Nicholas J. Aynilian, Jr., CRPC®
My Mission Statement
My Story and Services
A practical, relationship-driven approach to wealth
With 15+ years of experience across finance, lending, private equity, and real estate, I bring an institutional perspective to personal wealth planning—helping clients make confident decisions across investments, cash flow, risk management, and long-term goals.
My role as a Financial Advisor is to serve as a long-term ally and "quarterback for your financial life" – translating complexity into a clear plan, coordinating moving parts as life changes, and helping you stay focused on what matters most.
Rooted in real estate—built for families and business owners
I come from a multi-generational real estate family, which shaped how I think about wealth: it's often concentrated, illiquid at times, tax-sensitive, and closely connected to family priorities. That background gives me a firsthand understanding of the opportunities and challenges that many entrepreneurs and real estate professionals face—managing irregular income, evaluating financing decisions, balancing reinvestment with diversification, and planning across multiple entities and properties.
Today, I most often work with:
- Families seeking coordinated planning across generations
- Real estate professionals (agents, brokers, investors, developers, and business owners) navigating cash flow, taxes, and liquidity events
- Retirees focused on turning savings into sustainable income, managing risk, and protecting legacy
No two situations are the same, but my process is consistent: understand what you're trying to accomplish, build a plan that connects the dots, and adjust as your life evolves.
Planning that connects the dots
Financial decisions rarely live in silos. My goal is to build an integrated strategy that can help you answer questions like:
- "How much liquidity should I keep on hand, and where should it sit?"
- "How do I invest while managing concentration risk—especially with real estate or stock awards?"
- "What does retirement income look like, and how do we plan for taxes and healthcare?"
- "How do we align estate and charitable goals with the rest of the plan?"
I place a strong emphasis on clarity, ongoing communication, and disciplined execution—so you can move forward with a plan that fits your priorities.
Education and life beyond the office
I graduated cum laude from Boston College's Carroll School of Management with a B.A. in Management and a double concentration in Finance and Accounting.
Outside of work, I'm an active member of the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I'm deeply involved in my local church, where I volunteer as a pianist and organist. I also support charitable organizations connected to my alma mater, my NYC/NJ communities, and the international Armenian community. In my free time, I enjoy classical music, reading, running, general aviation, skiing, boating, golfing, and tennis.
If you'd like to discuss your goals—whether you're building wealth, managing complex real estate-driven cash flow, preparing for retirement, or planning a legacy—I'd welcome the opportunity to connect.
- Wealth PlanningFootnote1
- Cash Management and Lending ProductsFootnote2
- Retirement PlanningFootnote3
- 529 PlansFootnote4
- Stock Plan ServicesFootnote5
- 401(k) Rollovers
- Alternative InvestmentsFootnote6
- Estate Planning StrategiesFootnote7
- Trust ServicesFootnote8
- Life InsuranceFootnote9
- Donor Advised Funds
- Municipal BondsFootnote10
- Planning for Individuals with Special Needs
NMLS#: 2788821
Wealth Planning for Families
We work with you to understand your complete financial picture and help build a personalized wealth plan aligned to your goals.
We offer a variety of investment options to help families save for education for the next generation.
We provide planning that can address long-term retirement needs such as savings, investments, and other considerations based on your goals and situation.
We offer tax-aware strategies including direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and exchange funds, designed to help manage the impact of taxes in your portfolio.
We provide educational resources to help you better understand key wealth topics and make more informed decisions.
Our insured solutions platform offers access to a broad range of insurance and annuity solutions to help protect what you've built and support your long-term objectives.
Wealth Planning for Real Estate Professionals
Using a variety of products, we help real estate professionals manage their personal cash flow between deal closings and capture yield on idle cash.
We work with you to understand your complete financial picture and help build a personalized wealth plan aligned to your goals.
We offer tax-aware strategies including as direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and exchange funds designed to help manage the impact of taxes in your portfolio.
We provide lending options that may help clients meet personal, business or real estate liquidity needs - including securities-based lending and home financing – often without having to sell investments.
We offer a variety of 1031 and Opportunity Zone products to help real estate investors potentially mitigate the impact of taxes on their portfolio.
Our alternative investments platform provides access to a broad menu of strategies including private equity, private credit, hedge funds, real estate, and opportunity zone funds, which may help enhance returns, manage volatility, manage taxes, and generate income.
Retirement Planning
Our retirement income planning focuses on turning wealth into an income stream while navigating longevity, market volatility and inflation.
We can help you plan for required minimum distributions (RMDs) and coordinate withdrawals across accounts to support your cash-flow needs and tax efficiency.
As part of a broader wealth plan, we can help you consider how trusts and estate-planning strategies may support goals like protecting assets and planning for beneficiaries.
We can help you evaluate how Social Security benefits may fit into your overall retirement income picture alongside other resources and distribution needs.
We help incorporate charitable giving and philanthropic planning into your overall wealth strategy, aligning giving goals with your broader financial plan.
We provide educational resources to help you better understand key wealth topics and make more informed decisions.
Location
Tax-Smart Strategies for Your Retirement
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
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.
For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
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
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.
4Investors 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.
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.
6Alternative 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.
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.
8Morgan 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.
9Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.
10Municipal bonds may not be appropriate for all investors. Income generated from an investment in a municipal bond is generally exempt from federal income taxes. Some income may be subject to state and local taxes and to the federal alternative minimum tax. Capital gains, if any, are subject to tax.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) and its Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide any tax/legal advice. Consult your own tax/legal advisor before making any tax or legal-related investment decisions.
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
