W E A L T H M A N A G E M E N T
Advice cAn Add vAlue
on MAny levels
Professional financial advice adds value to client relationships and may help
individuals achieve their goals. This article explores different reasons why readers may
wish to turn to an experienced professional when making investment decisions.
In today’s Internet-enabled, do-it-yourself world, many
investors are opting to go it alone. They pick their own
stocks, bonds and funds; choose their own strategies; and
make their own buy-and-sell decisions. While this self-directed
approach may work for some, it may not be the wisest course
for many.
Investment Complexity May Require Professional Advice
Investors today can choose from more than 5,000 publicly
traded stocks, in excess of 7,000 mutual funds, 1,200-plus
exchange traded funds and several thousand bond issues – and
that’s just those listed in the United States.1 Then, there are the
alternative asset classes that includes commodities, real estate,
hedge funds and private equity.
The breadth of the public securities markets and the complexity
of alternative investments require a high level of experience,
and this is the value provided by a professional Financial
Advisor. In addition, qualified Financial Advisors may have
access to sophisticated strategies, institutional quality research
and risk management tools that are generally unavailable to
untrained individuals.
Discipline and Objectivity – The Hallmarks of Successful
Investing
There are a number of classic mistakes that retail investors
inevitably fall prey to: overreacting to market news, selling
an investment too soon or holding it too long, trying to time
the market, or under- or overestimating risk. A qualified
investment professional is trained to identify the conditions
that lead to these reactions, and may help you avoid these
missteps.
Objective, third-party advice can also help you maintain
a disciplined investment strategy because it requires that
you set achievable goals, implement trading guidelines and
establish rules for buying and selling securities. Investment
publications, blogs and television and radio shows are
filled with stories about investors overpaying in a bull
market and panic selling during a market correction. A
Financial Advisors is more likely to view such situations
dispassionately and offer a more balanced and long-term
perspective.
A Professional Can Offer a Comprehensive Approach
Professional advice’s added value is its holistic approach
to investing, taking into account life events, shifting goals,
changing economic and market environments, tax events,
insurance issues and legacy planning needs. So if you are
currently managing your own investment portfolio, you
may want to consider tapping into a Financial Advisor’s
experience. It may make a big difference in achieving your
long-term goals.
Ami Forte is Managing Director-Wealth Management/Wealth
Advisor of The Forte Group at Morgan Stanley located at 4114
Woodlands Parkway, Suite 200, Palm Harbor, FL 34685 and may be
reached at 727-773-4610 or ami.forte@morganstanley.com. Ami has
been featured in publications such as Business Week and The Dow
Jones Newswire.
If you’d like to learn more, please contact Ami Forte.
Article by Wealth Management Systems Inc. and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor.
The author(s) are not employees of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). The opinions expressed by the authors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The
information and data in the article or publication has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of
information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Neither the information provided nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation by Morgan Stanley with respect to the purchase or sale of any
security, investment, strategy or product that may be mentioned.
Alternative investments often are speculative and include a high degree of risk. Investors could lose all or a substantial amount of their investment. Alternative investments are suitable only for eligible, long-term
investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time. They may be highly illiquid and can engage in leverage and other speculative practices that may increase the volatility
and risk of loss. Alternative Investments typically have higher fees than traditional investments. Investors should carefully review and consider potential risks before investing. Certain of these risks may include but
are not limited to:
• Loss of all or a substantial portion of the investment due to leveraging, short-selling, or other speculative practices;
• Lack of liquidity in that there may be no secondary market for a fund;
• Volatility of returns;
• Restrictions on transferring interests in a fund;
• Potential lack of diversification and resulting higher risk due to concentration of trading authority when a single advisor is utilized;
• Absence of information regarding valuations and pricing;
• Complex tax structures and delays in tax reporting;
• Less regulation and higher fees than mutual funds; and
• Risks associated with the operations, personnel, and processes of the manager.
As a diversified global financial services firm, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management engages in a broad spectrum of activities including financial advisory services, investment management activities, sponsoring
and managing private investment funds, engaging in broker-dealer transactions and principal securities, commodities and foreign exchange transactions, research publication, and other activities. In the ordinary
course of its business, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management therefore engages in activities where Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s interests may conflict with the interests of its clients, including the private
investment funds it manages. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management can give no assurance that conflicts of interest will be resolved in favor of its clients or any such fund.
Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor(s) engaged Tampa Bay Magazine to feature this article.
Ami Forte may only transact business in states where he/she is registered or excluded or exempted from registration FINRA Broker Check http://brokercheck.finra.org/Search/Search.aspx. Transacting business,
follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons
in states where Ami Forte is not registered or excluded or exempt from registration.
© 2015 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.
CRC 1238692 07/15
1 The Wall Street Journal, US Public Companies Rise Again, February 5, 2014; 2015 Investment Company Fact Book, Investment Company Institute, 2014. Stocks do not include over-the-counter stocks.
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