About Me

Austin Stewart, First Vice President and a Financial Advisor with The Metzger Group at Morgan Stanley, has over a decade of financial services experience. Before joining Morgan Stanley in 2019, Austin spent eight years at Invesco Investment Management where he worked as a consultant partnering with Financial Advisors on investments, financial education, and practice management. Prior to that, he was in construction management where he oversaw infrastructure projects in Houston, Texas and Benghazi, Libya.

Austin has a passion for education and received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) as well as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from the University of Houston. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ and holds FINRA licenses Series 6, 7, and 66 along with a General Lines of Life, Accident and Health Insurance license. He is also a member of the Portfolio Management Institute (PMI), a society of Morgan Stanley investment management consultants dedicated to the highest ethical and greatest commitment to client service.

When he’s not helping clients improve their financial lives, Austin spends his free time with his family and friends while staying active outdoors. In addition to traveling, playing golf and seeing live music, Austin enjoys hunting and fishing as well as actively supporting wildlife conservation. He serves on the board of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and has participated in one of the largest and most successful African giraffe relocations ever attempted. He and his wife, Michelle, have two young boys, James and Michael that love to spend time at their family ranch in Round Top, TX.
Services Include
Securities Agent: NH, MT, IL, DC, WY, VT, UT, NJ, KS, AL, AZ, WI, TX, MS, MN, TN, LA, CT, WV, WA, VA, PA, IN, GA, DE, OR, OH, NC, MI, ME, MD, MA, ID, MO, CO, CA, AR, SC, NY, NM, FL, AK, OK; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1886591
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Working With You

Our Mission - Our Values
  • What we do is simple: we work with families that want to improve their financial lives.
  • Our mission is simple: to provide the highest quality, personalized family wealth management services to a limited number of individuals and their families helping them grow and preserve their financial assets over multiple generations. We get satisfaction from working together with clients to help them reach their financial goals.
  • We are committed to establishing trust, respect and a lasting relationship with our clients as we deliver the finest personalized wealth management services available. We serve our clients confident that our integrity and quality of our service will drive success in meeting their needs and goals.
  • Client trust is the cornerstone on which our business is built. Our clients' interests come first. We always take the time to understand clients' changing needs, so that we provide advice that directly meets those needs. It is all about our clients.
  • Our major focuses include preserving the client’s lifestyle, providing for family and future generations, growing and transferring wealth, and developing a charitable legacy.
  • We welcome the opportunity to help you achieve your goals and invite you to become a member of our client family.

Valuable Tools and Resources:

Our comprehensive suite of digital tools are designed to help enhance every aspect of your financial life. Below are a few of the technologies that we have to offer our clients. We have also included resources meant to transform complex financial analysis and research into concise and easily digestible content.
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    Morgan Stanley Online
    Your investments and everyday finances are always just a few clicks away with Morgan Stanley Online (MSO) and the Morgan Stanley Mobile App.
    Learn More About MSO
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    Total Wealth View
    Complete your financial profile with Total Wealth View. By linking your external account information, you will benefit from more educated and holistic wealth planning, and convenient connectivity.
    Learn More About Total Wealth View
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    eDelivery
    eDelivery provides you with the ability to view statements and other Firm documents electronically in lieu of paper. Clients who are registered in Morgan Stanley Online may enroll in eDelivery to securely save, print, send, and receive documents at any time.
    Enroll in eDelivery
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    Spending and Budgeting Tools
    Track spending habits, categorize expenses and create budgets across your Morgan Stanley and external financial accounts. Our Spending and Budgeting Tools makes it easy for you and your Financial Advisor to see your complete financial picture.
    Learn More About Our Financial Management Tools
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    Personal Finance
    Financial literacy means being equipped with the knowledge to make smart financial decisions during every stage of your life. Learn from Morgan Stanley thought leaders about how to manage your wealth and help meet your personal financial goals.
    Explore Personal Finance Ideas
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    Online Security Center
    At Morgan Stanley, safeguarding your assets and personal information is among our highest priorities. Learn about our security measures and use our resources and ideas to help protect yourself online.
    Learn More About the Online Security Center
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    2024 Tax Tables
    This helpful resource outlines the 2024 tax rate schedule, education and health savings account limits, retirement contribution and deduction limits, among other information. With tax season seemingly always right around the corner, it's best to be as informed as possible.
    Access the 2024 income tax tables
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    Thoughts on the Market
    Each week, Chief Cross-Asset Strategist Andrew Sheets, or a member of his team, offers perspective on the forces shaping the markets as well as insights on investment opportunities and risk across global asset classes.
    Check Out The Latest Episode

Overview

Thanks to the unwavering commitment of helping clients and families achieve their investment goals, Austin and The Metzger Group have received the following industry awards:
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    The Metzger Group: 2024 - 2025 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams
    Disclosures:
    2024-2025 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2024-2025). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in March of year prior to the issuance of the award.
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    Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
    Individuals certified by the CFP® Board have taken the extra step to display commitment and professionalism by submitting to the rigorous CFP® certification process that includes demanding education, examination, experience, and ethical requirements. These four cornerstones set the foundation for the CFP® professional's ability in helping their clients achieve their goals. Austin's well-rounded skills and knowledge can help clients navigate their financial path. See the descriptions below for more information about the CFP® designation and process:
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    Education
    The CFP® professional must develop theoretical and practical financial planning knowledge by completing comprehensive coursework and testing. Once obtaining the CFP® trademark, their education does not stop as continued education is part of the recertification process.
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    Experience
    All CFP® professionals are required to complete several years of experience in financial services prior to obtaining the CFP® designation.
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    Examination
    The CFP® Board requires applicants to pass the 7 hour comprehensive Certification Exam, which tests their knowledge in topics such as financial planning, tax planning, employee benefits, retirement planning, estate planning, investment management, and insurance.
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    Ethics
    The CFP® professional is held to high standards and principles of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, and diligence outlined in the CFP® Board's Code of Ethics.

Location

1330 Post Oak Blvd
Suite 900
Houston, TX 77056
US
Direct:
(713) 968-3138(713) 968-3138

Meet My Team

About Alexandra Lucy Wilson

• 20+ years of financial services experience
• BS degree from the University of Baltimore
• Personal: Married; Scott, attorney
• Two daughters: Sophia and Chloe

About Paula F. Scales

Paula joined Morgan Stanley in 2015. She has 30 years of industry experience and has attained her Series 7, 63 and 66 licenses. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston and completed her Master of Business Administration in Finance from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Working with The Metzger Group, Paula uses the experience she’s gained over the years in the client service area and takes personal interest in helping clients and their families.

Paula, a native Houstonian, moved to Dallas 12 years ago and resides in North Dallas with her husband and pup named Lafayette. In her spare time, she volunteers in her community and spends time with her grandchildren.

About Rachel Stephens

- 9+ years of financial services experience
- Licensed in 2014
- Personal: One daughter, three sons

About Alvin Zheng

Alvin is a Registered Client Service Associate (CSA) with The Metzger Group at Morgan Stanley. He helps shape the future of our service with his desire to be thorough, efficient, personable, and effective. Alvin is modernizing the client experience through our technology and is elevating our client experience. He truly cares about our clients and works hard to help them simplify and manage aspects of their financial life. He strives to provide every client we serve with a world class customer experience.

Alvin cultivates and enhances new and existing client relationships through active communication, processing client requests, resolving inquiries, and making sure key information and documentation remains current. He helps run our business with an eye on each administrative detail and finds the issues that need to be addressed. He is a fantastic partner within our group.

Alvin majored in Finance at LSU. He graduated in 2020 with his Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Minor in Internal Auditing. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2024, Alvin worked at Deloitte. He has acquired his Series 66 and Series 7 licenses.

Alvin grew up in Ville Platte, LA. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, sports and being outside. He also likes spending quality time with family and friends.

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 Ben Cucuzza

Ben Cucuzza is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Texas.

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.

Ben began his career in financial services in 2005, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2022. Prior to joining the firm, he was an Affluent Segment Leader at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Ben is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. He lives in Houston, Texas with his family. Outside of the office, Ben is involved in the Junior Achievement as well as the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. He also enjoys fishing, sports, and watching the Georgia Bulldogs.
NMLS#: 703137

About Joe Saadi

Joseph Saadi is the Regional Trust Specialist for Morgan Stanley’s Central Region. Within the Trust Services Group, Joe is responsible for delivering the “Open Architecture” trustee platform, which consists of several unaffiliated third-party trust companies who serve in a fiduciary, agency or custodial role for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families. Joe and the Trust Services Group help Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors, clients, prospects and the professional community understand the corporate trustee services available through Morgan Stanley and how their corporate trustee partners provide fiduciary services to clients. The process involves reviewing trust documents and statements as well as analyzing family dynamics. Joe then uses this information to help clients select one or more of the Firm’s corporate trustee partners to possibly serve as trustee, co-trustee or administrative agent for client trust accounts.

Prior to joining the firm, Joe’s 30 years of legal and comprehensive wealth planning experience include positions as Managing Director at TIAA Trust Company, Market Trust Director at JP Morgan Trust Company, Trust & Estate Specialist at Merrill Lynch Trust Company, and District Attorney General at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Joe obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from John Carroll University and his Juris Doctor from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Joe is a member of the State Bar of Ohio and holds his Series 7 and 66 licenses.

About Lisa D'Alessandro

Lisa 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, she collaborates with clients to discover and define goals that matter most to them. Leveraging state of the art technology, she will evaluate various options and their potential outcomes to help clients confidently choose the appropriate course of action. Lisa 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.

She earned her undergraduate degree from The University of New Hampshire] and received the Financial Planning Specialist® designation from the College for Financial Planning. Lisa is originally from New Jersey and currently resides there.

About Elizabeth Chand

Elizabeth Chand leads the Family Office Resource Generalist team and also covers the Central Region. As a FOR Generalist Elizabeth provides specialized expertise to Financial Advisors and their UHNW clients, educating and advising across a broad spectrum of family wealth management concerns, including family legacy and governance, customized wealth education for the next generation, lifestyle advisory and concierge services, strategic estate and financial planning, and philanthropy management.

Most recently, Elizabeth worked with New York Life in their Advanced Planning Group. She worked with agents and their UHNW clients to advise them on issues of estate and legacy planning as well as business succession planning. Prior to New York Life she ran a boutique estate planning law firm in Southern California working with high net worth families and businesses. Her practice focused exclusively on trusts and estates, probate, trust administration and tax. She has over 15 years of experience as an attorney representing individuals and business clients in connection with the development and implementation of sophisticated estate planning strategies and techniques.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. degree from Chapman University School of Law where she graduated Cum Laude. Elizabeth also holds her Series 7, 66 and 24 securities licenses. Elizabeth lives in the Dallas, TX area with her husband, four daughters and dog Zoe.
Wealth Management
Global Investment Office

Portfolio Insights

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
4 Financially Smart Ways to Take Money Out of Retirement Accounts
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4 Financially Smart Ways to Take Money Out of Retirement Accounts

Discover how planning for required minimum distributions from retirement accounts can help you fund future needs and support loved ones.

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
2025 Global Economic Outlook: U.S. Policies May Temper Global Growth
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2025 Global Economic Outlook: U.S. Policies May Temper Global Growth

Global growth is likely to be around 3% in 2025 and 2026, as tariff and immigration policies begin to slow the U.S. economy late next year, and China's underperformance restrains emerging markets.

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
Taking Control of Your Finances After Death of a Spouse
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Taking Control of Your Finances After Death of a Spouse

Financial planning after a divorce or death can be trying, but with the right approach and the right advice you can turn a difficult situation into empowerment.

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 Austin Stewart today.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

1Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States.

For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.

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2Morgan 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 and other legal matters.

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3Morgan 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 or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.

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4Morgan 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

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5Municipal bonds may not be appropriate for all investors. Income generated from an investment in a municipal bond is generally exempt from federal income taxes. Some income may be subject to state and local taxes and to the federal alternative minimum tax. Capital gains, if any, are subject to tax.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) and its Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide any tax/legal advice. Consult your own tax/legal advisor before making any tax or legal-related investment decisions.

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6Morgan Stanley’s investment advisory programs may require a minimum asset level and, depending on your specific investment objectives and financial position, may not be appropriate for you. Please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC program disclosure brochure (the “Morgan Stanley ADV”) for more information in the investment advisory programs available. The Morgan Stanley ADV is available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV.

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7When 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. Individuals 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.

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8When 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. Individuals 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.

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9Morgan 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 and other legal matters.

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Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck*.

The information, products and services described here are intended only for individuals residing in states where this Financial Advisor is properly registered as described in this site.

Morgan Stanley reserves the right, to the extent permitted under applicable law, to retain and monitor all electronic communications. Morgan Stanley will not accept purchase or sale orders via any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. Morgan Stanley does not endorse and is not responsible and assumes no liability for content, products or services posted by third-parties on any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. All electronic communications are subject to terms available at the following link:
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclaimers/mswm-email.html. Any profiles and associated content are for U.S. residents only.

The securities/instruments, services, investments and investment strategies discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment, investment strategy or service will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, strategies and services, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

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

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement with/of the third party or that any monitoring is being done by Morgan Stanley of any information contained within the website. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on the third-party website or the use of or inability to use such site. Nor do we guarantee their accuracy or completeness.

The views, opinions or advice contained within third party websites or materials are solely those of the author, who is not a Morgan Stanley employee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, or its affiliates. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.

*References to length of service at Morgan Stanley include years at Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

The use of the CDFA designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney.  The CDFA designation is not intended to imply that either Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors are acting as experts in this field.

Awards Disclosures
CRC 6491812 (04/2024)