My Story

What do a professional athlete, a top surgeon, a tech founder, a business owner, a C-suite executive, and endowment head, and a multi-platinum artist, all have in common?

They operate in “rare air’- where the pressure is constant, excellence is non-negotiable, and every decision carries weight. Their success brings opportunity, but also complexity. Their time is limited. Their financial lives, anything but ordinary.

For over three decades, I’ve advised individuals who lead in the most competitive arenas. My role is to focus on the signal, remove the noise, bring clarity and purpose, and design strategies as tailored as the lives the lead. Its discrete, deeply personal work that goes far beyond asset management.

I collaborate closely with their teams- Agent, legal, tax, family office-ensuring every financial decision aligns with their bigger vision. The goal isn’t just to grow wealth. Its to maximize it, protect it, and position it for whatever comes next.

Because at this level, success isn’t just about performance, its about excellence and precision.
Services Include
Securities Agent: PA, NC, IL, CT, AL, TX, TN, MI, ME, IN, CA, WI, FL, NJ, DE, UT, KS, VA, SC, NV, MT, MD, DC, PR, GA, CO, WA, ND, MN, KY, OH, RI, OR, NY, NM, MO, MA, AZ; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1726506
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Athletes & Entertainers

Of our firm’s 16,000 advisors, less than 100 have been designated as Morgan Stanley Sports and Entertainment Directors. Jim Solano earned this distinction through years of service to clients who make their living in the spotlight. As a result, he is very familiar with the unique challenges you may be facing, from uneven cash flows to unpredictable career turns to uncommonly complex tax issues. He understands how to help you establish a long-term financial plan, even if your peak earning years only last a few seasons, years, or a few tours. Jim has served as an effective member of your financial team, helping you sort through any financial issue and make informed decisions. Should you choose to work with him, one goal may be to help you create and implement plans to protect what you have earned, create an enduring legacy and pursue your most important life goals.
About Global Sports & Entertainment
  • As a Sports and Entertainment Director, Jim has access to the highly specialized capabilities of Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment, a dedicated division that focuses exclusively on the complex financial needs of professional athletes and entertainers. The only such capability offered by any major Wall Street firm, our division grew out of an understanding that every sports and entertainment profession has its own unique characteristics, earnings profile and career span. Our clients need the support of an advisor who understands how their money flows from their work to their wallet and can help them craft innovative financial strategies that match their lifestyle and career trajectory.

Entrepreneurs & Business Owners

At Morgan Stanley he works with a select clientele of highly affluent professionals and entrepreneurs, helping each create a comprehensive wealth management plan based on the goals they have for their businesses, their families and themselves. Many of these relationships began as clients were considering how to monetize the considerable value they had built in their business, and needed advice on how to structure and invest the proceeds. Jim has assisted others to create succession plans to pass their business along to the next generation and transfer wealth in a way that promotes family unity and harmony.

A primary goal is always to help you enhance and preserve your wealth so you can use it to support the life you want to lead and secure the legacies you want to leave. He wants to understand where you come from, where you are today and, most importantly, where you want your wealth to take you. Markets are always changing and your life is always evolving, so you need to be prepared for a range of possibilities. You can trust that our private conversations will help you do just that—clarifying where you really stand, identifying your options and helping you make informed decisions about your financial future. Jim works to serve as our clients’ trusted advisor, also providing insight into macroeconomic and market trends, access to specialized expertise and outstanding service.

Your Graystone Consulting Team

For more than +100 combined years in the retirement market, managing plan design and investment oversight on +10Billion in plan assets, our professionals are uniquely qualified to optimize and design and implement your retirement plan. We strive to ensure best-in-class investment management, sponsor, and participant services at a reasonable price. Our process can provide significant value while reducing enterprise risk.
• Emphasis on retirement readiness: in-person digital education seminars, one on one meetings. Retirement planning workshops, and more.
• Broad capabilities: Fiduciary oversight as an ERISA 3(21) or ERISA 3(38)
• Balanced perspective: Plan benchmarking to evaluate services and costs and help you select a provider.

Location

20 Linden Place
Red Bank, NJ 07701
US
Direct:
(732) 936-3326(732) 936-3326
Toll-Free:
(833) 419-6486(833) 419-6486
Fax:
(732) 734-4961(732) 734-4961

Meet My Team

About James Solano

Drawing on over 25 years of investment management experience working with both individual and institutional investors, Jim Solano creates highly customized strategies designed to help you preserve assets and provide opportunities to accumulate wealth.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Jim was a senior vice president of investments at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. He previously served as a senior director within the Global Markets Division of Deutsche Bank. In this role, Jim managed a number of strategically important client relationships for the firm, helped provide risk management strategies and developed customized capital market structures for his clients. In an earlier role at Deutsche Bank, Jim was a director in the private wealth management business, which specialized in middle-market family offices and qualified institutional buyers with a net worth in excess of $100 million. Earlier in his career, Jim held positions at Bankers Trust/Alex Brown and Alex Brown & Sons, both of which eventually became part of Deutsche Bank. Jim is a member of the Investment Management Consultant Association and received the Certified Investment Management Analyst® designation.

(212)-883-8544
(732) 936-3326
james.solano@morganstanley.com
NMLS# 1726506

About Craig Lipari

Craig began his career working on the floor of the NYSE. In March of 2007, Craig worked as an equity trader at Cantor Fitzgerald where he was responsible for market making and executions in NYSE listed, and Nasdaq securities. In June of 2010 Craig joined Morgan Stanley. He provides market research and quantitative analysis on current and prospective investments, as well as assists with all other areas of portfolio management and daily trading. Craig’s role includes administration support, operational needs, and marketing.

Craig graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and holds his Series 7, 63, 66, and Series 55 securities licenses. In his spare time, Craig is very active. He enjoys sports, fitness, travel, & music. Craig enjoys spending time with his family and friends many of which live in the area.

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
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Financial Advisers can conduct their business in several ways: individually, as a member of a team of Financial Advisors, or through the formation of a Strategic Partnership with another Financial Advisor or team of Financial Advisors. A Strategic Partnership is an arrangement between a Financial Advisor or a team of Financial Advisors with another Financial Advisor or team of Financial Advisors that has a unique focus or knowledge regarding a specific business concentration, product area, and/or client type. If your account is with an individual Financial Advisor, that Financial Advisor services all facets of your account. If your account is with a Financial Advisor who is a member of a team, any Financial Advisor on the team can service your account. If your Financial Advisor is part of a Strategic Partnership, his or her role in that Strategic Partnership may be limited to a specific business and/or product area and may not cover all facets of your account. The use of the terms “Partner” or “Strategic Partner” and/or “Partnership” or “Strategic Partnership” are used as terms of art and not used to imply or connote any legal relationship.

Wealth Management
Global Investment Office

Portfolio Insights

Wealth Management for Athletes and Entertainers

Understanding the unique financial challenges of athletes and entertainers and how they differ from one profession to the next, we deliver the experience and resources you need to help create and implement a comprehensive, multigenerational wealth management plan based on your needs, values and aspirations.
  • Investment Management
  • Wealth Transfer & Philanthropy
  • Private Banking Solutions
  • Family Governance & Wealth Education
  • Lifestyle Advisory
You are your Own CEO: Build a Dream Team for Your Career
Article Image

You are your Own CEO: Build a Dream Team for Your Career

Assembling a team of trusted professionals to manage your career?and your money?is essential to help best position you to thrive. Here?s how.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact James Solano today.
1Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a business of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.

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

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2Morgan 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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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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6Morgan 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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7Morgan 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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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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9When 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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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.

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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.

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Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
CRC 4665150 (8/2025), 4763067 (9/2025)