consulting roles. His first job after college was as a senior accountant and CPA with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Company. Stuart brings a strong and diverse academic background to the group including a Bachelor’s degree from Yale, a Masters in Accounting from the NYU Stern School of Business and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard. He holds Series 7, and 66 securities registrations.


Getting to know me

Stuart and his wife, Karen, split their time between New York City and Newport, RI. He enjoys golf, tennis, and squash. Stuart is active in the International Tennis Hall of Fame tennis club, the Newport Reading Room, and the Harvard Business School Club of SE New England. He also sings and performs with the University Glee Club of NYC.

Andrew Bevan, CFA®, CAIA®

Financial Advisor

  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®)
  • Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®)
  • 8+ years in institutional asset management

How I can help you

Andrew helps clients identify, prioritize and reach for their individual goals. He provides the advice they need to navigate evolving lives, markets and economies. He leads the group’s external manager research and due diligence process and contributes to the team’s broader investment analysis.


What makes me knowledgeable

Andrew joined Prentis Wealth Management Group as a Financial Advisor in 2018 and has been working in the financial services industry since 2010. He began his career in asset management and spent four years with a $10 billion value-oriented investment firm in New York City, where he had responsibilities in business development, sales, and client service. He then worked for eVestment (a NASDAQ, Inc. company), the institutional investment industry’s leading platform used to hire, track, and evaluate professional money managers. Andrew worked closely with many types of clients—pension funds, endowments, family offices, and asset managers—advising them on how to use data and technology more effectively in the investment and overall business decision-making process. He has presented at key industry conferences, national sales meetings, and other executive-level client gatherings of several of the world’s leading asset management firms. Andrew received his Bachelor’s degree from Duke University. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®) designations, two of the investment management industry’s most rigorous graduate-level programs dedicated to security analysis, portfolio management, and wealth planning. He holds Series 7, 63 and 65 securities registrations, in addition to life, variable, and long-term-care insurance licenses.


Getting to know me

Andrew lives in New York, New York and he enjoys spending his free time on music and tennis. He is a classically trained singer and plays electric guitar. He has performed concert solos with the Blue Hill Troupe, a New York City-based musical charity, and most recently with the University Glee Club at Lincoln Center. Andrew volunteers with several New York City charitable organizations, including the Quadrille Ball, which raises scholarship funds for talented graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at U.S. and German universities.

Joseph Bennett

Vice President
Senior Registered Client Associate

  • 30+ years advisory, trading and administrative expertise

How I can help you

Joe plays an instrumental role in the group's trading, administration and advisory duties. He is dedicated to providing clients with the highest level of service and assisting them with any needs they may have on a daily basis.


What makes me knowledgeable

Joseph joined Prentis Wealth Management Group in 2007, and brings more than 30 years of advisory, trading, and administration experience to our clients. He began his career as a Financial Advisor at Lehman Brothers in Boston, MA, before being recruited by the Wells Fargo Advisors predecessor firm Prudential Securities in 1994. Joseph’s experience includes special accounts, trading, and administration positions with Oppenheimer and Prudential, catering to affluent individual investors and institutional middle market clients. Joe earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Goldey-Beacom College. He also holds Series 7, 9, 10, 63 and 65 securities registrations in addition to life, variable, and long-term-care insurance licenses.


Getting to know me

Joe lives with his partner of twenty years, Corey, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He enjoys travel, theatre, most genres of music, and thoroughbred horse racing. He is frequently found scouring the studios of contemporary artists, trying to find that one piece that just might go for millions of dollars at auction someday.

Edita Mertira

Associate Vice President
Senior Registered Client Associate

  • 9+ years operational and administrative support experience

How I can help you

Edita takes a solution-oriented approach to helping clients each and every day. She works with empathy and accuracy, providing exceptional client service and ensuring clients have what they need when they need it.


What makes me knowledgeable

Edita has been helping clients to achieve their investment goals since 2011. She joined Prentis Wealth Management Group in 2017. Prior to this, Edita was the Operations Principal at Seven Points Capital. She earned her Bachelor of Administration in Finance and Investments with Honors from Baruch College-City University of New York. Edita holds Series 7, 27, and 63 securities registrations.


Getting to know me

Edita lives in Ridgewood, New York. She spends her free time trying new restaurants, going to concerts and hiking. Her most memorable hike was the two-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Edita enjoys running, Barre classes, and adrenaline-pumping activities like hang gliding, paragliding, and parasailing. Edita has a multi-cultural background and is fluent in three languages: Albanian, Italian and English. Edita is an avid traveler and visits at least one new country every year.

Strategic Resources

The Prentis Wealth Management Group is a deeply experienced group of professionals backed by extensive resources from Wells Fargo Advisors.

  • Portfolio Management, Contruction and Analytics Tools
  • Alternative Investments Research and Due Diligence
  • ESG and Values-Based Investing Expertise
  • Lending Services through Wells Fargo affiliates
  • Trust and Estate Planning Specialists
  • Mulit-Generational Wealth Planning and Education
  • Insurance Services and Specialists
  • Envision® Process for Prioritizing Life Goals and Financial Objectives
  • Philanthropy and Gifting Strategies
  • Cash Management Optimization
  • Independent, Third-Party Investment Research Access

Firm Resources

At the Prentis Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, we provide the concierge-level service of a boutique firm, while also offering the support, safety, and security of Wells Fargo & Company, one of the largest public companies in the world.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is the leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 37 on Fortune’s 2021 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at (wellsfargo.com)

  • #1 for Communities & Environment in Banks (2021) America’s Most Just Companies Forbes
  • Among the Top Companies for Environmental, Social and Governance< (2021) DiversityInc.
  • Excellence in Green House Gas Management (2021) Climate Leadership Awards, C2ES
  • Most Generous Companies in America (2021) Civic 50
  • #7 of the Top Companies for People with Disabilities (2021) DiversityInc.
  • #7 Top Companies for LGBTQ Employees (2021) DiversityInc.
  • #7 Top Companies for Veterans (2021) DiversityInc.
  • #8 Top Companies for Mentoring (2021) DiversityInc.
  • #10 Top Companies for Native Americans and Pacific Islander (2021) DiversityInc.
  • #25 of the top 50 Companies for Diversity (2021) DiversityInc.
  • Top Military Friendly Employer (2021) Victory Media
  • Perfect score of 100% (2021) Human Rights Campaign Foundation Corporate Equality Index
  • Perfect score of 100% (2021) Disability Equality Index Survey
  • #1 Home loan servicer (2Q21) Inside Mortgage Finance
  • #2 Retail mortgage lender(2Q21) Inside Mortgage Finance
  • #2 Asset-Based Lending Bookrunner (1Q21) Thomson Reuters LPC
  • #2 Auto Lender of new electric vehicles (January 2021 - August 2021) Experian
  • #4 Overall Auto Lender, noncaptive, excluding leases (September 2020 -August 2021) AutoCount
  • One of the Largest U.S. Retail Brokerage Firms (2Q21) Company and Competitor Reports
  • 3rd in Total Deposits (2021) FDIC data
  • 6th in Total Assets (2021) Fortune
  • 3rd Most Valuable Banking Brand in the U.S. (2021) Brand Finance®
  • 7th Most Valuable Banking Brand in the World (2021) Brand Finance®
  • 19th Largest Public Company in the World (2021) Forbes (Based on sales, profits, assets, and market value)
  • 19th Most Valuable Brand in the U.S. (2021) Brand Finance®
  • 20th Biggest Employer in the U.S. (2021) Fortune
  • 37th on Fortune 500 (2021) Fortune

With $1.97 trillion in client assets as of December 31, 2021, Wells Fargo Advisors provides advice and guidance to help clients maximize all aspects of their financial lives. Our vast network of financial advisors, one of the nation’s largest, serves investors through locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Wells Fargo Advisors is a part of Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management (WIM), a division within Wells Fargo & Company and one of the largest wealth managers in the U.S. WIM provides financial products and services through various bank and brokerage affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Members SIPC, separate registered broker-dealers and non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company. All data includes Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, as of December 31, 2021 wellsfargoadvisors.com

1 The PIM program is not designed for excessively traded or inactive accounts, and may not be suitable for all investors. Please carefully review the Wells Fargo Advisors advisory disclosure document for a full description of our services. The minimum account size for this program is $50,000

2 The Forbes Top Wealth Management Teams, Best-in-State and Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors rating algorithms are based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a rating. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. Fee paid for use of logo.

3 The Barron’s Top 1,000 Advisors ratings are based on the previous year’s assets under management, revenue generated for the advisors’ firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices. Investment performance isn’t an explicit factor because clients have varied goals and risk tolerances. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.

4 Ranking algorithm based on industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a ranking. Investment performance is not a criterion.

5 The use of the CDFA® designation does not permit Wells Fargo Advisors or its Financial Advisors to provide legal advice, nor is it meant to imply that the firm or its associates are acting as experts in this field.

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