Our Story and Services

The Vise Group began over 50 years ago when Steve Vise began his Financial Advisor career in Birmingham, Al. From the beginning, Steve modeled his business on these principles: a strong work ethic, honesty and a passion to know and help his clients. Steve’s son, Rick, as well as Saundra Jones were welcomed into the business in 2008 and 2021 respectively and have continued to “carry on” these principles. Going forward, this team lives and breathes these principles while making sure each relationship is built on both exceptional service and trust.

The Vise Group not only aspires to support all of its current clients in their financial goals, but also emphasizes the significance of maintaining relationships which enables the support of future generations. Family is a core value at the Vise Group. We imagine ourselves in a similar situation with every decision we make with clients. Leaving a legacy is important to us all– our families, passions, and causes. We look forward to growing with you and helping you now and in the future.
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Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

A HOLISTIC PROCESS, WITH YOU IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

The Vise Group's process is centered around our clients and their needs. Working together with you, we charter a clear and confident course towards financial success which begins with an in-depth understanding of your priorities and aspirations. Our goal is to treat our clients as if they were family, and in turn, watch as they begin to enrich their communities and the lives of their own families.

Similar to a well-oiled machine, the "parts" of a financial plan either serve the strategy or they do not. We will diligently monitor your plan to take into account the changing circumstances of your life and the environment, managing risk at each step of the way.
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Step One: Establish Goals
We begin our process by discussing what is important for you, your family, and your legacy. We'll then work to identify any circumstances which are unique to your personal situation. After we've established your objectives, we'll provide you with an overview of important investment concepts and our investment philosophy as it pertains to your objectives.
Step Two: Assess Your Finances
After your goals and objectives have been established, we begin our data collection stage. At this point we will work with you to gather financial statements, relevant outside data, and, if applicable, your business balance sheet. Using the information we uncover, we will analyze your current asset allocation strategy and provide our draft(s) of your financial plan- leveraged through Morgan Stanley's proprietary data, insights, and financial tools.
Step Three: Set Financial Strategy
Based on our initial conversation, we will develop a tailored and cohesive financial plan that balances your attitudes as an investor, risks and opportunities in your profile, and an analysis of the financial markets. With your input, we will then present appropriate investment options and wealth management recommendations that work in tandem to preserve and grow your wealth.
Step 4: Implementation
Upon your approval, we will work diligently to help ensure a seamless implementation of the various elements of your financial plan, finetuning each part to adjust for changing circumstances. Wherever appropriate, we will consult with other professional individuals in your trusted circle and suggest that you seek additional advice from subject matter experts on particularly complex issues.
Step Five: Ongoing Service Review
We are committed to keeping you abreast of any changing market conditions and delivering performance metrics, ultimately making certain that your plan continues to align with your goals and your timeline. We work with a select number of clients, allowing us to keep a high degree of communication with you to help ensure that your concerns and requests are being addressed in a timely manner.

HELPING ACHIEVE YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS

Our clients are high-net-worth individuals, families, small business owners and endowments who lead busy, fulfilling lives. They look to our team to provide sophisticated wealth management, as well as to simplify their financial decision making. We have structured our practice to serve both goals, and evolve with our clients as they encounter life changes.

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    Financial Planning

    We'll help you understand the fundamentals of finance and put your resources to work so you can plan, invest and ultimately transition to retirement with confidence.

    • Retirement "What If" Scenarios
    • College (529) Funding Analysis
    • Income & Cashflow Planning
    Learn More
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    Charitable Gifting

    No matter what your philanthropic ambitions, a Financial Advisor can help you translate good intentions into an impactful strategy by utilizing a variety of trusts, charitable vehicles and wealth management tools.

    • Donor Advised Funds
    • Charitable Remainder Trusts
    • IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution
    Learn More
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    Estate Planning & Wealth Transfer

    Guiding high-net-worth families with legacy planning and collaborating with external tax & legal advisors to execute estate planning strategies and integrate investment solutions.

    • Asset Titling & Estate Distribution
    • Wealth Transfer Strategies: Annual Gifting, Gift & Estate Exemption, Generation Skipping Transfers
    • Trust Planning: ILITs, GRATs, SLATs, IDGTs, Dynasty Trusts, Special Needs Trusts
    Learn More
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    Equity Compensation & Restricted Stock

    The by-product of a successful career is often a concentrated position in your company stock – representing a significant portion of your personal net worth and a high level of complexity. We help clients understand their equity compensation and manage their concentrated stock positions.

    • Compensation Review: RSUs, NQ & ISO Options
    • AMT & Tax Management Strategies
    • Managing Concentrated Stock
    • Restricted Stock: Rule 144 Guidance, 10b5-1 Plans
    Learn More
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    Business Owners

    Helping business owners with key strategic needs such as access to capital, plan administration and a variety of exit strategies.

    • Cash Management & Capital
    • Succession & Exit Planning
    • Tax & Liquidity Strategies
    • Intra-Family Transfer Techniques
    Learn More
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    Liability Management

    A comprehensive wealth management plan often includes prudent borrowing to compliment your investment portfolio. Our lending services can help provide the necessary funding and flexibility as you manage potential opportunities or liquidity needs.

    • Securities-Based Lending
    • Home Loans
    Learn More
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    Insurance & Asset Protection

    A sound wealth plan requires more than seeking returns. It involves mitigating and managing risks to help protect you when the unexpected occurs. Insurance, as part of your overall wealth plan, can help you get closer to achieving your retirement and legacy planning goals.

    • Life Insurance Review
    • Long-Term Care Planning
    • Creditor Protection
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    Unexpected Events

    While planning is key to building wealth, unexpected events – both positive and negative – can have an impact on progress toward your financial goals. It's important for you to prepare as best as you can and build flexibility into your plan so you can pivot when life circumstances change.

    • Market Events
    • Calamities & Natural Disasters
    • Illness
    • Death
    Learn More

Morgan Stanley's Digital Offerings

The Vise Group believes that digital technology plays a crucial role in how our clients communicate, consume, transact and travel. Our comprehensive suite of digital tools are designed to help enhance every aspect of your financial life. Here are a few of the technologies we have to offer our clients.
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    Morgan Stanley Online
    Morgan Stanley Online (MSO) has a variety of features beyond viewing your account balance and activity that you should take advantage of. They include:

    - eAuthorizations, an enhanced way to authorize transactions with one click on MSO & the MS Mobile App.
    - eDelivery, which reduces paper documents sent by mail and offers additional protect of your personal information
    - Managing your everyday finances such as paying bills online, sending money or transferring funds.
    Learn More About MSO
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    Data Security
    At Morgan Stanley, our highest priority is keeping your information protected. Morgan Stanley dedicates significant resources to protecting your assets and personal information.

    - Strong encryption protocols designed to protect your data.
    - Continuous monitoring to help detect and prevent fraud.
    - Routine testing of our systems and security protocols.
    - Independent review by outside security firms.
    Learn More About Our Online Security Measures
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    Total Wealth View
    We've launched a new tool that allows you to link information from your accounts at other financial institutions directly to your MSO or MS Mobile App profile.

    Completing your financial picture with Total Wealth View gives our clients the benefit of more informed wealth planning, more secure data access, and convenient connectivity.
    Learn More About Total Wealth View
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    Portfolio Risk Platform – Powered by Aladdin
    Portfolio Risk Platform – Powered by Aladdin is a risk management platform that provides comprehensive risk estimation and reporting across a broad range of asset classes and security types. This platform provides a holistic view to better enable risk to be effectively monitored and managed.
    Learn How We Mitigate Risk For Clients
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    Goals Planning System
    Our Goals Planning System is built on Morgan Stanley's intellectual capital and capabilities, to provide our clients with comprehensive investing and planning solutions for their individual goals.

    Contact the Vise Group at Morgan Stanley to start the conversation.
    Learn More About GPS
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    Digital Vault
    The Digital Vault on Morgan Stanley Online and the Mobile App allows clients and their families to build a central, shared document library where all documents are stored using encryption. In the event of catastrophe or serious illness, disability or death, the Digital Vault can immediately provide vital, timely information to both your family and professional advisors.
    Learn More About Digital Vault
    Retirement Planning
    Retirement Planning is a core component of wealth management. Certain steps should be taken to prepare for a wide range of future costs such as living expenses, travel costs, and education funding. We can assist clients with this planning by quantifying financial needs, creating an action plan, and tracking plan progress.
    Planning Your Goals
    Spending and Budgeting
    One way to manage savings is by using Morgan Stanley’s Spending and Budgeting tool. These tools help advisors monitor client cash flows across both internal and external accounts. It also tracks spending patterns and produces an income and expense analysis to help clients achieve their goals by adjusting their spending behavior when necessary.
    Build the Best Budget for You
    Insurance Planning and Long-Term Care
    The right insurance products protect assets, family, and legacy. Morgan Stanley offers a variety of insurance products: life, disability income, and long term care. We can have discussions about purchasing life or long-term care insurance to preserve client savings and manage the high costs that can occur at any point during retirement.
    How Insurance Can Help with Retirement Planning
    Tax Management
    Taxes are a crucial part of the planning conversation and can potentially represent a large outflow from a client’s portfolio each year. Morgan Stanley offers Tax Protection solutions and other strategies that can help us prepare a client to manage tax liabilities and preserve their wealth.
    The Tax-Smart Portfolio
    Estate Planning
    Well-constructed estate plans mitigate substantial tax and legal burdens, time delays in settlements, and in some cases, family conflicts. It is important to pre-emptively create and review an estate plan during major life events such as a marriage, divorce, or new births. Changes in both federal and state tax laws can also have lasting effects on estate planning as well.
    Estate Planning Brochure
    Philanthropic Management
    A holistic estate plan can help clients plan for the future by getting a better overall sense of their potential estate value. Advisors help clients by analyzing the impact of different strategies surrounding the ownership of assets, philanthropy, and the implementation of trusts.
    How to Give to Charity

Saundra's Corner

Welcome to Saundra's Corner, where all things related to lifestyle and bits of useful information can be found. We are always looking to provide our clients with not only market and finance resources, but also with other helpful resources that can have a huge impact on you and your loved ones. Constantly being updated, these articles and podcasts are handpicked. Enjoy!
CashPlus
Travel with peace of mind with your CashPlus Brokerage Account. Avoid foreign transaction fees and more! Learn more.
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6 Ways to Start Fresh Financially in 2025
Reducing or consolidating your debt can simplify your financial life and ease money-related stress. Contact me today to discuss the right debt management strategy for your situation.
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Location

3500 Colonnade Parkway
Suite 200
Birmingham, AL 35243
US
Direct:
(205) 969-7088(205) 969-7088

Meet The Vise Group

About Steve Starling Vise

Stephen Starling Vise
Senior Vice President
Financial Advisor

Stephen (Steve) S. Vise is a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President of the Vise Group. He has fifty-three years of experience in Finance and has been with Morgan Stanley since 2012.

Bringing nearly six decades of industry experience, Steve holds a true understanding of the necessary components needed to produce efficient returns for his clients and the tailored customer service experience they deserve. His personable attitude coupled with his decades of industry experience allows clients to find him easy to talk with. Steve’s approach is unique in that he strives to communicate with clients in a way which is simple, yet directly addresses their concerns and needs. Within the Vise Group, Steve’s primary responsibilities include meeting with clients to understand their bottom line needs, then creating and executing investment strategies to help address those needs.

Steve derives his passion for the business from his ability to lead clients down a path towards financial success so that they may retire with greater confidence. His process is centered on an in-depth review of the client’s financial and life goals in order to gain a proper understanding of their risk tolerance and investment time frame. However, it was at an early age when Steve realized he had a passion for the advising profession through a friend who was currently working in the business. This friendship gave Steve a clear understanding of the ins and outs of the job and is what eventually led to Steve becoming enamored with the idea of going into financial advising for himself. In Steve’s words, “it has been a love affair ever since”.

Outside of his duties as a financial advisor, Steve works to be an active member within his community as well. He volunteers with the Central Alabama Food Bank, Boy Scouts, Birmingham Jaycees Civic Organization, and also helps to build new homes for underprivileged families. Regardless of Steve’s various professional and civic commitments, he is a committed father. He raised two children who have gone on to receive various graduate degrees and professional designations. In his free time, Steve enjoys playing tennis, hunting, reading up on history, cooking and supporting University of Alabama’s college football team.

Steve attended the University of Alabama and is a holder of the Series 1, 63, and 65 FINRA licenses, as well as the Portfolio Manager professional designation.
Securities Agent: TX, WA, AL, NY, MD, IL, MI, HI, GA, MO, WV, WI, NE, MS, ME, ND, MA, LA, IN, CO, VA, OH, NM, ID, FL, CA, PA, WY, TN, NC, KY, SC; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 509936

About Richard Alan Vise

Richard Alan Vise
Vice President
Financial Advisor

Richard (Rick) Alan Vise is a Vice President and Financial Advisor of the Vise Group. He has fourteen years of experience in finance, and has been with Morgan Stanley since 2012.

Rick began his investment career in 2008 upon his father’s suggestions to go into business together as a father-son financial advising team. Rick’s unique positioning of operating a father-son practice has allowed him to perfect the approach and level of service he is able to provide his clients. Rick’s process incorporates the client and their family in all aspects of the planning process, assesses their long-term plans along with the family’s entire financial picture, and most importantly, strives to make them feel a part of his own family. Within the Vise Group, Rick’s primary role is to manage clients’ investment and financial planning needs and to lead client meetings.

At the age of 18, Richard began investing in the stock market under his father’s guidance. This early exposure to the markets coupled with a start-up lawn mowing business he created in his teenage years fostered Richard’s entrepreneurial mindset and paved his path forward to eventually enter the Financial Services industry. However, before starting his finance career, Rick worked in the Manufacturing and Real Estate sectors. These jobs built the base to jumpstart his advising career and helped him to realize that he not only had a passion for working with people of all backgrounds, but that he excelled at it as well. Rick’s prior experiences when combined with his strong family ties produced a culture within the group which represents his passion for consistent communication, a necessity to provide unparalleled investment advice, and to always have face-to-face meetings, when possible, in order to make his client’s feel like family.

Outside of his professional work, Rick is an active member of his community. He volunteers his time in a variety of different community activities such as a sound technician for church choir and theater, helping with the Boys Scouts, the Central Alabama Food Bank, and working with patients at the Children’s Hospital. Despite Rick’s many commitments, he still manages to be a committed husband and father. Rick is married to his wife of 28 years, Elizabeth, and together are parents to three boys. In his free time, Rick enjoys hiking, hunting, sports, history, supporting Auburn’s college football team, and spending time with his friends and family.

Rick received a Bachelor of Arts from Birmingham Southern University before going on to receive his Masters from Auburn University. He holds the Series 7 and 66 FINRA licenses, as well as the Portfolio Manager and Family Wealth Advisor.
Securities Agent: KY, MD, CO, VA, TX, TN, LA, IL, FL, WY, NM, HI, ND, NC, MI, MA, SC, OH, CA, AL, WA, NY, NE, MO, ME, IN, ID, GA, WI, WV, PA, MS, OR, CT, VT, SD, DE, PR, NJ, RI, AR, VI, NV, DC, UT, MT, MN, AK, KS, NH, IA, AZ, OK; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 509929

About Saundra Jones

Saundra Jones is a Senior Client Service Associate and is in her 27th year with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Initially working in New York City at Morgan Stanley’s World Trade Center offices, Saundra moved back to Birmingham in 1999. She now is responsible for providing smooth, efficient, and timely service for clients, often working behind the scenes to enhance their experiences.

Saundra attended Alabama State University. She enjoys spending time with her family including her three children, Donovan, Gailaya, and Kenadie, her Daughter-In-Law, Diamond, and her grand boys Xavier & Bryson. She lives in CenterPoint.
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 Vise Group today.
1When 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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2Morgan 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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3Morgan 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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4Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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5Annuities are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates.

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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.

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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.

Awards Disclosures
CRC 6491812 (04/2024)