My Story and Services

Welcome! I’ve been in the financial services industry for 14 years and joined Morgan Stanley in November of 2019. The first decade of my career was spent at Wells Fargo Bank where I worked very closely with retirees, pre-retirees and small business owners. I take a holistic approach in working with my clients to help them manage both sides of the balance sheet, which helps improve all aspects of their financial picture. I understand the nuances that go into retirement planning and wealth management, adding value to my clients. My experience and certifications not only provide me with the necessary tools to advise on the personal side, but I’m also adept at working with small business owners.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Master’s in Business Administration from Troy University’s Sorrell College of Business. When I’m not working, I enjoy outdoor walks and cooking new recipes. I have a heart for service and love to volunteer with various organizations. I am licensed as a registered representative and hold a Series 7, 6, 63 and 65 securities licenses. I hold an insurance license for the State of Alabama and a Financial Planning Specialist certification.
Services Include
Securities Agent: IL, CO, MI, CT, SC, MN, AZ, WA, NC, MS, AL, VA, MA, TX, MO, LA, GA, FL, OH, PA, NY, MD, IN, TN; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1179249
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

MY SIX-STEP PROCESS

My wealth management approach focuses on you, your family and your career – where you are today and where you want to go. Working together, we develop the strategies to help get you there, navigating life’s challenges and helping you make more informed decisions about your wealth.
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    1. Introductory Call
    I begin with an informal conversation to understand your financial concerns and determine how we can add value. If we agree to move forward, we will schedule our next meeting and request important financial information.
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    2. Get To Know You Meeting
    I continue the dialogue by fostering an in-depth conversation where I learn about the values that shape your decisions and identify any unique circumstances. I also review the documents you have prepared and define your priorities.
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    3. Analysis & Plan Development
    Here, I utilize proprietary financial planning tools to develop a personalized and detailed plan with recommendations to help you grow, preserve and transfer your wealth.
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    4. Implementation
    In this step, I present appropriate strategies that are designed to work together to help achieve your goals. Upon your approval, I open new accounts for you at Morgan Stanley and initiate our investment recommendations. I will also begin to implement other strategies we have discussed. These often encompass tax management strategies, as well as risk management and estate planning strategies.
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    5. Plan Monitoring
    Holistic plans change over time as your personal and family situations change. I am here to revisit your plan regularly to make tactical changes to help meet the needs of our ever-changing situations and environment.
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    6. Ongoing Service
    Committed to premium service, I focus on developing a relationship that helps provide value to you and your family. As I begin to execute each strategy, I will set up tools so you have immediate access to your account information. And because markets and personal needs evolve over time, I will set up ongoing meetings to help ensure your plan remains on schedule to help achieve your goals.

Women in Transition

The end of a marriage is a tumultuous time. However, for women, divorce and widowhood can raise a unique set of challenges. Women take on many roles and often navigate complex lives. A solid financial foundation can help women manage their financial future and simplify their financial life. The articles below can be used as a resource to help you through this often difficult transition.
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    Taking Control of Your Finances After Divorce or Death of A Spouse
    Divorce or the death of a spouse can turn the best laid financial plans upside down. An income stream dries up; assets may be divided; in short, where life had a feeling of certainty, you may now be standing on shifting ground.
    Read "Taking Control of Your Finances After Divorce or Death of A Spouse"
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    Life After Divorce
    Dealing with the impact of divorce on your financial life can make an emotionally difficult time even more challenging. Although divorce is seldom easy, you can prepare for it- and being prepared will help you feel more in control and better equipped to make informed, confident decisions about your financial future.
    Read "Divorce: Planning For a New Beginning"
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    Women & Wealth: Planning for Your Financial Future
    It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by all the life events we need to prepare for. But women are tough, and we’re smart, and we’re planners. Feeling in control of your finances can propel you in so many other areas of your life, so you owe it to yourself to define your goals, start a dialogue with your loved ones and create a game plan. The modern face of wealth is female, so walk confidently into your financial future.
    Read "Women and Wealth: Planning for Your Financial Future"
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    Making the Most of Your Sudden Wealth
    Most financial gains are inheritances, but they can also stem from a variety of other sources such as legal settlements. Suddenly inheriting wealth can propel you to financial security or serve as a source of future regret, if not managed wisely. This fact sheet will help you identify the issues involved in managing, preserving and maximizing your new wealth.
    Read "Making the Most of Your Sudden Wealth"

MODERN WEALTH MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Morgan Stanley has an all-inclusive collection of digital tools and resources to assist you in enhancing every aspect of your financial portfolio. Take a look at just a few of the many tools and resources we have to offer our clients.
    Morgan Stanley Online (photo) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    Morgan Stanley Online
    Morgan Stanley Online allows you to seamlessly and securely manage your investments and everyday finances in one place.
    Register for Morgan Stanley Online Today
    Portfolio Risk Platform (photo) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    Portfolio Risk Platform
    Our Portfolio Risk Platform, backed by institutional-caliber analytics, assesses thousands of risk factors using a holdings-based approach to assess a portfolio’s exposures, analyze how securities behave together across portfolios and forecast how they influence risk and return moving forward.
    Portfolio Risk Platform
    Digital Vault - (photo) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    Digital Vault
    Digital Vault lets you easily and securely manage and share important documents such as account statements, authorizations, tax filings and other relevant documents with your Financial Advisor.
    Get Started Today
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    Goals Planning System
    Goals Planning System (GPS) is Morgan Stanley’s own integrated planning tool. Built on the Firm’s intellectual capital and capabilities, GPS is an intuitive and efficient platform used to quickly assess whether a client is “On Track” to achieving their financial goals. To learn more about GPS, you can click the link below.
    GPS Video
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    LifeView
    LifeView is a suite of planning tools that includes goal-specific analysis that we can use with our clients to create a realistic, integrated strategy that incorporates the various aspects of an individual’s financial life, including investments and cash management needs. Fill out the questionnaire to get started talking with us about creating a personalized strategy for your long-term goals.
    LifeView Questionnaire

Location

3500 Colonnade Parkway
Suite 200
Birmingham, AL 35243
US
Direct:
(205) 460-4739(205) 460-4739

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 DeMario Hopkins

DeMario Hopkins is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida.

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.

DeMario began his career in financial services in 2007, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2018. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Vice President Business Banking Officer at BBVA Compass and PNC Financial.

DeMario is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration concentrating in Finance. He currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama with family. Outside of the office, DeMario enjoys mentoring, traveling, spending time with his family, and reading motivational/self-help books.
NMLS#: 1196779

About Brandon Marsh

Brandon Marsh, CPWA® is a Vice President and Financial Planning Director serving Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management offices in Alabama, Arkansas, and the Florida Panhandle. Brandon is responsible for helping Financial Advisors with their clients' and prospects' financial planning needs.

Brandon began his career in financial services as a financial analyst upon graduating from college and joined Morgan Stanley in 2014. His career in the financial services industry spans more than 21 years, during which time he has held roles in various aspects of the industry, including fixed income, asset liability, portfolio management, and derivative experience. Brandon’s scope of experience lends delivering guidance and skilled focus to clients on a variety of areas of financial planning concerns.

Brandon holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. As a FINRA registered representative, he holds Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses. Brandon has earned a CPWA (Certified Private Wealth Advisor) designation, awarded by the Investments & Wealth Institute. Brandon lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife Hayley and two sons Paul and Walton. He enjoys time spent with family, fishing with his boys, coaching sports teams, and scouts.
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.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact Cherice Dawkins today.
1Morgan 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.

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

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2When 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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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.
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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4Morgan 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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5Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States.

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6Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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7Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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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 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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10Morgan 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)