
The Sykes Group at Morgan Stanley

Our Mission Statement
Our Story and Services
Together, we will explore your aspirations and the life you envision. We will work with you to translate your goals into a specific investment objective and personalized investment strategy. And then, drawing on the team’s experience — and perspective informed by the insight and resources of one of the world’s largest financial firms — we will structure a portfolio for you, executing and refining that strategy to help bring you closer to your definition of investment success.
In short, your goals become our focus, and achieving them becomes a commitment that we share.
If you’d like to have a conversation or get a second opinion on your investments, please contact us at (517) 768-7717.
We know how hard our clients work for their money, and why. They do it to build a meaningful life for themselves, their family and their community. That's why we provide step-by-step guidance and insights to help their money work as hard as possible towards their long-term financial success.
Achieving and maintaining financial independence requires forethought. Financial planning is a process of articulating life goals in a qualitative fashion, plotting those goals on a timeline, and then determining what is required to bring them to life. It also means proactively looking for ways that things can go wrong and coming up with possible solutions.
The world of finance is complicated. It just is. We will speak openly with you and share what we know about the ins and outs of wealth management every step of the way. Our goal is to arm you with all the information, so you can make decisions based on what's best for you and your family.
Your financial situation is unique to you, which is why we custom-tailor all of our guidance around your specifics. We believe in giving you options to choose from, so you feel confident with your next steps.
Working With You
What our clients do have in common is hard work and busy lives. They are looking for help managing their money so that they can enjoy what they have worked so hard for. That’s why we provide them with a straightforward financial strategy that helps address their particular situation and strives to realize their personal goals, today and tomorrow.
We believe in having a thorough understanding of you – your needs, your lifestyle, and your goals for the future. Leveraging our vast resources including intellectual capital, experience, and dedicated service, we can work with you to create a personalized wealth strategy. Over time, we will adapt it to changing circumstances, helping you to achieve your goals and protect what is meaningful to you.
The most impactful service that we can provide you is the development of a customized LifeView financial plan. This plan will help to define your financial goals, assess your tolerance for risk and identify the various resources that may be available to help you reach you goals. Once we have a solid understanding of these factors we then leverage the vast resources and expertise of Morgan Stanley to develop an investment strategy aligned to your goals.
LifeView® is a registered service of Morgan Stanley & Company and used under license. Morgan Stanley Advisors are not legal or tax advisors.
Location
Meet The Sykes Group
About Kevin C Sykes
Over the course of his career he has focused on providing services to institutional investors including municipal pension funds as well as a number of non-profit charitable organizations. He also works with several high net-worth individuals in the management of their investments. He has used advanced analytical and technical skills to identify and analyze investments and strategies for the team’s clients. KC's role is to help you develop a strategy that lays out a clear path to your financial goals. Your unique strategy is shaped by his team's in-depth planning process and their collective knowledge of the portfolio construction process.
KC resides in Jackson with his wife Stacy and their four children. Mr. Sykes is involved with and supports a number of local charities including the John George Home, the Jackson Community Foundation as well as the Cascades Lions Club.
Technical analysis is the study of past price and volume trends of a security in an attempt to predict the security's future price and volume trends. Its limitations include but are not limited to: the lack of fundamental analysis of a security's financial condition, lack of analysis of macro economic trend forecasts, the bias of the technician's view and the possibility that past participants were not entirely rational in their past purchases or sales of the security being analyzed. Investors using technical analysis should consider these limitations prior to making an investment decision.
NMLS#: 1423936
About Luke J. Houck
Luke has a passion for helping others through the difficulties of life and complexities of the financial world. His goal to ensure clients are receiving top level service and helping them accomplish their goals efficiently.
Luke has been happily married to his wife, Lauren, for the past 7 years. They have two children, Nora and Piper, and have another girl on the way. The family resides in Jackson with their dog, 2 cats and 10 chickens. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the piano, gardening, drinking specialty coffees, and spending time with his family. The family attends the Countryside Bible Church where Luke plays the piano and sings for the worship team. Currently, he’s training to run a marathon in the Spring of 2025.

Contact Kevin C Sykes
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
Mosaic
For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
2Morgan Stanley’s investment advisory programs may require a minimum asset level and, depending on your specific investment objectives and financial position, may not be appropriate for you. Please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC program disclosure brochure (the “Morgan Stanley ADV”) for more information in the investment advisory programs available. The Morgan Stanley ADV is available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV.
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.
4When 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.
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.
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, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.
7Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.
8Morgan 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.
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