My Story

My clients may not be family, but they are to me. Many are approaching retirement after a long, successful career. Others are already retired and seeking to maintain their lifestyle without financial worry. I strive to be someone they can depend on me for advice that is given with their needs first and foremost in mind.

I’ve been in the financial services industry for over 25 years and many of my clients have been with me for almost that entire time. One of the biggest rewards of building strong relationships is when clients introduce me to their children. That way I can continue to provide sound financial advice for their families too.

As a Morgan Stanley-credentialed Senior Portfolio Manager for The Palm Oaks Group, I offer discretionary investment management to clients who would prefer not to make their own buy and sell decisions. However, the advice I give goes deeper than investments. My goal is to help you feel more confident about whatever comes your way. I can help provide advice on using debt to build wealth, create a tax-efficient estate plan and preserve your wealth to help you retire on your terms. And that’s just for starters.

The individuals mentioned as the Portfolio Management Team are Financial Advisors with Morgan Stanley participating in the Morgan Stanley Portfolio Management program. The Portfolio Management program is an investment advisory program in which the client’s Financial Advisor invests the client’s assets on a discretionary basis in a range of securities. The Portfolio Management program is described in the applicable Morgan Stanley ADV Part 2, available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV or from your Financial Advisor.
Services Include
Securities Agent: NY, MO, CT, AR, TX, PR, NV, MA, WI, VT, SC, MS, MI, ME, IL, IA, OH, MN, MD, KY, RI, MT, CO, WY, IN, NH, GA, DE, DC, CA, OR, NM, NJ, FL, AZ, WA, VA, PA, NC, ID, OK; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1255511
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Working With You

Initial Discussions
-Who are you as a person, as well as an investor?
-What do you hope to achieve for yourself and your family?
-What do you fear might be standing in your way?
Formulating Your Plan
-Allocating your assets to help meet your risk tolerance, timeframe and objectives
-Creating a customized plan to help meet goals such as leaving a legacy, purchasing real estate, generating retirement income and providing for an aging parent
Implementing Your Plan
-Collaborating with your attorney and accountant to help ensure a 360-degree view of your overall finances
-Identifying third party investment management organizations with histories of generating consistent returns
-Assessing your portfolio to determine where it might be vulnerable
-Stress testing your portfolio to determine how it might react to different market and economic conditions
Managing Your Assets
Before I became a Financial Advisor, I served as a mutual fund specialist with a Morgan Stanley predecessor firm. The skills I learned still serve my clients and me in good stead. As a Morgan Stanley credentialed Portfolio Management Director, I typically implement your investment strategy with mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and separately managed accounts managed by carefully researched third party management organizations who have demonstrated the ability to provide investors with consistent returns over time.

**The investments listed may not be suitable for all investors. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a financial advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment will depend upon an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.
A Commitment to Service
I care about each and every client and strive to go the extra mile to make certain they understand that I’m there to help them achieve the goals most important to them. I like to meet with my clients regularly and stay in close touch via phone, email and social media. They know they can always reach me whenever they have a question, concern or simply want to talk about current markets and how their investments are performing. I consider responsiveness to be a top priority, and I can confidently state that none of my clients ever have to call me twice.

Community Involvement

My office is only a few miles away from where I was raised and still reside. As a lifelong resident of Clifton, I care deeply about my community and spend much of my spare time volunteering at the Clifton Animal Shelter.

I believe my commitment to the Shelter stems from the same instincts that led me to become a Financial Advisor. It’s all about my desire to put others first and go above and beyond expectations to make a difference.

My wife Liz, was recently named Purina Cat Chow Volunteer of the Year, also shares my passion for animals. We’ve been married since 2003 and became involved with the shelter after adopting a kitten named Murphy. He had a rough start in life, but we witnessed first-hand what a little TLC could do. We were instantly hooked and what started out as volunteering two hours on a Saturday night has morphed into an almost 20-year passion that is now virtually 24/7 and 365 days a year.

Today, I wear numerous Clifton Animal Shelter hats, helping the organization raise funds, marketing its services and creating workable budgets. Liz and I find the most enjoyment in finding homes for all the stray animals in our care. We are very proud to be an integral part of over 300 adoptions per year and over 5,000 animals in the last two decades. Nothing is more rewarding then meeting the families who will provide them a loving home and second chance on life.

Biography

From the time I was growing up in Clifton, finance fascinated me. I’ve spent my entire career with the same firm where I’ve been a Financial Advisor since 2005. The Palm Oaks Group at Morgan Stanley is a team of seasoned financial professionals who advise clients on every aspect of their financial lives.

I offer discretionary management for clients who would prefer not to make day-to-day investment decisions on their own. My area of focus is creating customized asset allocation strategies that I generally implement with professionally managed investments.

And as a Morgan Stanley Family Wealth Advisor, I go far beyond investments to provide guidance on leaving a meaningful legacy, help using debt to their advantage, help managing risk and maximizing their philanthropic activities.

I’m a graduate of Montclair State University with a degree in finance. Most of my free time is spent volunteering at the Clifton Animal Shelter, where I help stray, surrendered, or neglected animals find their forever homes. I believe my commitment to the Shelter stems from the same instincts that led me to become a Financial Advisor. It’s all about my desire to put others first and go above and beyond expectations to make a difference.


Disclosures:
The individuals mentioned as the Portfolio Management Team are Financial Advisors with Morgan Stanley participating in the Morgan Stanley Portfolio Management program. The Portfolio Management program is an investment advisory program in which the client’s Financial Advisor invests the client’s assets on a discretionary basis in a range of securities. The Portfolio Management program is described in the applicable Morgan Stanley ADV Part 2, available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV or from your Financial Advisor.

Asset Allocation or Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC 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 visit us at http://www.morganstanleyindividual.com or consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences.
    2025 Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams
    Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Jan 2025) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based for the period 3/31/23–3/31/24.
    2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors
    Source: Forbes (Awarded April 2024) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on time period from 6/30/22-6/30/23.

Client Service Team

    Carousel Associate Image
    Lauren Saxton - Senior Registered Client Service Associate
    Phone:
    (973) 890-3885(973) 890-3885
    Email:lauren.m.saxton@morganstanleypwm.com
    Carousel Associate Image
    Carla Gomory, CRPC® - Portfolio Associate, Financial Planning Associate
    Phone:
    (973) 890-8073(973) 890-8073
    Email:carla.gomory@morganstanley.com
    Carousel Associate Image
    Alexis Wamsley, CFP® - Wealth Management Associate, Financial Planning Associate
    Phone:
    (973) 890-3883(973) 890-3883
    Email:alexis.wamsley@morganstanley.com

Location

150 Clove Road
Little Falls, NJ 07424
US
Direct:
(973) 890-3030(973) 890-3030
Toll-Free:
(800) 227-8588(800) 227-8588
Fax:
(201) 254-3681(201) 254-3681

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 Adam Guralnick

Adam Guralnick is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in New Jersey.

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.

Adam began his career in financial services in 2002, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2021 as an Associate Private Banker. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Wealth Management Banker at UBS. He also served as a UHNW Associate Private Banker at Citi Private Bank and a Merrill Lynch Banking Advisor.

Adam is a graduate of the University at Buffalo, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Master of Arts in Informatics. He lives in Livingston, New Jersey with his family. Outside of the office, Adam enjoys traveling, sports, and spending time with his family.
NMLS#: 1114313
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.

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 
Article Image

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.

Financial Wellness

Enhancing Financial Wellness enables your workforce to do their best work. Companies that invest in financial wellness have an opportunity to:
  • Reduce employee stress,
  • Improve retention and engagement, and
  • Set themselves apart by offering comprehensive financial wellness benefits.
The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce
Article Image

The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce

In the face of turbulent markets, the word “resilience” may be top of mind. Broadly speaking, resilience is the ability to “bounce back” when encountering life’s inevitable challenges.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact Jay M. Dewan today.
Market Information Delayed 20 Minutes
1Morgan 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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2Morgan 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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3When 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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4The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) aware investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio that is more diversified or where decisions are based solely on investment considerations. Because ESG criteria exclude some investments, investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market.

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5Investors should consider many factors before deciding which 529 plan is appropriate. Some of these factors include: the Plan’s investment options and the historical investment performance of these options, the Plan’s flexibility and features, the reputation and expertise of the Plan’s investment manager, Plan contribution limits and the federal and state tax benefits associated with an investment in the Plan. Some states, for example, offer favorable tax treatment and other benefits to their residents only if they invest in the state’s own Qualified Tuition Program. Investors should determine their home state’s tax treatment of 529 plans when considering whether to choose an in-state or out-of-state plan. Investors should consult with their tax or legal advisor before investing in any 529 Plan or contact their state tax division for more information. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not provide tax and/or legal advice. Investors should review a Program Disclosure Statement, which contains more information on investment options, risk factors, fees and expenses and possible tax consequences.

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6Morgan 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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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 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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9Morgan 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)