WealthAdvisor365 vs. Morgan Stanley
Work with one adviser who holds both the CFP® and IRS Enrolled Agent credentials. One published fee, with your investments, business, and taxes planned together.
A conversation, not a sales pitch. Nothing has to move.
The credentials we hold, the associations we belong to, and where our work has been featured.1
Side by side
Both can manage your investments. The real differences are who you work with, how they’re paid, and whether your taxes are part of the advice.
| Comparison | WealthAdvisor365 | Morgan Stanley |
|---|---|---|
| Firm model | Independent and fee-only. We answer to you, not to shareholders or a parent company. | A Wall Street firm that is both a broker and an adviser, and owns E*TRADE. |
| Built for | Business owners and high earners with complex taxes. | Everyone from E*TRADE app traders to the ultra-wealthy. No single niche focus. |
| Who you work with | A CFP® professional and IRS Enrolled Agent who knows your full picture, every meeting. | A Financial Advisor or team. Advisers can change, and lower tiers get a phone team. |
| Tax planning | Your adviser is a tax professional. Strategy is planned all year, not in April. | Taxes are considered in your plan. Tax filing and IRS issues go to outside pros. |
| Business-owner planning | Entity choice, owner pay, 401(k) design, and tax planning around a business sale are core work. | Help with big sale events. Business tax planning isn't a firm-wide specialty. |
| How we're paid | One fee, paid only by you. We earn nothing from what you invest in. | Your fee, plus commissions and revenue sharing. Advisers earn more when the firm earns more. |
| Products | We sell nothing. Your money stays in your name at Altruist. | Its own funds, structured notes, and loans, which earn Morgan Stanley more. |
| Standard of care | A fiduciary on everything we advise on, every time. | Fiduciary on advisory accounts only. Brokerage accounts follow a looser sales rule. |
Morgan Stanley can hold your accounts. We focus on the decisions that shape how much you keep.
Your adviser is an IRS Enrolled Agent, so your taxes are planned year-round: when to sell, when to convert to a Roth, and which accounts to draw from first.
How you pay yourself, your retirement plan and your eventual exit are planned together with your investments, not in separate offices.
You work directly with the same CFP® professional at every meeting. No call centers and no hand-offs.
A conversation, not a sales pitch. Nothing has to move.
Schedule my consultationThe advisory fee is only one layer. Fund expenses and platform costs add up too. Here is an illustrative example for a $2 million taxable portfolio.5
| Cost | Independent | Big brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory fee2 | ~0.95% | ~0.75% |
| Fund costs3 | ~0.35% | ~0.75% |
| Platform and trading4 | ~0–0.05% | ~0.15–0.45% |
| Total per year | ~1.30–1.35% ~$26k–$27k a year |
~1.65–1.95% ~$33k–$39k a year |
On a $2 million portfolio, that’s about $6,000–$12,000 a year kept in your account.
Service fit
Use the comparisons below to clarify the type of relationship and work these pages describe.
Review the proposed account changes, costs and timing before deciding whether to transfer.
After an introductory conversation, any account review takes place within the agreed engagement scope.
Your part: Discuss which records are needed after engagement.
Review the proposed holdings, account changes, tax considerations and transfer requirements before proceeding.
Your part: Ask questions, then decide.
Transfer requirements and timing depend on the accounts, holdings and institutions involved.
Your part: Review and sign.
No documents are needed for the introductory conversation.
Registered Investment Adviser
WealthAdvisor365 is a state-registered investment adviser in Florida.
CFP® professional
Investments, retirement, and cash flow are planned as one picture, not separate accounts.
IRS Enrolled Agent
Federally licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Tax impact is checked before decisions are made, not after.
Independent custody
Your assets are held in your name at Altruist, an independent qualified custodian. We manage your investments, and you can see every account at any time.
Common questions
One adviser who plans your taxes, your business, your investments, and your retirement together. Every recommendation is made with the full picture in view, so decisions in one area support the others instead of working against them.
Talk to the adviser, not a call center
Use a complimentary 20-minute introduction to discuss your current accounts, your business and the support you want. No documents are needed for this first conversation.
Generally for households with $1 million or more to invest.
Complimentary introductory conversation. No obligation to engage.
Sources and disclosures. Morgan Stanley information is based on publicly available sources and may change. Confirm current terms directly with Morgan Stanley. WealthAdvisor365 is not affiliated with or endorsed by Morgan Stanley.
Logos represent professional credentials, current or former memberships, and publications that have featured or quoted WealthAdvisor365 or its founder. No endorsement is implied.
Advisory fees shown are approximate and illustrative and may not reflect a firm’s actual fees.
Fund costs are approximate and vary by investment, manager, and share class.
Platform and trading costs are approximate and vary by account type, custodian, and activity.
Hypothetical example for illustration only. Figures are before taxes and do not represent the actual fees of WealthAdvisor365, Morgan Stanley, or any specific firm. Actual costs vary. View our disclosures