Morgan Stanley

CRD#149777
Investment Advisor Firm

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Learn more about Morgan Stanley

  • Overview
  • By the Numbers
  • Products and Services
  • Fee Structure
  • Types of Clients
  • Disclosures
  • State Registrations
  • Office Locations
  • Firm Advisors

    • Overview

    Morgan Stanley is a financial advisory firm that has its headquarters in Purchase, New York. It controls $904.3 billion in assets over 1.9 million accounts, placing it among the largest financial advisory firms in the United States by assets under management (AUM). It has a very large group of 25,600 employees, fifteen thousand of whom are financial advisors. Morgan Stanley does not act as a registered broker-dealer, meaning the advisor cannot buy and sell securities for its accounts and those of its customers and instead must go through a broker-dealer company to do so. Securities are defined as exchangable financial investments like stocks, options and bonds.

    Morgan Stanley manages 1,273,068 of the company's accounts on a discretionary basis. Discretionary management means that a portfolio manager makes buy and sell choices without needing client authorization. The firm also has 590,260 non-discretionary accounts with a total of $289.7 billion in AUM. The advisory firm oversees an average of $485,315 in assets for every customer account. The average financial advisor at Morgan Stanley manages around 124 client accounts.

    Morgan Stanley's headquarters is located at 2000 Westchester Avenue, Purchase, New York 10577-2530. It is legally permitted to provide services to customers throughout 50 U.S. states and territories.

    Assets Under Management

    $904.3 billion

    Number of Advisors

    15,000

    Disclosures

    No

    Office Location

    2000 Westchester Avenue
    Purchase, NY 10577-2530

    Morgan Stanley by the Numbers

    Total Assets Under Management

    $904.3 billion

    National Average: $3.7 billion
    Total Number of Employees

    25,600

    National Average: 29
    Total Number of Accounts

    1,863,328

    National Average: 2,073
    Average Account Size

    $485.3 thousand

    National Average: $1.8 million

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    Products and Services

    Morgan Stanley offers multiple financial services, which can consist of financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for investment companies, portfolio management for institutional clients, pension consulting services, selection of other advisers, educational seminars and other services. In the past fiscal year, the firm provided 189000 of its accounts with financial planning services. It does sell products or offer services apart from investment advice to its customers. The firm is affiliated with a number of other service providers in the financial services industry, including with a broker-dealer or securities dealer, banking or thrift institution, trust company, insurance company or agency, real estate broker or dealer and commodity pool advisor.

    Core Advisor Services

    • Offered by 45% of firms

      Financial Planning Services

      This is the process of planning for your financial future, including for events such as retirement, your child's college education or estate succession.

    • Offered by 62% of firms

      Portfolio Management

      This is the selection and management of an investment mix and portfolio strategy for individuals and small businesses.

    • Find a firm that offers this service

      Market Timing Services

      This is the practice of attempting to make short-term profits on investments by buying low and selling high.

    Other Services

    • Offered by 23% of firms

      Selection of Other Advisors

      This is the firm's assistance with choosing other advisors to work with who may have different specialties.

    • Find a firm that offers this service

      Publication of Periodicals

      This is the publication of various financial education materials.

    • Offered by 10% of firms

      Educational Seminars/Workshops

      This is the hosting of seminars or workshops to educate investors on financial concepts.

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    Fee Structure

    A financial advisor's fees largely depend on the financial services provided. Fees charged by the company most likely consist of the following fee structures: asset-based, fixed, commission-based or other. Morgan Stanley participates in a wrap fee program, in which the company offers a service bundle for a comprehensive fee.

    Available

    • Offered by 74% of firms

      Percentage of Assets

      Show Explanation

      This fee, which is the most common fee type charged by advisors for portfolio management, is based on the amount of assets you have under management. Also referred to as an asset-based fee, this fee typically ranges from 0.50%-2.00% of AUM annually. You'll typically pay a lower rate the more assets you have under management.

    • Offered by 2% of firms

      Commissions

      Show Explanation

      Occasionally, advisors earn commissions from selling financial products, such as securities or insurance policies, or making certain referrals or transactions. Advisors who earn commissions may be incentivized to make certain recommendations to clients in order to make a commission. Fee-only advisors do not earn commissions, while fee-based advisors may.

    • Offered by 40% of firms

      Fixed

      Show Explanation

      Fixed fees are a one-time, lump sum charged for a specific service, like the creation of a financial plan without subsequent implementation. This can be useful if you only need advice for one specific purpose, rather than a long-term advisor. Fixed fees usually range from $1,000 to $3,000.

    • Offered by 12% of firms

      Other

      Show Explanation

      Firms can sometimes charge customers using non-traditional fee structures. See this firm's Form ADV for more details.

    Unavailable

    • Find one of the 35% of firms that offer this fee type

      Hourly

      Show Explanation

      Like a lawyer, a financial advisor may charge you by the hour. This can be helpful if you are only looking for short-term or one-time advice. Rates typically range from $100-$300 per hour, depending on the complexity and level of services needed.

    • Find one of the 17% of firms that offer this fee type

      Performance-based

      Show Explanation

      Advisors only earn performance-based fees if a portfolio outperforms a defined benchmark. This fee may be calculated in a number of ways but most commonly is charged as a percentage of investment profits. Performance-based fees may incentivize advisors to make riskier decisions in order to generate higher returns.

    • Find one of the 1% of firms that offer this fee type

      Subscription

      Show Explanation

      Firms generally charge this fee for educational materials provided, such as a monthly magazine. This can be useful if you want to learn about investing or financial management on your own.

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    Types of Clients

    Morgan Stanley does business with a broad range of investors. The firm caters to retail investors, high net worth investors, banking institutions, investment companies, pension plans, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities, insurance companies, corporations and other. Out of its 1,863,328 clients, Morgan Stanley's biggest client group by number of accounts is retail investors, though it also manages money for 16,433 high-net-worth individuals. A high-net-worth individual is defined by the SEC as an investor who has at least $750,000 in AUM or a net worth of at least $1.50 million or who is deemed a "qualified purchaser" (a standard met by having at least $5 million in investments). Just 1% of the firm's customers are represented by people from outside of the U.S.

    • High-Net-Worth Individuals* - 0.88%
    • Other Individuals - 96.97%
    • Corporations - 2.14%
    • Charitable Organizations - 0.02%

    * The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines a high-net-worth individual as someone who has at least $750,000 under management.

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    Disclosures

    Morgan Stanley does not have any disclosures.

    Please visit its Form ADV for more details.

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    Financial Advisors at Morgan Stanley

    Vikram Srinivasan
    Baltimore, MD
    Craig Gorden
    Atlanta, GA
    Brian Sanford
    Newtown Square, PA
    Derek Campbell
    Newport Beach, CA
    Rachel Jose
    Cleveland, OH
    Kayonnoh Cooper
    Atlanta, GA
    Colin Roesler
    Newport Beach, CA
    Scarlett Alfonzo
    Miami, FL
    Nandipha Ncube
    Alpharetta, GA

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    The content in this profile was updated by SmartAsset on 08/06/2020 using publicly available data compiled from the SEC and FINRA. To report any data inconsistencies or errors, please contact profile-compliance@smartasset.com. The named financial professional and firm have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this profile and are not responsible for its accuracy. Profile content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named financial professional and firm, and financial professionals and firms having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s profiles.

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