Our Story and Services

LIFE IS ABOUT A LOT MORE THAN WEALTH
After many years in the industry, we know how important financial security is for all facets of a person's life. Whether it's your family, your career, your passions, or even your day-to-day peace of mind. As advisors, our team has a simple mission: to weave what makes you unique with your life goals and your financial strategy, and to help make sure that the resulting plan is seamless.

OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE PARTNERSHIPS
We don't assume a conventional path to your future. We build one with you –– together, step-by-step –– because we value what makes you, well, you. Every client shoulders a unique set of complex challenges and objectives. We embrace that complexity with an intensely client-centric approach. We'll offer our insights and opinions, but we're also going to make sure they align with your thinking.

EXPERIENCE. CARE. RESOURCES.
Put simply, we're a highly-experienced team backed by world-class resources. Over the years, we've helped all sorts of clients navigate all types of markets. We've helped them establish tax-efficient strategies as they start a family or enter retirement; sell their successful businesses so they can pursue their next passion; sort through complicated insurance needs to provide cash flow and protection; and carefully consider ever changing legacy goals as life presents change. With Morgan Stanley's resources, technology, and intellectual capital behind us, we're able to help find strategic solutions to your most complex challenges.

2025 FORBES BEST IN STATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT TEAM
We are honored to have been named as a 2025 Forbes Best in State Wealth Management Team in Northern California. This recognition reflects our teams dedication to providing unparalleled guidance to our wonderful clients to support their unique goals.

For a second opinion about your current investments, or to talk about your goals, please call us at (650) 687-2109.

Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Jan 2025). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on time period from 3/31/23-3/31/24.

Services Include
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Our Clients

Executives and Professionals
Especially in Silicon Valley, young professionals and executives can find themselves accumulating wealth at a rapid pace. And because of the everyday demands of their jobs, they need help managing that wealth, protecting it, and translating it into financial security for their loved ones. Our team does just that. We have the capacity and longevity to help you for decades to come.

Business Owners
For business owners, retirement can be an especially difficult transition. Because they are often deeply connected to their businesses, working out the complexities of fair-minded valuing and practical selling of their companies can be daunting. We work with business owners across the Bay Area and beyond, helping them on both fronts. So that they can pursue their next venture –– whatever that means for them.

Families & Family Offices
Our team takes great pride in helping families achieve their multigenerational goals. Because at the end of the day, our loved ones are our most important asset. But family matters can also be the trickiest to navigate financially. That’s why we collaborate with your professional network, meet with your adult children and grandchildren, and leverage Morgan Stanley’s vast resources on your behalf. It helps ensure your legacy will always be consultative, coordinated, and comprehensive.

Our Role

Legacy Foundation

Early in my career, I was at a dinner with one of my clients. She was wealthy and in the later stages of her life. At this dinner, she talked for hours about her family’s history –– about the legacy her parents and grandparents had already built, and about how she wanted to continue to grow that legacy for her own children and grandchildren.

It was fascinating to me. Beautiful even. And it spoke right to the heart of what being a financial advisor is all about. First and foremost, it’s about people. It’s about understanding where they come from –– the stories and legacies that shape who they are –– and then putting that knowledge in service of their future with a financial plan that truly reflects their core values and perspectives. That’s exactly what we did.

Multiple Generations
Of course, as times change, so do needs, challenges, and objectives. This is particularly true in the entrepreneurial culture of the Bay Area. When we began to work with our clients’ adult children –– who worked as young professionals and executives, mostly in the tech space –– we helped them translate her original legacy into a financial strategy for the 21st Century.

We helped them manage their equity packages throughout their career and into retirement. We helped them set up 529s for their children’s college educations. We helped them decide when to make large purchases, what age to retire, and how to achieve greater tax-efficiency in our complex regulatory landscape. Merging our own experience with the cutting-edge technology and resources of Morgan Stanley –– we helped them chart a customized, data-driven path to the future they envision. And we continue to do so today.

Takeaway
With all our clients, we strive to understand the trajectory –– past, present, and future –– of their family’s wealth, so that we can continue to help them protect that legacy for generations to come.

Planning Your Future

Our wealth management process begins with you, your goals, and your financial objectives. Holistic in its approach, our process encompasses all elements of your financial life, making sure they align with your goals and wealth management plan. We understand that the goals you set today will evolve over time, your financial plan will evolve with them and with the changing circumstances of your life.

Leveraging a sophisticated suite of analytic tools, and the extensive resources of Morgan Stanley, we can help you take charge of your financial future and achieve your goals. Below, we have provided some links that will introduce you to a few of the tools that we use, please click to learn more about them. We hope that you will return often to learn more about topics impacting your wealth.

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    Understanding Your Savings Vehicles

    When it comes to retirement savings, the most important thing is to get started—after all, time is one of your greatest assets. Although retirement may seem far for some, it is essential to get started on planning for future living expenses, potential education funds, or travel costs. Let us help you educate on ways to grow and preserve your wealth.

    Learn more about 401k strategies
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    The Transition to Retirement

    Most retirement preparations focus on financial planning, but it is equally crucial to look at personal considerations and help you with easing the fear of the unknown. Given that many people overlook the psychological adjustments of retirement, we can help you understand why it's important to be emotionally (not just financially) ready for retirement.

    Retirement planning at Morgan Stanley
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    Understanding Your Retirement Risks

    Once you determine what kind of retirement you want, we will work together to take a closer look at the risks that might be standing between you and your retirement goals. No matter how well you save during the accumulation phase, it's critical to plan how you convert those assets to income. We can help you navigate the challenges that may arise.

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    The Impact of Taxes

    The strategies you use when drawing down your retirement savings can have a significant impact on how much you'll pay in taxes and may help you keep more of the returns. Each retiree's situation is different but establishing a tax management strategy for your investments can help you retain more of your investment returns.

    Tax efficient strategies

Market Insights & Digital Tools

Financial education leads to better insights into our investment strategy, and ultimately, better long-term decisions. We are committed to providing you with important information about managing your wealth more effectively in today's global markets. Here is a comprehensive suite of digital tools and resources, which provide some helpful perspectives on the economy, capital markets, and Morgan Stanley.

Stay informed about the latest market trends with our collection of articles and tools from leading financial experts.

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    Morgan Stanley Online

    Morgan Stanley Online (MSO) has a variety of features beyond viewing your account balance and activity, including paperless documents, bill pay and secure account management and much more

    Login to MSO
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    Total Wealth View

    It's hard to see the complete picture with only half the details, you can now conveniently view all of your accounts from other financial institutions in one place, giving you a complete financial picture. Add your external 401K, checking/savings, brokerage accounts to see your finances all in one place.

    See your complete financial picture
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    Thoughts on the Market Podcast

    Listen to detailed market commentary from Morgan Stanley's thought leaders on topics such as global equities, fixed income, monetary policy and more

    Listen to the latest podcast
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    GIC On the Markets

    The latest edition of "On the Markets," a monthly collection of the most timely research and strategy from Morgan Stanley & Co., Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and external partners.

    Read this month’s report
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    Morgan Stanley Insights

    Read our perspective on what's shaping the world today, and tomorrow. We cover topics ranging from health care, sustainability, macroeconomics, and technology.

    Explore our articles
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    Market Trend News

    Stay up to date on the latest market trends and developments with our collection of trending.

    Read more here
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    Spending & Budgeting Tool

    Track spending habits and manage savings by using Morgan Stanley's Spending & Budgeting Tool. This tool helps advisors monitor client cash flows across both internal and external accounts.

    Spending & budgeting tool
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    Personal Finance

    Learn how to manage your money wisely and achieve your financial goals with our collection of personal finance articles.

    Learn more here

Location

245 Lytton Avenue
Suite 200
Palo Alto, CA 94301
US
Direct:
(650) 687-2109(650) 687-2109
Toll-Free:
(800) 388-4930(800) 388-4930

Meet The Buenavista Larson Group

About Joseph Constante Buenavista

Joe has more than twenty-eight years of experience in finance, strategic planning, engineering, marketing, and sales. Seventeen of those years have been spent providing wealth management advice and services as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Alliance Bernstein previously. Joe earned his BS from the United States Naval Academy, an MBA from Saint Mary’s College, and is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, CRPC®. Joe lives in Alamo with his wife Paula and two children.
Securities Agent: OH, ID, WA, MN, KS, NY, FL, NC, CA, HI, OR, ME, CO, UT, VA, TX, NV, NM, ND, OK; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 558124
CA Insurance License #: 0k01533

About Louis Charles Larson

Louis has over twenty-five years of experience providing wealth management advice and services, having come from Merrill Lynch and the Charles Schwab Private Client Group previously. Lou earned his BS from Portland State University and is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, CRPC®. Lou is a member of the Norwegian Club of San Francisco and an Executive Committee Member of Provisors Palo Alto Group II. He lives in Mountain View his wife Tia, and two children.
Securities Agent: NC, OK, NJ, ID, UT, OR, KS, FL, AZ, ME, TX, ND, HI, CO, WA, OH, NY, MN, CA, VA, NM, NV; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 700539
CA Insurance License #: 0E17294
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
Taking Control of Your Finances After Death of a Spouse
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Taking Control of Your Finances After Death of a Spouse

Financial planning after a divorce or death can be trying, but with the right approach and the right advice you can turn a difficult situation into empowerment.

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 The Buenavista Larson Group today.
1Morgan 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.

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

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2Morgan 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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3Morgan 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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4Morgan 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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5When 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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6Morgan 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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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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8Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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

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10Annuities are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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11When 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 always check with their tax or legal advisor before engaging in any transaction involving 529 Plans, Education Savings Accounts and other tax-advantaged investments.

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12Alternative 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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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.

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Awards Disclosures
CRC 6491812 (04/2024)