Erika Pieger Odell
My Mission Statement
My Story and Services
Where other financial advisors gauge success through the myopic lens of their clients’ wealth accumulation, my clients and I model their success on achieving holistic growth; wealth accumulation that supports life and allows them to achieve their goals.
Born in Short Hills, New Jersey, I lived in Baltimore, Maryland, New York City, and Sacramento, California before making my home in the San Francisco Bay Area. My husband and I have traveled throughout the world and enjoy hiking in the Lamorinda hills, skiing, sailing, and spending time with family and friends.
As a wife and mother of three adult professional daughters, I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering, from Bucknell University, with a major in Computer Science Degree, and have worked for years in leadership positions in both the private and non-profit sectors.
One simple truth defines me as a financial advisor and financial planning specialist, a sound financial future, like a well lived life cannot be based on hope. They both take planning, defined and achievable goals, attention to details and effort.
LEADERSHIP
I started my career consulting with major banks and insurance companies on their use of technology to improve business outcomes.
I then took my technical skills and the extensive network of professionals I had developed and migrated those skills into the legal services world, where I worked with start-up law firms to build technical infrastructures and on-line presence needed to grow their businesses.
In this role, I saw the intersection between strong, thoughtful financial planning and business success, leading me to realize my passion; working with others to plan for their financial future. Many financial advisors profess to be an authority on stocks, bonds mutual funds, 401K retirement plans, 529 college savings plans, taxes, retirement, social security, Medicare, wills and trusts, and long-term care, all rolled into to one. If you find a person who professes to be all these things, the wise person looks else for a true advisor; one who listens, seeks to understand your goals, works with you to build a financial plan that will act as a road map to help take you from where you are today toward your financial goals, and then brings in the resources you may need along the way.
As a career woman, I have developed professional experience consulting with major banks and insurance companies on their use of technology to improve business outcomes. As a Chief Operating Officer working with start-up law firms, and as a financial advisor and financial planning specialist whether technical, consultative or financial, I have found that the single most valuable skill I have developed is that of an Advisor.
Clients seek me out, not because I am an authority in all things, they seek me out because I listen to them; I seek to truly understand their goals and what is most important to them, and because I take the time to help them build a financial plan that is customized to their special needs and goals. And once that plan is in place, I work with them to identify and bring in the best available specialists Morgan Stanley has to help my clients address their needs and reach their goals.
They stay with me because they know that I care about helping them achieve their financial goals.
VOLUNTEERISM:
I have been a long-time member of the Junior League, holding memberships in the Junior Leagues of Short Hills, New York City, Sacramento and Oakland-East Bay, where I served as the Community Program Director, as well as holding other committee and Board positions.
I have been active parent volunteer, and served as the President of the Parents Club, where I was instrumental in raising nearly $500,000 each year to support special programs for the students. And through collaboration with the District, teachers, and parents, I created and funded an innovative after school Spanish program, which has since been replicated throughout the school district.
I have continued my volunteer work as a member of the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club, where I am currently leading the newly created Women’s Initiative, where we working to expand the role of women in Rotary and have recently been elected to the position of President Elect for 2026-2027 term.
After launching our daughters into their own professional careers, I brought my love of financial planning to Morgan Stanley as a Financial Adviser and Financial Planning Specialist, where, in collaboration with my Morgan Stanley team of specialists, I provide strategies for clients and their families with a focus on lifestyle management.
As a member of your financial team, I will help you define your goals, build a plan to help you reach those goals, as those goals change with life, and to bring Morgan Stanley’s vast array of resources to you in the way that is most appropriate for how you invest and what you want to achieve.
Working together, I can help you to preserve and grow your wealth. You will have access to some of the world’s most seasoned and respected investment professionals, a premier trading and execution platform and a full spectrum of investment choices.
NMLS#: 2406562
Personalized Solutions
While the strategies that my team and I provide are broad in scope, our approach is completely individualized. We deliver the personalized attention to expect as we build a structured plan focused on achieving your financial and legacy goal, while paying particular attention to:
- Life Style Management: We play particular attention to the timing of milestone events, as well as on-going spending patterns to offer you a set of lifestyle guidelines that help assure that your retirement – and other key goals – are not compromised.
- Asset Growth and Preservation: Asset management aims to achieve the best possible investment returns that are consistent with your level of risk. We offer you a wide range of strategies that apply long-held investment principles to help your assets appreciate appropriately. Most importantly, we the open free decision making within a cost effective structure.
- Risk Management: Life's risks manifest themselves in many ways – from loss of health to loss of life – and have the potential to impair the efficiency of a thoughtfully developed plan. Erika and the team proactively address these concerns in a number of ways, ranging from insurance reviews to liquidity strategies.
- Legacy Planning: Delivering an estate to the next generation or a favorite charity requires more attention than families often commit. Coordinating with outside estate and tax professionals, we align estate planning goals with the appropriate asset titling and beneficiary designation requirements, while incorporating best practice tax strategies to help enhance results.
Who We Work With
We are change navigators for women and their families.
We work with educated, influencal and successful women who recognize the need for, and the benefit of teaming with a financial professional to help them, their significant others, and their families, plan for and work through life's changes like buying or selling a business, a change in career, launching children into college, marriage, retirement, or course corrections due to divorce, declining health or death. We bring the services, resources, and life experiances to our clients and their families that they need to ensure that their goals and asperations are understood, and a financial roadmap created to give them the confidence that each new chapter of their lives can be met with financial confidence.
We focus on our client's dreams and their goals, as we help them accumulate the financial wherewithall they will need to realize those dreams and reach those goals.
Our clients include :
- Educators.
- Entrpenures,.
- Professionals.
- Business Owners.
- High net worth individuals and their families building long-term legacies.
- High-tech professionals holding concentrated positions, and
- Pre and early retirees building financial pathways to and through retirment.
Whether our clients' goals are to travel the world, fund or found a charity, build a legacy, teach, live overseas, buy a second home, or to simplly remain in the the family home upon diagnosis of serious illness, we help them build the financial plan they need to help them reach their goals. We can help you too.
Reaching Your Goals
Our process begins and ends with listening to you. We ask you questions about what is important to you and then we listen. Through each step we provide unbiased advice and investment insights to you as we develop and recommend and investment strategy that is uniquely yours.
Discovery:
We begin with an in-depth conversation with you where we listen carefully to understand what is important to you, your family and your legacy.
Through this discussion, we learn about the values that shape your decisions and identify any circumstances unique to your personal situation.
Analysis:
Next we collect and review important financial documents.
We analyize for current and future situation, identify any potential short falls, and discuss the impact of unexpected life events.
In this step, we may also reach out to your CPA and estate attorney as we preform an estate and wealth planning analysis.
Plan Development:
Here we utilize various planning tools and techniques to develop a tailored and detailed strategy with specific recommendations to help you grow, preserve, and transfer your wealth.
This serves as the foundation for for building your initial plan as well as future investment decisions.
Presentation Meeting:
I this step, we present a comprehensive plan designed to achieve your goals.
As part of our presentation, we will explain our investment selection planning and asset allocation strategy.
We will also provide costs and detail on how we monitor performance.
Implementation:
Upon your approval, we will begin to exercise the various strategies presented.
We will also set up tools to provide you with easy access to your accounts and provide on-going update to ensure your plan is implemented as expected.
On-going Service:
We focus on developing a relationship that has special meaning to you and your family.
And, because markets and personal needs evolve over time, we speak with your regularly to held ensure your plan remain on track toward achieving your goals.
Our Core Values
We work each day honoring Morgan Stanley's core values:
Do the right thing, put clients' first, lead with exceptional ideas, commit to diversity and inclusion, and give back.
We live by our personal core values of ethics, building relationships, and collaborting with others to provide innovative solutions that create long-term value for our clients and our community.
Location
Portfolio Insights
Retirement
- 401(k) Rollovers
- IRA Plans
- Retirement income strategies
- Retirement plan participants
- Annuities
Investing
- Asset Management
- Wealth Planning
- Traditional Investments
- Alternative Investments
- Impact Investing
Family
- Estate Planning Strategies
- 529 Plans / Education Savings Planning
- Long Term Care Insurance
- Special Needs Planning
- Trust Services
Business Planning
- Succession Planning
- Business Planning
- Qualified Retirement Plans
Philanthropy
- Endowments
- Foundations
- Donor Advised Funds
- Impact Investing
For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
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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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.
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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