Planning for the Unexpected

■ ASK THE EXPERT Planning for the Unexpected: Protecting Yourself and Your Family with Estate Planning

Courtesy of Mark Bodkins, Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor/ John Duford, First Vice President, Financial Advisor

For many of us, estate planning is something we know we should do but often manage to postpone until some indefinite time in the future. But, putting off this part of your financial life could mean passing over an opportunity to preserve the lifestyle you’ve worked so hard to create and to dictate your legacy on your terms.

Why You Need an Estate Plan

The primary purpose of estate planning is to ensure that you control how your assets are distributed. Estate planning is also about planning for unexpected events, such as physical and mental impairment, which may place financial strain on your family.

A well-crafted estate plan is likely to have multiple goals: ▸ To protect your lifestyle ▸ To provide for your family and others, including charitable organizations that are meaningful to you ▸ To control distribution of your assets ▸ To minimize estate taxes The most difficult part of estate planning is getting started. Once you begin, you will find estate planning is a positive and constructive way to put yourself in control of your legacy.

Need help taking the first step? Working with a Financial Advisor can help you bring all the elements of your estate plan together to help ensure that you have an integrated strategy in place to protect yourself and your family.

DISCLOSURES

Article by Morgan Stanley and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor. Mark Bodkins and John Duford are Financial Advisors in Aventura, FL, at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). They can be reached by email at Mark.N.Bodkins@morganstanley.com or John.Duford@morganstanley.com or by telephone at (305)936-2714. Their website is https://advisor.morganstanley.com/the-bodkins-group. Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates. Not all products and services discussed are available at Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters. This article has been prepared for informational purposes only. The information and data in the article has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. It does not provide individually tailored investment advice and has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The strategies and/ or investments discussed in this article may not be suitable for all investors. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Mark Bodkins and John Duford may only transact business, follow-up with individualized responses, or render personalized investment advice for compensation, in states where they are registered or excluded or exempted from registration, https://advisor.morganstanley.com/the-bodkins-group. © 2021 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC 3873508 11/21

L-R: Tatiana Jaramillo, Client Service Associate; John Duford; Mark Bodkins; Carolyn Williams, Senior Registered Associate; Maria Strand, Senior Client Service Associate

Experience outweighs uncertainty. Advice Matters.

With recent events, an emphasis on managing risk is even more important as investors look for informed strategies to help them protect their wealth. At Morgan Stanley, we have the experience, knowledge and resources to help you manage risk, to recognize how it could affect your portfolio, and to work toward minimizing its impact.

Meet with us to learn more and get personalized advice you need in an uncertain world.

The Bodkins Group at Morgan Stanley

Mark N. Bodkins Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 305-936-2714 Mark.N.Bodkins@morganstanley.com NMLS #1395703

John Duford First Vice President Financial Advisor 305-936-2772 John.Duford@morganstanley.com NMLS# 1413970 20807 Biscayne Blvd, 6th Fl, Aventura, FL 33180

Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. © 2022 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. FAS015 CRC 4668400 05/22 CS 454033_2739890 11/22