DALBAR Rates Statement Tops in Clarity, Presentation and
Usefulness for Clients
For the second year in a row, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney's client
account statement has been ranked #1 by DALBAR, a leading market
research firm in financial services.
Ranked against 13 competitors, the account statement was rated best
overall in an analysis that considered such factors as
understandability, primary and secondary content, and design format.
"Morgan Stanley Smith Barney understands that the investment in a top
quality client statement can be an important factor in maintaining
client trust – particularly in a volatile environment, when a clear and
complete presentation of monthly account activity is all the more
important," said Kathleen Whalen, Managing Director at DALBAR.
"We are delighted to be recognized again for our work in creating a
superior client account statement. Client expectations are constantly
rising, and we made a number of statement enhancements in 2011 that
helped keep us on top," said Andy Saperstein, Head of Wealth Management,
U.S., for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
Among the 2011 statement enhancements:
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A new cash flow summary presentation aligned with client preferences
for viewing their flows of funds.
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Moved to a "trade date" presentation of activity, so all security
transactions appear on the statement in the month they were executed.
This also synchronizes statements with performance and gain/loss
reporting.
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Made substantive changes to better support products, including:
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Expanded detail and enhanced presentation for annuities.
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A new section for Alternative Investments, with sub-sections for
hedge funds, managed futures, private equity and real estate.
The Morgan Stanley Smith Barney statement scored 90.95 out of a possible
100 – the first time any firm broke into the 90s. Other firms ranked
were Charles Schwab, Edward Jones, Fidelity, Janney Montgomery Scott,
LPL, Merrill Lynch, National Financial, Pershing, Raymond James, RW
Baird, UBS, and Wells Fargo.
DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community's leading independent expert for
evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer
performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has
earned the recognition for consistent and unbiased evaluations of
investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance
companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial
professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of excellence in
the financial community.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a global leader in wealth management,
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, credit and lending, cash
management, annuities and insurance, retirement and trust services. For
further information about Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, please visit www.morganstanleysmithbarney.com.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm
providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment
management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve
clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and
individuals from more than 1,300 offices in 43 countries. For further
information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
