About

At the Plunkett Group at Morgan Stanley, we help you define and work towards your financial goals using the vast array of resources at our disposal. Combining experience with youthful energy, we provide a full service experience that is unlike any other. By working with our group, it allows multiple minds to collaborate for your best interests. Through us, you’ll have access to some of the world’s most seasoned and respected investment professionals, a premier trading and execution platform and a full spectrum of investment choices. We are a family group, and we strive to make all our clients feel like a member of our family as well.

The Plunkett Group was started in January 2014, when Max joined Gail at Morgan Stanley after graduating from Kent State University. Sandy became a member in early 2015 after graduating from Ohio Northern University.
Services Include
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Private Markets Investing

Many of today's companies stay private longer, with more of their valuation being created before they become publicly traded. Morgan Stanley Private Markets connects a broad network of potential private investors in an accessible ecosystem, allowing eligible clients to invest directly, or buy and sell shares of private companies.

Experience

Gail has been in the industry for 39 years, beginning his career at Merrill Lynch in 1981. He came to Shearson in 1988, which through a series of mergers became Morgan Stanley, making it 32 years at the same firm.


Max joined Morgan Stanley in January 2014, and earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2017. 


Sandy joined Morgan Stanley officially in January 2015, after interning for two years during college.

Working With You

At The Plunkett Group, we start with getting to know you. We want to know your current financial situation, as well as get to know you as a person. We believe comprehensive wealth management can't happen without knowing more about you than just your financial numbers. As part of the process, we will collaborate with your other advisors, such as your attorney and accountant to help address asset preservation, wealth transfer and tax-related issues.  If you need assistance in these areas, we can even provide referrals for advisors to build out your team. We then design and implement your plan, reviewing with you on a regular basis to make sure you stay on track.


We believe that 3 heads are greater than 1 when it comes to our clients, and the team approach is more beneficial than 1 person giving advice.

Location

7777 Washington Village Dr
Ste 100
Dayton, OH 45459
US
Direct:
(937) 312-2200(937) 312-2200
Toll-Free:
(800) 966-8077(800) 966-8077

Meet The Plunkett Group

About Gail H Plunkett

As the senior member of The Plunkett Group, Gail brings to the table over 40 years of financial advising experience. A designated Family Wealth Advisor, he can help you and your family prepare for the future. He prides himself on the level of personalized and professional service that he offers for each and every one of his clients, as well as his extensive knowledge and experience garnered over his long career. It is through this experience that he can offer clients a comprehensive view of what works and what doesn’t.
After spending 8 years in the banking industry, Gail joined Merrill Lynch in 1981 as a financial advisor. He moved to the company that would eventually become Morgan Stanley in 1988. He has held several management positions, but has found he enjoys the one on one contact he gets by being an advisor, and now focuses all his energy on that. 
Gail lives in Washington Township with his wife, Theresa. He is an avid runner, water skier, and all around family man. He is active in his parish, Church of the Incarnation. As a farm kid, he still thinks of himself as a farmer at heart, and is a member of the Board of Directors and actively volunteers at Learning Tree Farm in Dayton.
Securities Agent: WI, VA, TX, TN, PA, OR, OK, OH, NM, NC, MI, IN, IL, GA, FL, CO, CA, AZ, VT, MO; BM/Supervisor; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Transactional Futures/Commodities; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1270141

About Max K Plunkett II

After graduating from Kent State University with a degree in Finance and Marketing in 2013, Max joined Morgan Stanley in January of 2014. Early on, he realized that financial success begins and ends with having a plan, so he earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER designation in 2017. In 2023 he was promoted to Vice President- Wealth Management. He works with clients on all aspects of their financial life, from their investments, insurance, education planning, and estate planning. He specializes in the complex situations facing High Net Worth and Ultra High Net worth families, graduating from Morgan Stanley's Institute of Family Wealth Management having earned the title of Family Wealth Advisor. In addition. he completed the Certified Private Wealth Advisor curriculum from the Investments & Wealth Institute, an external program again focusing on the issues of the Ultra High Net Worth client. He also has experience working with executives on their unique financial situations around compensation and company stock options.

A lifelong Daytonian, Max cares about his community, and is therefore very active- he currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, and is a board member of the YMCA of Greater Dayton. He is a 2019 graduate of the Leadership Dayton program and was named to the Dayton Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list in 2020.

In his off time, he enjoys golfing, exercising, and waterskiing. He lives in Washington Township with his wife Amelia and their dog Gus.




Source: Dayton Business Journal, “40 Under 40”, 2020. The award is based upon a recipient’s application and not upon any qualitative and quantitative criteria relating specifically to one’s position as a Financial Advisor. As such the award is not representative of any client’s experience nor is it indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. A panel of judges reviews the applications which include, among other things, community service, professional goals and leadership. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney nor any of their Financial Advisors pay a fee to the Dayton Business Journal in exchange for the rating.
Securities Agent: MO, WI, VT, VA, TN, PA, OR, OH, NM, NC, MI, IN, IL, GA, FL, CO, CA, AZ, TX, OK; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1273048

About Sandra T. Higgins

Sandy is a Wealth Management Associate with The Plunkett Group. Her role on the team is to cultivate the client experience- She is responsible for making sure the team runs smoothly and that clients feel as though they are members of the family. Her organization and attention to detail keep things running on the back end, making her an essential member of the team.
Sandy graduated from Ohio Northern University with a degree in Finance, and after multiple internships with Morgan Stanley, joined The Plunkett Group in late 2015. She lives in Washington Township with her husband Eric and is an avid runner, CrossFitter, and water skier.

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
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4 Financially Smart Ways to Take Money Out of Retirement Accounts

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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
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2025 Global Economic Outlook: U.S. Policies May Temper Global Growth

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

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2Morgan 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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3Morgan 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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4The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) aware investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio that is more diversified or where decisions are based solely on investment considerations. Because ESG criteria exclude some investments, investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market.

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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.

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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 (“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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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

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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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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:
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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.

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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.

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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.

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CRC 6491812 (04/2024)