Doug Deaton
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Senior Portfolio Manager, Alternative Investments Director, Insurance Planning Director
Phone:
(512) 633-9281(512) 633-9281
The Deaton Group at Morgan Stanley
Our Mission Statement
Guiding clients through
Important financial decisions
Important financial decisions
Our Story and Services
The Deaton Group advises clients who have built wealth through operating companies, leadership roles, or long-term investing.
Their financial lives often extend beyond investment portfolios to include businesses, real estate, private investments, and complex financial structures.
The specifics vary from client to client, but the conversations often involve liquidity, taxes, concentrated wealth, lending, business interests, family priorities, risk management, and the long-term stewardship of capital.
Our role is to help clients think through important financial decisions and bring clarity, coordination, and disciplined execution to those decisions that leads to peace of mind.
If this resonates with you, reach out. Contact info below
Services Include
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*
Location
301 Congress Avenue
Suite 1400
Austin, TX 78701
US
Meet The Deaton Group
Rachel Deaton
Financial Advisor, Insurance Planning Director
Phone:
(737) 742-1842(737) 742-1842
Patty Brueckner
Senior Registered Client Service Associate
Phone:
(512) 370-0481(512) 370-0481
About Doug Deaton
Doug Deaton is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley and co-founder of The Deaton Group. He advises founders, business owners, family offices, and families on important financial decisions involving liquidity, ownership, capital allocation, and long-term planning.
Doug's perspective is shaped by experience on both sides of the table. As an entrepreneur and operator, he experienced firsthand the realities of building and leading a business. Later, within a multi-billion-dollar family office environment, he worked through the financial decisions that follow success, including liquidity events, capital structure, governance, and long-term stewardship.
Today he helps clients evaluate tradeoffs, establish direction, and make important decisions deliberately rather than reactively.
Doug is married to Rachel, and together they have four children. He and Rachel are actively involved with Texas Tech University and are enthusiastic supporters of all Red Raider athletics. Doug is passionate about mentoring students and is widely regarded as a trusted source of guidance and advice. Outside of work, he enjoys fishing and spending time with their two French Bulldogs, who are thriving in downtown high-rise living.
Doug's perspective is shaped by experience on both sides of the table. As an entrepreneur and operator, he experienced firsthand the realities of building and leading a business. Later, within a multi-billion-dollar family office environment, he worked through the financial decisions that follow success, including liquidity events, capital structure, governance, and long-term stewardship.
Today he helps clients evaluate tradeoffs, establish direction, and make important decisions deliberately rather than reactively.
Doug is married to Rachel, and together they have four children. He and Rachel are actively involved with Texas Tech University and are enthusiastic supporters of all Red Raider athletics. Doug is passionate about mentoring students and is widely regarded as a trusted source of guidance and advice. Outside of work, he enjoys fishing and spending time with their two French Bulldogs, who are thriving in downtown high-rise living.
Securities Agent: IN, DE, MT, FL, NC, WA, KS, LA, CA, GA, CO, AR, OK, IL, TX, NY, VA, NJ; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1857665
NMLS#: 1857665
About Rachel Deaton
Rachel Deaton is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley and co-founder of The Deaton Group. She works with founders, business owners, and families to help ensure important financial decisions are carried out with coordination, discipline, and follow-through.
Her background spans business development, project management, and venture creation, giving her a practical understanding of how financial decisions affect businesses, families, and the people responsible for both.
Clients value Rachel for her steadiness, responsiveness, and ability to bring order to complex situations.
Rachel lives in downtown Austin with her husband Doug, has four adult-ish children, is active in her Catholic community, loves a good documentary, mountains are her happy place, and her favorite question for people is “What’s your story?”
Her background spans business development, project management, and venture creation, giving her a practical understanding of how financial decisions affect businesses, families, and the people responsible for both.
Clients value Rachel for her steadiness, responsiveness, and ability to bring order to complex situations.
Rachel lives in downtown Austin with her husband Doug, has four adult-ish children, is active in her Catholic community, loves a good documentary, mountains are her happy place, and her favorite question for people is “What’s your story?”
Securities Agent: KS, NC, MT, GA, VA, TX, DE, CO, AR, NJ, IL, LA, FL, WA, OK, NY, IN; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 2172891
NMLS#: 2172891
About Patty Brueckner
Patty Brueckner is Senior Registered Client Service Associate for The Deaton Group at Morgan Stanley. She helps anchor the client experience through precise execution, strong follow-through, and day-to-day continuity.
Patty brings experience across retail banking, retirement services, and equity compensation. She works closely with clients and across Morgan Stanley resources to keep complex processes organized, responsive, and client-focused.
She is ridiculously determined to solve any problem, can speak 6 languages, has 3 passports, and a cat named Angel who rules her household.
Patty brings experience across retail banking, retirement services, and equity compensation. She works closely with clients and across Morgan Stanley resources to keep complex processes organized, responsive, and client-focused.
She is ridiculously determined to solve any problem, can speak 6 languages, has 3 passports, and a cat named Angel who rules her household.
Contact Doug Deaton
Contact Rachel Deaton
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 The Deaton Group today.
1Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a business of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.
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
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.
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.
5Alternative 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.
6Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.
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 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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
5Alternative 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.
6Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.
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 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.
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.
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)
