Overview
- Headquarters
- Purchase, NY
- Total Firm Assets
- $1961.9 billion
- Average High-Net-Worth Client Portfolio Size
- $12.1 million
- Minimum Account Size
- $10,000,000
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (GRAYSTONE CONSULTING PROGRAM BROCHURE)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $25,000,000 | 0.85% |
| $25,000,001 | $50,000,000 | 0.40% |
| $50,000,001 | $100,000,000 | 0.25% |
| $100,000,001 | $200,000,000 | 0.15% |
| $200,000,001 | and above | Negotiable |
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | Below minimum client size | |
| $5 million | Below minimum client size | |
| $10 million | $85,000 | 0.85% |
| $50 million | $312,500 | 0.62% |
| $100 million | $437,500 | 0.44% |
Clients
- High-Net-Worth Share of Firm Assets
- 26.89%
- Number of High-Net-Worth Clients
- 43,631
- Total Client Accounts
- 2,703,720
- Discretionary Accounts
- 2,159,438
- Non-Discretionary Accounts
- 544,282
Services Offered
Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Companies, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting, Investment Advisor Selection, Educational Seminars
Regulatory Filings
- SEC CRD Number
- 149777
Additional Brochure: GRAYSTONE CONSULTING PROGRAM BROCHURE (2026-06-30)
View Document Text
Form ADV Program Brochure
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
Graystone Consulting
June 30, 2026
2000 Westchester Avenue
Purchase, NY 10577
Tel: (914) 225-1000
Fax: (614) 283-5057
www.morganstanley.com
This Wrap Fee Program Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of
Graystone Consulting, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“MSWM”). If you have any
questions about the contents of this Brochure, please contact us at (914) 225-1000. The information in this
Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”) or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about MSWM also is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Item 2: Material Changes
There are no material changes to the ADV Brochure since the
version of this Brochure dated March 28, 2025.
2
Item 3: Table of Contents
Item 1: Cover Page .................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Item 2: Material Changes ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Item 3: Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Item 4: Services, Fees and Compensation ................................................................................................................................................. 4
A. General Description of Programs ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Traditional Institutional Consulting Services ....................................................................................................................... 4
Graystone Discretionary Services ........................................................................................................................................ 5
For Participant-Directed Defined Contribution Plans .......................................................................................................... 5
Other Services ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Account Opening .................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Investment Restrictions ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Trade Confirmations, Account Statements and Performance Reviews ................................................................................ 7
Risks ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Tax and Legal Considerations .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Fees ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
B. Comparing Costs ................................................................................................................................................................ 10
C. Additional Fees ................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Funds in Advisory Programs .............................................................................................................................................. 11
Custody .............................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Cash Sweeps When MSWM Acts As Custodian ............................................................................................................... 13
D. Compensation to Graystone Consulting ............................................................................................................................. 14
Item 5: Account Requirements and Types of Clients ............................................................................................................................. 14
Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 14
A. Selection and Review of Portfolio Managers and Funds for the Programs ........................................................................ 14
Calculating Portfolio Managers’ Performance ................................................................................................................... 16
B. Conflicts of Interest ............................................................................................................................................................ 17
C. Graystone Consultants Acting as Portfolio Managers ........................................................................................................ 20
Description of Advisory Services ....................................................................................................................................... 20
Performance-Based Fees .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies ..................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Proxy Voting ...................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Item 7: Client Information Provided to Portfolio Managers .................................................................................................................. 20
Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio Managers .................................................................................................................................... 20
Item 9: Additional Information .............................................................................................................................................................. 20
Disciplinary Information .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations .......................................................................................................... 22
Code of Ethics .................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Reviewing Accounts........................................................................................................................................................... 23
Client Referrals and Other Compensation .......................................................................................................................... 24
Financial Information ......................................................................................................................................................... 24
Exhibit: Affiliated Money Market Funds Fee Disclosure Statement and Float Disclosure Statement ................................................... 25
3
Item 4: Services, Fees and
Compensation
Advisor or (for Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
clients) your Private Wealth Advisor. (Throughout the rest of this
Brochure, “Financial Advisor” means either your Financial
Advisor or your Private Wealth Advisor, as applicable.)
Graystone Consulting
(iii)
In addition, we provide services as a “fiduciary” (as that term is
defined in Section 3(21)(A) of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 as amended (“ERISA”) and/or Section 4975
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”),
with respect to “Retirement Accounts” (as that term is described
herein). For purposes of this brochure (including the Exhibit), the
term “Retirement Account” will be used to cover (i) “employee
benefit plans” (as defined under Section 3(3) of ERISA, which
include pensions, defined contributions, profit-sharing and
welfare plans sponsored by private employers, as well as,
similar arrangements sponsored by governmental or other
public employers, which are generally not subject to ERISA;
(ii) individual retirement accounts “IRAs” (as described in
Section 4975 of the Code); and (iii)“Coverdell Educational
Savings Accounts (“CESAs”).
A. General Description of Programs
Graystone Consulting (“Graystone”) is a separate business unit of
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley Wealth
Management”, “MSWM”, “we” or “us”), that focuses on
providing a wide range of investment consulting services to
institutional and high net worth individual clients, including
assistance in (i) developing investment policy statements, (ii)
asset allocation,
investment manager, mutual fund,
commingled fund, collective investment trust, exchange traded
fund (“ETF” and together with mutual funds, commingled funds
and collective investment trusts, “Funds”) and alternative
investment analysis, (iv) performance reporting and (v) custody
services. These services are delivered through a select group of
institutional consulting teams located across the country that have
significant experience serving the investment advisory needs of
institutions, as well as high net worth individual clients, and are
supported by a management team dedicated to institutional
consulting. Graystone clients include corporations, Taft-Hartley
plans, foundations and endowments, public and private defined
benefit plans, 401(k) plan sponsors, family offices and high net
worth individuals.
Traditional Institutional Consulting Services
Graystone offers the following traditional Institutional Consulting
Services to its clients.
MSWM Financial Advisors must meet specific eligibility criteria
to become “Graystone Consultants” and be part of a Graystone
team, which typically adheres to the following team structure:
•
Institutional Consulting Director. Directors oversee an
integrated local consulting team, generally averaging over 20
years of industry experience and are responsible for the
team’s investment consulting process throughout the life of
the client relationship.
Assistance in Preparation of Investment Objectives and Policies.
Graystone shall assist in the Client’s review, evaluation and
preparation of investment policies and objectives for the account.
As set forth in “Performance Reporting” below, Graystone shall
assist the Client in developing benchmarks for the performance of
the account. Graystone will also provide the performance of the
total account to assist the Client with the ability to determine
progress toward investment objectives. Where Graystone has
been retained as a non-discretionary investment consultant, the
Client shall be responsible for monitoring compliance with their
investment policies and guidelines.
Asset Allocation. Graystone reviews the client’s asset allocation
and will make asset allocation recommendations in accordance
with the goals of the client.
• Consulting Analysts. A focus of Graystone Consulting
analysts is the evaluation of investment management firms
and Funds. In addition, analysts support asset allocation and
performance monitoring processes. Analysts are trained in
the use of investment analytics tools and are involved in the
preparation of client presentations and performance reviews.
• Operational Support. Team members focus on processing
client agreements and provide general operational and
administrative support on behalf of Graystone clients.
MSWM
through
Graystone is backed by the resources of MSWM. MSWM is a
registered investment adviser and a registered broker-dealer.
MSWM is one of the largest financial services firms in the U.S.
with branch offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Investment Searches. Graystone assists the client in identifying
and recommending investment managers and Funds (“Investment
Products”). These recommendations are based either on (i)
MSWM’s Global
Investment Manager Analysis Group
(“GIMA”) (using different methods to evaluate investment
managers and Funds -- analysis on investment managers is
provided through MSWM’s Consulting and Evaluation Services
(“CES”) program) or (ii) Graystone analysis conducted on
managers and Funds. Graystone analysis on managers is
conducted
its Manager Assessment Program, a
proprietary investment management scoring system that assesses
investment manager products in that database. Graystone teams
conduct further analysis in an effort to identify managers for
clients. See Item 6 below for more details.
MSWM offers clients (“you”, “your” or “Client”) many different
advisory programs. Many of MSWM’s advisory services are
provided by its Consulting Group business unit (“CG”). You may
obtain Brochures for other MSWM investment advisory programs
at www.morganstanley.com/ADV or by asking your Financial
Non-Researched Funds and Managers. Clients may select
Funds and investment managers outside of those covered by
4
GIMA or Graystone analysis. The investment managers, if
qualified, will be offered
through MSWM’s Investment
Management Services Program (“IMS”). MSWM does not
evaluate or make any representations concerning such investment
managers and shall not assume any liability for any loss, claim,
damage, or expense attributable to the client’s selection of
managers not covered by GIMA or Graystone analysis.
Investment Consulting Fund Evaluation Program. MSWM shall
evaluate all investment options from the universe of funds that
have been reviewed and profiled by Morgan Stanley’s Global
Investment Manager Analysis (“GIMA”) team, or the universe of
funds that have successfully passed Morgan Stanley’s proprietary
fund screening process. MSWM’s fund screening process takes
into account both quantitative and qualitative factors. The process
is explained further in Item 6A below.
For more information about CES, and IMS or any other
investment advisory services offered by MSWM, as well as
assistance in determining which service may be best suited to your
needs and objectives, please contact your Graystone Consultant
or refer to www.morganstanley.com/ADV.
Risk-Based Models. In addition to providing fund screening
services, Graystone may provide risk-based asset allocation
advice to retirement plans. If requested, Graystone will provide
plan sponsor clients with certain strategic asset allocation models
based on guidance from MSWM’s Global Investment Committee
(the “GIC”).
the Client’s
responsibility
Performance Reporting. Graystone Consulting provides clients
with customized performance reports that assess portfolio
performance relative to benchmarks. The reports may include
comparisons to recognized benchmarks and market segments.
to ensure model
It will be
recommendations by Graystone can be implemented within their
recordkeeping platform. Graystone may assist in determining the
capabilities of the Client’s recordkeeping platform, however it
will be the ultimate responsibility of the client to ensure any
recommendations are implemented and offered to participants in
a manner that is consistent with the Client’s overall goals and
objectives.
Custody and Statements. If you elect, MSWM may serve as the
custodian of all cash, securities and other assets held in the
portfolio and credit the portfolio with dividends and interest paid
on securities held and principal paid on called or matured
securities in the portfolio. You will be provided with written
confirmation of securities transactions, and account statements at
least quarterly.
Graystone will provide the Client with performance reporting for
such models which will include model performance comprised of
the fund performance within the model. Graystone will also
provide the Client with any changes/updates made to the asset
allocation percentages within such models.
Graystone Discretionary Services
Graystone offers through qualified Graystone Consulting teams
and for eligible clients, discretionary institutional consulting
services whereby Graystone is responsible for the discretionary
selection and rebalancing of Investment Options in accordance
with the client’s investment policy statement. In addition to
discretionary investment management, clients receive custodial
services (unless the client elects to use an outside custodian), trade
execution and related services for a single fee.
The client will be responsible for making any updates or changes
to such models with its retirement plan provider. If requested,
Graystone may provide education to plan participants in regard to
risk tolerance through various approved educational pieces,
however any such education does not represent any attempt by
Graystone to use discretion or extend its fiduciary liability under
the program client agreement.
Administrative Services. Graystone may also assist the retirement
plan and other institutional clients with certain administrative
functions as described below. Certain services are not available to
all types of clients. These are not investment advisory services and
MSWM does not assume status as a fiduciary under ERISA, the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or any other applicable law or
regulation in performing these services. Graystone Consulting
provides the following administrative services:
Graystone Discretionary Services is designed for clients who wish
to have Graystone assume full discretion over asset allocation
rebalancing decisions as well as decisions to terminate any
Investment Product. Graystone also provides the client with on-
going financial management services such as
investment
performance reporting, administration, trade execution and
custody. Based on a client’s long-term strategic policy allocation
parameters and other investment constraints, Graystone will look
for opportunities in asset classes or investment styles with above
average expected rates of return while managing overall portfolio
risk in accordance with the client’s investment policies.
• Plan Sponsor Education – MSWM makes educational
to plan fiduciaries. The available
topics such as retirement plan
responsibilities, plan design
fiduciary
materials available
materials may cover
administration,
features and investments.
For Defined Contribution Participant-Directed Plans
Graystone offers both non-discretionary investment-consulting
services and discretionary services for participant directed defined
contribution and non-qualified deferred compensation plans
(“Participant-Directed Plans”).
• Employee Education – Graystone shall collaborate with the
Client to develop strategies relating to participant enrollment
and ongoing employee education, and MSWM can work with
the plan to deliver general financial and investment
information relating to such concepts as diversification, asset
allocation, retirement planning and plan participation.
Non-Discretionary Investment Consulting Services
Through this non-discretionary program, Graystone Consulting
offers initial and ongoing investment consulting services to Plan
Sponsors, including investment policy statement review, asset
style analysis, Fund search and selection and performance
reporting.
5
the models to offer the Plan’s participants. Once the Client has
selected a target date model, Graystone will construct the model
by populating each of its asset classes with the MSWM Approved
Funds.
• Plan Provider Search Support. MSWM shall assist Client
with the preparation and distribution of requests for proposals
(“RFP”) with respect to Client's search for a party to provide
recordkeeping or related services for the plan and shall
provide assistance with the evaluation of RFP responses and
corresponding finalist interviews and conversion support.
Not available for Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
Plans.
Graystone will ensure that the models can be implemented on the
recordkeeping platform. Graystone will also be responsible for
determining the capabilities of the clients recordkeeping platform
and ensuring any recommendations are implemented and offered
to participants in a manner that is consistent with the clients
overall goals and objectives.
• Plan Services and Expense Review. MSWM shall provide
Client with a report for the purpose of assisting Client with
the review of various fees and plan expenses as they relate to
the services provided by the plan. This report will generally
consist of an overall assessment of current services and
expenses, as well as a comparison of such services and
expenses to those incurred by other plans of similar size and
composition. Not available for Non-Qualified Deferred
Compensation Plans.
Risk-Based and Target Date Models are tools used to assist the
plan participants in achieving asset allocation goals. These
models are not investment products sponsored by Graystone.
Client may not make use of any branding associated with MSWM,
the GIC or any other affiliate when describing the model portfolio.
Termination of contract or model services will require the
discontinuance of use of the models.
Core Market Fiduciary Program
MSWM offers a Core Market Fiduciary Program for defined
contribution participant-directed plans. MSWM is responsible for
the discretionary selection of investment options from a set lineup
offered by a third-party recordkeeper in accordance with the
program’s investment policy.
Retirement Account Manager Program
clients may
receive
Discretionary Services
Graystone also offers discretionary institutional consulting
services for eligible clients whereby Graystone is responsible for
the discretionary selection of investment options utilizing the fund
evaluation process described above and in Item 6.A. The
Graystone Consultant will manage the overall investment process
including decisions for fund selection, asset classification and
termination and comprehensive monitoring of
the Plan’s
investments.
Graystone may provide discretionary asset
allocation model services. In addition to discretionary investment
non-discretionary
management,
administrative services which include, plan sponsor education,
plan provider search support, plan services and expense review,
and employee education.
If the Client chooses to provide Plan participants with asset
allocation model assistance, MSWM, in addition to fund selection
and monitoring, will provide either strategic risk-based models or
target-date model portfolios, collectively, the “Models”. In both
cases,
the Models are developed by MSWM’s Wealth
Management Investment Resources group with guidance from the
GIC and are not subject to customization by the Client. Only
MSWM Approved Funds will be permitted to populate these
models.
to
Upon the request of the plan sponsor, MSWM offers certain
investment advisory services to retirement plans for the benefit of
the plan participants. The Retirement Account Manager Program
offers the ability to invest in one or more asset allocation model
strategies managed by MSWM (“Retirement Account Manager
Strategy”). Based upon the information plan participants or the
plan sponsors provide, including current age, expected age at
retirement and risk tolerance, MSWM will recommend a
Retirement Account Manager Strategy. Once plan participants
have selected the Retirement Account Manager Strategy, MSWM
will have discretion to determine the investment options available
based upon the applicable recordkeeping platform. Over time the
asset allocation model strategy selected will gradually shift its
emphasis from more aggressive investments (i.e., equities) to
more conservative investments (i.e., fixed income) based on the
targeted time horizon to retirement. This shift occurs during
quarterly portfolio rebalancing as the account progresses towards
the targeted retirement age. In addition, if requested by the plan
sponsor, MSWM shall select the qualified default investment
option for the retirement plan.
Risk-Based Models. Graystone will present the Client with
various separate risk-based models, as described in the previous
section, of which the client must select at least three models to be
made available
the Plan’s participants, ranging from
conservative to aggressive. Graystone will assist the Client with
the selection of the models, but the Client will be solely
responsible for selecting at least three models and with each of the
following risk levels represented: conservative, moderate and
aggressive.
Target Date Models. Graystone will present various target-date
glidepath models to the client. These glidepaths offer the option
of i) greater hedge against longevity risk and shortfall risk, ii)
greater hedge against inflation risk and market risk, or iii) a
balance between inflation risk and longevity risk. Graystone will
assist the Client with the selection of the glidepath model,
however the Client will be solely responsible for selecting one of
Other Services
Alternative Investments Performance Reporting Service.
Graystone offers alternative investments performance reporting
capabilities. This is a non-discretionary service, which means that
clients are responsible for executing participation agreements
directly with each alternative investment. Graystone offers clients
the ability to receive periodic reports that provide historical
performance reporting of their alternative investments that were
not purchased through Graystone and are not researched by
6
Graystone or MSWM. The alternative investments historical
performance information is based upon information provided,
directly or indirectly, by the issuer of the alternative investment,
or by its sponsor, investment manager or administrator to
Graystone (“Performance Reporting AI”). MSWM’s ability to
provide historical or other performance reporting on alternative
investments is dependent upon its ability to obtain such
information from each Performance Reporting AI.
information as
reported by
Investment Restrictions
The client may impose reasonable restrictions on account
investments. For example, you may restrict Graystone or the
managers from buying specific securities, a category of securities
(e.g., tobacco companies) or Fund shares. If you restrict a
category of securities, we or the manager will determine which
specific securities fall within the restricted category. In doing so,
we or the manager may rely on research provided by independent
service providers. Any restrictions you impose on individual
securities will not be applied to Fund holdings since Funds operate
in accordance with the investment objectives and strategies
described in their prospectuses.
The performance reporting enables the client to receive from
Graystone periodic reports containing the client’s historical
performance
the applicable
performance reporting AI. Client may also receive composite
reports
that show historical performance of alternative
investments as reported by the Performance Reporting AI, along
with historical or other performance information or other
investments that were or are acquired by Graystone or are held in
custody by MSWM.
Trade Confirmations, Account Statements and
Performance Reviews
Unless you have appointed another custodian, MSWM is the
custodian and provides you with written confirmation of
securities transactions, and account statements at least quarterly.
You may waive the receipt of trade confirmations after the
completion of each trade in favor of alternative methods of
communication where available. You may also receive mutual
fund prospectuses, where appropriate.
We provide performance monitoring to clients with a frequency
as requested by the client.
The performance information provided in a periodic performance
report is based on information provided to Graystone by the
Performance Reporting AI and is not independently verified by
Graystone. Graystone and MSWM shall not be liable for any
misstatement or omission made by a Performance Reporting AI
nor for any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arising out of
such misstatement or omission. The reporting service is not
intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation by
Graystone of any alternative investment. Graystone is not
evaluating the appropriateness of the initial investment or the
continued investment in the alternative investments reported on as
a part of this service. In addition, the service does not constitute,
create or impose a fee-based brokerage relationship, fiduciary
relationship or an investment advisory relationship under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, with regard to the
provision of the investments covered under this service. If the
Client is an employee benefit plan or is otherwise subject to
ERISA, Graystone and MSWM are not acting as a fiduciary (as
defined in ERISA) with the respect to the provision of these
reporting services as described herein. Graystone does not
provide and will not be responsible for tax reporting for
alternative investments reported on under this service.
Risks
All trading in an account is at your risk. The value of the assets
held in an account is subject to a variety of factors, such as the
liquidity and volatility of the securities markets. Investment
performance of any kind is not guaranteed, and Graystone’s,
MSWM’s, or its employees’ past performance with respect to
other accounts does not predict future performance with respect
to any particular account. In addition, certain investment
strategies that Graystone Consulting may use in the programs
have specific risks, including those associated with investments in
common stock, fixed income securities, American Depositary
Receipts, Funds and the investments described below. You should
consult with your Graystone Consultant regarding the specific
risks associated with the investments in your account.
The MSWM fee charged to the client does not include any fee or
charge for other services in connection with the client’s
participation in any alternative investment or Performance
Reporting AI. The client is solely responsible for such
arrangements.
Asset/Liability Analysis Services Graystone works with third
party vendors, whose proprietary asset/liability modeling
software is used to generate customized asset liability studies for
defined benefit plan clients. The asset/liability analysis service
provides certain cash flow modeling, liability funding analysis
and funding strategies, including custom contribution policies.
Risks Relating to ETFs. There may be a lack of liquidity in
certain ETFs which can lead to a large difference between the bid-
ask prices (increasing the cost to you when you buy or sell the
ETF). A lack of liquidity also may cause an ETF to trade at a large
premium or discount to its net asset value. Additionally, an ETF
may suspend issuing new shares and this may result in an adverse
difference between the ETF’s publicly available share price and
the actual value of its underlying investment holdings. At times
when underlying holdings are traded less frequently, or not at all,
an ETF’s returns also may diverge from the benchmark it is
designed to track.
Account Opening
To enroll in any program described in this Brochure, you must
enter into the program client agreement (“Client Agreement”).
Risks Relating to Money Market Funds. You could lose money
in money market funds. Although money market funds classified
as government funds (i.e., money market funds that invest 99.5%
of total assets in cash and/or securities backed by the U.S
government) and retail funds (i.e., money market funds open to
natural person investors only) seek to preserve value at $1.00 per
7
may vary from
traditional hedge funds pursuing similar
investment objectives. They are also more likely to have
relatively higher correlation with traditional market returns than
privately offered alternative investments. Moreover, traditional
hedge funds have limited liquidity with long “lock-up periods
allowing them to pursue investment strategies without having to
factor in the need to meet client redemptions. On the other hand,
mutual funds typically must meet daily client redemptions. This
differing liquidity profile can have a material impact on the
investment returns generated by a mutual fund pursuing an
alternative investing strategy compared with a traditional hedge
fund pursuing the same strategy.
share, they cannot guarantee they will do so. The price of other
money market funds will fluctuate and when you sell shares they
may be worth more or less than originally paid. Money market
funds may, and in certain circumstances, will impose a fee upon
the redemption of fund shares. Please review your money market
fund’s prospectus to learn more about the use of redemption or
liquidity fees. In addition, if a money market fund that seeks to
maintain a stable $1.00 per share experiences negative yields, it
also has the option of converting its stable share price to a floating
share price, or to cancel a portion of its shares (which is
sometimes referred to as a “reverse distribution mechanism” or
“RDM”). Investors in money market funds that cancel shares will
lose money and may experience tax consequences. Moreover, in
some circumstances, money market funds may cease operations
when the value of a fund drops below $1.00 per share. In that
event, the fund’s holdings will likely be liquidated and distributed
to the fund’s shareholders. This liquidation process can be
prolonged and last for months. During this time, these funds
would not be available to you to support purchases, withdrawals
and, if applicable, check writing or ATM debits from your
account.
Non-traditional investment options and strategies are often
employed by a portfolio manager to further a Fund’s investment
objective and to help offset market risks. However, these features
may be complex, making it more difficult to understand the
Fund’s essential characteristics and risks, and how it will perform
in different market environments and over various periods of time.
They may also expose the Fund to increased volatility and
unanticipated
in complex
risks particularly when used
combinations and/or accompanied by the use of borrowing or
“leverage”.
to Alternative
Risks Relating to Master Limited Partnerships. Master Limited
Partnerships (“MLPs”) are limited partnerships or limited liability
companies whose interests (limited partnerships or limited
liability companies units) are generally traded on securities
exchanges like shares of common stock. Investments in MLPs
entail different risks including tax risks, than is the case for other
types of investments.
Currently, most MLPs operate in the energy, natural resources, or
real estate sectors. Investments in such MLP interests are subject
to the risks generally applicable to companies in these sectors
(including commodity pricing risk, supply and demand risk,
depletion risk and exploration risk). Depending on the ownership
vehicle, MLP interests are subject to varying tax treatment. Please
see “Tax and Legal Considerations” below and any Fund
prospectus by asking your Financial Advisor.
Risks Relating to Funds that Primarily Invest in Master Limited
Partnerships. In addition to the risks outlined above relating to
Master Limited Partnerships, Funds that primarily invest in MLPs
generally accrue deferred tax liability. The fund’s deferred tax
liability (if any) is reflected each day in the fund’s net asset value.
As a result, the fund’s total annual operating expenses may be
significantly higher than those of funds that do not primarily
invest in MLPs. Please see the Fund prospectus for additional
information.
Risks Relating
Investments. Alternative
investments have different features and risks than other types of
investment products. As further described in the offering
documents of any particular alternative investment, alternative
investments can be highly illiquid, are speculative and are not
appropriate for all investors. For example, alternative investments
may place substantial limits on liquidity and the redemption rights
of investors, including only permitting withdrawals on a limited
periodic basis and with a significant period of notice and may
impose early withdrawal fees. Alternative investments are
intended for experienced and sophisticated investors who are
willing to bear the high economic risks of the investment.
Investors should carefully review and consider potential risks
before investing. Certain of these risks may include: 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 the fund and none expected
to develop; volatility of returns; restrictions on transferring
interests in the 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 advisor
risk. Alternative investment products may also have higher fees
(including multiple layers of fees) compared to other types of
investments.
Risks Relating to Funds that Pursue Complex or Alternative
Investment Strategies or Returns. These Funds may employ
various investment strategies and techniques for both hedging and
more speculative purposes such as short selling, leverage,
derivatives and options, which can increase volatility and the risk
of investment loss. Alternative investment strategies are not
appropriate for all investors.
Individual funds will have specific risks related to their
investment programs that vary from fund to fund. For more details
on these and other features and risks, please carefully read the
documentation (including risk disclosures) relating to any
selected Investment Option, as well as your Client Agreement.
Risks Relating to Differing Classes of Securities. Different
classes of securities have different rights as creditor if the issuer
files for bankruptcy or reorganization. For example, bondholders’
rights generally are more favorable than shareholders’ rights in a
bankruptcy or reorganization.
While mutual funds and ETFs may at times utilize non-traditional
investment options and strategies, they have different investment
characteristics from unregistered privately offered alternative
investments. Because of regulatory limitations, mutual funds and
ETFs may not invest in as broad a spectrum of investments as
privately offered alternative investments. As a result, investment
returns and portfolio characteristics of alternative mutual funds
8
Asset Based Fee. The standard asset-based fee schedule is as
follows:
Account Asset Value
Annual Fee
On the first $5,000,000
1.35%
On the next $5,000,000
0.80%
Tax and Legal Considerations
Neither MSWM, neither Graystone nor any of our affiliates
provides tax or legal advice and, therefore, are not responsible for
developing, implementing, or evaluating any tax strategies that
may be employed by the client. The client should develop any
such strategies or address any legal or tax-related issues with a
qualified legal or tax adviser.
On the next $15,000,000
0.40%
On the next $25,000,000
0.30%
On the next $50,000,000
0.20%
On the next $100,000,000 0.10%
Over $200,000,000
Negotiable
Hard Dollar Fee. In addition, clients may select any of the
services listed below. The fees are negotiable subject to approval
from Graystone management and an overall minimum
engagement fee.
• Historical analysis
•
Investment policy statements
• Strategic asset allocation studies
• Active asset allocation only
Investment in MLPs entails different risks, including tax risks,
than is the case for other types of investments. Investors in MLPs
hold “units” of the MLP (as opposed to a share of corporate stock)
and are technically partners in the MLP. Holders of MLP units
are also exposed to the risk that they will be required to repay
amounts to the MLP that are wrongfully distributed to them.
Almost all MLPs have chosen to qualify for partnership tax
treatment. Partnerships do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the
partnership level. Rather, each partner of a partnership, in
computing its U.S. federal income tax liability, must include its
allocable share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses,
deductions, expenses and credits. A change in current tax law, or
a change in the business of a given MLP, could result in an MLP
being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay
U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. The classification
of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes
would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for
distribution by the MLP and could cause any such distributions
received by an investor to be taxed as dividend income. If you
have any questions about the tax aspects of investing into an MLP,
please discuss with your tax advisor.
• Asset liability analyses - Clients may contract directly with
third-party vendors for an asset liability analyses in which
case MSWM and Graystone will not commit to this service
contractually or charge an additional fee.
• Manager searches
• Performance reporting services
Graystone Discretionary Services
Investors in MLP portfolios will receive a Schedule K-1 for each
MLP in the portfolio, so they will likely receive numerous
Schedule K-1s. Investors will need to file each Schedule K-1 with
their federal tax return. Also, investors in MLP portfolios may be
required to file state income tax returns in states where the MLPs
in the portfolio operate. Since some Schedule K-1s may not be
provided until after the due date for the federal or state tax return,
investors in MLP portfolios may need to obtain an extension for
filing their federal or state tax returns. Please discuss with your
tax advisor how an investment in MLPs will affect your tax return.
The fees for Graystone Discretionary Services are negotiable
and are typically subject to a $25 million portfolio minimum.
The standard asset-based fee schedule is as follows:
Tax laws impacting MLPs may change, and this could impact any
tax benefits that may be available through investment in an MLP
portfolio.
Account Asset Value
Annual Fee
Fees
On the first $25,000,000
0.85%
Traditional Institutional Consulting Services
On the next $25,000,000
0.40%
On the next $50,000,000
0.25%
On the next $100,000,000 0.15%
The fees for traditional Institutional Consulting Services are
negotiable and are typically subject to a $10 million portfolio
minimum.
Over $200,000,000
Negotiable
Defined Contribution Participant-Directed Plans
Asset Based Fee. The fees for traditional Institutional Consulting
Services are negotiable and subject to a minimum fee per
relationship. The maximum asset-based fee is 1.00%.
Hard Dollar Fee. In addition, for plans with a minimum of $10
million in assets, the client may select to pay the fees for services
9
as a hard dollar fee based on equivalent asset-based fee parameters
described above. It is possible that the hard dollar fee may exceed
the maximum asset-based fees stated herein.
participation in any of the programs described in this Brochure is
terminated, any advisory fees paid in advance will be refunded on
a pro-rata basis.
Discretionary Services For Defined Contribution Participant-
Directed Plans
The fees are negotiable and are typically subject to a $1 million
asset minimum.
Full Discretion Services
When Graystone Consulting takes full discretion which includes
discretion over manager selection, review and termination, model
portfolios and comprehensive monitoring of the client’s portfolio
the maximum asset-based fee is 1.25%.
Partial Discretion Services
Accounts Related for Billing Purposes. When two or more
investment advisory accounts are related together for billing
purposes, you can benefit even more from existing breakpoints. If
you have two accounts, the “related” fees on Account #1 are
calculated by applying your total assets (i.e. assets in Account #1
+ assets in Account #2) to the Account #1 breakpoints. Because
this amount is greater than the amount of assets solely in Account
#1, you may have a greater proportion of assets subject to lower
fee rates, which in turn lowers the average fee rate for Account
#1. This average fee rate is then multiplied by the actual amount
of assets in Account #1 to determine the dollar fee for Account
#1. Likewise, the total assets are applied to the Account #2
breakpoints to determine the average fee rate for Account #2,
which is then multiplied by the actual amount of assets in Account
#2 to determine the dollar fee for Account #2.
When Graystone Consulting takes partial discretion which
review and
includes discretion over manager selection,
termination, and comprehensive monitoring of the client’s funds,
the maximum asset-based fee is 1.15%.
Core Market Fiduciary Program
Only certain accounts may be related for billing purposes, based
on the law and MSWM’s policies and procedures. Even where
accounts are eligible to be related under these policies and
procedures, they will only be related if this is specifically agreed
between you and Graystone Consulting. For more information
about which of your accounts are grouped in a particular billing
relationship, please contact your Financial Advisor.
When MSWM takes full discretion which includes discretion over
manager selection, review and termination, and comprehensive
monitoring of the client’s portfolio for accounts, the maximum
asset-based fee is 1.00%.
General Fee Information
including
Generally, fees for the programs described in this Brochure are
based on the size of the account (assets under management) and
are negotiable based on factors including the type and size of the
account and the range of services provided by Graystone
Consulting. In special circumstances, and with the client’s
agreement, the fee charged to a client for an account may be more
than the annual fees stated in the above section.
ERISA Fee Disclosure for Retirement Accounts. In accordance
with Department of Labor regulations under Section 408(b)(2) of
ERISA, MSWM is required to provide certain information
regarding our services and compensation to assist fiduciaries and
plan sponsors of those retirement plans that are subject to the
requirements of ERISA in assessing the reasonableness of their
plan’s contracts, or arrangements with us,
the
reasonableness of our compensation. This information the
services we provide as well as the fees) is provided to you at the
outset of your relationship with us and is set forth in your advisory
contract with us (including the Fee table, other exhibits and, as
applicable, this document), and then at least annually to the extent
that there are changes to any investment-related disclosures for
services provided as a fiduciary under ERISA.
Other. A portion of the MSWM Fee will be paid to your Financial
Advisor. See Item 4.D below (Compensation to Financial
Advisors), for more information.
The fee is payable as described in the Client Agreement.
Generally, unless specified to the contrary, for asset-based fees,
the initial fee is due in full on the date you open your account with
Graystone Consulting and is based on the market value of the
account on that date. The initial fee payment covers the period
from the opening date through (at your election) the last business
day of the current quarter or the next full calendar quarter and is
prorated accordingly. Thereafter, the fee is paid quarterly in
advance based on the account’s market value on the last business
day of the previous calendar quarter and is due the following
business day. Unless the client elects to hold assets in custody at
a third-party custodian, the Client Agreement authorizes MSWM
to deduct fees when due from the assets in the account. If client
elects a third-party custodian, the client has the option of paying
us directly or we can bill the custodian. Unless stated otherwise,
generally for hard dollar fees, fees will be payable in advance.
B. Comparing Costs
Cost comparisons are difficult because a particular service may
not be offered in other MSWM programs. Depending on the level
of trading and types of securities purchased or sold in your
account, if purchased separately, you may be able to obtain
transaction execution at a higher or lower cost at MSWM or
elsewhere than the fee in these programs. However, such
transactions cannot be executed on a discretionary basis in a
brokerage account. In addition, MSWM offers other programs
where discretionary portfolio management is provided by third
party investment managers (and not your Graystone Consultant)
and the fees in those programs may be higher or lower than the
fees in these programs.
You may terminate participation in the programs described in this
Brochure at any time by giving written notice to Graystone
Consulting. Graystone may (but is not obligated to) accept an oral
notice of termination from you in lieu of the written notice. If
10
You should consider these and other differences when deciding
whether to invest in an investment advisory or a brokerage
account and, if applicable, which advisory programs best suit your
needs.
You do not pay any sales charges for purchases of Funds in
programs described in this Brochure. However, some Funds may
charge, and not waive, a redemption fee on certain transaction
activity in accordance with the policies described in the applicable
prospectus.
C. Additional Fees
If you open an account in one of the programs described in this
Brochure, you may pay us an asset-based fee for investment
advisory services, custody of securities and trade execution with
or through MSWM. The program fees do not cover:
•
the costs of investment management fees and other expenses
charged by Funds (see below for more details)
•
•
“mark-ups,” “mark-downs,” and dealer spreads (A) that
MSWM or its affiliates, including MS&Co., may receive
when acting as principal in certain transactions where
permitted by law or (B) that other broker-dealers may receive
when acting as principal in certain transactions effected
through MSWM and/or its affiliates acting as agent, which is
typically the case for dealer market transactions (e.g., fixed
income, over-the-counter equity, and foreign exchange
(“FX”) conversions in connection with purchases or sales of
FX-denominated securities and with payments of principal
and interest dividends on such securities);
fees or other charges that you may incur in instances where a
transaction is effected through a third party and not through
us or our affiliates (such fees or other charges will be included
in the price of the security and not reflected as a separate
charge on your trade confirmations or account statements)
Expense Payments and Fees for Data Analytics. MSWM
provides Fund families with opportunities to sponsor meetings
and conferences and grants them access to our branch offices and
Financial Advisors for educational, marketing, and other
promotional efforts. Some Fund representatives work closely with
our branch offices and Financial Advisors to develop business
strategies and support promotional events for clients, and
prospective clients and educational activities. Some Fund families
or their affiliates will reimburse MSWM for certain expenses
incurred in connection with these promotional efforts, client
seminars, and/or training programs. Fund families independently
decide if and what they will spend on these activities, with some
Fund families agreeing to make substantial annual dollar amount
expense reimbursement commitments Fund families also invite
our Financial Advisors to attend Fund family-sponsored events.
Expense payments may include meeting or conference facility
rental fees and hotel, meal and travel charges. For more
information regarding the payments MSWM receives from Fund
families, please refer to the brochures titled “Mutual Fund
Features, Share Classes and Compensation” and “ETF Revenue
Sharing, Expense Payments and Data Analytics” (together, the
“Mutual Fund and ETF Brochures”), which can be found at
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclolsures. The Mutual Fund
and ETF Brochures are also available from your Financial
Advisor on request.
• MSWM account establishment or maintenance fees for its
Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRA”) and Versatile
Investment Plans (“VIP”), which are described in the
respective IRA and VIP account and fee documentation
(which may change from time to time)
•
account closing/transfer costs
•
processing fees or
•
Fund family representatives are allowed to occasionally give
nominal gifts to Financial Advisors, and to occasionally entertain
Financial Advisors (subject to an aggregate entertainment limit of
$1,000 per employee per fund family per year). MSWM’s non-
cash compensation policies set conditions for each of these types
of payments, and do not permit any gifts or entertainment
conditioned on achieving any sales target.
certain other costs or charges that may be imposed by third
parties (including, among other things, odd-lot differentials,
transfer
taxes, foreign custody fees, exchange fees,
supplemental transaction fees, regulatory fees and other fees
or taxes that may be imposed pursuant to law).
MSWM also provides Fund families with the opportunity to
purchase data analytics regarding Fund sales. The amount of the
fee depends on the level of data. ETF sponsors also can purchase
transactional data for a separate fee. Additional fees apply for
those Fund families that elect to purchase supplemental data
analytics regarding financial product sales at MSWM. For more
information regarding these payments, please refer to the Mutual
Fund and ETF Brochures described above.
Funds in Advisory Programs
Investing in strategies that invest in mutual funds, closed-end
funds and ETFs (collectively referred to in the Funds in Advisory
Programs Section as “Funds”) may be more expensive than other
investment options offered in your advisory account. In addition
to our fee, you pay the fees and expenses of the Funds in which
your account is invested. Fund fees and expenses are charged
directly to the pool of assets the Fund invests in and are reflected
in each Fund’s share price. These fees and expenses are an
additional cost to you that is embedded in the price of the Fund
and, therefore, are not included in the fee amount in your account
statements. Each mutual fund and ETF expense ratio (the total
amount of fees and expenses charged by the Fund) is stated in its
prospectus. The expense ratio generally reflects the costs incurred
by shareholders during the mutual fund’s or ETF’s most recent
fiscal reporting period. Current and future expenses may differ
from those stated in the prospectus.
Conflicts of Interest regarding the Above-Described Expense
Payments and Fees for Data Analytics. The above described fees
present a conflict of interest for Morgan Stanley and our Financial
Advisors to promote and recommend those Funds that make these
payments rather than other eligible investments that do not make
these or similar payments. Further, in aggregate, we receive
significantly more support from participating revenue sharing
sponsors and mutual funds that pay administrative services fees
with the largest client holdings at our firm, as well as those
sponsors that provide significant sales expense payments and/or
purchase data analytics. This in turn could lead Morgan Stanley
and/or our Financial Advisors and Branch Managers to focus on
those Fund families. In addition, since our revenue sharing
11
support fee program utilizes rates that are higher for Funds with
higher management fees, we have a conflict of interest to promote
and recommend Funds that have higher management fees. In
order to mitigate these conflicts, Financial Advisors and their
Branch Managers do not receive additional compensation as a
result of the fees and data analytics payments received by Morgan
Stanley.
available for purchase across MSWM’s investment advisory
programs, including this Program. To the extent that such funds
are offered to and purchased by Retirement Accounts, the
advisory fee on any such account will be reduced, or offset, by the
amount of the fund management fee, shareholder servicing fee
and distribution fee we, or our affiliates, may receive in
connection with such Retirement Account’s investment in such
affiliated managed fund.
Other Compensation. Morgan Stanley or its affiliates receive,
from certain Funds, compensation in the form of commissions and
other fees for providing traditional brokerage services, including
related research and advisory support, and for purchases and sales
of securities in Fund portfolios. We and/or our affiliates also
receive other compensation for certain Funds for financial
services performed for the benefit of such Funds, including but
not limited to providing stand-by liquidity facilities. Providing
these services may give rise to a conflict of interest for Morgan
Stanley or its affiliates to place their interests ahead of those of
the Funds by, for example, increasing fees or curtailing services,
particularly in times of market stress.
Morgan Stanley prohibits linking the determination of the amount
of brokerage commissions and/or fees charged to a Fund to the
aggregate values of our overall Fund-share sales, client holdings
of the Fund or to offset the revenue-sharing, administrative
service fees, expense reimbursement and data analytics fees
described above. Financial Advisors and their Branch Managers
receive no additional compensation as a result of these payments
received by Morgan Stanley.
Mutual Fund Share Classes. Mutual funds typically offer
different ways to buy fund shares. Some mutual funds offer only
one share class while most funds offer multiple share classes.
Each share class represents an investment in the same mutual fund
portfolio but assesses different fees and expenses. Many mutual
funds have developed specialized share classes designed for
various advisory programs (“Advisory Share Classes”). In
general, Advisory Share Classes are not subject to either sales
loads or ongoing marketing, distribution and/or service fees (often
referred to as “12b-1 fees”), although some may assess fees for
record keeping and related administrative services, as disclosed in
the applicable prospectus. MSWM typically utilizes Advisory
Share Classes that compensate MSWM for providing such
recordkeeping and related administrative services to its advisory
clients. If you wish to purchase other types of Advisory Share
Classes, such as those that do not compensate intermediaries for
record keeping and administrative services, which generally carry
lower overall costs, and would thereby increase your investment
return, you will need to do so directly with the mutual fund or
through an account at another financial intermediary.
In addition, we generally seek to be reimbursed for the associated
operational and/or technology costs of adding an/or maintaining
Funds on our platform. These flat fees are paid by Fund sponsors
or other affiliates (and not the Funds). Financial Advisors and
their Branch Managers do not receive compensation for
recommending Funds that have reimbursed Morgan Stanley for
our costs.
Please note, we may offer non-Advisory Share Classes of mutual
funds that are subject to 12b-1 fees if, for example, a fund does
not offer an Advisory Share Class that is equivalent to those
offered here. In such instance, MSWM will rebate directly to the
clients holding such fund any such 12b-1 fees that we receive.
Once we make an Advisory Share Class available for a particular
mutual fund, clients can only purchase the Advisory Share Class
of that fund.
its affiliates may also receive
If you hold non-Advisory Share Classes of mutual funds in
your advisory account or seek to transfer non-Advisory Share
Classes of mutual funds into your advisory account, MSWM
(without notice to you) will convert those shares to Advisory
Share Classes to the extent they are available. This will
typically result in your shares being converted into a share
class that has a lower expense ratio, although exceptions are
possible. Subject to limited exceptions, any fees that you pay
while holding non-Advisory Share Classes (e.g., sales loads,
12b-1 fees, etc.) will not be offset, rebated or refunded to you
when your non-Advisory Share Class is converted into an
Advisory Share Class.
Affiliated Funds. Certain Funds are sponsored or managed by, or
receive other services from, MSWM and its affiliates, which
include, but are not limited to, Morgan Stanley Investment
Management, Eaton Vance, Boston Management and Research,
Calvert Research and Management, Atlanta Capital Management
Company and Parametric Portfolio Associates. Where clients
select to invest in mutual funds where the investment adviser is a
MSWM affiliate, in addition to the program fee paid by clients,
MSWM and
investment
management fees and related administrative fees. Since the
affiliated sponsor or manager receives additional investment
management fees and other fees, MSWM has a conflict to
recommend MSWM affiliated mutual funds. In order to mitigate
this conflict, Financial Advisors do not receive additional
compensation for recommending proprietary and/or affiliated
funds. Additionally, affiliated Funds and sponsors are subject to
the same economic arrangements with MSWM as those that
MSWM has with third-party Funds. MSWM’s affiliates have
entered
into administrative services and revenue sharing
agreements with MSWM as described above.
On termination of your advisory account for any reason, or the
transfer of mutual fund shares out of your advisory account, we
may convert any Advisory Share Classes of funds into a share
class that is available in non-advisory accounts, or we may redeem
these fund shares altogether. Non-Advisory Share Classes
generally have higher operating expenses than the corresponding
Advisory Share Class, which will increase the cost of investing
and negatively impact investment performance.
Custody
In addition, certain mutual funds managed by affiliates, including
without limitation, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc.
or Eaton Vance Management and its affiliates respectively, are
12
MSWM does not act as custodian. If you retain a custodian other
than MSWM, your outside custodian will advise you of your cash
sweep options and as described in the Client Agreement, you will
have the option of instructing us on whether you want the
Graystone Consulting fee billed to you directly or to the outside
custodian selected by you, and the following sections on cash
sweeps will not apply to you.
credits. In addition, MSWM will not receive cash compensation
or credits in connection with the BDP for assets in the Deposit
Accounts for Retirement Accounts. Also, the affiliated Sweep
Banks have the opportunity to earn income on the BDP assets
through lending activity, and that income is usually significantly
greater than the fees MSWM earns on affiliated Money Market
Funds. Thus, in its capacity as custodian, MSWM has a conflict
of interest in connection with BDP being the default sweep, rather
than an eligible Money Market Fund.
MSWM acts as custodian. Unless you instruct us otherwise,
MSWM will maintain custody of all cash, securities and other
assets in the account and the following sections on cash sweeps
will apply to you.
Cash Sweeps When MSWM Acts As Custodian
Generally, some portion of your account will be held in cash. If
MSWM acts as custodian for your account, it will effect “sweep”
transactions of free credit balances in your account into interest-
bearing deposit accounts (“Deposit Accounts”) established under
the Bank Deposit Program (“BDP”). For most clients, BDP will
be the only available cash sweep. The interest rates for BDP in
your account will be tiered based upon the value of the BDP
balances across your brokerage and advisory accounts. The BDP
assets in your advisory accounts receive separate interest rates
from deposits in your brokerage accounts and are set forth in:
https://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-general/ratemonitor.
Generally, the rate on BDP will be lower than the rate on other
cash alternatives. In limited circumstances, such as clients
ineligible for BDP, MSWM may sweep some or all of your cash
into money market mutual funds (each, a Money Market Fund”).
These Money Market Funds are managed by Morgan Stanley
Investment Management Inc. or another MSWM affiliate.
In addition, MSWM, the Sweep Banks and their affiliates receive
other financial benefits in connection with the BDP. Through the
BDP, each Sweep Bank will receive a stable, cost-effective source
of funding. Each Sweep Bank intends to use deposits in the
Deposit Accounts at the Sweep Bank to fund current and new
businesses, including lending activities and investments. The
profitability on such loans and investments is generally measured
by the difference, or “spread,” between the interest rate paid on
the Deposit Accounts at the Sweep Banks and other costs of
maintaining the Deposit Accounts, and the interest rate and other
income earned by the Sweep Banks on those loans and
investments made with the funds in the Deposit Accounts. The
cost of funds for the Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks of deposits
through the sweep program in ordinary market conditions is lower
than their cost of funds through some other sources, and the
Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks also receive regulatory capital and
liquidity benefits from using the sweep program as a source of
funds as compared to some other funding sources. The income
that a Sweep Bank will have the opportunity to earn through its
lending and investing activities in ordinary market conditions is
greater than the fees earned by us and our affiliates from
managing and distributing the money market funds available to
you as a sweep investment.
It is important to note that free credit balances and allocations to
cash including assets invested in sweep investments are included
in your account’s fee calculation hereunder.
If your account is a Retirement Account, please read Exhibit B to
this Brochure, entitled “Affiliated Money Market Funds Fee
Disclosure Statement and Float Disclosure Statement”.
Morgan Stanley has added Program Banks to the BDP in order to
maximize the funding value of the deposits in BDP for the
Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks. On a daily basis, you may have
deposits that are sent to a Program Bank depending on the funding
value considerations of the Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks and the
capacity of the depository networks that allocate deposits to the
Program Banks. In addition to the benefits to the Morgan Stanley
Sweep Banks, you may benefit from having deposits sent to the
Program Banks by receiving FDIC insurance on deposit amounts
that would otherwise be uninsured. In return for receiving deposits
through BDP, the Program Banks provides other deposits to the
Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks.
This reciprocal deposit
relationship provides a low-cost source of funding, and capital and
liquidity benefits to both the Program Banks and the Morgan
Stanley Sweep Banks. The Program Banks pay a fee to a Program
Administrator for the reciprocal deposits, but the cost of that fee
is not borne directly by Morgan Stanley clients.
MSWM, acting as your custodian, will effect sweep transactions
only to the extent permitted by law and if you meet the eligibility
criteria. Under certain circumstances (as described in the Bank
Deposit Program Disclosure) eligible deposits in BDP may be
sent to non-affiliated Program Banks ( this additional feature may
provide enhanced FDIC coverage to you as well as funding value
benefits to the Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks. For eligibility
criteria applicable to this additional feature and BDP generally,
please refer to the Bank Deposit Program Disclosure Statement
which is available at: http://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-
investmentstrategies/pdf/BDP_disclosure.pdf.
Conflicts of Interest Regarding Sweep Investments. If BDP is
your sweep investment, you should be aware that the Sweep
Banks, which are affiliates of MSWM, will pay MSWM an annual
account-based flat fee for the services performed by MSWM with
respect to BDP. MSWM and the Sweep Banks will review such
fee annually and, if applicable, mutually agree upon any changes
to the fee to reflect any changes in costs incurred by MSWM.
Your Financial Advisor will not receive a portion of these fees or
The Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks have discretion in setting the
interest rates paid on deposits received through BDP and are under
no legal or regulatory requirement to maximize those interest
rates. The Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks and the Program Banks
can and sometimes do pay higher interest rates on some deposits
they receive directly than they pay on deposits received through
BDP. This discretion in setting interest rates creates a conflict of
interest for the Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks. The lower the
amount of interest paid to customers, the greater is the “spread”
earned by the Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks on deposits through
the Program, as explained above. By contrast, money market
13
Consultant. Therefore, Graystone Consultants have a financial
incentive not to reduce fees.
funds (including Morgan Stanley affiliated money market funds)
have a fiduciary duty to seek to maximize their yield to investors,
consistent with their disclosed investment and risk-management
policies and regulatory constraints.
Item 5: Account Requirements and
Types of Clients
If your cash sweeps to a Money Market Fund, as available, then
the account, as well as other shareholders of the Money Market
Fund, will bear a proportionate share of the other expenses of the
Money Market Fund in which the account’s assets are invested.
Graystone Consulting offers its services under this Brochure to
corporations, Taft Hartley funds, endowments and foundations,
public and private retirement plans, including 401(k) plan
sponsors, family offices and high net worth individuals.
Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection and
Evaluation
A. Selection and Review of Portfolio
Managers and Funds for the Programs
If your cash sweeps to a Money Market Fund, you understand that
MSIM (or another MSWM affiliate) will receive compensation,
including management and other fees, for managing the Money
Market Fund. In addition, we receive compensation from such
Money Market Funds at rates that are set by the funds’
prospectuses and currently range, depending on the program in
which you invest, from 0.10% per year ($10 per $10,000 of assets)
to 0.25% per year ($25 per $10,000 of assets) of the total Money
Market Fund assets held by our clients. Please review your Money
Market Fund’s prospectus to learn more about the compensation
we receive from such funds.
This Item 6.A describes more generally how we select and
terminate Investment Options from these programs described in
this Brochure. If managers have more than one strategy, we may
include only some of those strategies in the programs described in
this Brochure, may carry different strategies in different
programs, and assign different statuses to different strategies.
Please refer to the discussion in Section 4 A. for a complete
description of the programs.
MSWM’s Global Investment Manager Analysis Group
We have a conflict of interest because we have an incentive to
only offer affiliated Money Market Funds in the Cash Sweep
program, as MSIM (or another MSWM affiliate) will receive
compensation for managing the Money Market Fund. We also
have a conflict of interest because we offer those affiliated funds
and share classes that pay us higher compensation than other
funds and share classes. You should understand these costs
because they decrease the return on your investment. In addition,
we receive additional payments from Morgan Stanley Investment
Management Inc. in the event a Money Market Fund waives its
certain fees in a manner that reduces the compensation that we
would otherwise receive.
We either rebate to clients or do not receive compensation on
sweep Money Market Fund positions held in our fee-based
advisory account programs.
GIMA evaluates Investment Products. GIMA may delegate some
or all of its functions to an affiliate or third party. Investment
Products may only participate in the CES program if they are on
GIMA’s Focus List or Approved List discussed below. You may
obtain these lists from your Graystone Consultant. In each
program, only some of the Investment Products may be available.
As well as requiring Investment Products to be on the Focus List
or Approved List, we look at other factors in determining which
Investment Products we offer in these programs, including:
Unless your account is a Retirement Account, the Fee will not be
reduced by the amount of the Money Market Fund’s applicable
fees. For additional information about the Money Market Fund
and applicable fees, you should refer to each Money Market
Fund’s prospectus.
•
D.
Compensation to Graystone
Consulting
•
•
program needs (such as whether we have a sufficient number
of Investment Products available in an asset class)
client demand and
the manager’s or Fund’s minimum account size.
We automatically terminate Investment Products in the CES
program if GIMA downgrades them to “Not Approved.” We may
terminate Investment Products from these programs for other
reasons (i.e., the Investment Product has a low level of assets
under management in the program, has limited capacity for further
investment, or is not complying with our policies and procedures).
If you invest in one of the programs described in this Brochure, a
portion of the fees payable to us in connection with your account
is allocated on an ongoing basis to Graystone Consultants. The
amount allocated to your Graystone Consultants in connection
with accounts opened in programs described in this Brochure may
be more than if you participated in other MSWM investment
advisory programs, or if you paid separately for investment
advice, brokerage and other services. Your Graystone Consultant
may therefore have a financial incentive to recommend one of the
programs in this Brochure instead of other MSWM programs or
services.
If you invest in one of the programs described in this Brochure,
Graystone Consulting may charge a fee less than the maximum
fee stated above. The amount of the fee you pay is a factor we
use in calculating the compensation we pay your Graystone
Focus List. The Focus List status indicates GIMA's high
confidence level in the overall quality of the investment option
and its ability to outperform applicable benchmarks over a full
market cycle. To be considered for the Focus List, Investment
Products provide GIMA with relevant documentation on the
strategy being evaluated, which may include a Request for
Information (“RFI”), asset allocation histories, its Form ADV (the
14
MSWM generally specifies a replacement Investment Product for
a terminated Investment Product in CES (as discussed in Item 4.A
above). In selecting the replacement Investment Product, GIMA
generally looks for an Investment Product in the same asset class,
and with similar attributes and holdings to the terminated
Investment Product.
form that investment managers use to register with the SEC), past
performance information and marketing literature. Additional
factors for consideration may include personnel depth, turnover
and experience, investment process, business and organization
characteristics and investment performance. GIMA personnel
may also interview the manager or Fund and its key personnel and
examine its operations. Following this review process, Investment
Products are placed on the Focus List if they meet the required
standards for Focus List status.
If GIMA leans of a material change to an Investment Product
(e.g., the departure of an investment manager or investment team),
MSWM, an affiliate or a third-party retained by GIMA or an
affiliate, will evaluate the Investment Product in light of the
change. This evaluation may take some time to complete. While
this evaluation is being performed, the Investment Product will
remain eligible for the Graystone Consulting program. The GIMA
designation (Focus List or Approved List) for the Investment
Product will not be altered solely because this evaluation is in
progress. MSWM will not necessarily notify clients of any such
evaluation.
GIMA periodically reviews Investment Products on the Focus
List. GIMA considers a broad range of factors (which may
include investment performance, staffing, operational issues and
financial condition). Among other things, GIMA personnel may
interview each manager or Fund periodically to discuss these
matters. GIMA may also review the collective performance of a
composite of the MSWM accounts managed by a manager/Fund
and compare this performance to overall performance data
provided by the manager/Fund, and then investigate any material
deviations.
Approved List. Investment Products provide GIMA with relevant
documentation on the strategy being evaluated, which may
include an RFI, sample portfolios, asset allocation histories, its
Form ADV, past performance information and marketing
literature. Additional factors for consideration may include
personnel depth, turnover and experience; investment process;
business and organizational characteristics; and investment
performance. GIMA personnel may also interview the Sub-
Manager or Fund and its key personnel, typically via conference
call.
Watch Policy. GIMA has a “Watch” policy for Investment
Products on the Focus List and Approved List. Watch status
means that upon reviewing an Investment Product, GIMA has
identified specific areas of the manager’s or Fund’s business that
(a) merit further evaluation and (b) may result in the Investment
Product becoming “Not Approved.” Putting an Investment
Product on Watch does not signify an actual change in GIMA
opinion nor is it a guarantee that GIMA will downgrade the
Investment Product. The duration of a Watch status depends on
how long GIMA needs to evaluate the Investment Product and for
the Investment Product to address any areas of concern.
Based on the above, GIMA then determines whether the
Investment Product meets the standards for Approved List status.
Approved List managers meet an acceptable due diligence
standard based upon GIMA's evaluation.
Tactical Opportunities List.
GIMA also has a Tactical
Opportunities List. This consists of certain Investment Products
on the Focus List or Approved List recommended for investment
at a given time based in part on then-existing tactical opportunities
in the market.
GIMA continuously evaluates Investment Products on the
Approved List and Focus List.
Changes in Status from Focus List to Approved List. GIMA may
determine that an Investment Product no longer meets the criteria
for the Focus List but meets the criteria for the Approved List. If
so, MSWM generally notifies program clients regarding such
status changes on a quarterly basis.
Other Relationships with Managers and Funds. Some managers
and Funds on the Approved List or Focus List may have business
relationships with us or our affiliates. For example, a manager or
Fund may use MS&Co. or an affiliate as its broker or may be an
investment banking client of MS&Co. or an affiliate. GIMA does
not consider the existence or lack of a business relationship in
determining whether to include or maintain a manager or Fund on
the Approved List or Focus List.
Graystone MAP Due Diligence
in MSWM
Managers offered in Graystone MAP are reviewed by Graystone
Consulting and approved by GIMA.
information provided by Funds’
Changes in Status to Not Approved. GIMA may determine that an
Investment Product no longer meets the criteria for either
evaluation process and therefore the Investment Product will no
longer be recommended
investment advisory
programs. We notify affected clients of these downgrades. You
cannot retain a downgraded manager or Fund in your accounts
and must select a replacement from the Approved List or Focus
List that is available in the program, if you wish to retain the
program’s benefits in respect of the affected assets.
Select Graystone Consulting teams conduct due diligence on
Funds using
investment
managers or outside independent databases, all unaffiliated with
MSWM. The reviewing team performs qualitative due diligence
on prospective managers to identify recommended candidates for
submission to GIMA, which reviews and approves the manager.
The reviewing team generally conducts periodic follow-up due
diligence on approved managers (including follow-up interviews
with the manager).
In some circumstances, you may be able to retain terminated
Investment Products through the process described below for
Defined Contribution Participant-Directed Plans or in another
advisory program or in a brokerage account subject to the regular
terms and conditions applying to that program or account. Ask
your Graystone Consultant about these options.
15
Once a manager has been approved by GIMA, it is available for
Graystone Consulting and certain other clients.
DC Investment Consulting Fund Screening
(For Participant-Directed Plans only)
not the investments in which that alternative investment may in
turn invest. For example, for a fund of funds, GIMA’s research
process is applied to the fund of funds, and not to each individual
fund in which the fund of funds invests. Also, when evaluating
portfolio managers that may be recommended to clients to provide
portfolio services, the due diligence typically covers the portfolio
manager, not the investments which that portfolio manager may
recommend.
consists of
In addition to the mutual funds and ETFs that appear on the Focus
List and Approved List of GIMA described above, for clients in
the Institutional Consulting Services program for Participant-
Directed Plans, funds may be “approved” for the program in an
alternate manner, as well. MSWM applies a proprietary screening
process to funds in the Morningstar mutual fund database, which
it applies in part using third party software. The screening
algorithm, applied quarterly, is based on factors such as
performance, ranking, stewardship grade, fees and manager
tenure. Funds subject to this process are either approved or not
approved for use in the Institutional Consulting Services program
for Participant-Directed Plans. Graystone and MSWM do not
maintain a Watch List for these funds equivalent to GIMA’s
Watch List.
Selection of Alternative Investments
If a new alternative investment is viewed as an appropriate
candidate by the Due Diligence Provider, the vehicle is presented
to an MSWM alternative investment product review committee
senior MSWM
(“AIPRC”). The AIPRC
representatives who are mandated to approve proposed candidates
and reconfirm existing vehicles on a periodic basis. Once a new
alternative investment is approved by the AIPRC, and all required
due diligence materials are verified, it receives an “Approved”
status, is placed on the Alternatives Approved List, a list of
alternative investment vehicles in which qualified clients may
invest and is available for allocations to qualified clients on a
Certain Alternatives
placement and/or advisory basis.
Investments on the Alternatives Approved List are available to
qualified clients in the programs.
Ongoing monitoring of managers and investment vehicles on the
Alternatives Approved List is provided by the Due Diligence
Provider. In addition to manager-specific monitoring, the
reviewer monitors overall market conditions in their specific
strategies of expertise.
Alternative investment managers may only be recommended in
the traditional Institutional Consulting Services and Graystone
programs described in this Brochure if they are on MSWM’s
Alternatives Approved List (described below). Managers often
offer more than one alternative investment, and we may include
only some of those alternative investments or only certain share
in our programs, may carry different alternative
classes
investments or share classes in different programs, and assign
different statuses to different alternative investments.
downgrades
the
alternative
investment
We also consider other factors in determining which alternative
investments we offer in these programs, including program needs
such as whether we have enough managers available in an asset
class, and client demand.
investment vehicle from
MSWM may remove alternative investments from the programs
if GIMA or the Due Diligence Provider of the alternative
investment
to
“Terminate”. We may also terminate managers from these
programs for other reasons (e.g., the manager has a low level of
assets under management in the program, the manager has limited
capacity for further investment, or the manager is not complying
with our policies and procedures). Also, GIMA’s head of research
the
can remove an alternative
Alternatives Approved List without consulting the AIPRC, but all
actions must be assessed by the AIPRC at the next meeting.
the AIPRC
In the programs, investment and business risk due diligence on
alternative investments is provided by MSWM through (i) GIMA,
(ii) an affiliate of MSWM that may provide due diligence and
monitoring services, or (iii) an independent, third-party consulting
firm or other organization retained by MSWM and approved by
the AIPRC (“Due Diligence Provider”) that is also in the business
of evaluating the capabilities of alternative investments. Any firm
providing due diligence is expected to follow a methodology
similar to that used by GIMA (described below) or a methodology
in reviewing such alternative
approved by
investments.
Watch Policy. MSWM has a “Watch” policy for alternative
investments on the Approved List. Watch status indicates that, in
reviewing an alternative investment, GIMA or the Due Diligence
Provider has identified specific areas related to the alternative
investment, the manager of the alternative investment, or the
markets in general that (i) merit further evaluation by GIMA or
the Due Diligence Provider and (ii) may, but are not certain to,
result in the removal of the alternative investment from the
“Approved List”. Putting an alternative investment on Watch
does not signify a change in GIMA opinion nor is it a guarantee
that GIMA will remove the alternative investment. The duration
of a Watch status depends on how long GIMA needs to evaluate
the reason for the status change, which may include, an evaluation
of the markets, alternative investment, and manager of the
alternative investment.
Calculating Portfolio Managers’ Performance
In the programs described in this Brochure, we calculate
performance using a proprietary system.
On an ongoing basis, the Due Diligence Provider conducts both
quantitative and qualitative research on potential candidates.
Their research includes, among other things, a review of relevant
documents, calls and meetings with the investment team, and an
analysis of investment performance. Generally, although the
process may be modified for a particular manager or alternative
investment as the Due Diligence Provider may deem appropriate,
the Due Diligence Provider will typically also conduct on-site
visits, review a separate business risk due diligence questionnaire,
and examine areas such as portfolio pricing, contingency
planning, background checks on key principals and other items.
Their due diligence covers the alternative investment in question,
16
in
Managers are allowed to occasionally give nominal gifts to
Financial Advisors, and to occasionally entertain Financial
Advisors, subject to a limit of $1,000 per employee per year.
MSWM’s non-cash compensation policies set conditions for each
of these types of payments, and do not permit any gifts or
entertainment conditioned on achieving a sales target.
third-party
standards and
MSWM’s Performance Reporting Group reviews performance
information for client accounts, including daily reconciliation of
positions reported
the firm’s proprietary performance
calculation system against the firm’s books and records, and
accounts & positions where the calculated returns deviate from
established thresholds. For alternative investments, GIMA does
not calculate composite manager performance in the programs.
reviews performance
Neither MSWM nor a
information to determine or verify its accuracy or its compliance
with presentation
therefore performance
information may not be calculated on a uniform or consistent
basis. Generally, the manager of the alternative investment
determines the standards used to calculate performance data.
We address conflicts of interest by ensuring that any payments
described in this “Payments to Managers” section do not relate
to any particular transactions or investment made by MSWM
clients with managers. Managers participating in programs
described in this Brochure are not required to make any of these
types of payments. The payments described in this section
comply with FINRA rules relating to such activities. Please see
the discussion under “Funds in Advisory Programs” in Item 4.C
for more information.
Payments from Mutual Funds. Please see the discussion of
payments from fund companies under “Funds in Advisory
Programs” in Item 4.C.
For alternative investments, valuations used for account statement
purposes and billing purposes, and for any performance reports,
are obtained from the manager of each selected Investment
Option. These valuations (and any corresponding benchmark
index values) may be estimates, may be several weeks old as of
the dates MS&Co. produces your account statements/reports and
calculates your fees and, in the case of index values, may be based
on information from multiple sources. The final performance
figures for the applicable period may be higher or lower, and
MSWM is under no obligation to provide notice of, or
compensation to, clients for any difference in performance.
If you invest in a fund of funds, your account documents may use
the HFRI Fund of Funds as a benchmark. The FoF Composite
consists of over 800 domestic and offshore funds of hedge funds
that have at least $50 million under management or have been
actively trading for at least 12 months. It is equally weighted on
a fund-by-fund basis and fund assets are reported in USD on a net
of fees basis. It is updated three times a month and the current
month’s and the prior three months’ values are subject to change.
MSWM is not obligated to notify you of any such changes. The
FoF Composite values are likely to be more up to date than the
data for the selected Investment Options for which it is the
benchmark. You cannot invest in the FoF Composite. For more
information see https://www.hedgefundresearch.com.
Payments from Managers of Alternative Investments. Managers
of alternative investments offered in the programs described in
this Brochure may agree to pay MSWM additional fees, which
may include up front placement fees up to 3.00%, investment
servicing fees ranging from 0.25% to 1.00% and an ongoing
revenue sharing annual fee ranging from 0.50% to 2.00% of the
subscription or capital commitment amount. We have a conflict
of interest in offering alternative investments because we or our
affiliates earn more money in your account from your investments
in alternative investments than from other investment options.
However, in cases where we receive any of the above-referenced
payments from a manager of an alternative investment and we
charge a program fee in connection with the alternative
investment under the programs in this Brochure, we credit an
amount equal to the above-referenced payments to your account
(excluding the program participation and administrative service
fees described below, as applicable). Also, we do not share this
money with your Graystone Consultant (i.e. the compensation we
pay to your Graystone Consultant is not affected by the payments
we receive from the alternative investments). Therefore, your
Graystone Consultant does not have a resulting incentive to buy
alternative investments in your account, or to buy certain
alternative investments rather than other alternative investments
in any of the programs in this Brochure.
Servicing
Fee”).
B. Conflicts of Interest
Advisory vs. Brokerage Accounts. MSWM and your Graystone
Consultant are likely to earn more compensation if you invest in
a program described in this Brochure than if you open a brokerage
account to buy individual securities (although, in a brokerage
account, you may not receive all the benefits of the programs
described in the Brochure). In such instance, your Graystone
Consultant and MSWM therefore have a financial incentive to
recommend one of these programs described in this Brochure.
We address this conflict of interest by disclosing it to you and by
reviewing your account at account-opening to ensure that it is
appropriate for you in light of matters such as your investment
objectives and financial circumstances.
Payments from Managers. Managers may also sponsor their
own educational conferences and pay expenses of Financial
Advisors attending these events. MSWM’s policies require that
the training or educational portion of these conferences
comprises substantially the entire event. Managers may sponsor
educational meetings or seminars in which clients as well as
Financial Advisors are invited to participate.
HedgePremier Program Participation Fees. If you make an
investment in a HedgePremier Feeder as a consulting client, you
will be subject to a program participation fee (“Program
Participation Fee”), a portion of which will be paid to MSWM or
its affiliate as an ongoing administrative servicing fee (the
Such
“HedgePremier Administrative
HedgePremier Administrative Servicing Fee is intended to
compensate MSWM for certain investor servicing support
provided in respect of investors in the HedgePremier Feeder.
Depending on the aggregate net asset value of the HedgePremier
Feeders, MSWM will receive a HedgePremier Administrative
Servicing Fee of up to 0.10% per annum from investors with an
aggregate amount invested in HedgePremier Feeders (minus
redemptions or withdrawals) (the “Aggregate Invested”) of less
than $5,000,000. MSWM will not receive a HedgePremier
in a
Administrative Servicing Fee
from any
investor
17
HedgePremier Feeder with an Aggregate Invested of $5,000,000
or more, although such investment will still be subject to the
applicable Program Participation Fee. The Program Participation
Fee and, as such, the HedgePremier Administrative Servicing Fee,
are not charged to certain retirement accounts. While you remain
in the programs in this Brochure, your Graystone Consultant will
not receive any portion of the HedgePremier Administrative
Servicing Fee.
which may result in MSWM reducing an employee’s commitment
to the oversubscribed alternative investment to zero. If the
alternative investment remains oversubscribed after a reduction in
employee orders, MSWM will reduce client orders on a pro rata
basis to address the oversubscription of the alternative investment
until MSWM capacity is met. MSWM is not required to allot or
prioritize a client for any additional capacity that may become
available following the client’s subscription for your reduced
amount in such alternative investment. MSWM may change its
policy to ensure that the process, as it relates to its advisory
clients, remains fair, equitable and consistent with its fiduciary
duty to such clients.
Affiliate Acting as Portfolio Manager. Where permitted by law,
and except for plan accounts, an affiliate of MSWM may have
been selected to act as the manager for one or more your
investments. Where this occurs, we or our affiliates earn more
money than from other investment options. MSWM and the
Graystone Consultant are also likely to earn more compensation
if you invest in a program described in this Brochure than if you
open a brokerage account to buy individual securities.
These relationships create a conflict of interest for us or our
affiliates, as there is a financial incentive to recommend the
investments. We address this conflict of interest by disclosing it
to you and by reviewing your account at account-opening to
ensure that it is appropriate for you in light of matters such as your
investment objectives and financial circumstances.
Platform Sponsor Fees and Administrative Servicing Fees –
Illiquid Feeders and SPVs. If you make an investment in a
private equity, private credit or private real estate feeder fund (the
“Illiquid Feeders”) established by an affiliate of Institutional
Capital Network, Inc. (“iCapital”), MSWM be paid an
Administrative Servicing Fee of up to 0.08% per annum of the
applicable fee base (as described in the offering memorandum for
each Illiquid Feeder). If you make an investment in a special
purpose vehicle established to acquire a particular underlying
security or group of related securities or other assets (“SPV”),
established by an affiliate of iCapital, MSWM will be paid a one-
time/up-front Administrative Servicing Fee up to 0.25% of your
commitment amount for each SPV (as described in the offering
memorandum for each SPV). The Administrative Services Fee is
intended to compensate MSWM for certain investor servicing
support provided in respect of investors in each of these Illiquid
Feeders or SPVs. The amount of the Administrative Services Fee
may be reduced under certain circumstances if reduced, such
reduction will be paid to iCapital Strategies LLC, the third-party
general partner or administrator, as applicable, of the relevant
Illiquid Feeder or SPV.
for certain alternative
Finally, an affiliate of MSWM has made an investment in
iCapital. As a result, MSWM has an indirect interest in the
increased profitability of iCapital through the promotion of its
feeder fund business.
MSWM as Placement Agent. MSWM also acts as placement
agent
investments whereby such
investments are available through MSWM on a non-advisory
basis. When an alternative investment is purchased on a
placement basis, different terms and conditions, including
different fee arrangements, may apply. For example, when a
client invests on a placement basis, they do not pay an ongoing
advisory fee, however, they pay an upfront placement fee and the
program manager receives a higher program participation fee
which is shared with MSWM and its Graystone Consultants. A
Client investing on an advisory basis may pay higher fees, in the
aggregate, than if such investment had been made on a placement
basis.
Different Advice. MSWM and its affiliates may give different
advice, take different action, receive varying compensation, or
hold or deal in different securities for any other party, client, or
account (including their own accounts or those of their affiliates)
from the advice given, actions taken, compensation received, or
securities held or dealt for your account.
Morgan Stanley Alternatives Secondaries - Qualified Matching
Service (“Alts QMS”). Alts QMS is a tool to assist clients in (A)
identifying potential bids (“Bids”) from potential buyers for both
organized liquidity events (“Liquidity Events”) and postings
(“QMS Transactions,”
together with Liquidity Events,
“Transactions”) of interests (“Securities”) in eligible alternative
investment funds, and (B) identifying potential indications of
interest (“IOIs”) to sell Securities from potential sellers. Alts
QMS is made available to clients by Morgan Stanley Wealth
Management via a service provider. Sellers will not be charged
any commissions in connection with a Transaction effected
through the Alts QMS. The buyer will pay commissions to the
service provider, and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management may
receive a portion of any such commissions charged on a
Transaction.
Trading or Issuing Securities in, or Linked to Securities in,
Client Accounts. MSWM and its affiliates may provide bids and
offers, and may act as a principal market maker, in respect of the
same securities held in client accounts. MSWM, the investment
managers in its programs, and its affiliates and employees may
hold a position (long or short) in the same securities held in client
accounts. MSWM and/or its affiliates are regular issuers of traded
financial instruments linked to securities that may be purchased in
client accounts. From time to time, the trading of MSWM, a
manager or their affiliates – both for their proprietary accounts
and for client accounts – may be detrimental to securities held by
Oversubscripton Policy. From time to time, MSWM may have
limited access to opportunities to place clients in, or recommend
client to, alternative investments, particularly in the case of certain
private equity and real estate opportunities. Under these
circumstances, when MSWM aggregate client subscriptions for
an alternative investment exceed the capacity given to Morgan
Stanley by the alternative investment manager, the alternative
investment will be oversubscribed. Where an alternative
investment is oversubscribed, MSWM will reduce Morgan
Stanley employee orders in the first instance as a general matter
18
a client and thus create a conflict of interest between those trades
and the investment advisory services that MSWM provides to
you.
Furthermore, MS & Co. and its affiliates and client accounts may
hold a trading position (long or short) in the securities of
companies subject to such research. Therefore, MS & Co. has a
conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of its research
reports.
Trade Allocations. In certain cases trades may be aggregated so
that the securities will be sold or purchased for more than one
client in order to obtain favorable execution to the extent
permitted by law. The investment manager will then allocate the
trade in a manner that is equitable and consistent with its fiduciary
duty to its clients (including pro rata allocation, random allocation
or rotation allocation). Allocation methods vary depending on
various factors (including the type of investment, the number of
shares purchased or sold, the size of the accounts, and the amount
of available cash or the size of an existing position in an account).
The price to each client is the average price for the aggregate
order.
to Other Clients. MSWM,
Certain Trading Systems. MSWM may effect trades on behalf of
client accounts through exchanges, electronic communication
networks or other alternative
trading systems (“Trading
Systems”), including Trading Systems with respect to which
MSWM or its affiliates may have a non-controlling direct or
indirect ownership interest or the right to appoint a board member
or observer. If MSWM directly or indirectly effects client trades
or transactions through Trading Systems in which MSWM or its
affiliates have an ownership interest, MSWM or its affiliates may
receive an indirect economic benefit based on their ownership
interest. In addition, subject at all times to its obligations to obtain
best execution for its customers’ orders, it is contemplated that
MSWM will route certain customer order flow to its affiliates.
Currently, MSWM and/or its affiliates own equity interests (or
interests convertible into equity) of 5% or more in certain Trading
Systems or their parent companies and/or have a member of the
Board of certain trading systems (or their parent companies),
including (1) MEMX Holdings LLC; (2) OTCDeriv Limited; (3)
EOS Precious Metals Limited; (4) CreditDeiv Limited; (5)
FXGLOBALCLEAR; (6) Yensai.com Co., Ltd; (7) Octaura
Holdings LLC; (8) Copeland Markets LLC; and (9) ICE Clear
Credit LLC.
Services Provided
investment
managers and their affiliates provide a variety of services
(including research, brokerage, asset management, trading,
lending and investment banking services) for each other and for
various clients, including issuers of securities that MSWM may
recommend for purchase or sale by clients or are otherwise held
in client accounts, and investment management firms in the
programs described in this Brochure. MSWM, investment
managers and their affiliates receive compensation and fees in
connection with these services. MSWM believes that the nature
and range of clients to which such services are rendered is such
that it would be inadvisable to exclude categorically all of these
companies from an account. Accordingly, it is likely that
securities in an account will include some of the securities of
companies for which MSWM, investment managers and their
affiliates perform investment banking or other services.
Certain Trading Systems offer cash credits for orders that provide
liquidity to their books and charge explicit fees for orders that
extract liquidity from their books. From time to time, the amount
of credits that MSWM and/or MS&Co. receive from one or more
Trading System may exceed the amount that is charged. Under
these limited circumstances, such payments would constitute
payment for order flow.
Restrictions on Securities Transactions. There may be periods
during which MSWM or investment managers are not permitted
to initiate or recommend certain types of transactions in the
securities of issuers for which MSWM or one of its affiliates is
performing broker-dealer or investment banking services or has
confidential or material non-public information. Furthermore, in
certain investment advisory programs, MSWM may be compelled
to forgo trading in, or providing advice regarding, Morgan Stanley
securities, and in certain related securities. These restrictions may
adversely impact your account performance.
Certain Trading Systems through which MSWM and/or MS&Co.
may directly or indirectly effect client trades execute transactions
on a “blind” basis, so that a party to a transaction does not know
the identity of the counterparty to the transaction. It is possible
that an order for a client account that is executed through such a
Trading System could be automatically matched with a
counterparty that is (i) another investment advisory or brokerage
client of MSWM or one of its affiliates or (ii) MSWM or one of
its affiliates acting for its own proprietary accounts.
Affiliated Sweep Investments. MSWM has a conflict of interest
in selecting or recommending BDP or Money Market Funds as
the Sweep Investment. See Item 4.C above for more information.
MSWM, the managers and their affiliates may also develop
analyses and/or evaluations of securities sold in a program
described in this Brochure, as well as buy and sell interests in
securities on behalf of its proprietary or client accounts. These
analyses, evaluations and purchase and sale activities are
proprietary and confidential, and MSWM will not disclose them
to clients. MSWM may not be able to act, in respect of clients’
account, on any such information, analyses or evaluations.
MSWM, investment managers and their affiliates are not
obligated to effect any transaction that MSWM or a manager or
any of their affiliates believe would violate federal or state law, or
the regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory body.
in Underwriting Syndicate; MSWM
MSWM Affiliate
Distribution of Securities; Other Relationships with Security
Issuers. If an affiliate of MSWM is a member of the underwriting
syndicate from which a security is purchased, we or our affiliates
may directly or indirectly benefit from such purchase. If MSWM
participates in the distribution of new issue securities that are
purchased for a client’s account, MSWM will receive a fee, to be
paid by the issuing corporation to the underwriters of the
securities and ultimately to MSWM, which will be deemed
additional compensation to us, if received by us.
Research Reports. MS & Co. LLC (“MS & Co.”) does business
with companies covered by their respective research groups.
19
Proxy Voting
Graystone Consulting does not offer proxy voting services to its
clients for its traditional institutional consulting services. In
Graystone Discretionary Services, clients may elect to:
• Retain authority and responsibility to vote proxies for your
account or
• Delegate discretion to vote proxies to a third party (other than
Graystone or MSWM).
Unless you delegate discretion to a third party to vote proxies, we
will forward to you, or your designee, any proxy materials that we
receive for securities in your account. We cannot advise you on
any particular proxy solicitation.
We will not provide advice or take action with respect to legal
proceedings (including bankruptcies) relating to the securities in
your account, except to the extent required by law.
Item 7: Client Information Provided to
Portfolio Managers
Graystone Consulting and investment managers have access to
the information you provide at account opening. You are
responsible for ensuring that the information you provide to
Graystone is accurate and remains current.
Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio
MSWM and/or its affiliates have a variety of relationships with,
and provide a variety of services to, issuers of securities
recommended for client accounts, including investment banking,
corporate advisory and services, underwriting, consulting, and
brokerage relationships. As a result of these relationships with an
issuer, MSWM or its affiliates may directly or indirectly benefit
from a client’s purchase or sale of a security of the issuer. For
example, MSWM or its affiliates may provide hedging services
for compensation to issuers of structured investments (such as
structured notes) recommended for client accounts. In such a case,
MSWM or its affiliates could benefit if a client account purchased
such an instrument or sold such an instrument to another
purchaser in lieu of selling or redeeming the instrument back to
the issuer, as such transactions could result in the issuer of the
instrument continuing to pay MSWM or its affiliates fees or other
compensation for the hedging services related to such instrument.
Similarly, if the hedging service with respect to such an
instrument is not profitable for MSWM or its affiliates, MSWM
or its affiliates may benefit if MSWM’s client accounts holding
such instruments sold or redeemed them back to the issuer. Also,
in the event of corporate actions with respect to securities held in
client accounts, to the extent such corporate actions result in
exchanges, tender offers or similar transactions, MSWM and/or
its affiliates may participate in and/or advise on such transactions
and receive compensation. The interest of MSWM’s affiliates in
these corporate actions may conflict with the interest of MSWM
clients. In addition, where an affiliate of MSWM is representing
or advising the issuer in a transaction, the interest of the issuer
may conflict with client interests and create a potential conflict of
interest for MSWM. MSWM also provides various services to
issuers, their affiliates and insiders, including but not limited to,
stock plan services and financial education for which MSWM
receives compensation.
Managers
C. Graystone Consultants Acting as
In the programs described in this Brochure, you can contact your
Graystone Consultant at any time during normal business hours.
Portfolio Managers
Item 9: Additional Information
Disciplinary Information
This section contains information on certain legal and disciplinary
events.
Description of Advisory Services
Graystone Consultants only act as portfolio managers under the
Graystone Discretionary Services program and not any other
program described in this Brochure. See Item 4.A above for a
description of the services offered in the programs described in
this Brochure.
(“January 2017 Order”)
Performance-Based Fees
The programs described in this Brochure do not charge
performance-based fees.
requirements
Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies
Graystone Consultants in the programs described in this Brochure
may use any investment strategy when providing investment
advice to you. Graystone Consultants may use asset allocation
recommendations of the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Global Investment Committee as a resource but, if so, there is no
guarantee that any strategy will in fact mirror or track these
recommendations. Investing in securities involves risk of loss that
you should be prepared to bear.
• On January 13, 2017, the SEC entered into a settlement order
settling an
with MSWM
administrative action. The SEC found that from 2009 through
2015, MSWM inadvertently charged advisory fees in excess
of what had been disclosed to, and agreed to by, its legacy
CGM clients, and, from 2002 to 2009 and from 2009 to 2016,
MS&Co. and MSWM, respectively, inadvertently charged
fees in excess of what was disclosed to and agreed to by their
clients. The SEC also found that MSWM failed to comply
with
regarding annual surprise custody
examinations for the years 2011 and 2012, did not maintain
certain client contracts, and failed to adopt and implement
written compliance policies and procedures reasonably
designed to prevent violations of the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). The SEC found that, in relation
to the foregoing, MSWM willfully violated certain sections of
20
information provided
the Advisers Act. In determining to accept the offer resulting
in the January 2017 Order, the SEC considered the remedial
efforts promptly undertaken by MSWM. MSWM consented,
without admitting or denying the findings, to a censure, to
cease and desist from committing or causing future violations,
to certain undertakings related to fee billing, books and records
and client notices and to pay a civil penalty of $13,000,000.
• On February 14, 2017, the SEC entered into a settlement order
with MSWM settling an administrative action. The SEC
found that from March 2010 through July 2015, MSWM
solicited approximately 600 non-discretionary advisory
accounts to purchase one or more of eight single inverse
exchange traded funds (“SIETFs”), without fully complying
with its internal written compliance policies and procedures
related to these SIETFs, which among other things required
that clients execute a disclosure notice, describing the SIETF’s
features and risks, prior to purchasing them, for MSWM to
maintain the notice, and for subsequent related reviews to be
performed. The SEC found that, despite being aware of
deficiencies with its compliance and documentation of the
policy requirements, MSWM did not conduct a comprehensive
analysis to identify and correct past failures where the disclosure
notices may not have been obtained and to prevent future
violations from occurring. The SEC found that, in relation to
the foregoing, MSWM willfully violated section 206(4) of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-7
thereunder. MSWM admitted to certain facts and consented
to a censure, to cease and desist from committing or causing
future violations, and to pay a civil penalty of $8,000,000.
• On May 12, 2020, the SEC entered into a settlement order with
MSWM settling an administrative action which relates to
certain
in marketing and client
communications to retail advisory clients in MSWM’s wrap
fee programs with third-party managers and MSWM’s
policies and procedures related to trades not executed at
MSWM. In the applicable wrap fee programs, the third-party
manager has the discretion to place orders for trade execution
on clients’ behalf at a broker-dealer other than Morgan
Stanley. MSWM permits managers to “trade away” from
MSWM in this manner in order to seek best execution for
trades. The SEC found that, from at least October 2012
incomplete and
through June 2017, MSWM provided
inaccurate information indicating that MSWM executed most
client trades and that, while additional transaction-based costs
were possible, clients did not actually incur them in the
ordinary course. The SEC found that this information was
misleading for certain retail clients because some wrap
managers directed most, and sometimes all, client trades to
third-party broker-dealers for execution, which resulted in
certain clients paying transaction-based charges that were not
visible to them. The SEC also found that, on occasion, wrap
managers directed trades to MSWM-affiliated broker-dealers
in which clients incurred transaction-based charges in
violation of MSWM’s affiliate trading policies without
detection by MSWM. The SEC noted in the order that it
considered certain remedial acts undertaken by MSWM in
determining to accept the order, including MSWM enhancing
its disclosures to clients, implementing training of financial
advisors, enhancing relevant policies and procedures, and
refunding clients’ transaction-based charges paid to Morgan
Stanley affiliates. The SEC found that MSWM willfully
violated certain sections of the Investment Advisers Act of
1940, specifically Sections 206(2) and 206(4) and Rule
206(4)-7 thereunder. MSWM consented, without admitting or
denying the findings and without adjudication of any issue of
law or fact, to a censure; to cease and desist from committing
or causing future violations; and to pay a civil penalty of
$5,000,000.
including certifications
related
to
• On June 29, 2018, the SEC entered into a settlement order with
MSWM settling an administrative action which relates to
misappropriation of client funds in four related accounts by a
single former MSWM financial advisor (“FA”). The SEC
found that MSWM failed to adopt and implement policies and
procedures or systems reasonably designed to prevent
personnel from misappropriating assets in client accounts.
The SEC specifically found that, over the course of eleven
months, the FA initiated unauthorized transactions in the four
related client accounts in order to misappropriate client funds.
The SEC found that while MSWM policies provided for
certain reviews prior to issuing disbursements, such reviews
were not reasonably designed
to prevent FAs from
misappropriating client funds. Upon being informed of the
issue by representatives of the FA’s affected clients, MSWM
promptly conducted an internal investigation, terminated the
FA, and reported the fraud to law enforcement agencies.
MSWM also fully repaid the affected clients, made significant
enhancements to its policies, procedures, and systems
(“Enhanced MSWM Policies”) and hired additional fraud
operations personnel. The SEC found that MSWM willfully
violated section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-7
thereunder. The SEC also found that MSWM failed to
supervise the FA pursuant to its obligations under Section
203(e)(6) of the Advisers Act. MSWM consented, without
admitting or denying the findings, to a censure; to cease and
desist from committing or causing future violations; to certain
undertakings,
the
implementation and adequacy of the Enhanced MSWM
Policies and to pay a civil penalty of $3,600,000.
• On December 9, 2024, the SEC entered a settlement order with
MSWM settling an administrative action, which relates to
misappropriation of client funds in brokerage and advisory
accounts by four former MSWM financial advisors (the
“FAs”). The SEC found that MSWM failed to adopt and
implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to
prevent personnel from misusing and misappropriating funds
in client accounts and that MSWM’s inadequate policies and
procedures and systems to implement them led to its failure
reasonably to supervise the four FAs, who misappropriated
funds from client and customer accounts while employed at
MSWM. Specifically, the SEC found that MSWM failed to
adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably
designed to prevent and detect unauthorized externally
initiated ACH payments and unauthorized cash wires. Upon
being informed of the potential unauthorized activity in the
customer accounts of two of the FAs, MSWM promptly
investigated the matters, terminated the FAs, reported the
fraud to law enforcement agencies, and fully repaid the
affected clients. MSWM also conducted a retroactive review
of payment instructions for externally initiated ACH payment
instructions, which led to the identification of misconduct by
21
restrictions may adversely
impact client account
These
performance.
See Item 6.B above for conflicts that arise as a result of MSWM’s
affiliation with MS & Co. and its affiliates.
the other two FAs. MSWM accordingly terminated the other
two FAs and reported the misconduct to SEC staff. On its own
initiative, MSWM instituted new written procedures to
address the conduct at issue and retained an independent
compliance consultant to perform a review and assessment.
The SEC found that MSWM willfully violated section 206(4)
of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) and
Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder. The SEC also found that MSWM
failed to supervise the FAs within the meaning of Section
203(e)(6) of the Advisers Act and/or Section 15(b)(4)(E) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. MSWM consented,
without admitting or denying the findings, to a censure; to
cease and desist from committing or causing future violations;
to certain undertakings, including the retention of an
Independent Compliance Consultant to review MSWM’s
policies, procedures and controls related to the conduct in the
Order and to pay a civil penalty of $15,000,000.
Related Investment Advisors and Other Service Providers.
MSWM has related persons that are registered investment
advisers in various investment advisory programs (including
Cook Street Consulting, Inc., Hyas Group, Morgan Stanley
Investment Management Inc., Morgan Stanley Investment
Management Limited and Consulting Group Advisory Services
LLC, as well as Eaton Vance Management and its affiliates). If
you invest your assets and use an affiliated firm to manage your
account, MSWM and its affiliates earn more money than if you
use an unaffiliated firm. Generally, for Retirement Accounts,
MSWM rebates or offsets fees so that MSWM complies with IRS
and Department of Labor rules and regulations.
MSWM’s Form ADV Part 1 contains further information about
its disciplinary history and is available on request from your
Graystone Consultant.
to certain open-end
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and Eaton Vance
Management and its affiliates serve in various advisory,
management, and administrative capacities to open-end and
closed-end investment companies and other portfolios (some of
which are listed on the NYSE). Morgan Stanley Services
Company Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary, provides limited
investment
transfer agency services
companies.
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Morgan Stanley (“Morgan Stanley Parent”) is a financial holding
company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. Morgan
Stanley Parent is a corporation whose shares are publicly held and
traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Activities of Morgan Stanley Parent. Morgan Stanley Parent
is a global firm engaging, through its various subsidiaries, in a
wide range of financial services including:
•
securities underwriting, distribution,
trading, merger,
acquisition, restructuring, real estate, project finance and
other corporate finance advisory activities
• merchant banking and other principal investment activities
•
brokerage and research services
Morgan Stanley Distribution Inc. serves as distributor for these
open-end investment companies and has entered into selected
dealer agreements with MSWM and affiliates. Morgan Stanley
Distribution Inc. also may enter into selected dealer agreements
with other dealers. Under many of these agreements, MSWM and
affiliates, and other selected dealers, are compensated for sale of
fund shares to clients on a brokerage basis, and for shareholder
servicing (including pursuant to plans of distribution adopted by
the investment companies pursuant to Rule 12b-l under the
Investment Company Act of 1940).
•
asset management
•
trading of foreign exchange, commodities, and structured
financial products and
•
global custody, securities clearance services, and securities
lending.
Broker-Dealer Registration. As well as being a registered
investment advisor, MSWM is registered as a broker-dealer.
Related persons of MSWM act as a general partner, administrative
agent or special limited partner of a limited partnership or
managing member or special member of a limited liability
company to which such related persons serve as adviser or sub-
adviser and in which clients have been solicited in a brokerage or
advisory capacity to invest. In some cases, the general partner of
a limited partnership is entitled to receive an incentive allocation
from a partnership.
See Item 4.C above for a description of cash sweep investments
managed or held by related persons of MSWM.
Restrictions on Executing Trades. As MSWM is affiliated
with MS & Co. and its affiliates, the following restrictions apply
when executing client trades:
• MSWM and MS & Co. generally do not act as principal in
executing trades for MSWM investment advisory clients.
See Item 6.B above for a description of various conflicts of
interest.
• Regulatory restrictions may limit your ability to purchase,
hold or sell equity and debt issued by Morgan Stanley Parent
and its affiliates.
• Certain regulatory requirements may limit MSWM’s ability
to execute transactions through alternative execution services
(e.g., electronic communication networks and crossing
networks) owned by MSWM, MS & Co. or their affiliates.
Market Transition Away from LIBOR. The following applies to
holders of products directly or indirectly linked to the London
Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or the Secured Overnight
Financing Rate (“SOFR”) and investors that are considering
purchasing such products. Depending on your current holdings
and investment plans, this information may or may not be
applicable to you.
22
LIBOR had been a widely used interest rate benchmark in bond,
loan and derivative contracts, as well as consumer lending
instruments such as mortgages. However, as a result of concerns
with the integrity of LIBOR and how it is determined, LIBOR will
cease to be published and will be replaced by alternative reference
rates.
This is a developing situation and the above information is subject
to change. For more information on the potential replacement of
LIBOR, the recommended alternative rate, SOFR, and certain
considerations relating to LIBOR- and SOFR-linked products,
please see www.morganstanley.com/wm/LIBOR. Please also
contact a member of your Morgan Stanley team for information,
including if you have questions about whether you hold LIBOR-
based products.
Specifically, overnight and one-, three-, six- and 12-month USD
LIBOR will no longer be published after June 30, 2023. However,
regulators have indicated that the time until then is to be used only
for managing existing LIBOR-based products. All settings for
GBP, EUR, JPY and CHF LIBOR, and one-week and two-month
settings for USD LIBOR, are no longer being published, although
synthetic versions of GBP and JPY LIBOR rates will be published
for a period. The committee convened by the U.S. Federal
Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the
Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC), has selected
SOFR as the recommended alternative benchmark rate to USD
LIBOR.
Code of Ethics
MSWM’s Investment Adviser Code of Ethics (“Code”) applies to
its employees, supervisors, officers and directors engaged in
offering or providing investment advisory products and/or
services (collectively, the “Employees”). In essence, the Code
prohibits Employees from engaging in securities transactions or
activities that involve a material conflict of interest, possible
diversion of a corporate opportunity, or the appearance of
impropriety. Employees must always place the interests of
MSWM’s clients above their own and must never use knowledge
of client transactions acquired in the course of their work to their
own advantage. Supervisors are required to use reasonable
supervision to detect and prevent any violations of the Code by
the individuals, branches and departments that they supervise.
The Code generally operates to protect against conflicts of interest
either by subjecting Employee activities to specified limitations
(including pre-approval requirements) or by prohibiting certain
activities. Key provisions of the Code include:
• The requirement for certain Employees, because of their
potential access to non-public information, to obtain their
supervisors' prior written approval or provide pre-trade
notification before executing certain securities transactions
for their personal securities accounts;
The market transition away from LIBOR to alternative rates is
complex and could have a range of impacts on financial products
and transactions directly or indirectly linked to LIBOR. For
example, the fallback provisions in your LIBOR-based products,
or the absence thereof, could have an adverse effect on the value
of such products as well as your
investment strategy.
Documentation governing existing LIBOR-based products may
contain “fallback provisions”, which provide for how the
applicable interest rate will be calculated if LIBOR ceases or is
otherwise unavailable. Fallback provisions can materially differ
across products and even within a given asset class. Furthermore,
such provisions may not contemplate alternative reference rates
such as SOFR (in particular in older documentation) and/or may
result in increased uncertainty and change the economics of the
product when LIBOR ceases. Clients utilizing hedging strategies
may also face basis risk due to inconsistent fallback provisions in
their various investments. Recently, federal legislation was
signed into law that will provide for a SOFR-based rate plus a
spread to replace LIBOR for those contracts without effective
fallback provisions.
• Additional restrictions on personal securities transaction
activities applicable
to certain Employees (including
Financial Advisors and other MSWM employees who act as
investment advisory
in MSWM
portfolio managers
programs);
• Requirements for certain Employees to provide initial and
annual reports of holdings in their Employee securities
accounts, along with quarterly transaction information in
those accounts; and
With respect to an investment in SOFR-linked products and
products that will fallback to SOFR, you should understand the
terms of the particular product and the related risks. The
composition and characteristics of SOFR are not the same as
LIBOR and, as a result, SOFR may not perform in the same way
as LIBOR would have. Further, the SOFR-linked products that
have been issued to date apply different market conventions to
calculate interest and therefore these products have different risks
and considerations.
• Additional requirements for pre-clearance of other activities
including, but not limited to, Outside Business Activities,
Gifts and Entertainment, and U.S. Political Contributions and
Political Solicitations Activity.
You may obtain a copy of the Code of Ethics from your Graystone
Consultant.
See Item 6.B above.
Affiliates of MSWM participate on central bank committees that
have been selecting alternative rates and developing transition
plans for trading these new rates. In addition, MSWM and its
affiliates may have interests with respect to LIBOR- and SOFR-
linked products that conflict with yours as an investor. As with
any investment, make sure you understand the terms of any
LIBOR- and SOFR-based products you hold and the terms of
those that you are considering purchasing. Other products and
services offered by or through MSWM or its affiliates, such as
loans and mortgage products, may have different terms and
conditions and may be affected by the potential replacement of
LIBOR differently than LIBOR-based securities.
Reviewing Accounts
At account opening, your Graystone Consultant must ensure that,
and the Branch Manager (or the Branch Manager’s designee)
confirms that, the account and the investment style are appropriate
investments for you.
23
For traditional institutional consulting service accounts, your
Graystone Consultant is then responsible for reviewing your
account on an ongoing basis and will recommend different asset
allocations at any time according to market conditions. Your
Graystone Consultant will ask you at least annually if your
investment objectives have changed. If your objectives change,
your Graystone Consultant will modify your asset allocation to be
appropriate for your needs.
For Graystone discretionary service accounts, your Graystone
Consultant is then responsible for reviewing your account on an
ongoing basis and may adjust your portfolio and will recommend
different asset allocations at any time according to market
conditions. Your Graystone Consultant will ask you at least
annually if your investment objectives have changed. If your
objectives change, Graystone Consultant will modify your
portfolio to be appropriate for your needs.
See Item 4.A above for a discussion of account statements and
performance reporting.
Client Referrals and Other Compensation
See “Payments from Mutual Funds” and “Payments from
Managers” in Item 6.B above.
MSWM may compensate affiliated and unrelated third parties for
client referrals in accordance with Rule 206(4)-1 of the Advisers
Act. If the client invests in an investment advisory program, the
compensation paid to any such entity will typically consist of an
ongoing cash payment stated as a percentage of MSWM’s
advisory fee or a one-time flat fee but may include cash payments
determined in other ways.
Financial Information
MSWM is not required to include a balance sheet in this Brochure
because MSWM does not require or solicit prepayment of more
than $1,200 in fees per client, six months or more in advance.
MSWM does not have any financial conditions that are
reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet its contractual
commitments to clients.
MSWM and its predecessors have not been the subject of a
bankruptcy petition during the past ten years.
24
Exhibit: Affiliated Money Market Funds Fee Disclosure Statement and Float Disclosure Statement
Sweep Vehicles in Retirement Accounts
Retirement Accounts generally effect temporary sweep transactions of new free credit balances into Deposit Accounts
established under the Bank Deposit Program.
The table below describes the fees and expenses charged to assets invested in shares of the money market funds in which the
account invests (expressed as a percentage of each fund’s average daily net assets for the stated fiscal year). Note that:
• The rate of Advisory Fee and Distribution and Service Fees (including 12b-1 fees) (whether in basis points or dollars) may
not be increased without first obtaining shareholder approval.
• Expenses designated as “Other Expenses” include all expenses not otherwise disclosed in the table that were deducted
from each fund’s assets or charged to all shareholder accounts in the stated fiscal year (and may change from year to year).
These fees and expenses may be paid to MSWM and its affiliates for services performed. The aggregate amount of these fees
is stated in the tables below. The amounts of expenses deducted from a fund’s assets are shown in each fund’s statement of
operations in its annual report.
Morgan Stanley Investment Management (and/or its affiliates) may, from time to time, waive part or all of its advisory fee or
assume or reimburse some of a fund’s operating expenses. (This may be for a limited duration.) Such actions are noted in the
fund’s prospectus and/or statement of additional information. The table below shows the Total Annual Fund Operating
Expenses (before management fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) and the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements.
MSWM expects to provide services as a fiduciary (as that term is defined under ERISA or the Code) with respect to Retirement
Accounts. MSWM believes that investing in shares of the funds for sweep purposes may be appropriate for Retirement Plans
because using professionally managed money market funds allows you to access cash on an immediate basis, while providing
a rate of return on your cash positions pending investment. As is typical of such arrangements, we use only affiliated money
funds for this purpose.
MSWM also believes that investing a Retirement Account’s assets in the Deposit Accounts may also be appropriate. Terms of
the Bank Deposit Program are further described in the Bank Deposit Program Disclosure Statement, which has been provided
to you with your account opening materials.
The fund expense information below reflects the most recent information available to us as of December 31, 2024, and is
subject to change. Please refer to the funds’ current prospectuses, statements of additional information and annual reports for
more information.
Fund
Advisory
Fee
Distribution
and Service
Fees
Shareholder
Service Fee
Other
Expenses
Total
Annual
Fund
Operating
Expenses
Total Annual Fund
Operating Expenses
After Fee Waivers
and/or Expense
Reimbursements
MSILF Government
Securities-
Participant Share
Class
0.15%
0.25%
0.25%
0.08%
0.73%
0.45%
MS U.S. Government
Money Market Trust
0.15%
N/A
0.10%
0.10%
0.35%
0.35%
Interest Earned on Float
If MSWM is the custodian of your account, MSWM may retain as compensation, for providing services, the account’s
proportionate share of any interest earned on cash balances held by MSWM (or an affiliate) with respect to assets awaiting
investment including:
•
new deposits to the account (including interest and dividends) and
25
•
uninvested assets held by the account caused by an instruction to the custodian to buy and sell securities (which may, after
the period described below, be automatically swept into a sweep vehicle).
This interest is generally at the prevailing Federal Funds interest rate.
Generally, with respect to such assets awaiting investment:
o when the custodian receives the assets on a day on which the NYSE is open (“Business Day”) and before the NYSE
closes, the custodian earns interest through the end of the following Business Day and
o when the custodian receives the assets on a Business Day but after the NYSE closes, or on a day which is not a Business
Day, the custodian earns interest through the end of the second following Business Day.
26
Additional Brochure: OUTSOURCED CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICE (OCIO) (2026-06-30)
View Document Text
Form ADV Wrap Fee Program Brochure
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
Outsourced Chief Investment Office (OCIO) Program
June 30, 2026
2000 Westchester Avenue
Purchase, NY 10577
Tel: (914) 225-1000
Fax: (614) 283-5057
www.morganstanley.com
This wrap fee program brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Morgan
Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“MSWM”). If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact
us at (914) 225-1000. The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about MSWM also is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Registration
with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Item 2: Material Changes
There are no material changes to the ADV brochure since the
version of this brochure dated March 28, 2025.
Page 2
Item 3: Table of Contents
Item 1: Cover Page .................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Item 2: Material Changes ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Item 3: Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Item 4: Services, Fees and Compensation .................................................................................................................................................. 4
A. General Description of Programs ............................................................................................................................................. 4
OCIO ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
MSFO ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Account Opening ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Investment Restrictions ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
Trade Confirmations, Account Statements and Performance Reviews .................................................................................... 6
Risks ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Fees .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
B. Comparing Costs ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8
C. Additional Fees ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Funds in Advisory Programs .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Cash Sweeps .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
D. Compensation to MSWM ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
Item 5: Account Requirements and Types of Clients ........................................................................................................................... 12
Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation ............................................................................................................................... 12
A. Selection and Review of Portfolio Managers and Funds for the Program ............................................................................. 12
Calculating Portfolio Managers’ Performance ....................................................................................................................... 12
B. Conflicts of Interest ................................................................................................................................................................ 12
C. Financial Advisors Acting as Portfolio Managers .................................................................................................................. 15
Description of Advisory Services .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Performance-Based Fees ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies .................................................................................................................... 15
Policies and Procedures Relating to Voting Client Securities ................................................................................................ 15
Item 7: Client Information Provided to Portfolio Managers .................................................................................................................. 16
Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio Managers ................................................................................................................................... 16
Item 9: Additional Information .............................................................................................................................................................. 16
Disciplinary Information ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
Code of Ethics ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Client Referrals and Other Compensation ............................................................................................................................. 19
Financial Information ............................................................................................................................................................. 19
Exhibit A: Tax Management Terms and Conditions .............................................................................................................. 20
Exhibit B: Affiliated Money Market Funds Fee Disclosure Statement ............................................................................... 23
Page 3
allocation decisions, manager selection and review, and
comprehensive monitoring of the client’s portfolio.
Item 4: Services, Fees and Compensation
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley Wealth
Management”, “MSWM”, “we” or “us”), is a registered
investment adviser and a registered broker-dealer. MSWM is
one of the largest financial services firms in the U.S. with
branch offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
investment
advisory
programs
Where a client appoints MSWM as the discretionary investment
manager, MSWM will assume responsibility for asset
allocation, the implementation of all investment strategies as
well as the selection, approval, on-going monitoring, and
termination of the Investment Product in the account. Where
MSWM acts as a non-discretionary investment adviser,
MSWM recommends Investment Products and clients retain the
authority on allocation decisions as well as decisions to
terminate any Investment Product. In certain cases, an internal
portfolio management team within MSWM will be responsible
for exercising this discretion utilizing model portfolios, which
may hold one type of Investment Product, including ETFs,
mutual funds, or SMAs, or may invest in a combination of such
Investment Products. MSWM also provides the client with
on-going financial management services such as investment
performance reporting, administration, trade execution and
custody.
MSWM offers clients many different advisory programs that
have different features and support different
types of
investment strategies. You may obtain ADV Brochures for
other MSWM
at
www.morganstanley.com/ADV or by asking your Financial
Advisor, your Private Wealth Advisor if you are a Morgan
Stanley Private Wealth Management client, or your
Institutional Consultant if you are Morgan Stanley Graystone
Consulting client. Throughout the rest of this Brochure,
“Financial Advisor” means your Financial Advisor, Private
Wealth Advisor, Institutional Consultant, or another registered
representative of the Firm, as applicable.
MSWM is a Fiduciary to You.
At the inception of the relationship, , MSWM will conduct a
review of the investment policy, asset allocation, and assets in
the client’s current portfolio following these key steps:
•
Investment Policy Statement – MSWM will assist
the client in the preparation of an investment policy
statement (“IPS”) in order to evaluate and articulate
the clients risk tolerance and investment objectives.
In doing so, MSWM will assist the client in identifying
its needs for liquidity, income, growth of income,
growth of principal and preservation of capital. The
IPS will assist the client in selecting and developing an
investment strategy and will assist
appropriate
MSWM in executing such strategies.
In addition, we provide services as a “fiduciary” (as that term is
defined in Section 3(21)(A) of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and/or
Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”)), with respect to “Retirement Accounts” (as that
term is described herein). For purposes of this brochure
(including the Exhibits), the term “Retirement Account” will be
used to cover (i) “employee benefit plans” (as defined under
Section 3(3) of ERISA, which include pension, defined
contribution profit-sharing and welfare plans sponsored by
private employers, as well as similar arrangements
sponsored by governmental or other public employers,
which are generally not subject to ERISA; (ii) individual
retirement accounts, or “IRAs” (as described in Section 4975 of
the Code); and (iii) “Coverdell Educational Savings Accounts
(“CESAs”).
A. General Description of Programs
• Current Portfolio Analysis – MSWM will
complete a thorough evaluation of a client’s current
investment program, including investment structure,
individual components of each fund, fee structures,
manager selection process, possible conflicts of
interest, peer universe comparisons and on-going
evaluation procedures. The analysis will culminate
in a business evaluation of all contracts, custodial
documents and performance monitors.
• Asset Allocation Analysis - MSWM will complete
an analysis of the asset allocation and the basis for
asset allocation decisions. The analysis will assist
the client in understanding the modeling process and
will lead to an estimate as to the client’s needs for
updates and the frequency with which such uptakes
will be provided. This is a key component in
MSWM’s risk management evaluation process.
Outsourced Chief Investment Office (OCIO)
Outsourced Chief Investment Office or “OCIO” services are
generally offered to institutional, family office and high net
worth clients. In OCIO, a client appoints MSWM as the
discretionary or non-discretionary investment adviser to select
or recommend, as applicable,
investments affiliated or
unaffiliated mutual funds, exchange traded funds, collective
investment trusts, hedge funds/alternative investment funds, or
investment management firms (“subadvisors” or “managers”)
to manage the client’s account assets (collectively “Investment
Products”). In addition to these investment management
and/or investment advisory services, MSWM will also provide
custodial, trade execution and related services for a single asset
based fee, generally referred to as a “wrap fee”. OCIO is
designed to manage the overall investment process, including
investment policy decisions, asset and investment style
Cash Management. A client may elect discretionary cash
management services, whereby MSWM invests and reinvests
the proceeds of the account in accordance with the client’s
investment criteria, concentration limits and other requirements
as stated in the client’s IPS or a quantifiable rules matrix (
“Matrix”) as a supplement to the client’s IPS. Generally, the
4
Morgan Stanley Family Office (MSFO)
In certain instances, MSWM will provide investment advisory
services using the OCIO platform through the Morgan Stanley
MSFO provides
Family Office business (“MSFO”).
investment advisory and administrative services to ultra-high
net worth family offices.
entire cash management portfolio is invested in short duration
fixed income and cash equivalent investments. The IPS or
Matrix is provided to the client for review and approval. When
the client agrees that it is consistent with their investment goals,
MSWM will manage that cash portfolio according to the IPS or
Matrix. If assets held in the account fall outside of the IPS or
Matrix, MSWM will generally liquidate such assets in an
orderly manner within a commercially reasonable amount of
time. If the client revises the IPS or Matrix documents,
MSWM will update the IPS or Matrix and obtain the client’s
approval of the new IPS or Matrix
Defined Contribution Plans
In OCIO, MSWM also provides discretionary investment
advisory for participant directed defined contribution and non-
qualified deferred compensation plans (“Participant Directed
Plans”). In addition to discretionary investment management,
clients may receive non-discretionary administrative services
which include, plan sponsor education, plan provider search
support, plan services and expense review, and employee
education. These are not investment advisory services and
MSWM does not assume status as a fiduciary under ERISA, the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or any other applicable law or
regulation in performing these services. MSWM provides the
following administrative services:
Tax Management. Tax Management Services is an account
feature whereby MSWM shall seek to limit net realized capital
gains when implementing equity transactions in your account.
.You may elect tax management (“Tax Management”) services
for the account by instructing your Financial Advisor, and
indicating what Maximum Tax or Realized Capital Gain
Instructions you desire. The Tax Management Terms and
Conditions attached to this Brochure as Exhibit A will govern
Tax Management services in your account.
• Plan Sponsor Education – MSWM makes educational
materials available to plan fiduciaries. The available
materials may cover topics such as retirement plan
administration, fiduciary responsibilities, plan design
features and investments.
to develop strategies relating
Alternative Investments Performance Reporting Service.
MSWM offers alternative investments performance reporting
capabilities. MSWM offers clients the ability to receive
periodic reports that provide historical performance reporting
of their alternative investments that were not purchased through
MSWM. In addition, MSWM will consider these alternative
investments for purposes of its performance monitoring and
asset allocation analysis.
• Employee Education – MSWM shall collaborate with the
to participant
Client
enrollment and ongoing employee education, and MSWM
can work with the plan to deliver general financial and
investment information relating to such concepts as
diversification, asset allocation, retirement planning and
plan participation.
its sponsor,
information as reported by
The alternative investments historical performance information
provided by this service is based upon information provided,
directly or indirectly, to MSWM by the issuer of the alternative
investment manager or
investment, or by
administrator (“Performance Reporting AI”).
MSWM’s
ability to provide historical or other performance reporting on
alternative investments is dependent upon its ability to obtain
such information from each Performance Reporting AI. The
performance reporting enables the client to receive from
MSWM periodic reports containing the client’s historical
performance
the applicable
Performance Reporting AI.
• Plan Provider Search Support. MSWM shall assist
Client with the preparation and distribution of requests for
proposals (“RFP”) with respect to Client's search for a
party to provide recordkeeping or related services for the
plan and shall provide assistance with the evaluation of
RFP responses and corresponding finalist interviews and
conversion support. Not available for Non-Qualified
Deferred Compensation Plans.
• Plan Services and Expense Review.
MSWM shall
provide Client with a report for the purpose of assisting
Client with the review of various fees and plan expenses as
they relate to the services provided by the plan. This
report will generally consist of an overall assessment of
current services and expenses, as well as a comparison of
such services and expenses to those incurred by other plans
of similar size and composition. Not available for Non-
Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans.
Account Opening
To enroll in any program described in this brochure, you must
enter into the program client agreement (“Client Agreement”).
The reporting service and asset allocation analysis are not
intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation
by MSWM of any alternative investment and MSWM is not
evaluating the appropriateness of the initial investment or the
continued investment in the alternative investments reported on
as a part of this service. In addition, the service does not
constitute, create or impose a fee-based brokerage relationship,
a fiduciary relationship or an investment advisory relationship
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, with
regard to the provision of the investments covered under this
service. If the Client is an employee benefit plan or is
otherwise subject to ERISA, MSWM is NOT acting as a
fiduciary (as defined in ERISA) with the respect to the
provision of these reporting services as described herein).
MSWM is not responsible for and will not provide tax reporting
with respect to any alternative investment reported on under this
service.
5
impose
reasonable
Investment Restrictions
You may
restrictions on account
investments. For example, you may restrict MSWM or the
managers from buying specific equity securities, a category of
equity securities (e.g., tobacco companies) or Fund shares. If
you restrict a category of securities, we or the manager will
determine which specific securities fall within the restricted
category. In doing so, we or the manager may rely on research
provided by independent service providers. Any restrictions
you impose on individual securities will not be applied to the
Fund’s underlying holdings since Funds operate in accordance
with the investment objectives and strategies described in their
prospectuses.
tax consequences. Moreover,
in
favor of
$1.00 per share, they cannot guarantee they will do so. The price
of other money market funds will fluctuate and when you sell
shares they may be worth more or less than originally paid.
Money market funds may, and in certain circumstances will,
impose a fee upon the redemption of fund shares. Please review
your money market fund’s prospectus to learn more about the
use of redemption or liquidity fees. In addition, if a money
market fund that seeks to maintain a stable $1.00 per share
experiences negative yields, it also has the option of converting
its stable share price to a floating share price, or to cancel a
portion of its shares (which is sometimes referred to as a
“reverse distribution mechanism” or “RDM”). Investors in
money market funds that cancel shares will lose money and
may experience
in some
circumstances, money market funds may cease operations when
the value of a fund drops below $1.00 per share. In that event,
the fund’s holdings will likely be liquidated and distributed to
the fund’s shareholders. This liquidation process can be
prolonged and last for months. During this time, these funds
would not be available to you to support purchases, withdrawals
and, if applicable, check writing or ATM debits from your
account.
Trade Confirmations, Account Statements and
Performance Reviews
MSWM may serve as the custodian and provide you with
written confirmation of securities transactions, and account
statements at least quarterly. You may waive the receipt of trade
alternative methods of
confirmations
communication where available. You may also receive mutual
fund prospectuses, where appropriate.
liability
interests
We provide performance monitoring to clients on a case-by-
case basis in a format and with a frequency as requested by the
client.
Risks Relating to Master Limited Partnerships. Master
Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) are limited partnerships or
(limited
companies whose
limited
partnerships or limited liability companies units) are generally
traded on securities exchanges like shares of common stock.
Investments in MLPs entail different risks, including tax risks,
than is the case for other types of investments.
Currently, most MLPs operate in the energy, natural resources
or real estate sectors. Investments in such MLP interests are
subject to the risks generally applicable to companies in these
sectors (including commodity pricing risk, supply and demand
risk, depletion risk and exploration risk). Depending on the
ownership vehicle, MLP interests are subject to varying tax
treatment. Please see “Tax and Legal Considerations” below
and any Fund prospectus by asking your Financial Advisor.
Risks
All trading in an account is at your risk. The value of the assets
held in an account is subject to a variety of factors, such as the
liquidity and volatility of the securities markets. Investment
performance of any kind is not guaranteed, and MSWM’s past
performance with respect to other accounts does not predict
future performance with respect to any particular account. In
addition, certain investment strategies that MSWM may use in
the programs have specific risks, including those associated
with investments in common stock, fixed income securities,
American Depositary Receipts, Funds and the investments
below. You should consult with your Financial Advisor
regarding the specific risks associated with the investments in
your account.
Risks Relating to Funds that Primarily Invest in Master
Limited Partnerships. In addition to the risks outlined above
relating to Master Limited Partnerships, Funds that primarily
invest in MLPs generally accrue deferred tax liability. The
fund’s deferred tax liability (if any) is reflected each day in the
fund’s net asset value. As a result, the fund’s total annual
operating expenses may be significantly higher than those of
funds that do not primarily invest in MLPs. Please see the Fund
prospectus for additional information.
Risk Relating to ETFs. There may be a lack of liquidity in
certain ETFs, which can lead to a large difference between the
bid-ask prices (increasing the cost to you when you buy or sell
the ETF). A lack of liquidity also may cause an ETF to trade at
a large premium or discount to its net asset value. Additionally,
an ETF may suspend issuing new shares and this may result in
an adverse difference between the ETF’s publicly available
share price and the actual value of its underlying investment
holdings. At times when underlying holdings are traded less
frequently, or not at all, an ETF’s returns also may diverge from
the benchmark it is designed to track.
Risks Relating to Funds that Pursue Complex or Alternative
Investment Strategies or Returns. These Funds may employ
various investment strategies and techniques for both hedging
and more speculative purposes such as short selling, leverage,
derivatives and options, which can increase volatility and the
risk of investment loss. Alternative investment strategies are
not appropriate for all investors.
Risks Relating to Money Market Funds. You could lose
money in money market funds. Although money market funds
classified as government funds (i.e., money market funds that
invest 99.5% of total assets in cash and/or securities backed by
the U.S government) and retail funds (i.e., money market funds
open to natural person investors only) seek to preserve value at
While mutual funds and ETFs may at times utilize non-
traditional investment options and strategies, they have
different investment characteristics from unregistered privately
Because of regulatory
offered alternative investments.
limitations, mutual funds and ETFs may not invest in as broad
a spectrum of investments as privately offered alternative
6
a private equity fund alongside, but not through the main fund.
In addition to the above risks related to alternative investments,
co-investments are subject to enhanced concentration risk.
Risks Relating to Differing Classes of Securities. Different
classes of securities have different rights as creditor if the issuer
For example,
files for bankruptcy or reorganization.
than
bondholders’ rights generally are more favorable
shareholders’ rights in a bankruptcy or reorganization.
Tax and Legal Considerations
investments. As a result, investment returns and portfolio
characteristics of alternative mutual funds may vary from
traditional hedge funds pursuing similar investment objectives.
They are also more likely to have relatively higher correlation
with traditional market returns than privately offered alternative
investments. Moreover, traditional hedge funds have limited
liquidity with long “lock-up periods allowing them to pursue
investment strategies without having to factor in the need to
meet client redemptions. On the other hand, mutual funds
typically must meet daily client redemptions. This differing
liquidity profile can have a material impact on the investment
returns generated by a mutual fund pursuing an alternative
investing strategy compared with a traditional hedge fund
pursuing the same strategy.
Neither MSWM nor any of our affiliates provide tax or legal
advice and, therefore, are not responsible for developing,
implementing or evaluating any tax or legal strategies that may
be employed by the client. The client should develop any such
strategies or address any tax-related issues with a qualified tax
adviser or any legal issues with a qualified attorney.
Non-traditional investment options and strategies are often
employed by a portfolio manager to further a Fund’s investment
objective and to help offset market risks. However, these
features may be complex, making it more difficult to
understand the Fund’s essential characteristics and risks, and
how it will perform in different market environments and over
various periods of time. They may also expose the Fund to
increased volatility and unanticipated risks particularly when
used in complex combinations and/or accompanied by the use
of borrowing or “leverage”.
Investment in MLPs entails different risks, including tax risks,
than is the case for other types of investments. Investors in
MLPs hold “units” of the MLP (as opposed to a share of
corporate stock) and are technically partners in the MLP.
Holders of MLP units are also exposed to the risk that they will
be required to repay amounts to the MLP that are wrongfully
distributed to them. Almost all MLPs have chosen to qualify for
partnership tax treatment. Partnerships do not pay U.S.
federal income tax at the partnership level. Rather, each
partner of a partnership, in computing its U.S. federal income
tax liability, must include its allocable share of the partnership’s
income, gains, losses, deductions, expenses and credits. A
change in current tax law, or a change in the business of a given
MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such
MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its
taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation
for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of
reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the
MLP and could cause any such distributions received by the an
investor to be taxed as dividend income. If you have any
questions about the tax aspects of investing into an MLP, please
discuss with your tax advisor.
to Alternative Investments. Alternative
Risks Relating
investments have different features and risks than other types of
investment products. As further described in the offering
documents of any particular alternative investment, alternative
investments can be highly illiquid, are speculative and are not
appropriate for all
investors. For example, alternative
investments may place substantial limits on liquidity and the
redemption rights of investors, including only permitting
withdrawals on a limited periodic basis and with a significant
period of notice and may impose early withdrawal fees.
Alternative investments are intended for experienced and
sophisticated investors who are willing to bear the high
economic risks of the investment. Investors should carefully
review and consider potential risks before investing. Certain of
these risks may include: 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 the fund and none expected to develop;
volatility of returns; restrictions on transferring interests in the
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 advisor
risk. Alternative investment products may also have higher fees
(including multiple layers of fees) compared to other types of
investments.
Investors in MLP portfolios will receive a Schedule K-1 for
each MLP in the portfolio, so they will likely receive numerous
Schedule K-1s. Investors will need to file each Schedule K-1
with their federal tax return.
Also, investors in MLP
portfolios may be required to file state income tax returns in
states where the MLPs in the portfolio operate. Since some
Schedule K-1s may not be provided until after the due date for
the federal or state tax return, investors in MLP portfolios may
need to obtain an extension for filing their federal or state tax
returns.
Please discuss with your tax advisor how an
investment in MLPs will affect your tax return.
Tax laws impacting MLPs may change, and this could impact
any tax benefits that may be available through investment in an
MLP portfolio.
Individual funds will have specific risks related to their
investment programs that vary from fund to fund. For more
details on these and other features and risks, please carefully
read the documentation (including risk disclosures) relating to
any selected Investment Option, as well as your Client
Agreement.
Risks Relating to Co-investments. A co-investment is an
investment in a specific transaction made by limited partners of
7
Fees
The maximum asset-based fee for your account in the OCIO
Program is 1.750% (“OCIO Fee”).
assist fiduciaries and plan sponsors of those retirement plans
that are subject to the requirements of ERISA in assessing the
reasonableness of their plan’s contracts or arrangements with
us, including the reasonableness of our compensation. This
information (the services we provide as well as the fees) is
provided to you at the outset of your relationship with us and is
set forth in your Client Agreement with us (including the Fee
table, other exhibits and, as applicable, this document), and then
at least annually to the extent that there are changes to any
investment-related disclosures for services provided as a
fiduciary under ERISA.
The OCIO Fee is payable as described in the Client Agreement.
Generally, the initial Fee is due in full on the date you open your
account at MSWM and is based on the market value of the
account on that date. The initial fee payment covers the period
from the opening date through (at your election) the last day of
the current quarter or the next full calendar quarter and is
prorated accordingly. Thereafter, the Fee is paid quarterly in
advance based on the account’s market value on the last day of
the previous calendar quarter and is due promptly. The Client
Agreement authorizes MSWM to deduct fees when due from
the assets contained in the account. In addition, certain clients
may select to pay the fees for services as a hard dollar fee based
on equivalent asset-based fee parameters described above.
The fee you pay to MSWM is negotiable based on a number of
factors, including but not limited to the type and size of the
account and the range of services provided by MSWM. In
special circumstances, and with the client’s agreement, the fee
may be more than the maximum annual fee stated above.
In addition to the fee described above, you shall also pay a fee
to the manager of an SMA (which generally ranges up to
0.75%) and/or the expense ratios of mutual funds, ETFs, and
other pooled investment vehicles directly.
B. Comparing Costs
The primary service that you are purchasing is the Firm’s
discretionary management of your portfolio pursuant to certain
program guidelines. Cost comparisons are difficult because this
particular service is not offered in other advisory programs.
Depending on the level of trading and types of securities
purchased or sold in your account, if purchased separately, you
may be able to obtain transaction execution at a higher or lower
cost at MSWM or elsewhere, than the fee in these programs.
However, such transactions could not be executed on a
discretionary basis in a brokerage account. In addition, MSWM
offers other programs where discretionary portfolio
management is provided by affiliated or unaffiliated third party
investment managers and the fees in those programs may be
higher or lower than the fees in these programs. Those
programs involve the discretionary portfolio management
decisions of third party investment managers and not your
Financial Advisor.
You should consider these and other differences when deciding
whether to invest in an investment advisory or a brokerage
account and, if applicable, which advisory programs best suit
your individual needs.
C. Additional Fees
If you open an account in one of the programs described in this
brochure, you will pay us an asset-based fee for investment
advisory services, custody of securities, trade execution through
MSWM, and client reporting. The program fees do not cover:
•
the costs of investment management fees and other
expenses charged by Funds (see below for more details);
Accounts Related for Billing Purposes. When two or more
investment advisory accounts are related together for billing
purposes, you can benefit even more from existing breakpoints.
If you have two accounts, the “related” fees on Account #1 are
calculated by applying your total assets (i.e. assets in Account
#1 + assets in Account #2) to the Account #1 breakpoints.
Because this amount is greater than the amount of assets solely
in Account #1, you may have a greater proportion of assets
subject to lower fee rates, which in turn lowers the average fee
rate for Account #1. This average fee rate is then multiplied by
the actual amount of assets in Account #1 to determine the
dollar fee for Account #1. Likewise, the total assets are applied
to the Account #2 breakpoints to determine the average fee rate
for Account #2, which is then multiplied by the actual amount
of assets in Account #2 to determine the dollar fee for Account
#2. For more information about which of your accounts are
grouped in a particular billing relationship, please contact your
Financial Advisor.
•
Only certain accounts may be related for billing purposes, based
on the law and MSWM’s policies and procedures. Even where
accounts are eligible to be related under these policies and
procedures, they will only be related if this is specifically
agreed between you and the Financial Advisor. For more
information about which of your accounts are grouped in a
particular Billing Relationship, please contact your Financial
Advisor.
“mark-ups,” “mark-downs,” and dealer spreads (A) that
MSWM or its affiliates may receive when acting as
principal in certain transactions where permitted by law or
(B) that other broker-dealers may receive when acting as
principal in certain transactions effected through MSWM
and/or its affiliates acting as agent, which is typically the
case for dealer market transactions (e.g., fixed income,
over-the-counter equity, and foreign exchange (“FX”)
conversions in connection with purchases or sales of FX-
denominated securities and with payments of principal and
interest dividends on such securities);
•
ERISA Fee Disclosure for Retirement Accounts.
In
accordance with Department of Labor regulations under
Section 408(b)(2) of ERISA, MSWM is required to provide
certain information regarding our services and compensation to
fees or other charges that you may incur in instances where
a transaction is effected through a third party and not
through us or our affiliates (such fees or other charges will
be included in the price of the security and not reflected as
8
a separate charge on your trade confirmations or account
statements);
Expense Payments and Data Analytics” (together, the “Mutual
Fund and ETF Brochures”), which can be found at
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclosures.
The Mutual
Fund and ETF Brochures are also available from your Financial
Advisor on request.
• MSWM account establishment or maintenance fees for its
Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRA”) and Versatile
Investment Plans (“VIP”), which are described in the
respective IRA and VIP account and fee documentation
(which may change from time to time);
•
account closing/transfer costs;
(subject
•
processing fees or
•
(including,
among other
Fund family representatives are allowed to occasionally give
nominal gifts to Financial Advisors, and to occasionally
entertain Financial Advisors
to an aggregate
entertainment limit of $1,000 per employee per fund family per
year). MSWM’s non-cash compensation policies set conditions
for each of these types of payments, and do not permit any gifts
or entertainment conditioned on achieving any sales target.
certain other costs or charges that may be imposed by third
things, odd-lot
parties
differentials, transfer taxes, foreign custody fees, exchange
fees, supplemental transaction fees, regulatory fees and
other fees or taxes that may be imposed pursuant to law).
MSWM also provides Fund families with the opportunity to
purchase data analytics regarding Fund sales. The amount of the
fee depends on the level of data. We also offer sponsors of
passively-managed ETFs a separate transactional data feed.
Additional fees apply for those Fund families that elect to
purchase supplemental data analytics regarding financial
product sales at MSWM. For more information regarding these
payments, as well as others, please refer to the Mutual Fund and
ETF Brochures described above.
Funds in Advisory Programs
Investing in strategies that invest in mutual funds, closed-end
funds and ETFs (collectively referred to in this Funds in
Advisory Programs Section as “Funds”) is more expensive than
other investment options offered in your advisory account. In
addition to our fee, you pay the fees and expenses of the Funds
in which your account is invested. Fund fees and expenses are
charged directly to the pool of assets the Fund invests in and are
reflected in each Fund’s share price. These fees and expenses
are an additional cost to you that is embedded in the price of the
Fund, and therefore, are not included in the fee amount in your
account statements. Each mutual fund and ETF expense ratio
(the total amount of fees and expenses charged by the Fund) is
stated in its prospectus. The expense ratio generally reflects the
costs incurred by shareholders during the Fund’s most recent
fiscal reporting period. Current and future expenses may differ
from those stated in the prospectus.
You do not pay any sales charges for purchases of Funds in
programs described in this brochure. However, some Funds
may charge, and not waive, a redemption fee on certain
transaction activity in accordance with the policies described in
the applicable prospectus.
Conflicts of Interest regarding the Above-Described Expense
Payments and Fees for Data Analytics. The above described
fees present a conflict of interest for Morgan Stanley and our
Financial Advisors to promote and recommend those Funds that
make these payments in advisory program accounts rather than
other eligible investments that do not make these or similar
payments. Further, in aggregate, we receive significantly more
support from participating revenue sharing sponsors and mutual
funds that pay administrative services fees with the largest
client holdings at our firm, as well as those sponsors that
provide significant sales expense payments and/or purchase
data analytics. This in turn could lead Morgan Stanley and/or
our Financial Advisors and Branch Managers to focus on those
Fund families. In addition, since our revenue sharing support
fee program utilizes rates that are higher for Funds with higher
management fees, we have a conflict of interest to promote and
recommend Funds that have higher management fees.
In order to mitigate these conflicts, Financial Advisors and their
Branch Managers do not receive additional compensation as a
result of the fees and data analytics payments received by
Morgan Stanley.
Other Compensation. Morgan Stanley or its affiliates receive,
from certain Funds, compensation in the form of commissions
and other fees for providing traditional brokerage services,
including related research and advisory support, and for
purchases and sales of securities in Fund portfolios. We
and/or our affiliates also receive other compensation for certain
Funds for financial services performed for the benefit of such
Funds, including but not limited to providing stand-by liquidity
facilities. Providing these services may give rise to a conflict
of interest for Morgan Stanley or its affiliates to place their
interests ahead of those of the Funds by, for example, increasing
fees or curtailing services, particularly in times of market stress.
Expense Payments and Fees for Data Analytics. MSWM
provides Fund families with opportunities to sponsor meetings
and conferences and grants them access to our branch offices
and Financial Advisors for educational, marketing and other
promotional efforts. Some Fund representatives work closely
with our branch offices and Financial Advisors to develop
business strategies and support promotional events for clients
and prospective clients, and educational activities. Some Fund
families or their affiliates will reimburse MSWM for certain
expenses incurred in connection with these promotional efforts,
client seminars, and/or training programs. Fund families
independently decide if and what they will spend on these
activities, with some Fund families agreeing to make a
substantial annual dollar amount expense reimbursement
Fund families also invite our Financial
commitments.
Advisors to attend Fund family-sponsored events. Expense
payments may include meeting or conference facility rental fees
and hotel, meal and travel charges. For more information
regarding the payments MSWM receives from Fund families,
please refer to the brochures titled “Mutual Fund Features,
Share Classes and Compensation” and “ETF Revenue Sharing,
9
intermediaries for record keeping and administrative services,
which generally carry lower overall costs and would thereby
increase our investment return, you will need to do so directly
with the mutual fund or through an account at another financial
intermediary.
Morgan Stanley prohibits linking the determination of the
amount of brokerage commissions and/or fees charged to a
Fund to the aggregate values of our overall Fund-share sales,
client holdings of the Fund or to offset the revenue-sharing,
administrative service fees, expense reimbursement and data
analytics fees described above. Financial Advisors and their
Branch Managers receive no additional compensation as a
result of these payments received by Morgan Stanley.
Please note, we may offer non-Advisory Share Classes of
mutual funds (i.e., those that are subject to 12b-1 fees) if, for
example, a fund does not offer an Advisory Share Class that is
equivalent to those offered here. In such instance, MSWM will
rebate directly to clients holding such fund any such 12b-1 fees
that we receive. Once we make an Advisory Share Class
available for a particular mutual fund, clients can only purchase
the Advisory Share Class of that fund.
In addition, we generally seek to be reimbursed for the
associated operational and/or technology costs of adding an/or
maintaining Funds on our platform. These flat fees are paid
by Fund sponsors or other affiliates (and not the Funds).
Financial Advisors and their Branch Managers do not receive
compensation for recommending Funds that have reimbursed
Morgan Stanley for our costs.
If you hold non-Advisory Share Classes of mutual funds in your
advisory account or seek to transfer non-Advisory Share
Classes of mutual funds into your advisory account, MSWM
(without notice to you) will convert those shares to Advisory
Share Classes to the extent they are available. This will
typically result in your shares being converted into a share class
that has a lower expense ratio, although exceptions are possible.
Subject to limited exceptions, any fees that you pay while
holding non-Advisory Share Classes (e.g., sales loads, 12b-1
fees, etc.) will not be offset, rebated or refunded to you when
your non-Advisory Share Class is converted into an Advisory
Share Class.
investing and negatively
impact
On termination of your advisory account for any reason, or the
transfer of mutual fund shares out of your advisory account, we
may convert any Advisory Share Classes of funds into a share
class that is available in non-advisory accounts or we may
redeem these fund shares altogether. Non-Advisory Share
Classes generally have higher operating expenses than the
corresponding Advisory Share Class, which will increase the
investment
cost of
performance.
Affiliated Funds. Certain Funds are sponsored or managed by,
or receive other services from, MSWM and its affiliates, which
include, but are not limited to, Morgan Stanley Investment
Management, Eaton Vance, Boston Management and Research,
Calvert Research
and Management, Atlanta Capital
Management Company and Parametric Portfolio Associates.
Where you invest in mutual funds where the investment adviser
is a MSWM affiliate, in addition to the program fee paid by
clients, MSWM and its affiliates may also receive investment
management fees and related administrative fees. Since the
affiliated sponsor or manager receives additional investment
management fees and other fees, MSWM has a conflict to
recommend MSWM affiliated mutual funds. In order to
mitigate this conflict, Financial Advisors do not receive
additional compensation for recommending proprietary and/or
affiliated funds. Additionally, affiliated Funds and sponsors are
subject to the same economic arrangements with MSWM as
those that MSWM has with third-party Funds. MSWM’s
affiliates have entered into administrative services and revenue
sharing agreements with MSWM as described above.
To the extent that such funds are offered to and purchased by
Retirement Accounts, the advisory fee on any such account will
be reduced, or offset, by the amount of the fund management
fee, shareholder servicing fee and distribution fee we, or our
affiliates, may receive in connection with such Retirement
Account’s investment in such affiliated managed fund.
the
In
Cash Sweeps
Generally, some portion of your account will be held in cash. If
MSWM acts as custodian for your account, it will effect
“sweep” transactions of free credit balances in your account
into interest-bearing deposit accounts (“Deposit Accounts”)
established under the Bank Deposit Program (“BDP”). For most
clients, BDP will be the only available cash sweep. The interest
rates for BDP in your account will be tiered based upon the
value of the BDP balances across your brokerage and advisory
accounts. The BDP assets in your advisory accounts receive
separate interest rates from deposits in your brokerage accounts
and are set forth in: https://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-
general/ratemonitor. Generally, the rate on BDP will be lower
than
limited
rate on other cash alternatives.
circumstances, such as clients ineligible for BDP, MSWM may
sweep some or all of your cash into money market mutual funds
(each, a Money Market Fund”). These Money Market Funds
are managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.
or another MSWM affiliate.
It is important to note that free credit balances and allocations
to cash including assets invested in sweep investments are
included in your account’s fee calculation hereunder.
Mutual Fund Share Classes. Mutual funds typically offer
different ways to buy fund shares. Some mutual funds offer
only one share class while most funds offer multiple share
classes. Each share class represents an investment in the same
mutual fund portfolio, but assesses different fees and expenses.
Many mutual funds have developed specialized share classes
designed for various advisory programs (“Advisory Share
Classes”). In general, Advisory Share Classes are not subject to
either sales loads or ongoing marketing, distribution and/or
service fees (often referred to as “12b-1 fees”), although some
may assess fees for record keeping and related administrative
services, as disclosed in the applicable prospectus. MSWM
typically utilizes Advisory Share Classes that compensate
MSWM for providing such administrative services to its
advisory clients. If you wish to purchase other types of
Advisory Share Classes, such as those that do not compensate
If your account is a Retirement Account, you should read
Exhibit B to this Brochure, entitled “Affiliated Money Market
10
Funds Fee Disclosure Statement and Float Disclosure
Statement”.
MSWM, acting as your custodian, will effect sweep
transactions only to the extent permitted by law and if you meet
the eligibility criteria. Under certain circumstances (as
described in the Bank Deposit Program Disclosure) eligible
deposits in BDP may be sent to non-affiliated Program Banks
(; this additional feature may provide enhanced FDIC coverage
to you as well as funding value benefits to the Morgan Stanley
Sweep Banks. For eligibility criteria applicable to this
additional feature and BDP generally, please refer to the Bank
Deposit Program Disclosure Statement which is available at:
http://www.morganstanley.com/wealth-
investmentstrategies/pdf/BDP_disclosure.pdf.
deposits that are sent to a Program Bank depending on the
funding value considerations of the Morgan Stanley Sweep
Banks and the capacity of the depository networks that allocate
deposits to the Program Banks. In addition to the benefits to the
Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks, you may also benefit from
having deposits sent to the Program Banks by receiving FDIC
insurance on deposit amounts that would otherwise be
uninsured. .In return for receiving deposits through BDP, the
Program Banks provide other deposits to the Morgan Stanley
Sweep Banks. This reciprocal deposit relationship provides a
low-cost source of funding, and capital and liquidity benefits to
both the Program Banks and the Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks.
The Program Banks pay a fee to a Program Administrator in
connection with the reciprocal deposits, but the cost of that fee
is not borne directly by Morgan Stanley clients.
The Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks have discretion in setting the
interest rates paid on deposits received through BDP, and are
under no legal or regulatory requirement to maximize those
interest rates. The Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks and the
Program Banks can and sometimes do pay higher interest rates
on some deposits they receive directly than they pay on deposits
received through BDP. This discretion in setting interest rates
creates a conflict of interest for the Morgan Stanley Sweep
Banks. The lower the amount of interest paid to customers, the
greater is the “spread” earned by the Morgan Stanley Sweep
Banks on deposits through the Program, as explained above.
By contrast, money market funds (including Morgan Stanley
affiliated money market funds) have a fiduciary duty to seek to
maximize their yield to investors, consistent with their
disclosed
investment and risk-management policies and
regulatory constraints.
Conflicts of Interest Regarding Sweep Investments. If BDP is
your sweep, you should be aware that the Sweep Banks, which
are affiliates of MSWM, will pay MSWM an annual account-
based flat fee for the services performed by MSWM with
respect to BDP. MSWM and the Sweep Banks will review such
fee annually and, if applicable, mutually agree upon any
changes to the fee to reflect any changes in costs incurred by
MSWM. Your Financial Advisor will not receive a portion of
these fees or credits. In addition, MSWM will not receive
cash compensation or credits in connection with the BDP for
assets in the Deposit Accounts for Retirement Accounts.
Also, the affiliated Sweep Banks have the opportunity to earn
income on the BDP assets through lending activity, and that
income is usually significantly greater than the fees MSWM
earns on affiliated Money Market Funds. Thus, in its capacity
as custodian, MSWM has a conflict of interest in connection
with BDP being the default sweep, rather than an eligible
Money Market Fund.
If your cash sweeps to a Money Market Fund, as available, then
the account, as well as other shareholders of the Money Market
Fund, will bear a proportionate share of the other expenses of
the Money Market Fund in which the account’s assets are
invested.
If your cash sweeps to a Money Market Fund, you understand
that MSIM (or another MSWM affiliate) will receive
compensation, including management fees and other fees, for
managing the Money Market Fund. We receive compensation
from such Money Market Funds at rates that are set by the
funds’ prospectuses and currently range, depending on the
program in which you invest, from 0.10% per year ($10 per
$10,000 of assets) to 0.25% per year ($25 per $10,000 of assets)
of the total Money Market Fund assets held by our clients.
Please review your Money Market Fund’s prospectus to learn
more about the compensation we receive from such funds.
In addition, MSWM, the Sweep Banks and their affiliates
receive other financial benefits in connection with the BDP.
Through the BDP, each Sweep Bank will receive a stable, cost-
effective source of funding. Each Sweep Bank intends to use
deposits in the Deposit Accounts at the Sweep Bank to fund
current and new businesses, including lending activities and
investments. The profitability on such loans and investments is
generally measured by the difference, or “spread,” between the
interest rate paid on the Deposit Accounts at the Sweep Banks
and other costs of maintaining the Deposit Accounts, and the
interest rate and other income earned by the Sweep Banks on
those loans and investments made with the funds in the Deposit
Accounts. The cost of funds for the Morgan Stanley Sweep
Banks of deposits through the sweep program in ordinary
market conditions is lower than their cost of funds through
some other sources, and the Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks also
receive regulatory capital and liquidity benefits from using the
sweep program as a source of funds as compared to some other
funding sources. The income that a Sweep Bank will have the
opportunity to earn through its lending and investing activities
in the ordinary market conditions is greater than the fees earned
by us and our affiliates from managing and distributing the
money market funds which may be available to you as a sweep
investment.
We have a conflict of interest as we have an incentive to only
offer affiliated Money Market Funds in the Cash Sweep
program, as MSIM (or another affiliate) will receive
compensation for managing the Money Market Fund. We also
have a conflict of interest as we offer those affiliated funds and
share classes that pay us more compensation than other funds
and share classes. You should understand these costs because
they decrease the return on your investment. In addition, we
intend to receive revenue sharing payments from MSIM in the
event a Money Market Fund waives its fees in a manner that
reduces the compensation that we would otherwise receive.
Morgan Stanley has added Program Banks to the BDP in order
to maximize the funding value of the deposits in BDP for the
Morgan Stanley Sweep Banks. On any given day, you may have
11
records, and reviewing client accounts & positions where the
calculated returns deviate from established thresholds.
B. Conflicts of Interest
MSWM has various conflicts of interest, described below.
We either rebate to clients or do not receive compensation on
sweep Money Market Fund positions held in our fee-based
advisory accounts. Unless your account is a Retirement
Account, the fee will not be reduced by the amount of the
Money Market Fund management fee or any shareholder
servicing and/or distribution or other fees we or our affiliates
may receive in connection with the assets invested in the Money
Market Fund. For additional information about the Money
Market Fund and applicable fees, you should refer to each
Money Market Fund’s prospectus.
Compensation to MSWM
Advisory vs. Brokerage Accounts. MSWM and your Financial
Advisor may earn more compensation if you invest in a
program described in this Brochure than if you open a
brokerage account to buy individual securities (although, in a
brokerage account, you would not receive all the benefits of the
programs described in the Brochure). In such instance, your
Financial Advisors and MSWM have a financial incentive to
recommend one of these programs described in this Brochure.
We address this conflict of interest by disclosing it to you and
by requiring Financial Advisors’ supervisors to review your
account at account-opening to ensure that it is appropriate for
you in light of matters such as your investment objectives and
financial circumstances.
D.
A portion of the advisory fee payable to us in connection with
your account is allocated on an ongoing basis to your MSWM
Financial Advisor. The amount allocated to your MSWM
Financial Advisor in connection with accounts opened in
programs described in this brochure may be more than if you
participated in other MSWM investment advisory programs, or
if you paid separately for investment advice, brokerage and
other services. MSWM may therefore have a financial
incentive to recommend one of the programs in this brochure
instead of other MSWM programs or services.
Payments from Managers. Managers may also sponsor their
own educational conferences and pay expenses of Financial
Advisors attending these events. MSWM’s policies require that
the training or educational portion of these conferences
comprises substantially the entire event. Managers may sponsor
educational meetings or seminars in which clients as well as
Financial Advisors are invited to participate.
If you invest in the program described in this brochure, MSWM
may charge a fee less than the maximum fee stated above. The
amount of the fee you pay is a factor we use in calculating the
compensation we pay your MSWM Financial Advisor.
Therefore, MSWM Financial Advisors have a financial
incentive not to reduce fees.
Payments from Mutual Funds and Managers. Please see
the discussion in Item 4 C.
Managers are allowed to occasionally give nominal gifts to
Financial Advisors, and to occasionally entertain Financial
Advisors, subject to a limit of $1,000 per employee per year.
MSWM’s non-cash compensation policies set conditions for
each of these types of payments, and do not permit any gifts or
entertainment conditioned on achieving a sales target.
Item 5: Account Requirements and
Types of Clients
MSWM offers its services described in this brochure to
corporations, Taft Hartley funds, endowments, and
foundations, public and private retirement funds including
401(k) plans, family offices and high net worth individuals.
Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection and
We address conflicts of interest by ensuring that any payments
described in this “Payments to Managers” section do not relate
to any particular transactions or investment made by MSWM
clients with managers. Fund managers or subadvisors
participating in programs described in this Brochure are not
required to make any of these types of payments. The
payments described in this section comply with FINRA rules
relating to such activities. Please see the discussion under
“Funds in Advisory Programs” in Item 4.C for more
information.
Evaluation
A. Selection and Review of Portfolio Managers
and Funds for the Program
Please refer to Section 4 A. for a complete description.
reviews
for client accounts, which
Calculating Portfolio Managers’ Performance
In the program described in this brochure, we calculate
system. MSWM’s
a proprietary
performance using
performance
Performance Reporting Group
information
includes daily
reconciliation of positions reported in the firm’s proprietary
performance calculation system against the firm’s books and
Payments from Managers of Alternative Investments.
Managers of alternative investments offered in the program
described in this Brochure may agree to pay us additional fees.
We have a conflict of interest in offering alternative
investments because we or our affiliates earn more money in
your account from your investments in alternative investments
than from other investment options. However, in cases where
we receive a portion of the management fee paid by you to a
manager of an alternative investment and we charge a program
fee under the program in this Brochure, we credit such fee to
your account (excluding
the program participation and
administrative service fees described below, as applicable).
Also, we do not share this money with your Financial Advisor
(i.e. the compensation we pay to your Financial Advisor is not
12
affected by the payments we receive from the alternative
investments). Therefore, your Financial Advisor does not
have a resulting incentive to buy alternative investments in your
account, or to buy certain alternative investments rather than
other alternative investments in any of the program in this
Brochure.
and postings (“QMS Transactions,” together with Liquidity
Events, “Transactions”) of interests (“Securities”) in eligible
alternative investment funds, and (B) identifying potential
indications of interest (“IOIs”) to sell Securities from potential
sellers. Alts QMS is made available to clients by Morgan
Stanley Wealth Management via a service provider. Sellers
will not be charged any commissions in connection with a
Transaction effected through the Alts QMS. The buyer will
pay commissions to the service provider, and Morgan Stanley
Wealth Management may receive a portion of any such
commissions charged on a Transaction.
the aggregate net asset value of
HedgePremier Program Participation Fees. If you make an
investment in a HedgePremier Feeder as a consulting client,
you will be subject to a program participation fee (“Program
Participation Fee”), a portion of which will be paid to MSWM
or its affiliate as an ongoing administrative servicing fee (the
“HedgePremier Administrative Servicing Fee”). Such
HedgePremier Administrative Servicing Fee is intended to
compensate MSWM for certain investor servicing support
provided in respect of investors in the HedgePremier Feeder.
the
Depending on
HedgePremier Feeders, MSWM will receive a HedgePremier
Administrative Servicing Fee of up to 0.10% per annum from
investors with an aggregate amount invested in HedgePremier
Feeders (minus redemptions or withdrawals) (the “Aggregate
Invested”) of less than $5,000,000. MSWM will not receive a
HedgePremier Administrative Servicing Fee from any investor
in a HedgePremier Feeder with an Aggregate Invested of
$5,000,000 or greater, although such investment will still be
subject to the applicable Program Participation Fee. The
Program Participation Fee and, as such, the HedgePremier
Administrative Servicing Fee, are not charged to certain
retirement accounts. While you remain in the programs in this
Brochure, your Financial Advisor will not receive any portion
of the HedgePremier Administrative Servicing Fee.
Oversubscripton Policy. From time to time, MSWM may
have limited access to opportunities to place clients in, or
recommend client to, alternative investments, particularly in the
case of certain private equity and real estate opportunities.
Under these circumstances, when MSWM aggregate client
subscriptions for an alternative investment exceed the capacity
given to MSWM by the alternative investment manager, the
alternative investment will be oversubscribed. Where an
alternative investment is oversubscribed, MSWM will reduce
MSWM employee orders in the first instance as a general matter
which may result
in MSWM reducing an employee’s
commitment to the oversubscribed alternative investment to
zero. If the alternative investment remains oversubscribed
after a reduction in employee orders, MSWM will reduce client
orders on a pro rata basis to address the oversubscription of the
alternative investment until MSWM capacity is met. MSWM
is not required to allot or prioritize a client for any additional
capacity that may become available following the client’s
subscription for your reduced amount in such alternative
investment. MSWM may change its policy to ensure that the
process, as it relates to its advisory clients, remains fair,
equitable and consistent with its fiduciary duty to such clients.
Affiliate Acting as Portfolio Manager. Where permitted by
law, and except for plan accounts, an affiliate of MSWM may
have been selected to act as the manager for one or more your
investments. Where this occurs, we or our affiliates earn more
money than from other investment options. These relationships
create a conflict of interest for us or our affiliates, as there is a
financial incentive to recommend the investments. We address
this conflict of interest by disclosing it to you and by requiring
your consent.
Platform Sponsor Fees and Administrative Servicing Fees –
Illiquid Feeders and SPVs. If you make an investment in a
private equity, private credit or private real estate feeder fund
(the “Illiquid Feeders”) established by an affiliate of
Institutional Capital Network, Inc. (“iCapital”), MSWM be
paid an Administrative Servicing Fee of up to 0.08% per annum
of the applicable fee base (as described in the offering
memorandum for each Illiquid Feeder). If you make an
investment in a special purpose vehicle established to acquire a
particular underlying security or group of related securities or
other assets (“SPV”), established by an affiliate of iCapital,
MSWM will be paid a one-time/up-front Administrative
Servicing Fee up to 0.25% of your commitment amount for
each SPV (as described in the offering memorandum for each
SPV). The Administrative Services Fee is intended to
compensate MSWM for certain investor servicing support
provided in respect of investors in each of these Illiquid Feeders
or SPVs. The amount of the Administrative Services Fee may
be reduced under certain circumstances if reduced, such
reduction will be paid to iCapital Strategies LLC, the third-
party general partner or administrator, as applicable, of the
relevant Illiquid Feeder or SPV.Finally, an affiliate of MSWM
has made an investment in iCapital. As a result, MSWM has
an indirect interest in the increased profitability of iCapital
through the promotion of its feeder fund business.
MSWM as Placement Agent. MSWM also acts as placement
investments whereby such
agent for certain alternative
investments are available through MSWM on a non-advisory
basis. When an alternative investment is purchased on a
placement basis, different terms and conditions, including
different fee arrangements, may apply. For example, when a
client invests on a placement basis, they do not pay an ongoing
advisory fee, however, they pay an upfront placement fee and
the program manager receives a higher program participation
fee which is shared with MSWM and its Financial Advisors. A
Client investing on an advisory basis may pay higher fees, in
the aggregate, than if such investment had been made on a
placement basis.
Morgan Stanley Alternatives Secondaries
- Qualified
Matching Service (“Alts QMS”). Alts QMS is a tool to assist
clients in (A) identifying potential bids (“Bids”) from potential
buyers for both organized liquidity events (“Liquidity Events”)
MSWM and its affiliates may give
Different Advice.
different advice, take different action, receive more or less
compensation, or hold or deal in different securities for any
13
securities. These restrictions may adversely impact your
account performance.
other party, client or account (including their own accounts or
those of their affiliates) from the advice given, actions taken,
compensation received or securities held or dealt for your
account.
MSWM, the managers and their affiliates may also develop
analyses and/or evaluations of securities sold in a program
described in this brochure, as well as buy and sell interests in
securities on behalf of its proprietary or client accounts. These
analyses, evaluations and purchase and sale activities are
proprietary and confidential, and MSWM will not disclose them
to clients. MSWM may not be able to act, in respect of clients’
account, on any such information, analyses or evaluations.
MSWM, investment managers and their affiliates are not
obligated to effect any transaction that MSWM or a manager or
any of their affiliates believe would violate federal or state law,
or the regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory body.
Trading or Issuing Securities in, or Linked to Securities in,
Client Accounts. MSWM and its affiliates may provide bids
and offers, and may act as principal market maker, in respect of
the same securities held in client accounts. MSWM, the
investment managers in its programs, and their affiliates and
employees may hold a position (long or short) in the same
securities held in client accounts. MS & Co. and/or its affiliates
are regular issuers of traded financial instruments linked to
securities that may be purchased in client accounts. From time
to time, the trading of MSWM, a manager or their affiliates –
both for their proprietary accounts and for client accounts – may
be detrimental to securities held by a client and thus create a
conflict of interest between those trades and the investment
advisory services that MSWM provides to you. We address
this conflict by disclosing it to you.
Research Reports. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MS & Co.”)
does business with companies covered by its research groups.
Furthermore, MS & Co and its affiliates may hold a trading
position (long or short) in., the securities of companies subject
to such research. Therefore, MS & Co. has a conflict of interest
that could affect the objectivity of its research reports.
random allocation or
rotation allocation).
trading systems
Trade Allocations. MSWM may aggregate the securities to be
sold or purchased for more than one client to obtain favorable
execution to the extent permitted by law. Trades may then be
allocated in a manner that is equitable and consistent with
MSWM’s fiduciary duty to its clients (including pro rata
allocation,
Allocation methods vary depending on various factors
(including the type of investment, the number of shares
purchased or sold, the size of the accounts, and the amount of
available cash or the size of an existing position in an account).
The price to each client is the average price for the aggregate
order.
Certain Trading Systems. MSWM may effect trades or
securities lending transactions on behalf of client accounts
through exchanges, electronic communication networks or
other alternative
(“Trading Systems”),
including Trading Systems with respect to which MSWM or its
affiliates may have a direct or indirect ownership interest or the
right to appoint a board member or observer. If MSWM
directly or indirectly effects client trades through Trading
Systems in which MSWM or its affiliates have an ownership
interest, MSWM or its affiliates may receive an indirect
economic benefit based on their ownership interest. In addition,
subject at all times to best execution for its customers’ orders,
it is contemplated that MSWM will route certain customer order
flow to its affiliates.
Currently, MSWM or its affiliates own equity interests (or
interests convertible into equity) of 5% or more in certain
Trading Systems or their parent companies and/or have a
member of the Board of certain trading systems (or their parent
companies),,
including (1) MEMX Holdings LLC; (2)
OTCDeriv; (3) EOS Precious Metals Limited; (4) CreditDeiv
Limited; (5) FXGLOBALCLEAR; (6) Yensai.com Co., Ltd;
(7) Octaura Holdings LLC (8) Copeland Markets LLC; and (9)
ICE Clear Credit LLC.
Services Provided to Other Clients. MSWM, investment
managers and their affiliates provide a variety of services
(including research, brokerage, asset management, trading,
lending and investment banking services) for each other and for
various clients, including issuers of securities that MSWM may
recommend for purchase or sale by clients or are otherwise held
in client accounts, and investment management firms in the
programs described in this brochure. MS & Co., investment
managers and their affiliates receive compensation and fees in
connection with these services. MSWM believes that the nature
and range of clients to which such services are rendered is such
that it would be inadvisable to exclude categorically all of these
companies from an account. Accordingly, it is likely that
securities in an account will include some of the securities of
companies for which MSWM, investment managers and their
affiliates or an affiliate performs investment banking or other
services.
Certain Trading Systems offer cash credits for orders that
provide liquidity to their books and charge explicit fees for
orders that extract liquidity from their books. From time to time,
the amount of credits that MSWM and/or MS & Co. receive
from one or more Trading System may exceed the amount that
is charged. Under these limited circumstances, such payments
would constitute payment for order flow.
Certain Trading Systems through which MSWM and/or MS &
Co. may directly or indirectly effect client trades execute
transactions on a “blind” basis, so that a party to a transaction
does not know the identity of the counterparty to the
Restrictions on Securities Transactions. There may be periods
during which MSWM or investment managers are not
permitted to initiate or recommend certain types of transactions
in the securities of issuers for which MSWM or one of its
affiliates is performing broker-dealer or investment banking
services or has confidential or material non-public information.
Furthermore, in certain investment advisory programs, MSWM
may be compelled to forgo trading in, or providing advice
regarding, Morgan Stanley securities, and in certain related
14
C. Financial Advisors Acting as Portfolio
Managers
transaction. It is possible that an order for a client account that
is executed through such a Trading System could be
automatically matched with a counterparty that is (i) another
investment advisory or brokerage client of MSWM or one of its
affiliates or (ii) MSWM or one of its affiliates acting for its own
proprietary accounts.
Description of Advisory Services
See Item 4.A above for a description of the services offered in
the programs described in this brochure.
Affiliated Sweep Investments. MSWM has a conflict of
interest in selecting or recommending BDP or Money Market
Funds as the Sweep Investment. See Item 4.C above for more
information.
in Underwriting Syndicate; MSWM
MSWM Affiliate
Distribution of Securities; Other Relationships with Security
Issuers. If an affiliate of MSWM is a member of the
underwriting syndicate from which a security is purchased, we
or our affiliates may directly or indirectly benefit from such
purchase. If MSWM participates in the distribution of new issue
securities that are purchased for a client’s account, MSWM will
receive a fee, to be paid by the issuing corporation to the
underwriters of the securities and ultimately to MSWM, which
will be deemed additional compensation to us, if received by
us.
including
Performance-Based Fees
In limited circumstances, MSWM has entered into
performance fee arrangements with qualified MSFO
clients. Such fee arrangements are subject to individual
negotiation with each such client. Because Financial
Advisors manage accounts with different fee schedules,
the Financial Advisor has an incentive to favor clients or
accounts with a performance-based fee over other clients
or accounts and to make investments that are beyond a
client’s risk tolerance and investment objectives in order
to generate excess returns and thereby increase the
performance-based fees. To address these conflicts of
interest, we have adopted policies and procedures
reasonably designed to ensure that allocation decisions
are not influenced by fee arrangements and investment
opportunities will be allocated in a manner that we believe
to be consistent with our obligations as an investment
adviser and reasonably designed to ensure that we solely
recommend investments that are consistent with each
client’s risk tolerance and investment objectives.
Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies
MSWM Financial Advisors in the program described in this
brochure may use any investment strategy when providing
investment advice to you. Financial Advisors may use asset
allocation recommendations of the MSWM Global Investment
Committee (the “MSWM GIC”), the OCIO Investment
Committee (the “OCIO Committee”) or the MSFO Investment
Committee (the “MSFO Committee”) as a resource but, if so,
there is no guarantee that any strategy will in fact mirror or track
these recommendations. The OCIO and MSFO Committees
are composed of various MSWM investment professionals.
The recommendations of the OCIO and MSFO Committees
will be targeted to the OCIO program and may at times differ
from the recommendations of the MSWM GIC. Investing in
securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to
bear.
result
in exchanges,
Policies and Procedures Relating to Voting Client
Securities
If you have an OCIO account you may elect to:
• Retain authority and responsibility to vote proxies for
your account or
• Delegate discretion to vote proxies to a third party
(other than MSWM).
MSWM and/or its affiliates have a variety of relationships with,
and provide a variety of services to, issuers of securities
recommended for client accounts,
investment
banking, corporate advisory and services, underwriting,
consulting, and brokerage relationships. As a result of these
relationships with an issuer, MSWM or its affiliates may
directly or indirectly benefit from a client’s purchase or sale of
a security of the issuer. For example, MSWM or its affiliates
may provide hedging services for compensation to issuers of
structured investments (such as structured notes) recommended
for client accounts. In such a case, MSWM or its affiliates could
benefit if a client account purchased such an instrument, or sold
such an instrument to another purchaser in lieu of selling or
redeeming the instrument back to the issuer, as such
transactions could result in the issuer of the instrument
continuing to pay MSWM or its affiliates fees or other
compensation for the hedging services related to such
instrument. Similarly, if the hedging service with respect to
such an instrument is not profitable for MSWM or its affiliates,
MSWM or its affiliates may benefit if MSWM’s client accounts
holding such instruments sold or redeemed them back to the
issuer. Also, in the event of corporate actions with respect to
securities held in client accounts, to the extent such corporate
actions
tender offers or similar
transactions, MSWM and/or its affiliates may participate in
and/or advise on such transactions and receive compensation.
The interest of MSWM’s affiliates in these corporate actions
may conflict with the interest of MSWM clients. In addition,
where an affiliate of MSWM is representing or advising the
issuer in a transaction, the interest of the issuer may conflict
with client interests and create a potential conflict of interest for
MSWM. MSWM also provides various services to issuers,
their affiliates and insiders, including but not limited to, stock
plan services and financial education for which MSWM
receives compensation.
Unless you delegate discretion to a third party to vote proxies,
we will forward to you, or your designee, any proxy materials
15
that we receive for securities in your account. We cannot
advise you on any particular proxy solicitation
certain undertakings related to fee billing, books and records
and client notices and to pay a civil penalty of $13,000,000.
We will not provide advice or take action with respect to legal
proceedings (including bankruptcies) relating to the securities
in your account, except to the extent required by law.
Item 7: Client Information Provided to
Portfolio Managers
Your Financial Advisor has access to the information you
provide at - and subsequent to - account opening (the “Client
Information”), including, but not limited to, your name,
address, contact information, transaction detail, information
regarding your investment objectives, financial information,
risk tolerance, and any reasonable restrictions you may impose
on management of your account. This includes information in
the client profile and investment questionnaire you complete (or
your Financial Advisor completes for you) as part of the
account opening process.
Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio
Managers
• On February 14, 2017, the SEC entered into a settlement
order with MSWM settling an administrative action. The
SEC found that from March 2010 through July 2015,
MSWM solicited approximately 600 non-discretionary
advisory accounts to purchase one or more of eight single
inverse exchange traded funds (“SIETFs”), without fully
complying with its internal written compliance policies and
procedures related to these SIETFs, which among other
things required that clients execute a disclosure notice,
describing the SIETF’s features and risks, prior
to
purchasing them, for MSWM to maintain the notice, and for
subsequent related reviews to be performed. The SEC
found that, despite being aware of deficiencies with its
compliance and documentation of the policy requirements,
MSWM did not conduct a comprehensive analysis to identify
and correct past failures where the disclosure notices may not
have been obtained and to prevent future violations from
occurring. The SEC found that, in relation to the foregoing,
MSWM willfully violated section 206(4) of the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder.
MSWM admitted to certain facts and consented to a censure,
to cease and desist from committing or causing future
violations, and to pay a civil penalty of $8,000,000.
In the programs described in this brochure, you may contact
your MSWM Financial Advisor at any time during normal
business hours.
Item 9: Additional Information
Disciplinary Information
This section contains information on certain legal and
disciplinary events.
the FA, and reported
the fraud
to
including certifications
related
• On June 29, 2018, the SEC entered into a settlement order
with MSWM settling an administrative action which relates
to misappropriation of client funds in four related accounts
by a single former MSWM financial advisor (“FA”). The
SEC found that MSWM failed to adopt and implement
policies and procedures or systems reasonably designed to
prevent personnel from misappropriating assets in client
accounts. The SEC specifically found that, over the course
of eleven months, the FA initiated unauthorized transactions
in the four related client accounts in order to misappropriate
client funds. The SEC found that while MSWM policies
provided for certain reviews prior to issuing disbursements,
such reviews were not reasonably designed to prevent FAs
from misappropriating client funds. Upon being informed
of the issue by representatives of the FA’s affected clients,
MSWM promptly conducted an internal investigation,
terminated
law
enforcement agencies.
MSWM also fully repaid the
affected clients, made significant enhancements to its
policies, procedures and systems (“Enhanced MSWM
Policies”) and hired additional fraud operations personnel.
The SEC found that MSWM willfully violated section
206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder.
The SEC also found that MSWM failed to supervise the FA
pursuant to its obligations under Section 203(e)(6) of the
Advisers Act. MSWM consented, without admitting or
denying the findings, to a censure; to cease and desist from
to certain
committing or causing future violations;
undertakings,
the
to
implementation and adequacy of the Enhanced MSWM
Policies and to pay a civil penalty of $3,600,000.
• On January 13, 2017, the SEC entered into a settlement
order with MSWM (“January 2017 Order”) settling an
administrative action. The SEC found that from 2009
through 2015, MSWM inadvertently charged advisory fees
in excess of what had been disclosed to, and agreed to by,
its legacy CGMI (Citigroup Global Markets Inc., a
predecessor to MSWM) clients, and, from 2002 to 2009 and
from 2009 to 2016, MS&Co. and MSWM, respectively,
inadvertently charged fees in excess of what was disclosed
to and agreed to by their clients. The SEC also found that
MSWM failed to comply with requirements regarding
annual surprise custody examinations for the years 2011 and
2012, did not maintain certain client contracts, and failed to
adopt and implement written compliance policies and
procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”).
The SEC found that, in relation to the foregoing, MSWM
willfully violated certain sections of the Advisers Act. In
determining to accept the offer resulting in the January 2017
Order, the SEC considered the remedial efforts promptly
undertaken by MSWM.
MSWM consented, without
admitting or denying the findings, to a censure, to cease and
desist from committing or causing future violations, to
• On May 12, 2020, the SEC entered into a settlement order
with MSWM settling an administrative action which relates
16
reported the misconduct to SEC staff.
On its own
initiative, MSWM instituted new written procedures to
address the conduct at issue and retained an independent
compliance consultant to perform a review and assessment.
The SEC found that MSWM willfully violated section
206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers
Act”) and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder. The SEC also found
that MSWM failed to supervise the FAs within the meaning
of Section 203(e)(6) of the Advisers Act and/or Section
15(b)(4)(E) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
MSWM consented, without admitting or denying the
findings, to a censure; to cease and desist from committing
or causing future violations; to certain undertakings,
including the retention of an Independent Compliance
Consultant to review MSWM’s policies, procedures and
controls related to the conduct in the Order and to pay a civil
penalty of $15,000,000.
MSWM’s Form ADV Part 1 contains further information about
its disciplinary history, and is available on request from your
Financial Advisor
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
to accept
the order,
Morgan Stanley (“Morgan Stanley Parent”) is a financial
holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of
1956. Morgan Stanley Parent is a corporation whose shares
are publicly held and traded on the NYSE.
Activities of Morgan Stanley Parent. Morgan Stanley Parent is
a global firm engaging, through its various subsidiaries, in a
wide range of financial services including:
•
securities underwriting, distribution, trading, merger,
acquisition, restructuring, real estate, project finance and
other corporate finance advisory activities
• merchant banking and other principal investment activities
to certain information provided in marketing and client
communications to retail advisory clients in MSWM’s wrap
fee programs with third-party managers and MSWM’s
policies and procedures related to trades not executed at
MSWM. In the applicable wrap fee programs, the third-
party manager has the discretion to place orders for trade
execution on clients’ behalf at a broker-dealer other than
Morgan Stanley. MSWM permits managers to “trade away”
from MSWM in this manner in order to seek best execution
for trades. The SEC found that, from at least October 2012
through June 2017, MSWM provided incomplete and
inaccurate information indicating that MSWM executed
most client trades and that, while additional transaction-
based costs were possible, clients did not actually incur them
in the ordinary course. The SEC found that this information
was misleading for certain retail clients because some wrap
managers directed most, and sometimes all, client trades to
third-party broker-dealers for execution, which resulted in
certain clients paying transaction-based charges that were
not visible to them. The SEC also found that, on occasion,
wrap managers directed trades to MSWM-affiliated broker-
dealers in which clients incurred transaction-based charges
in violation of MSWM’s affiliate trading policies without
detection by MSWM. The SEC noted in the order that it
considered certain remedial acts undertaken by MSWM in
including MSWM
determining
enhancing its disclosures to clients, implementing training
of financial advisors, enhancing relevant policies and
procedures, and refunding clients’ transaction based charges
paid to Morgan Stanley affiliates. The SEC found that
MSWM willfully violated certain sections of the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940, specifically Sections 206(2) and
206(4) and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder. MSWM consented,
without admitting or denying the findings and without
adjudication of any issue of law or fact, to a censure; to cease
and desist from committing or causing future violations; and
to pay a civil penalty of $5,000,000.
•
brokerage and research services
•
asset management
•
trading of foreign exchange, commodities and structured
financial products and
•
global custody, securities clearance services, and securities
lending.
Broker-Dealer Registration. As well as being a registered
investment advisor, MSWM is registered as a broker-dealer.
Restrictions on Executing Trades. As MSWM is affiliated
with MS & Co., its affiliates, the following restrictions apply
when executing client trades:
• MSWM and MS & Co. generally do not act as principal
in executing trades for MSWM investment advisory
clients.
• Regulatory restrictions may limit your ability to purchase,
hold or sell equity and debt issued by Morgan Stanley
Parent and its affiliates in some investment advisory
programs.
• On December 9, 2024, the SEC entered into a settlement
order with MSWM settling an administrative action, which
relates to misappropriation of client funds in brokerage and
advisory accounts by four former MSWM financial advisors
(the “FAs”). The SEC found that MSWM failed to adopt
and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed
to prevent personnel from misusing and misappropriating
funds in client accounts and that MSWM’s inadequate
policies and procedures and systems to implement them led
to its failure reasonably to supervise the four FAs, who
misappropriated funds from client and customer accounts
while employed at MSWM. Specifically, the SEC found
that MSWM failed to adopt and implement policies and
procedures reasonably designed to prevent and detect
unauthorized externally-initiated ACH payments and
unauthorized cash wires. Upon being informed of the
potential unauthorized activity in the customer accounts of
two of the FAs, MSWM promptly investigated the matters,
terminated the FAs, reported the fraud to law enforcement
agencies, and fully repaid the affected clients. MSWM
also conducted a retroactive review of payment instructions
for externally-initiated ACH payment instructions, which
led to the identification of misconduct by the other two FAs.
MSWM accordingly terminated the other two FAs and
• Certain regulatory requirements may limit MSWM’s
through alternative
ability
to execute
transactions
17
services
execution
(e.g., electronic communication
networks and crossing networks) owned by MSWM, MS
& Co. or their affiliates.
These restrictions may adversely impact client account
performance.
activities that involve a material conflict of interest, possible
diversion of a corporate opportunity, or the appearance of
impropriety. Employees must always place the interests of
MSWM’s clients above their own and must never use
knowledge of client transactions acquired in the course of their
work to their own advantage. Supervisors are required to use
reasonable supervision to detect and prevent any violations of
the Code by the individuals, branches and departments that they
supervise.
The Code generally operates to protect against conflicts of
interest either by subjecting Employee activities to specified
limitations (including pre-approval requirements) or by
prohibiting certain activities. Key provisions of the Code
include:
Related Investment Advisors and Other Service Providers.
MSWM has related persons that are registered investment
advisers in various investment advisory programs (including
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., Morgan Stanley
Investment Management Limited and Consulting Group
Advisory Services LLC as well as Eaton Vance Management
and its affiliates). If you invest your assets and use an
affiliated firm to manage your account, MSWM and its
affiliates earn more money than if you use an unaffiliated firm.
Generally, for ERISA or other retirement accounts, MSWM
rebates or offsets fees so that MSWM complies with IRS and
Department of Labor rules and regulations.
• The requirement for certain Employees, because of their
potential access to non-public information, to obtain their
supervisors' prior written approval or provide pre-trade
notification before executing certain securities transactions
for their personal securities accounts;
• Additional restrictions on personal securities transaction
activities applicable to certain Employees (including
Financial Advisors and other MSWM employees who act
as portfolio managers in MSWM investment advisory
programs);
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and Eaton Vance
Management and its affiliates, serve in various advisory,
management, and administrative capacities to open-end and
closed-end investment companies and other portfolios (some of
which are listed on the NYSE). Morgan Stanley Services
Company Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary, provides limited
transfer agency services to certain open-end investment
companies.
• Requirements for certain Employees to provide initial and
annual reports of holdings in their Employee securities
accounts, along with quarterly transaction information in
those accounts; and
• Additional requirements for pre-clearance of other
activities including, but not limited to, Outside Business
Activities, Gifts and Entertainment, and U.S. Political
Contributions and Political Solicitations Activity.
You may obtain a copy of the Code of Ethics from your
Financial Advisor.
(including pursuant
Morgan Stanley Distributors Inc. serves as distributor for these
open-end investment companies, and has entered into selected
dealer agreements with MSWM and affiliates. Morgan Stanley
Distributors Inc. also may enter into selected dealer agreements
with other dealers. Under these agreements, MSWM and
affiliates, and other selected dealers, are compensated for sale
of fund shares to clients on a brokerage basis, and for
shareholder servicing
to plans of
distribution adopted by the investment companies pursuant to
Rule 12b-l under the Investment Company Act of 1940).
Reviewing Accounts
At account opening, your MSWM Financial Advisor must
ensure that, and the Financial Advisor’s Branch Manager
confirms that, the account and the investment style are
appropriate investments for you.
Related persons of MSWM act as a general partner,
administrative agent or special limited partner of a limited
partnership or managing member or special member of a
limited liability company to which such related persons serve
as adviser or sub-adviser and in which clients have been
solicited in a brokerage or advisory capacity to invest. In
some cases, the general partner of a limited partnership is
entitled to receive an incentive allocation from a partnership.
Your Financial Advisor is then responsible for reviewing your
account on an ongoing basis. We will ask you at least
annually if your investment objectives have changed. If your
objectives change, your Financial Advisor will recommend a
modification to your portfolio to be appropriate for your needs.
See Item 4.C above for a description of cash sweep investments
managed or held by related persons of MSWM.
See Item 4.A above for a discussion of account statements,
Investment Monitors.
See Item 6.B above for a description of various conflicts of
interest.
Client Referrals and Other Compensation
See “Payments from Managers” in Item 6.B above.
Code of Ethics
MSWM’s Investment Adviser Code of Ethics (“Code”) applies
to its employees, supervisors, officers and directors engaged in
offering or providing investment advisory products and/or
services (collectively, the “Employees”). In essence, the Code
prohibits Employees from engaging in securities transactions or
MSWM may compensate affiliated and unrelated third parties
for client referrals in accordance with Rule 206(4)-1 of the
Advisers Act. If the client invests in an investment advisory
program, the compensation paid to any such entity will
typically consist of an ongoing cash payment stated as a
18
percentage of MSWM’s advisory fee or a one-time flat fee, but
may include cash payments determined in other ways.
prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees per client, six months
or more in advance.
Financial Information
MSWM is not required to include a balance sheet in this
brochure because MSWM does not require or solicit
MSWM does not have any financial conditions that are
reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet its contractual
commitments to clients. MSWM and its predecessors have
not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition during the past ten
years.
19
Exhibit A
Tax Management Terms and Conditions
(These Tax Management Terms and Conditions apply only to clients who have notified their Financial Advisor
that they have elected Tax Management services)
A. INTRODUCTION
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“MSWM”) is the sponsor of the OCIO program. Tax Management Services, as described in these
Terms and Conditions (“Tax Management Services”), are available for OCIO accounts. In order to receive Tax Management Services,
the OCIO client (“Client”) must tell the Client’s Financial Advisor that the Client desires Tax Management Services, and what Maximum
Tax and Realized Capital Gain Instructions (see B. Below) the Client desires for the Client’s OCIO account (the “Account”). In that
event, these Tax Management Terms and Conditions will govern Tax Management in the Account. Tax Management Services enable
Client to instruct MSWM to seek to limit net realized capital gains (which are taxable for many investors) from transactions in equity
securities in the equity separate account sleeve(s) (as well as in transactions in certain exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and mutual
funds) in the Account”, as and to the extent described in this form. Overlay Manager incorporates the instructions provided on this
form (the ”Instructions”) into the Tax Management Services it provides until Client or MSWM terminates the Tax Management Services
or changes these Instructions by notifying Client’s MSWM Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor (collectively, “Financial
Advisor”).
Please review all Sections of these terms and conditions carefully for important information about Tax Management Services, including
the significant limitations and increased risk of loss associated with Tax Management Services. Tax Management Services do not
constitute a complete tax-sensitive management program and neither MSWM, Overlay Manager nor any of their affiliates, provides tax
advice or guarantees that Tax Management Services will produce a particular tax result. Client should consult a tax advisor in deciding
whether to elect Tax Management Services, what Instructions to provide in Section B below, and whether, when and how to update such
Instructions.
B. MAXIMUM TAX AND REALIZED CAPITAL GAIN INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS ACCOUNT
Client must provide a mandate, or indicate that no mandate is desired, by notifying the Client’s Financial Advisor, per the
Instructions listed below in this Section B. Utilize Instruction (1), (2) or (3) below by notifying the Financial Advisor of the desired
dollar amount(s) for each Instruction. Use instruction (4) below if not Maximum Tax Bill or Net Gain is desired. Carefully review all
Sections of this form for important related information, including the significant limitations and increased risk of loss associated with
Instructions.
1. Maximum TAX BILL Instruction (Based on Assumed Tax Rates) -- Each calendar year, seek to limit Federal tax bill from
net capital gains realized in the Account to the amount specified to the Financial Advisor. Delay transactions if necessary to do
so. For this purpose, calculate tax using assumed tax rates of 40.8% for short-term gains and 23.8% for long-term gains. Because
actual Client tax rates may vary from the assumed tax rates in this Instruction (for example, because of state and local taxes
and/or alternative minimum tax), actual Client tax liability from realized gains may exceed any dollar amount specified in this
Instruction. Please see Section 7 below, for information on possible consequences of Overlay Manager delaying transactions
in order to comply with this Instruction.
2. Maximum NET GAIN Instruction -- Each calendar year, seek to limit the aggregate of net short-term and long-term gains
realized in the Account realized in the Account to the amount specified to the Financial Advisor. Delay transactions if
necessary to do so. Please see Section 7 below, for information on possible consequences of Overlay Manager delaying
transactions in order to comply with this Instruction.
3. Maximum NET SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM GAIN Instructions -- Each calendar year, seek to limit net short-
term gains and net long-term gains realized in the Account to the amount specified to the Financial Advisor. Delay
transactions if necessary to do so. Please see Section 7 below, for information on possible consequences of Overlay Manager
delaying transactions in order to comply with this Instruction.
4. No Maximum Tax Bill, Maximum Net Gain or Maximum Net Short-Term or Long-Term Gain Instruction – Do not
seek to limit the maximum tax bill, net gain or net short-term or long-term gain to specified amounts.
CERTAIN IMPORTANT SERVICE FEATURES AND OTHER DISCLOSURES - The provisions of this Section C apply
C.
regardless of whether the Client provided a mandate or indicated that no mandate is desired, in accordance with Section B above.
1. Limited Scope of Tax Management Services. Tax Management Services do not: (a) affect management of any fixed income
separate account sleeve included in Client’s Account; (b) consider dividends in Client’s Account or any assets, transactions or
other activity outside the Account; or (c) include in tax loss selling any Master Limited Partnerships for which an IRS Schedule
K-1 is sent to the Client.
20
2. Changes to Tax Management Instructions. A future change in Client’s tax status and/or other tax-related developments,
including gains or losses outside Client’s Account, may prevent the Tax Management Services from producing the tax-related
effects Client desires and may make it advisable for Client to change the Instructions provided on this Form. Client should
contact Client’s MSWM Financial Advisor to make any changes in the Instructions. Unless MSWM requires written notice
of changes in these Instructions, Client may provide MSWM with oral notice of any such changes.
3. Tax-Loss Selling. For the purposes of these Instructions, “Wash Rule Eligible” securities shall be equity, ETF and mutual fund
securities in the Client’s Account (other than Master Limited Partnerships for which an IRS Schedule K-1 is sent to the Client)
for which a capital loss could be realized as a result of a sale, under the IRS “wash sale rules”. In identifying Wash Rule
Eligible securities, Overlay Manager will consider only identical securities, and only transactions in securities that take place
in the Client’s Account. Overlay Manager will seek to identify Wash Rule Eligible Securities, though it cannot guarantee that
a “wash sale” won’t occur. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the IRS will not view the replacement security as substantially
identical to the sold security, thereby resulting in a “wash sale”. If any net gains have been realized as of fifteen (15) days prior
to the last day of any or all of calendar quarter in any year(s) 1, 2, and/or 3, Overlay Manager will, within the following five
(5) business days and subject to the following sentence, sell Wash Rule Eligible Securities (excluding mutual fund securities),
to the extent needed (and available) to realize losses offsetting such realized net gains. If any unrealized losses are available
as of fifteen (15) days prior to the last day of the last calendar quarter, Overlay Manager will, within the following five (5)
business days and subject to the following sentence, sell Wash Rule Eligible Securities (including mutual fund securities), to
the extent available to realize all eligible losses. If, at any time during a calendar year, unrealized losses totaling an amount
equal to, or greater than, ten (10%) percent of the total account market value become available, Overlay Manager will sell all
Wash Rule Eligible Securities (excluding mutual fund securities). To realize losses as provided in the previous sentence,
Overlay Manager will only sell Wash Rule Eligible Security positions held at a dollar loss that is equal to or greater than $1000
for Accounts of more than $10 million and where the underlying unrealized tax lots hold an equal to or greater than 5% loss to
such lots original cost basis ($500 for Accounts of $5 million to $10 million, $300 for Accounts of $1 million to $5 million,
and $100 for Accounts less than $1 million). In effecting such sales, Overlay Manager will give first priority to selling any
Wash Rule Eligible security positions that are not recommended as part of the selected Investment Portfolio (“Non-Model
Securities”) and second priority to selling Wash Rule Eligible security positions that are recommended as part of such Portfolio
(“Model Securities”). In each case, the position with the largest dollar loss will be sold first (regardless of whether any gain or
loss is long-term or short-term). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Overlay Manager will not sell any position for the purpose
of realizing a loss as provided in this Section C.3, in a Client’s Account with an inception date more recent than 23 calendar
days prior to the last day of the current calendar quarter. This approach may result in (a) the Account’s holdings of Model
Securities varying significantly from the recommendations of the Sub-Manager(s) selected for the Account, and (b) the Account
missing future gains on securities sold in accordance with the foregoing.
4. Wash Sale Rules. Tax Management Services will attempt to prevent certain wash sale violations. If a security is sold at a
loss, the security will not be re-acquired for a separate account sleeve of the Account within thirty (30) days after the date of
sale. If the sold security is, or after the sale becomes, a Model Security, such security will be purchased for the Account after
such thirty (30) day period expires, if it is then still a Model Security. During the tax loss selling periods, Overlay Manager
will seek to invest the sale proceeds in an ETF representing a broad portion of the applicable security market (may be
predominantly or wholly U.S.). In the event that an ETF cannot be purchased without violating wash sale rules, the sale
proceeds will remain in cash. Thirty-one (31) days after the sale, Overlay Manager will sell any such ETF without regard for
any Instruction and, to the extent then consistent with the selected Investment Portfolio, invest the proceeds in the Model
Security originally sold at a loss.
5. Client Withdrawals, Fee Payments & ETFs. If sale transactions needed to generate funds for Client withdrawals or Account
fee payments would result in realized net gains exceeding an applicable Instruction, Overlay Manager will generate funds for
such withdrawals and payments by giving first priority to selling any Wash Rule Eligible Non-Model Security positions that
are not held at a gain; second priority to selling Wash Rule Eligible Model Security positions that are held at a loss (largest
dollar losses are realized first); third priority to selling any Wash Rule Eligible Non-Model Security positions held at a gain
(largest dollar gains are realized first); and fourth priority to selling Wash Rule Eligible Account Model Security positions as
needed to eliminate any overweights in such positions (largest overweights are eliminated first). This approach may result
in the Account’s realization of net gains that exceed an applicable Instruction and also may result in the Account’s holdings of
Model Securities varying significantly from the recommendations of the Sub-Manager(s) selected for the Account. In
addition, an Instruction will not be applied to sales of ETFs acquired and temporarily held at Client direction in connection
with a Client-directed tax loss harvesting. Overlay Manager will not sell ETFs in this situation if the sales result in realized
gains that exceed the Instruction provided by the Client as described in Section B, above.
6.
Increased Risk of Loss. Tax Management Services involve an increased risk of loss because they may result in the Account
not receiving the benefit (e.g., realized profit, avoided loss) of securities transactions and/or rebalancings that would otherwise
take place in accordance with investment decisions of Overlay Manager or MSWM and investment recommendations of Sub-
Managers selected for the Account. For example, if at any point during a calendar year, sales of securities in the Account’s
equity separate account sleeve(s) during such year have resulted in the specified maximum tax (calculated using the assumed
tax rates) or net capital gains, no more net capital gains will be realized in the Account during the remainder of the year (unless
offsetting losses are first realized). This may result in recommended security sale and/or purchase transactions and/or
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rebalancings made for other client accounts not being effected for Client’s Account. Any tax-related benefits that result from
Tax Management Services may be negated or outweighed by investment losses and/or missed gains (realized and unrealized)
that also may result.
7. Delayed Transactions. A transaction that is not effected for the Account when made for other client accounts because of an
Instruction will be implemented for the Account when the transaction is no longer inconsistent with the Instruction, if the
transaction is then consistent with the applicable Sub-Manager’s model portfolio or the rebalancing decisions of MSWM or
Overlay Manager. If multiple transactions not effected because of an Instruction simultaneously become consistent with the
Instruction, priority is given to effecting the largest such transaction, followed by the next largest and so on.
8. Funding Account with Securities. Client may fund the Account in whole or in part with equity and/or fixed income securities
acquired outside the Account (“Transferred Securities”). Funding the Account with Transferred Securities could result in the
Account being invested in a concentrated number of securities. Client understands and acknowledges that when an Account
is invested in a concentrated number of securities, a decline in the value of these securities would cause the value of the Account
to decline to a greater degree than that of a less concentrated portfolio. Overlay Manager will sell each Wash Rule Eligible
Transferred Security promptly after it is transferred into the Account and invest the proceeds in accordance with the Investment
Portfolio selected for the Account, unless and to the extent that (a) the Transferred Security is then recommended as part of
such Portfolio, or (b) subject to the 50% limitation described below, the sale of the Transferred Security would be contrary to
an applicable Instruction. The aggregate value of Transferred Security positions that are Non-Model Securities may not
exceed 50% of the Account’s value at Account inception or any later time a Non-Model Security is transferred into the Account.
If this limitation is exceeded, Overlay Manager will notify MSWM and MSWM will attempt to notify Client orally or in writing
so Client can take action to bring the Account into compliance with the 50% limitation. If no such action is taken and the
limitation is still exceeded sixty (60) calendar days later, Overlay Manager will sell as much of the Account’s Non-Model
Security positions as is necessary to bring the Account into compliance with the limitation, without regard for any gains that
may be realized. Overlay Manager will sell the Account’s largest Non-Model Security position first, then the next largest
Non-Model Security position, and so on.
9. Certain Non-Model Security Disclosures. (a) Account fees payable by Client will be based in part on the value of any Non-
Model Security held in an equity separate account sleeve of the Account; and (b) No discretionary or non-discretionary advice
as to the investment merits of continuing to hold a Non-Model Security will be provided as part of the CIO program and thus
there will be an increased risk of loss associated with holdings of Non-Model Securities—the larger any such holding, the
greater such risk of loss. Holding Non-Model Securities in a Client Account may adversely impact investment performance.
10. Tax Lot Sales Prioritization. When selling a security that is held in two or more tax lots except as provided in Section C.3
above, Overlay Manager will seek to minimize the capital gains tax consequences of the sale (and in doing so may consider
the holding periods (long-term or short-term) of the securities sold).
D.
CLIENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT
Client selects Tax Management Services, as described in this form, for the Account and acknowledges and agrees that: (i) Client has
read, understands and accepts this entire form, including without limitation the Instruction(s) given in Section B above and all risk,
service limitations and other disclosures included in Sections A, B, C and D of this form; (ii) this form supersedes and replaces any Tax
Management Services form previously provided, or tax management instructions previously given, by Client for the Account designated
below; (iii) Tax Management Services do not constitute tax advice or a complete tax management program; (iv) neither MSWM nor
any of its employees and affiliates provide tax advice, tax planning advice or legal advice; (v) the Tax Management Services are based
on, and depend substantially on, information and instructions provided by Client, which information and instructions are the Client’s
sole responsibility; (vi) in providing the Tax Management Services, MSWM will rely on the information provided by Client on this
form, and to the extent such information is inaccurate or incomplete, the Tax Management Services provided may be adversely affected;
(vii) there is no guarantee that the Tax Management Services will produce the desired tax results; (viii) the Tax Management Services
may result in the Account not receiving, in whole or in part, the benefit (e.g., realized profit, avoided loss) of rebalancing and/or securities
transactions that would have been effected if Client had not selected Tax Management Services for the Account; (ix) the Tax
Management Services may cause the composition and performance of the Account to vary significantly from the composition and
performance of other client accounts, including without limitation accounts for which Tax Management Services have not been selected;
(x) any tax benefits resulting from Tax Management Services may be exceeded or outweighed by investment losses and/or missed gains
(realized and unrealized) that also result from Tax Management Services; (xi) Client understands and accepts the Tax Management
Services and their associated risks, including without limitation the increased risk of loss associated with any Instructions given by
Client in Section B of this form; (xii) Client has concluded that the Tax Management Services are appropriate for Client’s circumstances
and (xiii) MSWM may amend these Tax Management Terms and Conditions, or terminate Tax Management Services with respect to
Client’s Account, by giving written notice to Client.
MSWM does not provide tax or legal advice. Any taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from
an independent tax advisor.
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Exhibit B: Affiliated Money Market Funds Fee Disclosure Statement
and Float Disclosure Statement
Sweep Vehicles in Retirement Accounts
Retirement Accounts generally effect temporary sweep transactions of new free credit balances into Deposit Accounts
established under the Bank Deposit Program.
The table below describes the fees and expenses charged to assets invested in shares of the money market funds in which the
account invests (expressed as a percentage of each fund’s average daily net assets for the stated fiscal year). Note that:
• The rate of Advisory Fee and Distribution and Service Fees (including 12b-1 fees) (whether in basis points or dollars) may
not be increased without first obtaining shareholder approval.
• Expenses designated as “Other Expenses” include all expenses not otherwise disclosed in the table that were deducted
from each fund’s assets or charged to all shareholder accounts in the stated fiscal year (and may change from year to year).
These fees and expenses may be paid to MSWM and its affiliates for services performed. The aggregate amount of these fees
is stated in the tables below. The amounts of expenses deducted from a fund’s assets are shown in each fund’s statement of
operations in its annual report.
Morgan Stanley Investment Management (and/or its affiliates) may, from time to time, waive part or all of its advisory fee or
assume or reimburse some of a fund’s operating expenses. (This may be for a limited duration.) Such actions are noted in the
fund’s prospectus and/or statement of additional information. The table below shows the Total Annual Fund Operating
Expenses (before management fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) and the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements.
MSWM expects to provide services as a fiduciary (as that term is defined under ERISA or the Code) with respect to Retirement
Accounts. MSWM believes that investing in shares of the funds for sweep purposes may be appropriate for Retirement Plans
because using professionally managed money market funds allows you to access cash on an immediate basis, while providing
a rate of return on your cash positions pending investment. As is typical of such arrangements, we use only affiliated money
funds for this purpose.
MSWM also believes that investing a Retirement Plan’s assets in the Deposit Accounts may also be appropriate. Terms of the
Bank Deposit Program are further described in the Bank Deposit Program Disclosure Statement, which has been provided to
you with your account opening materials.
The fund expense information below reflects the most recent information available as of December 31, 2024, and is subject to
change. Please refer to the funds’ current prospectuses, statements of additional information and annual reports for more
information.
Fund
Advisory
Fee
Distribution
and Service
Fees
Shareholder
Service Fee
Other
Expenses
Total
Annual
Fund
Operating
Expenses
Total Annual Fund
Operating Expenses
After Fee Waivers
and/or Expense
Reimbursements
MSILF Government
Securities-
Participant Share
Class
0.15%
0.25%
0.25%
0.08%
0.73%
0.45%
MS U.S. Government
Money Market Trust
0.15%
N/A
0.10%
0.10%
0.35%
0.35%
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Interest Earned on Float
If MSWM is the custodian of your account, MSWM may retain as compensation, for providing services, the account’s
proportionate share of any interest earned on cash balances held by MSWM (or an affiliate) with respect to assets awaiting
investment including:
•
new deposits to the account (including interest and dividends) and
•
uninvested assets held by the account caused by an instruction to the custodian to buy and sell securities (which may, after
the period described below, be automatically swept into a sweep vehicle).
This interest is generally at the prevailing Federal Funds interest rate.
Generally, with respect to such assets awaiting investment:
o when the custodian receives the assets on a day on which the NYSE is open (“Business Day”) and before the NYSE
closes, the custodian earns interest through the end of the following Business Day and
o when the custodian receives the assets on a Business Day but after the NYSE closes, or on a day which is not a Business
Day, the custodian earns interest through the end of the second following Business Day.
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