Greg Grajek: a certified wealth advisor

Greg Grajek, Senior Vice President and Certified Wealth Advisor of Morgan Stanley, discovered the different facets of investment portfolios at very young age. “I was just one of those odd kids,” said Grajek, laughing. “When I was 13 years old, I opened my first brokerage account and my mother co-signed it for me.”

In his youth, Grajek earned money by mowing lawns and painting homes. His early investments eventually became his college money.

Grajek has been in the investment industry for the last 25 years, and started his career at Dean Witter in Chicago. His career brought him to San Francisco, then to San Diego.

Internally driven to learn more, Grajek recently became a Certified Wealth Advisor. “I went through a special type of schooling, an MBA type of program in New York, to become a Certified Wealth Advisor.” There are very few Certified Wealth Advisors, explained Grajek.

Generally, Grajek’s business is geared toward people with a half-million or more in liquid assets. “I help people transfer that wealth and direct that wealth during and after their lives,” he said. Many people, bestowing gifts to their loved ones, want the inheritance to last a long time. Records indicate that inheritances last only 18 months. What takes people a lifetime to earn can be spent by a beneficiary in less than two years.

Creative programs offered by Grajek are being embraced by many people. Rather than gifting a large sum of money outright, the focus is to make the bestowment long-lasting. In example, W-2 ingenious plans are rather popular. For every dollar earned, a beneficiary could be gifted, let’s say, two dollars. Volunteering for charitable causes could also be recognized as part of a bestowment plan.

According to Grajek, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet do not believe in transferring their wealth to their children. The following Buffet quote is the premise of Grajek’s business: “It’s okay to give enough money to do anything, but never give them too much to do nothing.” Grajek believes that wealth should be made a positive experience.

Grajek orchestrates financial plans, while working with a client’s tax advisor and/or Certified Public Accountant. Working together builds a cohesive plan, helping clients keep the money within the generations to come. “It’s one thing to earn it and another thing to keep it.”

Grajek’s top talent is being able to step back, see the big financial picture and analyze it. Specializing in International Investments is also another avenue his clients find beneficial. “Investment Returns are in the developing nations such as China, Korea, Hong Kong,” he said.

Grajek admits that his favorite part of the job is educating people. For example, his words of wisdom resonate with the idea of having a retirement program or IRA. This is mandatory, because individuals need to “pay themselves.” And lastly, investments should be made with a long-term forecasting mindset. What’s “hot” in the market today may be “cold and clammy” in the future.

Greg Grajek can be reached by phone at 1-800-755-3765 or you may e-mail him at [email protected].