The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley

Ask any investor today what the absolute greatest risk to their portfolio is and you'll likely hear a list of current concerns - geopolitical, economic, federal reserve policy, etc.

If everyone in the room is thinking the same things, maybe someone isn't thinking.

What if the top issue to be addressed isn't any of these things at all? What is it that isn't being discussed?

Read more in our latest report, The Preeminent Investment Risk

livesocial.seismic.com advisor.morganstanley.com

Handling the complex process of executor duties during an emotional time is a challenge even for the strongest person. This checklist may help you with that process.

You've Been Named as Your Parent's Executor. Now What? www.morganstanley.com

Do you want to understand how to demystify credit scores and navigate the world of lending? Register for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's next Wealth Education session on Monday, May 6 at 4:00 ET and learn how to make informed decisions about credit and debt management.

REGISTER: Wealth Education for the Next Generation – Credit and Debt Management morganstanley.zoom.us

2024 marks the 15 year anniversary of the end of the Global Financial Crisis, the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression.

We now have the benefit of hindsight to look back and see how the recovery unfolded and what decisions were best to make at that time.

Read more in our latest post, 15 Year Look Back: Learning From The Global Financial Crisis

livesocial.seismic.com advisor.morganstanley.com

The "secret" to becoming a great investor is similar to what it takes to be a professional athlete. It requires discipline to a process or routine. Not just any routine, but the right one.

Very few people reach this level of greatness because of how difficult it can be when times get tough.

Read more in our latest report, What Investors Can Learn From Athletes.

livesocial.seismic.com advisor.morganstanley.com

As we prepare for basketball's march madness tournament, it's a good time to reflect on how maddening the stock market can be.

What causes the madness of the markets? Many things, but one of the greatest frustrations to investors is the significant swings in price.

Read more in our latest report, March Madness - Stock Market Edition.

livesocial.seismic.com advisor.morganstanley.com

If there’s anything we’ve learned in the last 4 years, it must be that the world is wildly unpredictable.

This won’t stop financial “experts” from attempting to predict what will happen in 2024.

Read more in our latest post, Forecast Frenzy.

From My Desk | David J. Miller | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From My Desk from David J. Miller at Morgan Stanley.

Many investors were challenged in 2023 due to a variety of negative economic and political events.

Those who remained patient and disciplined may have fared better than others.

Achieving success often comes down to following a few key principles.

Read more in our latest post, Achieving Success.

From My Desk | David J. Miller | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From My Desk from David J. Miller at Morgan Stanley.

Of all of the financial mistakes that we can make, there are a few that can be really devastating.

One of the biggest – and most common – mistakes that investors make is trying to buy and sell their investments at the right “time”, in an attempt to maximize gain and minimize loss.

This can be a financially fatal mistake.

Read more in our latest post, Timing the Market.

From My Desk | David J. Miller | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From My Desk from David J. Miller at Morgan Stanley.

One of the most common mistakes investors make is taking current events and extrapolating them into the future.

In other words, if you drove your car straight into oncoming traffic – without swerving – you would likely get into an accident. But if you changed course and turned back into your lane you could avoid a collision.

Knowing that the world is constantly changing and todays problems will eventually be solved is an important consideration when making smart financial decisions.

Read more in our latest report, Magnifying The Present

From My Desk | David J. Miller | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From My Desk from David J. Miller at Morgan Stanley.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Taking time to reflect on all things to be grateful for can be very uplifting.

Please enjoy our latest post, Expressing Gratitude Can Increase Happiness.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, said “the most important skill we have is in controlling our attention.”

Many investors have been anxious this year due to various global, political, and financial crises. Choosing to stay calm amid chaos can help us make better financial decisions.

Read more in our latest report, Calm Amid Crises.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

The fall semester is in full swing and it’s a great time to review the fundamentals of successful investing.

These basic principles are simple and straightforward, but sticking to them can be quite challenging.

Read more in our latest post, The ABCs of Successful Investing.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

At any given moment, investors can list off 5 -10 major concerns that might cause them to react emotionally.

Many of the concerns of the day are recycled issues that we have seen before.

We address a few of the major concerns in our latest report, Timely Economic Perspectives.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

Does it feel like 2023 is flying by? In today’s fast paced world its challenging to slow down and enjoy the moment.

But what if slowing things down is what we need to have more enjoyment, peace, and even make better financial decisions?

Read more in our latest post, The Virtue of Slowing Down.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

One of the greatest challenges retirees face is staying useful and relevant after a long, successful career.

It’s important to maintain usefulness and purpose in order to fully enjoy your retirement years.

Read more in this recent article from our partners at Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors, Redefining Relevance.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know which stocks will be the top performers? That is the dream of many investors, but in reality, it is nearly impossible to know.

That is why diversification is so important – it’s like magic in how it reduces the odds of a major mistake.

Read more in our latest report, The Magnificence of Diversification.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

Many of us feel a sense of meaning and satisfaction from our careers. After all, we’ve spent years in our professional lives building skills, relationships, and purpose.

That’s why many people struggle when they retire and step away from decades of progress and contribution.

Please enjoy reading this recent article from our friends at Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors, Who Are You Now That Your Business Card is Obsolete?

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

I’ve learned over the years that much of the frustration that we experience as investors is a result of our expectations.

In other words, if we expect the market to be volatile and surprising, we’ll be mentally prepared when it happens.

Read more in our latest report, The Advantages of Low Expectations.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

So far, 2023 has been a year of surprising resilience.

The one thing that is obvious is how incredibly wrong many “experts” were in their predictions for what would happen this year.

Read more in our latest report, First Half Market Review.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what the market was going to do for the rest of 2023?

Even if we knew this information, there’s still a lot that we don’t know.

We don’t know what we don’t know, and the things that we don’t know can be really important.

Read more in our latest post, A Glimpse of the Markets Future.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

We can learn a lot by listening to what the most successful people are saying.

One of the all-time most successful investors is Warren Buffett, who has a refreshingly simple philosophy.

Read more in our latest post, Advice From Warren Buffett.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

In helping many families transition to a peaceful retirement, we’ve noticed that a challenge many face is the lifestyle adjustment when they give up their long careers.

We’ve recently started partnering with Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors to help our clients with this transition. Even if you’re not retired, it’s important to start thinking about what you want your future to look like.

Please enjoy reading a recent article on this topic, Life After The Limelight.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

It’s worth noting that in 2022 the consensus view was that we were either in or certainly headed towards a nasty recession.

Now the consensus view is that the recession train is just delayed but will arrive at the end of the year.

I suggest we try to bypass these amateur questions and ask more useful questions:

1. Are recessions predictable?
2. Would it be helpful if they were?

Read more in our latest post, The Eventual Recession.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

Think about the last time you heard someone make a bold, negative prediction.

Now ask, “what was their motivation for making such a prediction?” “What do they have to gain by writing this?”

I an odd way, sometimes those who make negative forecasts are subconsciously perceived as smarter or more “tuned in” than others.

I find this very interesting and worth exploring further.

Read more in our latest post, A Dire Prediction.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

"Billionaire Investor Predicts Market Crash in 2023"

Does that get your attention?

How often have we seen headlines just like this and feel the need to read more?

Learning to think critically and not get caught up in clickbait headlines is critical to making smart investment decisions.

Read more in our latest post, Danger: Headlines Ahead.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

There's a big difference between acting like an investor and acting like a speculator.

And being aware of this distinction is important when making smart financial decisions.

Read more in our latest post, Acting Like an Investor.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

Much of the anxiety that investors experience comes down to what game they are playing.

Knowing what game we’re playing is the first step to identify what equipment we’ll need to win the game.

Read more in our latest post, What Game Are You Playing?

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.

A consistent pattern I’ve noticed in my years of advising clients is that those who are the most “tuned in” to the markets often have the worst experiences.

In other words, there’s something very powerful in the art of doing less.

Read more in our latest post, When Less Can Give You More.

From Our Team | The David Miller Group | Plano, TX | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Learn more about From Our Team from The David Miller Group at Morgan Stanley.