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 an advisory firm based in Purchase, New York. The firm manages $1.3 trillion in total assets throughout 2.1 million customer accounts, placing it among the biggest investment advisory firms in the nation by assets under management (AUM). The firm has a very large team, including 15,000 financial advisors. Morgan Stanley does not act as a registered broker-dealer, signifying that the company cannot buy and sell securities for its accounts and those of its clients and instead must go through a broker-dealer company to do so. Securities are exchangable financial investments like equities, bonds and options.

    Morgan Stanley manages most of the firm's accounts on a discretionary basis. Discretionary management signifies that a portfolio manager makes buy and sell choices for the client's account without needing the customer's approval. Morgan Stanley also oversees 501,177 non-discretionary accounts with a total of $399.0 billion in assets under management. The advisory firm administers about $615,053 for every customer account. The average advisor at Morgan Stanley oversees about 142 client accounts.

    Morgan Stanley’s central office is at 2000 Westchester Avenue, Purchase, New York 10577-2530. Morgan Stanley is allowed to serve clients throughout 50 U.S. states and territories.

    Assets Under Management

    $1.3 trillion

    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

    $1.3 trillion

    National Average: $9.0 billion
    Total Number of Employees

    26,500

    National Average: 71,771
    Total Number of Accounts

    2,129,899

    National Average: 4,329
    Average Account Size

    $616.0 thousand

    National Average: $2.1 million

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    Products and Services

    Morgan Stanley provides multiple financial services, which can include 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, it provided 211000 of its customers with financial planning services. Morgan Stanley is engaged in selling products or offering services aside from investment advisory services to its clients. Morgan Stanley also has a number of financial industry affiliations, including with a broker-dealer or securities dealer, banking or thrift institution, trust company, insurance company or agency and commodity pool advisor.

    Core Advisor Services

    • Offered by 31% 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 47% 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 21% 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 7% 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

    Fees charged by financial advisors vary depending on which services the firm provides the client. Fees billed by the company may include the following fee structures: asset-based, fixed, commission-based or other. Wrap fee programs, or the practice of bundling services for a single fee, are offered by the firm.

    Available

    • Offered by 70% 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 1% 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 33% 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 10% 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 21% 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 26% 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 0% 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

    The firm does business with a number of different customers. It 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 2,129,899 clients, Morgan Stanley's biggest client group by number of accounts is retail investors, but it also manages money for 26,962 high-net-worth individuals. A high-net-worth individual is defined by the SEC as an individual who has at least $750,000 under management or a net worth of more than $1.50 million or who is considered a "qualified purchaser" (a standard met by having at least $5 million in investments). Just 1% of the firm's clients are from outside of the U.S.

    • High-Net-Worth Individuals* - 1.26%
    • Other Individuals - 96.41%
    • Corporations - 2.02%
    • Charitable Organizations - 0.3%

    * 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

    Rasa Petrauskaite
    Menlo Park, CA
    Daniel Levy
    Tempe, AZ
    William Marsh
    Tampa, FL
    Thomas Carey
    New York, NY
    Lane Gehle
    Wayzata, MN
    Desiree Wodicker
    Walnut Creek, CA
    Gina Barcello-Reed
    Toms River, NJ
    Heather Kono
    Cleveland, OH
    Troy Pinkelman
    Las Vegas, NV

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    The content in this profile was updated by SmartAsset on 04/01/2022 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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