Mike Howard, CEPA®
First Vice President, Wealth Management,
Financial Advisor
Direct:
(972) 841-5748(972) 841-5748
My Mission Statement
We believe that proactive client service, timely communication, and open platforms are the foundation of a positive client experience. From personalized estate and financial planning, to lifestyle advisory, to family governance & legacy, we provide you and your family with an exceptional level of service and the insights and resources needed to help you achieve your goals.
About Me
Mike focuses on helping entrepreneurs, executives, coaches, athletes, and families navigate the complexities of managing their wealth by clarifying their financial goals and developing strategies that align with these objectives. In working with entrepreneurs, Mike goes a step further to include exit planning strategies that incorporate their vision for pre-liquidity to post-liquidity events. Given his insight and experience in this specialized area, he also provides guidance to other Morgan Stanley financial advisors to help them counsel their business-owner clients. Additionally, Mike is responsible for helping the team identify and access firm resources for unique client situations, such as family office resources or estate planning strategies, and he brings this in-depth knowledge to his own clients as well.
Mike has spent his entire financial services career at Morgan Stanley and worked in a variety of divisions within the firm, including wealth management and private banking. His broad-based experience has given him an understanding of the full scope of Morgan Stanley resources and allowed him to build a vast network of connections internally, both of which help him serve clients efficiently today. Mike has earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation, and he graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with a B.S. in business administration and a concentration in finance and marketing.
Mike lives in Frisco, Texas and volunteers with the North Texas Food Bank in his spare time. Mike enjoys cheering for the Philadelphia 76ers, Eagles, and Phillies.
Mike has spent his entire financial services career at Morgan Stanley and worked in a variety of divisions within the firm, including wealth management and private banking. His broad-based experience has given him an understanding of the full scope of Morgan Stanley resources and allowed him to build a vast network of connections internally, both of which help him serve clients efficiently today. Mike has earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation, and he graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with a B.S. in business administration and a concentration in finance and marketing.
Mike lives in Frisco, Texas and volunteers with the North Texas Food Bank in his spare time. Mike enjoys cheering for the Philadelphia 76ers, Eagles, and Phillies.
Services Include
- Asset Management
- Business Succession PlanningFootnote1
- Donor Advised Funds
- Philanthropic ManagementFootnote2
- Alternative InvestmentsFootnote3
- Executive Financial ServicesFootnote4
- Estate Planning StrategiesFootnote5
- Trust ServicesFootnote6
- Stock Plan ServicesFootnote7
- Cash Management and Lending ProductsFootnote8
- Life InsuranceFootnote9
- 401(k) Rollovers
Securities Agent: WY, MS, ME, VA, DC, PR, NM, IN, OR, UT, HI, VI, NC, WI, SD, MD, TX, OH, KY, NV, NJ, NY, ND, SC, TN, LA, RI, MO, IA, PA, WV, VT, MT, KS, WA, AL, CA, DE, FL, CT, ID, AK, NH, NE, OK, MA, MN, MI, GA, IL, CO, AZ, AR; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*
Approach
Discovery Process
Investing the time to learn about you and your family; your assets and liabilities and the risk exposures, enables us to formulate strategies and customize the relationship to your needs.
Formulation of Tax, Trust and Estate Strategy
Working with your tax and legal advisors, we help analyze your income and estate tax circumstances to identify and tailor planning techniques that may be used to address your objectives.
Creation of Customized Strategic Asset Allocation
Your customized asset allocation reflects risk, opportunities and taxation across multiple entities, while integrating your investing and estate plans.
Integration of Tactical Asset Allocation
Short-term adjustments seek to capitalize on temporary market distortions. Before making adjustments, we analyze the impact of taxes and trading costs on potential returns.
Implementation of a Customized Wealth Strategy
After comprehensive due diligence and analysis of expected results across multiple market scenarios, strategies are chosen from our expansive investment platform.
Ongoing Assessment
In coordination with your other advisors, we can conduct ongoing reviews and comprehensive reporting to ensure that your strategy adapts to changing financial and family needs.
Resources For Your Family Financial Needs
As your family grows and your wealth increases, you may face more subtle and profound wealth management issues. As the demands of your family grow and evolve, you will likely need professionals who have expanded capabilities. Our Family Office services will help you manage the complex, multigenerational challenges of managing significant wealth.
The term “Family Office Resources” is being used as a term of art and not to imply that Morgan Stanley and/or its employees are acting as a family office pursuant to Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
The term “Family Office Resources” is being used as a term of art and not to imply that Morgan Stanley and/or its employees are acting as a family office pursuant to Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Trust & Estate Planning
With you every step of the way. We analyze your tax and estate structures so that their tax characteristics are accurately incorporated in the asset allocation analysis performed for the client.
Learn More
Private Banking Group
Morgan Stanley Lending Solutions allow clients to finance
almost any personal or business need, access a flexible
line of credit and keep assets invested in the market.
Lending Solutions include:
- Securities Based Loans
- Home Loans
- Commercial Real Estate
- Tailored Lending
almost any personal or business need, access a flexible
line of credit and keep assets invested in the market.
Lending Solutions include:
- Securities Based Loans
- Home Loans
- Commercial Real Estate
- Tailored Lending
Tax Management
The tax decisions you make today can help you save for years to come. There are many tax smart strategies for your financial plan. The key for boosting long-term investment returns is being smart about tax efficiency.
Learn More
Family Governance
Particularly in the case of an ultra high net worth family engaged in a common enterprise, such as running a family business, operating a family office, or simply investing together as a family, it's extremely important to have a sound framework within which to make decisions - in other words, a family governance system.
Intergenerational Wealth Planning
Highly-skilled accountants and estate attorneys are vital to constructing sound wealth-transfer plans, but sometimes it is the matters these experts cannot address that pose the greatest challenges.
Learn More
Philanthropic Planning
Your set of Philanthropic objectives is as personal as your vision of a better world. Determining your objectives however, can be challenging when there are so many worthy causes and so many unmet needs.
Firm Tools
Our comprehensive suite of digital tools are designed to help enhance every aspect of your financial life. Here are a few of the technologies we have to offer our clients.
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
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
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
Total Tax 365
Taxes can be a substantial drag on investment returns. Morgan Stanley Total Tax 365 offers access to a broad range of tax-efficient strategies to help you integrate tax planning into your investment process all year long, maximize portfolio after-tax return potential, manage unrealized gains and help keep more of what you earn.
Learn More
Total Wealth View
Complete your financial picture with Total Wealth View. By linking your account information, you will benefit from more informed wealth planning, more secure data access, and convenient connectivity.
Learn More
GIC Weekly Report
The Global Investment Committee's Lisa Shalett headlines this weekly look at the markets, asset class performance and fixed income.
Learn MoreLocation
2121 North Pearl St
Ste 500
Dallas, TX 75201
US
Direct:
(972) 841-5748(972) 841-5748
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
A Simple Six-Step Retirement Checkup
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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
Iran Conflict: Seven Takeaways for Investors
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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
529 Plans: A Powerful Tool to Save for Education
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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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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
Ready to start a conversation? Contact Mike Howard today.
1Morgan 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.
2Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.
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.
3Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.
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.
6Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
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 and other legal matters.
7Morgan 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.
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
9Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.
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 Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
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 | Morgan Stanley
2Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.
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.
3Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.
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.
6Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
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 and other legal matters.
7Morgan 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.
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
9Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.
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 Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
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 | Morgan Stanley
CRC 4665150 (8/2025)