Morgan Stanley at Work Unveils First-of-its-Kind Participant Aggregation Platform to Create a Seamless Experience for Plan Advisors

September 07, 2022 at 14:00 PM EDT

New Corporate Retirement Portal provides a consolidated view of workplace retirement plan accounts, while improving recordkeeper, plan sponsor and participant experiences
Integrated on Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s Modern Wealth Platform

Morgan Stanley at Work today announced the rollout of its new Corporate Retirement Portal, an innovative technology solution designed to provide Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Plan Advisors with a one-stop shop, consolidated view of workplace retirement plans and participant data via the Firm’s award-winning Modern WealthPlatform, WealthDesk.

Plan Advisors have historically used third-party tools and resources to manage their clients’ retirement plan assets held away at recordkeepers. The new Corporate Retirement Portal allows them to have access to a comprehensive view of their clients’ retirement plan accounts, inclusive of the services provided to held-away retirement plans and plan sponsors. Plan Advisors can now work seamlessly with plan sponsors and provide participants targeted financial education through Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s Next Best Action, an engagement tool that powers scalable customized content delivery.

“In today’s economic environment, punctuated by rising inflation and market volatility, plan sponsors and participants alike are looking for a helping hand in maximizing retirement benefits,” said Brian McDonald, Managing Director and Head of Morgan Stanley at Work. “The Corporate Retirement Portal allows Plan Advisors to deliver personalized financial education and content to help participants navigate the complexities of retirement planning and savings. The launch further demonstrates our commitment to innovation and thoughtful disruption in the workplace wealth space.”

In compliance with the recent Department of Labor (DOL) cybersecurity guidance for plan sponsors, service providers and plan participants, the Corporate Retirement Portal ensures the Firm’s clients’ data is transferred in a secured fashion, and the right safeguards are in place to protect their information. This includes encryption of sensitive data, including client data, plus annual cybersecurity training and awareness for all employees with access to the Firm’s systems.

“We listen closely to the Plan Advisors we serve, and in response have built from the ground up a technology solution with capabilities to improve their daily lives so they can focus on providing value added services to recordkeepers, plan sponsors and participants,” said Anthony Bunnell, Head of Retirement for Morgan Stanley at Work. “Implementing our Corporate Retirement Portal on the Plan Advisor’s desktop will help further drive efficiencies, help recordkeepers scale their business and enhance the plan sponsor and participant experience on our retirement platform. We see this as a game changing technology solution that is truly a differentiator in the retirement industry.”

The launch of the Corporate Retirement Portal comes on the heels of Morgan Stanley’s recent acquisition of nonqualified deferred compensation provider, American Financial Systems in June 2022 and strategic alliances with recordkeepers Vestwell and Empower Retirement in June and August 2021, respectively. In addition, the Firm announced three strategic product enhancements to its stock plan platforms Equity Edge Online® and Shareworks to deliver time and cost savings to stock plan administrators and participants.

Morgan Stanley at Work’s Retirement Solutions offers a flexible, multi-provider recordkeeper platform designed to meet the individual needs of companies. In addition to providing customized retirement solutions, Morgan Stanley at Work has dedicated retirement specialists that understand the challenges businesses face and offer support and service for their employees. Through a consultative process, the Firm’s specialists help companies improve plan competitiveness and fiduciary risk management, investment selection and monitoring, and employee retirement readiness.

Retirement Solutions is part of the Morgan Stanley at Work suite of financial solutions, which spans Equity Compensation through Shareworks and Equity Edge Online®, Retirement and Financial Wellness Solutions. Morgan Stanley at Work and Morgan Stanley’s intellectual capital and financial education are delivered through multiple channels to enable employees to build a holistic plan to help them achieve their financial goals. Shareworks services are provided by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, member SIPC, and its affiliates, and Equity Edge Online® employee stock plan solutions are offered by E*TRADE Financial Corporate Services, Inc., both are parts of Morgan Stanley at Work and all wholly owned subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley.

About Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a leading financial services firm that provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses, and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, cash management and lending products and services, annuities and insurance, retirement, and trust services.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 41 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

Morgan Stanley at Work and Shareworks services are provided by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, member SIPC, and its affiliates, all wholly owned subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley.

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