In an effort to address the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) couples and domestic partners, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is pleased to announce an innovative digital approach to wealth planning seminars which will now be available via podcast for use by Financial Advisors and their clients.
The podcast includes an overview of legislative and economic topics affecting the LGBT community, presented by Brad Sears of the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, the Firm's partner in this effort. Additionally, Alan Wolberg, Executive Director in Wealth Advisory Services for MSSB, presents wealth planning information. The podcast can be viewed from an individual's home or office and is available to iPad and iPhone users.
This offering is only one of the strategic initiatives undertaken by the Office of Diverse and Multicultural Business Development and the MSSB Diversity Council, which comprises FAs and Branch and Complex Managers across the U.S. who consult with the MSSB management team on diversity and inclusion initiatives.
"I commend the MSSB Diversity Council and the Office of Diverse and Multicultural Business Development for their partnership in extending our ability to serve clients and prospects in the LGBT community," said Andy Saperstein, Head of Wealth Management Group for MSSB. "This podcast will enable our Financial Advisors to reach members of this community beyond the major metropolitan markets and facilitate discussions in a whole new way."
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney will be also be hosting a series of Private Receptions and Investment Symposiums focused on Wealth Planning for LGBT Couples in California, Delaware and Minnesota.
The events listed below, which are open to the public with advance registration, offer advanced planning techniques in domestic partnership situations, including trust preparation, insurance needs and planning for events such as retirement, wealth transfer and charitable donations. Since 2009, MSSB has sponsored and conducted this seminar in various cities across the country, reaching over 800 clients and prospects in New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Rochester and Fort Lauderdale.
- Wednesday, June 22 — Menlo Park, Calif.
- Thursday, July 21 — Rehoboth Beach, Del. (LGBT Community Partner: CAMP Rehoboth)
- Tuesday, July 26 — Minneapolis, Minn. (LGBT Community Partner: QUORUM, the Twin Cities LGBT and Allied Business Community)
To enhance the dialogue about the importance of wealth planning for LGBT and unmarried heterosexual couples, and to meet the demand for specialized information in the market, the MSSB Diversity Council also spearheads the effort to introduce the Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor (ADPA) designation, available to MSSB FAs through the College for Financial Planning. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is one of only two firms that currently offer the designation.
Specifically covered in the course curriculum for this designation are factors and situations that cause financial planning for domestic partners to be different from financial planning for legally married spouses, as well as alternative planning solutions for these situations.
For more information about the podcast please contact a MSSB Financial Advisor. For RSVP information for the Investment Symposiums, please email: MSSB.NBD.Events@mssb.com
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