Our Story

The Levinson Vargas Group is a team of experienced financial advisors who take an active, ongoing interest in the lives of their clients in order to carry out a personalized investment strategy on their behalf. Managing wealth involves much more than reviewing investment portfolios, so we want to know where you've been and where you're going, both financially and otherwise.

With more than a combined 40 years of experience, we pride ourselves on the wide range of appropriate solutions we bring to our diverse array of clients: advertising and entertainment professionals, independent business professionals, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, couples, and individuals.

Our goal is to present wealth accumulation strategies with an emphasis on prudent growth and asset preservation, all tailored to meet the investor's long term goals. Life can be difficult to plan for, but we've been by our clients' side through birth, death, graduation, marriage, divorce, inheritance, and much more. If you'd like a complementary portfolio review, or a conversation about what our team can do for you, click the "Contact Us" button at the top of the page.

Services Include
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Working With You

Our process focuses on getting to know you as a person, clarifying your financial goals and molding our services to fit what you need. We will guide you through each step of the process, and are always available for questions about how your plan is doing, and how to make it better.

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    1. Initial Meeting

    Our first meeting is where we determine how well we would fit as your financial advisor, and you as our client. We want to make sure you are paired with the best team to help you to reach your financial goals, so it is crucial that we establish a strong relationship from the start.

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    2. Setting your Goals

    Once we've determined that we are the right advisors for you the questions becomes, "What are your goals?" Whether it's retiring comfortably, buying a house, selling your business, or just accumulating wealth, we will work together to examine your current financial situation and develop a target that is achievable and important to you.

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    3. Creating Your Strategy

    From those goals, we can create a plan that contains specific strategies designed to help you reach your targets. Through our years of experience we have developed numerous, proven strategies encompassing issues such as retirement planning, estate planning, tax minimization potential, and wealth transfer, but we still remain focused on customizing our approach to each client we work with.

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    4. Implementing your strategy

    After discussing and refining your strategy, we will work closely with you to bring it to life. Using our firm tools we will assess logistics, tax impact, asset allocation adjustments, and saving/ benefit modifications to make sure we are best equipped to keep your plan on track.

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    5. Review

    Ongoing communication is the foundation of successful collaboration. We will make sure you are kept up to date on your financial progress and will revise your strategy as circumstances change. This means maintaining a constant communication with you to make sure your concerns and request are always addressed.

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    Get Started!

    To start working with us, please reach out via email by clicking the mail icon on the home page, clicking the "Contact Me" button on the home page, or sending an email to harlan.levinson@morganstanley.com

LGBT Services

Harlan Levinson possesses a deep understanding of the unique financial challenges and opportunities that accompany the LGBT community. He can offer tailored advice taking into account the specific needs and goals of LGBT individuals and families. LGBT clients seek Harlan out because of his commitment to inclusivity and non-discrimination, and clients know he views and lives life through the same lens as they do. Harlan's extensive, over 20 year experience in financial advising equips him with the expertise to help LGBT clients secure their financial future with confidence and peace of mind. For more resources about Morgan Stanley's work with the LGBT community please view the articles below:

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    The Growing Demand For LGBTQ+ Investment Options

    A growing population of investors who openly identify or ally with the LGBTQ+ community and generational shifts in wealth are creating opportunities for asset managers and financial advisors to meet demand for investments tailored to LGBTQ+ equity.

    Learn More
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    Supporting a Crucial Resource For New York's LGBT+ Community

    Morgan Stanley has increased its support of The New York LGBT Community Center, the longtime cornerstone of NYC's LGBT+ community—at a time that has proven to be critical.

    Read Article Here
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    Money and Marriage for LGBT+ Couples: What to Know

    Before walking down the aisle, review your financial statements and align on your goals to better prepare for what comes after saying "I do."

    Learn More

Helping businesses serve their employees

A retirement plan is one of the most important benefits a business owner can offer their employees, but creating that plan can be a complex process. At the Levinson Vargas group our experience in combination with the vast intellectual resources available at Morgan Stanley allow us to build unique solutions for business owners and their employees.

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    Plan Evaluation

    We start with an assessment of your needs, establish benchmarks and run provider searches to help you ensure your plan is set up to achieve its goals. This includes evaluating plan fees, services, and identifying gaps in offerings.

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    Investment Management

    We produce investment policy statements and offer programs to help you with plan investment selections and investment monitoring.

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    Plan Management Support

    We provide you with fiduciary oversight resources to help you with your plan administration responsibilities, and can also recommend recordkeeping services.

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    Plan Participant Education

    Your plan doesn't stop with the options you provide. We are here to educate, engage and excite your employees about preparing for retirement.

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 hand 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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    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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    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

Location

55 East 52nd Street 10th
Fl
New York, NY 10055
US
Direct:
(212) 883-8517(212) 883-8517

Meet The Levinson Vargas Group

About Harlan S. Levinson

With a personal interest in the lives of his clients, Harlan takes a hands-on approach in developing and implementing investment strategies on their behalf. A strong believer that each client deserves consistent focus and attention, he recognizes that each has worked hard to achieve financial success and he is dedicated to helping them build on and protect that success.

Harlan prides himself on the wide range of appropriate solutions he brings to a diverse array of clients: advertising and entertainment professionals, independent business professionals, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, couples, and individuals. His goal is to present wealth accumulation strategies with an emphasis on prudent growth and asset preservation, all tailored to help meet the investor’s long term goals. In assisting with issues including those affecting LGBT and domestic partner planning, titling and organization of assets, trusts and estates, generational asset transfer, retirement, and funding special interests, Harlan’s clients appreciate that, in many cases, his experience mirrors their own. He begins each new client relationship with an in-depth discussion exploring many topics including goals, timeline, and risk tolerance. From there, he formulates and presents a custom-tailored strategy for moving forward.

Before joining Morgan Stanley, Harlan was a Vice President and Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, having joined that firm in 2004. Prior to 2004, Harlan managed acquisitions for a private equity firm. Previous to that, he worked for the Bank of New York, where he co-managed the corporate foreign exchange desk, and for Morgan Grenfell, the British merchant bank, in New York and London, advising corporate treasurers on managing risk. A graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and Lafayette College, in his spare time Harlan is an avid reader and enjoys weightlifting.
Securities Agent: WY, MN, GA, OR, FL, WA, PA, NJ, NY, CA, UT, OH, ME, MD, CT, RI, IL, AZ, VA, TX, MA; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 579824

About Louis F. Vargas

With over 15 years of experience in the financial industry, Louis has been providing wealth management advice to high net worth individuals, families, and business owners. His extensive background in investment strategies, including options trading strategies, financial planning, corporate retirement planning, and risk management, allows him to create tailored solutions to help meet his clients’ diverse financial goals.

Louis hold a BS in Accounting from Rider University and is a Qualified Plan Financial Consultant. He consistently stays updated with the latest industry trends and regulations in an effort to ensure his clients receive the most relevant and accurate advice.

Louis believes in a holistic approach to wealth management, focusing on understanding his clients’ unique financial situations, goals, and risk tolerances. He creates comprehensive financial plans that encompass investment management, tax optimization, estate planning strategies, retirement planning, and more. His client-centered approach fosters long lasting relationships built on trust, transparency, and open communication.

Louis’s philosophy is rooted in disciplined and diversified investment strategies. He emphasizes the importance of balancing risk/reward while aiming to achieve steady, sustainable growth over time. He customizes client portfolios based on investment preferences, while maintain a long term perspective to navigate market fluctuations.

Louis’s client base includes entrepreneurs, professionals, and retirees seeking to preserve and grow their wealth. He has experience working with complex financial situations, including intergenerational wealth transfers, business succession planning, and philanthropic endeavors.
Securities Agent: TX, ME, WY, FL, MA, AZ, NY, NC, UT, RI, NH, CA, PA, NJ, GA, CT, NV, OR; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1894350

About Charlotte Ahdoot

Charlotte is a Registered Associate and acts as the day-to-day point of contact for all clients. Charlotte's goal is to provide clients with exceptional service and ensure an overall positive experience.
Charlotte holds her Series 7 and Series 66 FINRA Registrations.
Charlotte is from Great Neck, NY but currently resides on the Upper East Side and graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Delaware. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing tennis and spending 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 Andrew Ellis

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

He earned his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University and received the Financial Planning Specialist® designation from the College for Financial Planning. Andrew is originally from Lyndhurst, New Jersey and currently resides there.
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 The Levinson Vargas Group 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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2Morgan 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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3Morgan 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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4When 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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5Morgan 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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6Morgan 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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7Morgan 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’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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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.

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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)