Tiffany Hammer, CFP®
My Mission Statement
My Story and Services
Tiffany takes a thoughtful, planning-driven approach to wealth management. She helps clients consider a broad range of financial planning needs, including retirement, education funding, investment allocation, and estate planning strategies. Her goal is to help clients make informed decisions with greater clarity and confidence as their lives, families, and financial circumstances evolve.
Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz and is a fully licensed investment professional. Her training and experience in financial planning support her ability to help clients evaluate complex financial decisions in a clear and practical way. She also works with clients’ outside tax and legal advisors, when appropriate, to help align financial strategies with each client’s broader objectives.
A longtime member of the Santa Cruz community, Tiffany has been actively involved in civic and philanthropic organizations for more than 25 years. She has served as Chair of the Board of the Capitola Soquel Chamber of Commerce, on the Board of Directors for the Dominican Hospital Foundation, and as President of the Santa Cruz Host Lions Club. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Dominican Hospital Foundation Women of Wellness Council and volunteers with United Way of Santa Cruz County, including its Women in Philanthropy organization.
Tiffany brings a warm, collaborative, and highly personal approach to her work. She seeks to build lasting relationships by listening carefully, understanding each client’s priorities, and helping clients create financial strategies designed to support their long-term goals.
NMLS#: 1275610
CA Insurance License #: 0E98563
My Proven Process
My work with you starts with one or more in-depth, exploratory meetings. I need to understand your unique financial situation so I can offer you the best possible advice and solutions.
I begin with an in-depth conversation where I listen carefully to understand what is important to you and your family. Utilizing the process defined by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, I ask specific questions about your previous investment experience and the values that shape your decisions and identify any special challenges and circumstances for your personal situation.
In this step, I will request specific financial information and statements to help me better understand your current financial picture in detail. I will also work to formally define and articulate your top goals and priorities for both the short- and long-term.
Next, I review your current and future financial situation, identify any potential shortfalls and discuss the impact of unexpected life events. In this step, I may also reach out to your CPA and estate attorney to understand your existing tax and estate plans so we can coordinate our efforts into one comprehensive plan.
Here, I prepare a comprehensive financial plan that addresses your specific needs and goals. I utilize various financial planning tools to develop a personalized strategy that not only includes investment and asset allocation recommendations, but incorporates important risk management strategies, as well as estate, trust and philanthropic solutions.
In this step, I formally present your personalized financial plan in detail and explain why I am recommending each strategy. I'll then refine your plan based on our discussion. Once approved by you, I'll begin to implement the strategies together. I believe in full transparency and will keep you involved each step of the way.
I oversee your progress and review the performance of your plan through ongoing calls and meetings. I may recommend adjustments over time, due to changing market conditions or changes in your personal circumstances, to keep you on track towards achieving your goals.
Helping You Prepare for Retirement With Greater Clarity and Confidence
Retirement is one of the most important financial transitions many individuals and families will experience. It often raises important questions:
- Will my assets support the lifestyle I envision?
- How should I think about retirement income?
- What role do taxes, inflation, market volatility, and healthcare costs play?
- How can I plan for my family, legacy, and charitable goals?
I help clients evaluate these questions through a structured planning process designed to connect their financial resources with their personal goals.
A retirement income strategy should be built around your lifestyle needs, spending priorities, and long-term objectives. Together, we can evaluate sources of income, portfolio structure, and potential risks that may affect your plan over time.
Markets change, and retirement plans should be built with flexibility in mind. I work with clients to help them understand risk, evaluate their investment allocation, and make thoughtful adjustments as circumstances evolve.
Living longer can be a gift, but it also requires planning. We can discuss factors such as healthcare expenses, long-term care considerations, and maintaining financial flexibility throughout retirement.
For many clients, retirement planning includes thinking beyond their own needs. I can help coordinate conversations around wealth transfer, charitable giving, and family priorities, working alongside tax and legal professionals as appropriate.
A Thoughtful Approach to Managing Wealth Before and After Taxes
Taxes can play an important role in investment and wealth planning decisions. While Morgan Stanley and its Financial Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice, I can help clients think through how tax-aware strategies may fit into their broader financial plan, in coordination with their tax and legal advisors.
A tax-smart approach may be especially important for individuals and families navigating retirement income, concentrated stock positions, charitable giving, business transitions, estate planning conversations, or portfolio rebalancing decisions.
Investment decisions may have tax implications. I help clients evaluate strategies that seek to balance investment objectives, risk tolerance, and after-tax considerations.
For retirees and pre-retirees, the order and timing of withdrawals from different account types can matter. I can help clients evaluate retirement income strategies in the context of their broader financial picture.
For clients who are charitably inclined, planning ahead may help align giving with family values, philanthropic goals, and broader wealth planning objectives.
Wealth planning often works best when key professionals are aligned. I can collaborate with your CPA, attorney, and other advisors to help ensure your financial plan reflects a coordinated approach.
Timely Perspectives to Help You Stay Informed
Financial decisions are often easier to make when you have access to clear, timely, and relevant information. In this section, I share select Morgan Stanley insights, market perspectives, planning resources, and educational content that may help clients and prospects better understand the financial landscape.
My goal is to make complex topics more approachable and to provide resources that support more informed conversations.
The Morgan Stanley Global Investment Office provides you with world-class thought leadership timely market commentary, and portfolio ideas to help guide your investment decisions.
Our Investing with Impact platform has designed a proprietary process to identify your impact priorities and match them with one of our 360+ investment strategies or customizable portfolio solutions across asset classes, to tailor your portfolio and monitor both financial and impact results over time.
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 buy and sell securities of private companies.
There are a variety of options to paying your tax bill. Learn some of the pros and cons for each.
AWARD-WINNING WEALTH MANAGEMENT. FOCUSED ON YOU.
With the guidance of a Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor and the strength of a five-time award-winning wealth management platform<sup> <a href="#wm-disclosure-1" class="Link--underline"> <span class="sr-only">Footnote</span> 1 </a> </sup>, you can build, preserve, and manage your wealth with precision and purpose. For every stage of your financial journey.
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Portfolio Insights
Financial Wellness
- Reduce employee stress,
- Improve retention and engagement, and
- Set themselves apart by offering comprehensive financial wellness benefits.
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Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
Please read the important disclosures below.
1) Morgan Stanley Wealth Management secured Money Management Institute/Barron’s Industry Awards for Wealth Manager Platform of the Year. The Wealth Manager Platform of the Year category recognizes a wealth manager platform that exemplifies innovation in delivering better outcomes for investors and Financial Advisors. This award has been secured in 2024, 2021, 2020, 2019 & 2018. The winners were selected by a specially appointed MMI Industry Awards Steering Council. The Steering Council consists of representatives from all segments of the MMI membership. After carefully reviewing the nominations submitted, the Steering Council determined a slate of finalists in each award category. The primary contacts at each of MMI’s 207 member firms were eligible to vote to determine the winners. Nominations were reviewed and evaluated to determine finalists June 2024 - July 2024. Finalists were voted on to determine a winner August 2024. MMI/Barron’s does not receive compensation from the participating firms in exchange for the award and Morgan Stanley did not pay a fee to MMI/Barron’s in exchange for its receipt of the award. Morgan Stanley is a member of MMI and pays a fee to MMI as part of its membership dues. Morgan Stanley’s receipt of this award is not indicative of any future performance. These awards were granted to Morgan Stanley based on the time period from October 2023 to June 2024. There were 6 firms considered for the Wealth Management Platform of the Year Award and 12 firms considered for the Distribution Excellence Award. The Money Management Institute (MMI) is the industry association representing financial services firms and Barron’s is a financial magazine; both groups are responsible for the award. Accolade qualifications for past years may vary; additional information available upon request.
2) Industry’s top tax-optimization technology refers to tax management capabilities developed by Eaton Vance and Parametric, affiliates of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is a leading provider of direct indexing strategies. According to Cerulli Associates’ Q1 2026 Managed Account Edition, Morgan Stanley ranked first among 15 firms in Direct Index SMA assets under management based on reported industry assets. The ranking reflects scale of assets and does not evaluate tax outcomes, performance, or quality of technology. Tax outcomes will vary and are not guaranteed.
3) The Celent Model Wealth Manager 2025 Awards for Data and Analytics and Essential and Emerging Technologies were granted to Morgan Stanley following an evaluation process conducted by Celent analysts. To be considered for this award, Morgan Stanley submitted Model Wealth Manager 2025 Nomination Award Worksheets to Celent on or about January 30, 2025. Celent judged each submission on three criteria: (1) Measurable business benefits of live initiatives; (2) degree of innovation relative to the industry; and (3) technology or implementation excellence. In order to win, the initiatives must demonstrate clear business benefits, innovation, and technology or implementation excellence. Celent does not receive compensation from the participating firms in exchange for the award and Morgan Stanley did not pay a fee to Celent in exchange for the award. Morgan Stanley is not affiliated with Celent. Based on their submission on January 30, 2025 for Celent’s 2025 Model Awards program, Celent granted Morgan Stanley their awards in June, 2025 and publicly shared the news in June, 2025. Celent is a global financial services research and advisory firm and is responsible for determining the recipient of this award.
4) Q4 2025 Securities Based Lending McLagan Survey – 6 Firm Report. Based on both Non-Purpose Lending and total SBL balances. Borrowing against securities may not be appropriate for everyone. Clients must be aware that there are risks associated with a securities based loan, including possible maintenance calls on short notice, and that market conditions can magnify any potential for loss.
Not all products, tools, platforms, and services referenced are available to all clients. Please speak with your Financial Advisor for eligibility criteria.
Investing in securities involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
Alternative investments are often speculative and include a high degree of risk. Investors can lose all or a substantial amount of their investment. They may be highly illiquid, can engage in leverage, short-selling and other speculative practices that may increase volatility and the risk of loss, and may be subject to large investment minimums and initial lock-ups. They may involve complex tax structures, tax inefficient investing and delays in distributing important tax information. They may have higher fees and expenses that traditional investments, and such fees and expenses can lower the returns achieved by investors.
Cash management and lending products and services are provided by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association or Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A, as applicable.
Borrowing against securities may not be appropriate for everyone. Clients must be aware that there are risks associated with a securities based loan, including possible maintenance calls on short notice, and that market conditions can magnify any potential for loss. For details please see the important disclosures below.
Important Risk Information for Securities Based Lending: Clients must be aware that: (1) Sufficient collateral must be maintained to support the loan and to take future advances; (2) Clients may have to deposit additional cash or eligible securities on short notice; (3) Some or all of the pledged securities may be sold without prior notice in order to maintain account equity at required collateral maintenance levels. Clients will not be entitled to choose the securities that will be sold. These actions may interrupt long-term investment strategy and may result in adverse tax consequences or in additional fees being assessed; (4) Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association or Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (collectively referred to as "Morgan Stanley") reserve the right not to fund any advance request due to insufficient collateral or for any other reason except for any portion of a securities based loan that is identified as a committed facility; (5) Morgan Stanley reserves the right to increase the collateral maintenance requirements at any time without notice; and (6) Morgan Stanley reserves the right to call securities based loans at any time and for any reason.
With the exception of a margin loan, the proceeds from securities based loan products may not be used to purchase, trade, or carry margin stock (or securities, with respect to Express CreditLine); repay margin debt that was used to purchase, trade or carry margin stock (or securities, with respect to Express CreditLine); and cannot be deposited into a Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC or other brokerage account.
To be eligible for a securities based loan, a client must have a brokerage account at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC that contains eligible securities, which shall serve as collateral for the securities based loan.
Securities based loans are provided by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association or Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A, as applicable.
There is no guarantee that tax-loss harvesting will achieve any particular tax result. Clients may elect Tax Management Services for the account by notifying their Financial Advisor, and indicate what Maximum Tax or Realized Capital Gain Instruction is desired for the account, if any. The Tax Management Services Terms and Conditions attached to the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Select UMA ADV brochure as Exhibit A will govern Tax Management Services in the account. Review the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Select UMA ADV brochure carefully with your tax advisor.
Industry acclaimed risk platform refers to Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s (“Morgan Stanley”) Portfolio Risk Platform. The assumptions used in the Report incorporate portfolio risk and scenario analysis employed by BlackRock Solutions (“BRS”), a financial technology and risk analytics provider that is independent of Morgan Stanley. BRS’ role is limited to providing risk analytics to Morgan Stanley, and BRS is not acting as a broker-dealer or investment adviser nor does it provide investment advice with respect to the Report. Morgan Stanley has validated and adopted the analytical conclusions of these risk models. The analysis provided is illustrative only. Morgan Stanley cannot predict a portfolio’s risk of loss due to, among other things, changing market conditions or other unanticipated circumstances. The analysis is based purely on assumptions made using available data and any of its forecasts are subject to change.
The footnotes below apply to the industry-leading claims referenced above. More information is available upon request.
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States. Securities based loans are provided by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association or Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A, as applicable.
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