My Story and Capabilities

Alexander Cole has built his career around helping individuals navigate the complexities of wealth, with a particular focus on equity compensation and investment strategy. Originally from outside Indianapolis, Alex attended Indiana University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in 2011 and developed an early interest in the wealth management industry.

He joined Morgan Stanley in 2013 in downtown Chicago, where he began working with stock plan participants and corporate professionals. In 2018, Alex made the decision to relocate to San Diego—an opportunity that expanded his reach and allowed him to further grow his practice.

Since the beginning of his career, Alex has specialized in supporting mid- to senior-level professionals and corporate executives, particularly those navigating stock-based compensation. Through his work with stock plan teams across the country, he helps clients better understand how their equity compensation fits into their broader financial picture, including retirement, tax-efficient investment considerations, and long-term planning. In addition, Alex serves as a lending specialist, helping clients think through liquidity needs as part of their overall financial strategy.

In recognition of his work, Alex was named to the Forbes Best-In-State Next Generation Wealth Advisors list in 2025.

Alex is passionate about continuing his education and staying current on the evolving landscape of wealth management so he can better serve the individuals and families he works with.

Outside of the office, Alex enjoys spending time with his wife, golfing, watching sports, and taking advantage of the California outdoors.

Source: Forbes (Awarded Aug 2025). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on time period from 3/31/24–3/31/25.
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/awards-disclosure.html
Capabilities
  • Wealth Management
  • Executive Financial Services
  • Stock Plan Services
  • Stock Option Plans
  • Alternative Investments
  • Retirement Planning
  • Cash Management and Lending Products
  • Structured Products
  • Exchange Traded Funds
  • Fixed Income
  • Estate Planning Strategies
  • Financial Planning
  • Annuities
  • Municipal Bonds
  • Qualified Retirement Plans
Securities Agent: WI, OR, NM, IA, NH, MI, OH, NJ, NE, AZ, DC, AL, IN, CT, VA, NY, NC, MO, MN, IL, GA, PA, OK, NV, MT, CO, WA, TX, CA, MA, FL, AR, UT, SC, MD, ID; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1326743
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Approach

Discovery Process
Investing the time to learn about you and your family; your assets and liabilities and the risk exposures, enables us to formulate strategies and customize the relationship to your needs.
Formulation of Tax, Trust and Estate Strategy
Working with your tax and legal advisors, we help analyze your income and estate tax circumstances to identify and tailor planning techniques that may be used to address your objectives.
Creation of Customized Strategic Asset Allocation
Your customized asset allocation reflects risk, opportunities and taxation across multiple entities, while integrating your investing and estate plans.
Integration of Tactical Asset Allocation
Short-term adjustments seek to capitalize on temporary market distortions. Before making adjustments, we analyze the impact of taxes and trading costs on potential returns.
Implementation of a Customized Wealth Strategy
After comprehensive due diligence and analysis of expected results across multiple market scenarios, strategies are chosen from our expansive investment platform.
Ongoing Assessment
In coordination with your other advisors, we can conduct ongoing reviews and comprehensive reporting to ensure that your strategy adapts to changing financial and family needs.

Holistic Planning

Our team deploys a wide range of strategies to help clients achieve their goals. We understand that as your life stage changes, so do your goals and our platform is designed to help you develop a strategy to adress your changing needs.

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    Financial Planning

    Leveraging Morgan Stanley's resources—including intellectual capital, experience and dedicated personal service— we work with you to create a personalized wealth strategy. Then, over time, we can adapt it to changing circumstances, helping you to achieve—and to protect—your goals.

    • Retirement "What If" Scenarios
    • College (529) Funding Analysis
    • Income & Cashflow Planning
    Learn More
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    Estate Planning & Wealth Transfer

    Guiding high-net-worth families with legacy planning and collaborating with external tax & legal advisors to execute estate planning strategies and integrate investment solutions.

    • Asset Titling & Estate Distribution
    • Wealth Transfer Strategies: Annual Gifting, Gift & Estate Exemption, Generation Skipping Transfers
    • Trust Planning: ILITs, GRATs, SLATs, IDGTs, Dynasty Trusts, Special Needs Trusts
    Learn More
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    Equity Compensation & Restricted Stock

    The by-product of a successful career is often a concentrated position in your company's stock – representing a significant portion of your personal net worth and a high level of complexity. We help clients understand their equity compensation and manage their concentrated stock positions.

    • Compensation Review: RSUs, NQ & ISO Options
    • AMT & Tax Management Strategies
    • Managing Concentrated Stock
    • Restricted Stock: Rule 144 Guidance, 10b5-1 Plans
    Learn More
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    Business Owners

    We help business owners with key strategic needs such as access to capital, plan administration and assessing possible exit strategies.

    • Cash Management & Capital
    • Succession & Exit Planning
    • Tax & Liquidity Strategies
    • Intra-Family Transfer Techniques
    Learn More
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    Liability Management

    A comprehensive wealth management plan often includes prudent borrowing to compliment your investment portfolio. Our lending services can help provide the necessary funding and flexibility as you manage potential opportunities or liquidity needs.

    • Securities-Based Lending
    • Home Loans
    Learn More
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    Insurance & Asset Protection

    A sound wealth plan requires more than seeking returns. It involves mitigating and managing risks to be protected when the unexpected occurs. Insurance, as part of your overall wealth plan, can help you get closer to achieving your retirement and legacy planning goals.

    • Life Insurance Review
    • Long-Term Care Planning
    • Creditor Protection
    Learn More

Modern Wealth Tools

Digital technology is centered on how people communicate, consume, transact, and travel. Our comprehensive suite of digital tools are designed to help enhance every aspect of your financial life. Here are a few of the technologies we have to offer our clients. We bring the resources of Morgan Stanley to the table, with time tested strategies for problem solving, portfolio management and guide our clients with life-long planning tools. We work closely with our clients other professional advisors- such as CPAs and Estate Planning attorneys- to help build and implement their plans for financial success.
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    Morgan Stanley Online (MSO)
    Morgan Stanley Online (MSO) has a variety of features beyond viewing your account balance and activity. Features include paperless documents, bill pay and secure account management.
    Morgan Stanley Online (MSO)
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    Total Wealth View
    With full visibility of your assets and liabilities all in one place, you and your Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor can obtain a comprehensive view of your total wealth1 to help you track your goals or to start planning for your future using cutting-edge technology. Once your external accounts are added, you can benefit from: convenient access, more informed wealth planning, and safer and more secure data access.
    View Our Client Guide
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    eDelivery
    eDelivery on Morgan Stanley Online and Mobile App allows client to easily and securely view, download and print their account documents.
    Enroll Here
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    eSign
    eSign is a paperless alternative to the traditional means to obtain signatures from clients on paperwork. Clients are able to access eSign packages and sign paperwork from any computer and internet-enabled mobile device.
    Learn More Here
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    Digital Vault
    Digital Vault lets you easily and conveniently manage and share life’s most important documents, such as financial statements, authorizations, tax filings, and other relevant files.
    To Get Started

WORKPLACE FINANCIAL BENEFITS WITH MORGAN STANLEY AT WORK

Our mission is to help your company elevate your workplace financial benefits—helping you to attract and retain top talent. Our end-to-end solutions support your company and employees at any stage of growth through a powerful combination of modern technology, insightful guidance, and dedicated service.

    Equity Solutions

    Equity ownership is a powerful motivator. Streamline equity management through our leading-edge technology and provide global audit-ready reporting and insights, alongside customizable participant experiences to engage and educate your employees on how to make the most of their benefits. Our global solutions support private and public companies at any stage of growth.

    • Equity Administration and Financial Reporting
    • Liquidity Events
    • 409A Valuation Services and Cap Table Management

    Learn more
    Retirement

    For your employees, retirement is more than a date in the future—it's a milestone that takes time, hard work, and the right tools. Through our consultative process, we strive to assist with the management of your fiduciary responsibilities and risk, simplify plan management, and help you improve retirement readiness for your employees.

    • Defined Contribution Consulting
    • Solutions-Oriented Plans
    • Fiduciary Investment Oversight

    Learn more
    Deferred Compensation

    Access a range of Nonqualified Deferred Compensation plan services or pick the ones that best fit your needs. We provide recordkeeping and plan design, portfolio construction services, and plan education for your executive talent. We help you determine the appropriate plan design and inform a funding strategy through a needs-based assessment and consultative approach.

    Services include:

    • Recordkeeping and Plan Design
    • Portfolio Construction
    • Wealth Management Services
    Learn more
    Executive Services

    Our dedicated team provides concierge-level support for your executives' equity compensation plans, from 10b5-1 trading plans to form filing related to Rule 144 transactions, to access to wealth management and tax-optimization strategies, so helping them navigate their complex financial needs with greater confidence and certainty:

    • Equity Compensation Services
    • Equity Award Analysis
    • Specialized Solutions
    Learn more
    Saving and Giving

    Saving and Giving benefits can make a real difference in your employees' lives as they can support the things that matter most to them—like saving for education and repaying student loans. Show that you are committed to your employees' priorities with leading-edge solutions that help them chart a path toward financial well-being.

    • College Savings
    • Student Loan Repayment and Refinancing
    • Charitable Giving
    Learn more
    Financial Wellness

    We offer Financial Wellness with every solution we provide. Through a powerful combination of education, digital tools and guidance, Financial Wellness is designed to address the unique needs of your employees and empower their financial journey at every stage. Give your employees the confidence to take charge of their finances.

    • Financial Education
    • Digital Tools
    • Financial Guidance

    Learn more

Location

4350 La Jolla Village Dr
Ste 1000
San Diego, CA 92122
US
Direct:
(858) 597-7748(858) 597-7748

Meet My Team

About Kevin Bobrow

Securities Agent: MA, CT, AR, ID, TX, MN, NY, MD, HI, CO, VA, OR, NM, IN, AL, OK, NV, NC, MO, GA, AZ, WI, PA, NJ, IA, FL, CA, MT, IL, WA, MI, DC, OH, UT, SC, NE; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative

About Anthony Law

Anthony is originally from a small town in New Jersey, 20 minutes outside New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, where he double-majored in Political Science and Sociology. He relocated to San Diego four years ago and most recently served as a Manager within Charles Schwab’s Advisor Services, supporting independent financial advisors and their clients. He currently holds his Series 7, 9, 10, 63, and 65.

Outside of work, Anthony enjoys running and cycling, and spending time with friends—often accompanied by his dog, Tino, and his cat, Lucky.

Awards and Recognition

Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-In-State
Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Aug 2025) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC for the period 3/31/24 - 3/31/25.

The Power of Partnerships

By partnering with experienced individuals across wealth disciplines, Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors can align specialized resources with your custom needs and deliver strategic guidance through the familiarity and trust of existing relationships

About Michael Mackowiak

Michael Mackowiak is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in California.

Private Bankers partner with Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.

Michael began his career in financial services in 2008, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2019 as a Private Banker. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Premier Banker at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

He lives in Chula Vista, California with his family. Outside of the office, Michael enjoys watching soccer and baseball, traveling, and spending time with his family.
NMLS#: 1069297

About Jonathan Gabriel

Jonathan Gabriel is a Planning Associate at Morgan Stanley providing dedicated financial planning support to Financial Advisors and their teams. Operating as an extension of the FA/Team, he collaborates with clients to discover and define the goals that matter most to them. Leveraging state of the art technology, he will evaluate various options and their potential outcomes to help clients confidently choose the appropriate course of action. Jonathan provides expertise across a wide suite of Morgan Stanley planning tools designed to assist in the areas of investment accumulation, retirement, education, major purchase, cash flow, risk management, tax efficiency, and wealth transfer planning.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Stockton University and received the Financial Planning Specialist® designation from the College for Financial Planning. Jonathan currently resides in Ringwood, New Jersey.
Private Banking Group (PBG) Market Managers, Senior Private Bankers, Private Bankers, and Associate Private Bankers are employees of Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association.

Banking products and services are offered by Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association, Member FDIC.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.

Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

Important information about your relationship with your Financial Advisor and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC when using a Financial Planning tool. When your Financial Advisor prepares a Financial Plan, they will act in an investment advisory capacity for thirty (30) days after the delivery of your Financial Plan. To understand the differences between brokerage and advisory relationships, you should consult your Financial Advisor, or review our “Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships,” brochure available at https://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.

You have sole responsibility for making all investment decisions with respect to the implementation of a Financial Plan. You may implement the Financial Plan at Morgan Stanley or at another firm. If you engage or have engaged Morgan Stanley, it will act as your broker, unless you ask it, in writing, to act as your investment adviser on any particular account.

Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account.

Wealth Management
Global Investment Office

Portfolio Insights

This is a video content

Equity Compensation

Helping you make the most of your equity awards and better understand how it may fit into your larger financial picture – today and tomorrow.

  • Vesting events
  • Option expirations
  • Restricted stock units
  • Tax implications

Retirement

Working with you to understand your life goals and develop a personalized wealth strategy. Today and for the years to come.
  • 401(k) Rollovers
  • IRA Plans
  • Retirement income strategies
  • Retirement plan participants
  • Annuities
A Simple Six-Step Retirement Checkup
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A Simple Six-Step Retirement Checkup

Checking in on your retirement plan may make a lot of sense, especially when market volatility arises.

Investing

Working closely with you to guide your wealth and investments through the most challenging market cycles.
  • Asset Management
  • Wealth Planning
  • Traditional Investments
  • Alternative Investments
  • Impact Investing
Iran Conflict: Seven Takeaways for Investors
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Iran Conflict: Seven Takeaways for Investors

Prolonged conflict with Iran could lead to higher oil prices, hotter inflation and greater market uncertainty.

Family

Creating customized financial strategies for the challenges that today’s families face.
  • Estate Planning Strategies
  • 529 Plans / Education Savings Planning
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Special Needs Planning
  • Trust Services
529 Plans: A Powerful Tool to Save for Education
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529 Plans: A Powerful Tool to Save for Education

Though education costs continue to climb, starting to save and invest early can make a difference.

Business Planning

Helping you on key aspects of your business such as ownership, liquidity and developing opportunities.
  • Succession Planning
  • Business Planning
  • Qualified Retirement Plans
Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business
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Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business

Selling your business can mean big changes for your life, both personally and financially. Know how to make the most of your windfall.

Philanthropy

Making sure your philanthropic dollars are managed with the same high quality service as the rest of your wealth.
  • Endowments
  • Foundations
  • Donor Advised Funds
  • Impact Investing
Donor Advised Funds: A Smart Way to Manage Your Giving
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Donor Advised Funds: A Smart Way to Manage Your Giving

There's more to charitable giving than you may realize. Here's one method that may be a tax-efficient way to give and can help maximize your impact.

Financial Wellness

Enhancing Financial Wellness enables your workforce to do their best work. Companies that invest in financial wellness have an opportunity to:
  • Reduce employee stress,
  • Improve retention and engagement, and
  • Set themselves apart by offering comprehensive financial wellness benefits.
The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce
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The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce

In the face of turbulent markets, the word “resilience” may be top of mind. Broadly speaking, resilience is the ability to “bounce back” when encountering life’s inevitable challenges.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact Alexander D Cole today.
Market Information Delayed 20 Minutes
Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck*.

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Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
CRC 4665150 (8/2025), 4763067 (9/2025)