My Story

Steve Schaeffer began his investment career in 2001 after earning his Bachelor's degree from West Chester University. His primary responsibilities include managing client relationships, designing investment strategies, implementing liability management and succession planning strategies by coordinating with accountants, estate attorneys, and other professionals to shape clients' full financial lives.

Steve is a Senior Vice President and holds the accredited Asset Management Specialist designation, awarded by the College of Financial Planning and the designation of Financial Planning Specialist since 2007. Steve has spent his career at Morgan Stanley serving the diverse financial need of his clients. Over that time, he has developed deep relationships with those he serves and prides himself on helping his clients plan for their financial future.

He is a three time marathon finisher and enjoys sports, films, traveling and spending time at the New Jersey Shore with his family. He lives with his wife and two children, Sam and Sienna in Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania.


For more information, please click here to view my digital brochure:      
Services Include
Securities Agent: DC, TX, NJ, MI, NY, CA, SC, RI, DE, AZ, IL, PA, NC, ME, MD, KY, IN, FL, VT, NV, VA, SD, OR, NM, OH, NH, MA, KS, GA, CO, WA, UT; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1492054
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Asset Allocation and Portfolio Planning

I will work with you using a process that focuses on you and your goals, integrating investment decisions with your immediate financial needs and desired aspirations. This process encompasses four steps:
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    1 Personal Review
    Before I can advise you, I must understand you and your goals. I will guide you through an extensive discovery process to identify your objectives, time horizon, tolerance for risk and other considerations that may play a role in shaping your investment strategy.
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    2 Asset Allocation and Portfolio Planning
    Your input drives the development of a personalized financial strategy. Designed to help you meet your specific needs, it addresses areas such as retirement, education expenses, and tax minimization potential. When my analysis is complete, I will present to you an investment strategy that helps to identify appropriate diversification for your portfolio.

    Asset Allocation does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining financial markets.
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    3 Implementation
    After I have discussed and refined your strategy, I will work closely with you to bring the elements to life. Should we decide that outside money managers are appropriate for you, I will help you select from the hundreds of investment management firms available to you. If you prefer to invest in individual securities, I can help identify specific stocks, bonds and other securities that may be suitable for your portfolio.
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    4 Ongoing Communications and Reporting
    I view ongoing communication as the foundation of our successful collaboration with you. I will make every effort to keep abreast of your changing financial needs and provide viable strategies to help you meet them. This means reviewing your portfolio together at your request. When your circumstances change, I will work with you to revise your strategy and reposition your assets to reflect your new needs and goals.

Topics To Consider

I want to make sure that my clients are always provided with the most important, up-to-date information that can impact them financially. Here, I highlight and discuss topics that are both useful and informative.
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    eDelivery
    Sign up for eDelivery today and start receiving email notifications as soon as your account documents are available on Morgan Stanley Online or the Morgan Stanley Mobile App. It's quick, convenient & secure.
    Enroll Today
    529 Education Savings Plans - (photo) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    529 Education Savings Plans
    529 plans offer a flexible, tax-advantaged way to invest for education expenses while helping to improve estate planning. Gain fiduciary oversight of your education funding strategy within the context of your broader portfolio through the exclusive Morgan Stanley National Advisory 529 Plan.
    529 Plan Options at Morgan Stanley
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    U.S. Home Prices: Is This Time Different?
    Home prices have been steadily climbing all across the U.S. How should Americans think about home prices, rising interest rates and affordability?
    U.S. Home Prices: Is This Time Different?
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    The Future of Food: 4 Solutions for a Hungry Planet
    Learn why feeding the world's growing population will prove ever more difficult; but innovative solutions with investment potential could be ahead.
    The Future of Food: 4 Solutions for a Hungry Planet

Financial Planning

One of the many benefits of personalized advice from a financial advisor is the ability to create a financial plan. Regardless of your stage of life, there are steps you can take to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the future.
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    What to Do If You Are Off Track on Your Goals
    If we never stray from our goals, they are not ambitious enough. Click the link below to learn how you can course-correct in your financial life and let me know if you have any questions.
    Learn More
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    How to Handle Volatility
    During the typical economic cycle, we have to expect market fluctuation. There are many ways to handle market volatility in your portfolio. Click the link below to learn more.
    Learn More
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    Planning for a Baby
    Having a child is a significant change in any family's financial life. Click the link below to get started.
    Learn More
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    Giving the Gift of Education
    Saving for the education of a loved one is one of the most meaningful financial goals my clients have. Click the link below to get started.
    Learn More
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    Tax-Smart Strategies for Your Retirement
    Taking into account the tax implications of your retirement plan is a crucial step that clients miss. Click the link below to learn more about the tax implications of different retirement plans.
    Learn More

Investor Tools and Resources

Morgan Stanley's suite of Modern Wealth Management Tools allows advisors to offer more customized and comprehensive advice than anywhere else. These tools' ease of use allows for a more in-depth view of a client's financial life to be taken, resulting in better service and more well-rounded advice.

Morgan Stanley seeks to make complex financial ideas more digestible so that our clients understand what is being done on their behalf to plan for their financial future, and why.
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    Morgan Stanley Online (MSO)
    Allows you to conveniently and securely manage your account online or on your mobile device. With MSO, you have access to:

    - E-Authorization, where you no longer need to sign a paper Letter of Authorization (LOA) to authorize a wire transfer request.
    - E-Sign, a digital, paperless alternative to the traditional means of obtaining signatures from clients on paperwork.
    - Digital Vault, which allows you to build a central, shared document library where all documents are stored using encryption.
    - E-Delivery, which allows you to securely save, print, send, and receive documents at any time from both Morgan Stanley Online and the Morgan Stanley Mobile App.
    To learn more, and to log in click here
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    Morgan Stanley Mobile App
    Access your account wherever, whenever using the Morgan Stanley Mobile App. It gives you the same capabilities as Morgan Stanley Online from the convenience of your phone.
    To learn about the mobile capabilities and how to get the app, click here
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    Total Wealth View
    The ability to view all of your assets and liabilities together, whether held at Morgan Stanley or elsewhere, enables us to advise with your entire financial picture in mind.
    To learn more, click here
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    Goals Planning System
    GPS helps clients define what they want out of life, and then creates a financial framework to bring these goals to life.
    To learn more, watch this video
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    The Morgan Stanley Minute
    Explore our 1-minute investment insights videos, in this on-going series, from our firm’s leading thinkers. Discover current investment trends and topics like green bonds, active investment, monetizing small businesses, cybercrime and more.
    The Morgan Stanley Minute
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    Global Investment Committee Weekly Research Report
    The Global Investment Committee's Lisa Shalett headlines this weekly look at markets, asset class performance and fixed income.
    GIC Weekly Report

Client Service Team

    Mary Clement - Senior Client Service Associate
    Phone:
    (215) 854-6005(215) 854-6005
    Email:Mary.E.Clement@morganstanley.com

Location

1787 Sentry Pky W
Bldg 18 Ste 440
Blue Bell, PA 19422
US
Direct:
(215) 854-6041(215) 854-6041
Toll-Free:
(800) 233-1414(800) 233-1414
Fax:
(215) 854-6125(215) 854-6125
1650 Market Street
4nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
US

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 Fabienne Sarnecki

Fabienne Sarnecki is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Pennsylvania.

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.

Fabienne began her career in financial services in 2009, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2016 as a Regional Analyst. Prior to joining the firm, she was an Internal Wholesaler at Lincoln Financial Group as well as an Account Manager & Marketing Coordinator at Navidor Merchant Services.

Fabienne is a graduate of New York University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. She lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania with her family. Outside of the office, Fabienne enjoys running, hiking, exploring new types of cuisines and traveling with her family.
NMLS#: 1879930

About Jim Kaiser

Jim Kaiser 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. Jim 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 King’s College and received the Financial Planning Specialist® designation from the College for Financial Planning. Jim is originally from St. Louis, MO and currently resides in New York City.
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.

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 Stephen Schaeffer today.
Market Information Delayed 20 Minutes
1Morgan 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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2Morgan 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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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.

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4Annuities are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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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 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 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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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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9Morgan 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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10Morgan 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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11Morgan 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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12Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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13When 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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14When 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.

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)