Peter C. Bernard is a Senior Vice President and Private Client Advisor with Bank of America Private Bank in New York City. Peter has been working with UHNW Families, Family offices and the Philanthropic organizations that they support for 30+ years. He excels at providing much sustained advice and guidance to clients who have sophisticated wealth management needs. Clients look to Peter for his ability to streamline complex concepts, communicating them clearly and effectively so that clients can better capitalize on the opportunities at their disposal.
Peter has a particular strength addressing the often-complicated needs of busy senior corporate executives, hedge and private equity fund principals, and business owners. He brings deep subject-matter knowledge in trust and estate planning services and philanthropic solutions, having consulted to some of the firm’s most significant relationships. His ability to understand and explain complex wealth-transfer structures that are at a client’s disposal only compounds his value to clients. He can articulate and create clear communication with a client’s external tax and legal advisors, as appropriate.
Prior to joining the Private Bank in 2021, Peter served as a Director with Merrill for over 21 years, advising the New York City Private Wealth Management teams on Philanthropic and Trust and Estate matters. Earlier in his career, he held tenures with PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, and Summit Bank, a predecessor of Bank of America, gaining fiduciary and brokerage experience. Originally from Maine, Peter earned his B.A. from Assumption College. He spent six years as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, including four years on active duty, serving in both the U.S. and Okinawa, Japan.
Peter is past member of the New York City and Philadelphia Estate Planning Councils and a former board member of the New Jersey Ballet Company. He is an active member of Bank of America’s Military Support & Assistance Group (MSAG) which is an employee sponsored network for Veterans and their supporters.
Peter and his wife have lived in Chatham, New Jersey for almost 25 years, and have two grown children and two rescue dogs, Nolie and Briar.
For more than 200 years, Bank of America Private Bank has helped clients navigate the complex challenges of managing significant wealth. We draw on the Private Bank's personalized approach, as well as the resources of Bank of America, to help individuals and families, businesses, and institutions achieve their financial objectives. Whether you're looking to preserve and share wealth, build philanthropic legacies, or plan future growth, our commitment is to make your goals our priority. At Bank of America Private Bank, we take pride in our history and in serving our clients' best interest. We also value the continual pursuit of innovation in a constantly transforming world. We apply this perspective to help our clients anticipate and respond to evolving markets, changing environments and the growing complexities of the financial landscape. Mindful of the past, our focus in on providing today's clients with disciplined financial strategies and a bridge across generations.