Morgan Stanley vs. Fisher Investments: what’s the difference?
Learn about the key differences between Morgan Stanley and Fisher Investments to choose a financial advisory firm that best suits your needs, goals, and investment style.
Summary
Morgan Stanley and Fisher Investments have unique pros and cons, fee structures, and investment strategies to consider.
Morgan Stanley is a financial advisory firm focused on providing comprehensive, accessible financial planning and investment guidance.
Fisher Investments is a financial advisory and investment firm that offers customized investment plans for high-net-worth clients.
Unbiased can connect you with a financial advisor whose strategy and investment style best suit your needs.
Morgan Stanley vs. Fisher Investments: what are the differences?
Morgan Stanley and Fisher Investments are both financial service corporations that offer advice on wealth management and investment strategies. However, there are some key differences between the two.
Morgan Stanley financial advisors specialize in retail brokerage and offer a broad range of financial advisory services, including portfolio development, wealth planning, retirement planning, banking, and annuity and insurance products. They have a low minimum portfolio requirement and can accommodate clients from a wide range of income brackets.
Fisher Investments is more geared towards high-net-worth investors who are seeking help managing and growing their existing portfolios. They do not offer brokerage services. Fisher Investments' strategies are built around the idea of premium, customizable wealth management for wealthy investors.
What fees can I expect from Fisher Investments and Morgan Stanley?
When working with investment firms, fees are always attached and may differ depending on the services provided. These can include trading fees, trading commissions, inactivity fees, and non-trading fees, to name a few.
Fisher Investment fees and Morgan Stanley fees follow different structures:
Fisher Investments fees
Fisher Investments fees are based on standard assets under management (AUM) structure. This entails charging clients a percentage-based fee based on the size of their portfolio.
Portfolios up to $1 million are charged 1.25% per year, those up to $4 million are charged 1.125% per year, and those over $5 million are charged up to 1% per year. Fisher Investments does not charge any additional fees beyond this percentage or commissions.
Morgan Stanley fees
Morgan Stanley charges an annual AUM of 2% for portfolio management. However, additional fees for different services, products, and transaction costs can increase that percentage.
Morgan Stanley clients are responsible for their own internal mutual fund fees. Fixed fees for one-time financial plans range between $5,000 and $10,000.
Is Fisher Investments or Morgan Stanley better?
Both Fisher Investments and Morgan Stanley financial advisors are reputable fiduciary firms.
However, answering who is better when comparing Fisher Investments and Morgan Stanley will ultimately depend on your needs.
Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros of Fisher Investments
Offers highly customized investment portfolios.
Comprehensive, ongoing support from financial advisors.
Reputable customer service.
Cons of Fisher Investments
High initial investment management fee.
Minimum portfolio requirement of $500,000.
There is no brokerage platform.
Pros of Morgan Stanley
Low minimum portfolio requirement of $5,000 to $10,000.
Vast assortment of investment options, strategies, and styles.
Accommodates both new and experienced investors.
Cons of Morgan Stanley
There are no standardized fee structures.
There could be a potential conflict of interest due to the firm earning commission for some funds and products (such as annuities).
Lengthy disciplinary disclosures.
Morgan Stanley vs. Fisher Investments: which should I choose?
In addition to considering fees, expectations, and pros and cons, there are a few other important questions you can ask yourself before choosing between Morgan Stanley and Fisher Investments.
How do Fisher Investments and Morgan Stanley remain competitive and adapt to changing market conditions?
Fisher Investments and Morgan Stanley both utilize comprehensive research and technology to remain competitive in the evolving financial services landscape.
Their services are adaptable, and their advisors have the experience needed to guide clients through changes as they happen.
Which platform provides better customer service and support?
Fisher Investments' customer service is known for being more personalized and executive-oriented. The firm has a toll-free support line for clients in the US and an easy-to-fill email form on its website.
Morgan Stanley customer service tends to be more accessible and friendly, accommodating a range of client needs. The firm also has a toll-free customer support line for clients in the US and dedicated email addresses for different support queries and departments.
Can I access my Fisher Investments or Morgan Stanley accounts through their websites and mobile apps?
Fisher Investments has a comprehensive website and mobile app with portfolio management and market insights features.
Morgan Stanley also has a website and mobile app for accessing accounts and tracking personal and market-related insights.
What are Fisher Investments and Morgan Stanley’s specific investment strategies?
Fisher Investments and Morgan Stanley's investment strategies follow different philosophies.
Understanding their unique investment strategies can help you better decide which firm is best suited to your needs as a potential client.
Fisher Investments strategies
Fisher Investment’s strategies are based on the research and findings of acclaimed investor and firm founder Ken Fisher. His strategies involve limiting investments to a small portion of desirable opportunities in order to build long-term wealth.
Morgan Stanley investment strategies
Morgan Stanley's investment strategies involve investing across global asset classes to grow wealth steadily and with low risk. Some of their most popular asset classes include commodities, currencies, bonds, and stocks.
Find the right financial advisor
Finding the right financial advisory firm for your needs requires research and a fair understanding of your individual budget, financial goals, and needs.
Through Unbiased, you can match with a professional SEC-regulated financial advisor who can offer expert advice tailored to your specific needs, financial situation, and short—and long-term goals.
Writers
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