The Brent-Sheldon Group

It's been our experience, as a family grows, so does the need for advice and support. Our team is committed to helping you devise an investment plan that aligns with your risk profile and income needs. Our goal is to help you preserve and grow capital net of taxes while taking advantage of tax efficient investment strategies to help anchor portfolio construction.

Our team consists of four professionals that are committed to servicing and introducing the vast resources Morgan Stanley has to offer. We strive to help you confidently make decisions for you and your family, while providing:

  • Investment Planning
  • Family Legacy Planning
  • Access to Comprehensive Financial Planning
  • Online Account Access / Mobile Application
  • Cash Management & Lending Solutions
  • Identity Protection Monitoring
Services Include
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.

Municipal Bonds

Municipal bonds have traditionally played a key role in portfolios: helping to
alleviate the tax burden for high-income investors while seeking to provide reliable income and diversification.
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    TAX EXEMPTION
    Interest on most municipal bonds is exempt
    from federal income tax, and in many cases
    from local state tax as well. This can make
    municipal bonds particularly appropriate for
    clients in high tax brackets.
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    HIGH QUALITY
    Many municipal bonds have higher average
    credit ratings and historically lower default
    rates than corporate bonds.
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    PREDICTABLE TAX-FREE INCOME POTENTIAL
    Municipal solutions are designed to provide
    consistent and predictable tax-free income.
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    DIVERSIFICATION
    Low correlation to equities make municipal
    bonds excellent portfolio diversifiers.
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    LOW VOLATILITY
    Municipal bonds have historically exhibited
    lower volatility than equities.

HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS

Our wealth management process begins with you, your investment objectives and your financial goals. Holistic in its approach, it may encompass all the elements of your financial life - your investments and your cash management needs - making sure they align with your goals and wealth management plan.

Using a suite of tools that includes goal-specific analysis, we can work together to create a realistic, holistic strategy that integrates the various aspects of your financial life, including your investments and cash management needs. The following resources below will introduce you to a few of the tools that we use, please click to learn more about topics impacting your wealth.

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    Financial Planning

    We'll help you understand the fundamentals of finance and put your resources to work so you can plan, invest and ultimately transition to retirement with confidence.

    • 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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    Business Owners

    Helping business owners with key strategic needs such as access to capital, plan administration and a variety of 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

MODERN WEALTH MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND RESOURCES

Morgan Stanley's comprehensive suite of digital resources has carefully been designed to help enhance each aspect of your financial portfolio. Take some time to learn about some of the many Modern Wealth Management resources that we offer to our clients.
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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! Access your finances and invest in an instant with the help of this handy resource that is available 24/7.
    Learn more about Morgan Stanley Online
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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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    Portfolio Risk Platform
    Morgan Stanley's Portfolio Risk Platform is powered by BlackRock's Aladdin risk engine, a state-of-the-art, innovative risk engine used by several of the world’s largest institutional asset managers, providing you with comprehensive risk analytics and a sophisticated view of the risk/return dichotomy across your financial portfolios. This helpful tool can assist you in making educated investment decisions with increased confidence.
    Learn more about the Portfolio Risk Platform
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    MS Reserved
    Reserved Living & Giving is a tiered complimentary loyalty program that rewards clients with over one million dollars in assets and liabilities invested at the firm. The program is designed to enhance your lifestyle and relationship with the firm beyond traditional wealth management services.
    Learn more about MS Reserved
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    2025 Tax Tables
    Federal tax income tables updated to adjust for the new year.
    Access the Tax Tables
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    Security Center
    Learn about our latest security measures, how we are safeguarding your assets and personal information and find actionable insights and resources on important cybersecurity topics to enhance your own online security.
    Learn more about the Security Center
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    CD Rates
    Get More Value For Your Cash With This Competitive New Money CD Offer From Morgan Stanley. Your funds will continue to receive a premium rate once the CD matures, making this offer an attractive option for your cash management strategy.
    Learn More about CD Rates
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    Preferred Savings
    Take advantage of our Preferred Savings Program for Qualifying Cash offer with flexible options and more ways to save. There are two ways you may participate, either 1) bring new cash deposits from external sources or 2) use proceeds from the sale, income or distribution from securities in your eligible Morgan Stanley brokerage accounts.
    Learn More about Preferred Savings

Location

130 Kercheval Avenue
Grosse Pointe, MI 48236
US
Direct:
(313) 343-8431(313) 343-8431
Toll-Free:
(800) 521-3865(800) 521-3865

Meet Brent - Sheldon Group

About Paul Brent

Paul Brent is a Senior Vice President and the Branch Manager of Morgan Stanley’s Grosse Pointe Office. He has been with the firm since 1993 and has over 27 years of experience in the financial services industry. Paul is a strategic advisor for high-net-worth families and foundations. Paul received both a Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Detroit Mercy. Paul assists various non-profit organizations with their charitable estate planning programs.
Securities Agent: MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VI, WA, WI, WV, WY, ME, MT, VT, AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO; BM/Supervisor; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1290715

About Gregory Sheldon

Gregory Sheldon is a Senior Vice President and Financial Planning Specialist with Morgan Stanley. He has been with the firm since 1997 and has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Gregory has a strong background in portfolio management and asset allocation analysis. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wayne State University. In 2010 Gregory earned the Certified Financial Planner designation from the CFP Board of Standards. Gregory previously served on the Eastern Michigan University Foundation Board of Trustees and has been actively involved with numerous non-profit organizations.
Securities Agent: IN, OH, NY, HI, DC, OK, ID, IA, MO, MN, MI, MD, KY, CO, WY, TX, NC, MT, IL, DE, CT, KS, FL, CA, AR, UT, NH, LA, GA, WA, NV, MA, AL, SC, PA, NJ, AZ, WV, WI, VA, TN, OR; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1297664

About Stacey Arker

Stacey Arker is a Wealth Management Associate with Morgan Stanley. Stacey has been with the firm since 2017 and has over 5 years of experience in the financial services industry. Stacey works closely with the Brent - Sheldon Group providing clients with the highest level of service. Stacey is committed to responding to our client inquiries promptly and thoroughly.

About Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller is a Registered Client Service Associate with Morgan Stanley. She joined the firm at the beginning of 2022 after receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Valley State University. She transitioned to the financial industry to follow in her step father’s footsteps. Samantha actively works to ensure clients experience well rounded interactions and service.

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 Joseph V. Portera

Joseph Portera is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Michigan.

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.

Joseph began his career in financial services in 2002 and joined Morgan Stanley in 2018. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a Commercial Lender and Market Director at JPMorgan Chase.

Joseph is a graduate of the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, and Keller Graduate School of Business where he received a Master’s in Business Administration in Finance & Accounting.

Joseph and his family currently reside in Grosse Pointe, MI. Outside of the office, he enjoys martial arts, skiing, tennis, and spending time with his family.
NMLS#: 1260889
Wealth Management
From Our Team

Why Your Home Can Be a Retirement Asset


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
Are You Prepared for Tax Day?
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Are You Prepared for Tax Day?

The countdown to Tax Day has begun. Here are some strategies to consider as the deadline approaches.

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.

Mosaic

Explore ideas and inspiration with captivating, original lifestyle stories created exclusively for Morgan Stanley clients.
A Change of Greenery
Article Image

A Change of Greenery

Houseplants add oxygen, flair, and warmth year-round, and the right one in the right space can do just as much for a room as any painting or side table.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact Brent - Sheldon Group today.
Market Information Delayed 20 Minutes
1Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.

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2Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.
Morgan Stanley does not assist with buying or selling art in any way and merely provides information to clients interested learning more about the different types of art markets at a high level. Any client interested in buying or selling art should consult with their own independent art advisor.

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3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or 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 legal matters.

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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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5Morgan 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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6When 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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7Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
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 and other legal matters.

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8Morgan 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.
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.

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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)