OUR MISSION STATEMENT
We believe in and deliver advanced wealth management made simple.
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The Easton Group at Morgan Stanley
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Direct:
(410) 822-3400(410) 822-3400 -
Toll-Free:
(800) 634-0070(800) 634-0070
Our Story and Services
Our Story
Wealth Management has never been more complicated – there are more investment choices than ever, more events and life stages to plan for, more complexity from taxes, estate planning, family dynamics and many other questions. But for most people, the questions are more basic – will I make it through the retirement I envision? Can I send the coming generations to college? How do I make an impact on an organization I believe in? These people care about what they can DO with their money, how it can serve their life goals and ambitions – they have neither the time nor the desire to deal with the byzantine world of investments, financial planning and daily wealth management.
At the Easton Group at Morgan Stanley, these are the people we serve. Using sophisticated analytics, macroeconomic trend analysis and forecasting, a comprehensive planning process and the thought leadership of Morgan Stanley, our highly credentialed team provides sophisticated wealth management customized to each client’s specific goals. Many of our clients prefer that we manage all this “behind the scenes,” helping simplify their financial lives giving the potential opportunity to spend their time on the things that are important to them. We think of our clients like a family, and cultivate personal working relationships that are honest, proactive and deeply engaged. With a large and multi-skilled wealth management team and nearly $1 billion in assets under management, the Easton Group provides the kind of sophistication and service that our clients expect.
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Services Include
- Financial Planning
- Professional Portfolio Management
- Retirement Planning
- Planning for Education Funding
- Asset Management
- Estate Planning Strategies
- Wealth Consulting
- Wealth Management
Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
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Advanced Tactics
Sophisticated wealth management
At the Easton Group at Morgan Stanley, we leverage sophisticated thinking and innovative tactics to help our clients reach their goals. Some examples:
The Morgan Stanley Global Investment Committee (GIC)
The GIC includes some of the most respected investment professionals in the world. They monitor the worldwide economy, prevailing market conditions and emerging trends. They conduct and evaluate in-depth research. They recommend investment tactics, portfolio allocations and positions. That’s a wealth of intellectual capital working for you.
Macroeconomic analysis and trending
No investment happens in a vacuum. We study and analyze the U.S. and global economies, providing context for today … and a perspective on the future.
A different approach to retirement
One often hears the phrase “planning for retirement.” But retirement is not a single event – it might extend several decades. Our retirement plans are divided into three stages: Early Stages, Mid-Retirement, Later Stages. Each reflects how your needs may evolve, so you are positioned to live the retirement you want.
A proven planning process
Our process at the Easton Group is the result of many years of experience. Nothing is more important that the first step, which we call “Discovery.” We take the time to get to know you – your goals, your passions, your family, your feelings about risk, how and when you’d like to be contacted. We will help identify and articulate your goals, which is essential to crafting your plan.
Making it easy
Focus on your life while we manage your wealth
Our clients lead busy, fulfilling lives. They look to us to provide sophisticated wealth management, as well as to simplify their financial decision making. We have structured our practice to serve both goals. For example:
Identify blind spots
Like a balance sheet has both assets and liabilities, a well-designed financial plan describes how to both PURSUE your goals, and protect against anything that might PREVENT you from reaching them. For example, a serious health issue, the loss of a spouse or a long-term market correction. We refer to these “Blind Spots,” and build contingencies against them into your plan.
Create financial checkpoints
Your financial plan is not a static document – it evolves as circumstances dictate. That’s why we create “financial checkpoints” – specific sign posts with action items built into the plan.
Provide comprehensive recommendations
Every decision involving money affects the next one, and the one after that. That’s why clients seek our counsel for every financial decision. We can both provide thoughtful and ensure that each decision adheres to your overall strategy.
Commitment to client education
Our clients count on us to simplify their wealth management … but they don’t want a “black box” – they want to fully understand the strategy and tactics. This kind of collaborative approach builds and sustains a close, long-term relationship, and we are committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise with you (and your family).
Source: Forbes Magazine and Forbes Online (Oct 2017). The ranking of America’s Top Wealth Advisors, developed by Forbes’ partner SHOOK Research, is based on a ranking algorithm that includes telephone and in-person interviews, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criteria because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a ranking. The rating may not be representative of any one client’s experience and is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Neither Morgan Stanley LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors pays a fee to Forbes or SHOOK Research in exchange for the ranking. For the full list and more visit: www.forbes.com/top-wealth-advisors
Source: Working Mother magazine (Oct/Nov, 2017) SHOOK Research considered Financial Advisors who are mothers with children living at home and under the age of 18. Ranking algorithm is based on qualitative measures derived from telephone and in-person interviews and surveys: service models, investing process, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, etc.; and quantitative criteria, such as assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC. Neither Morgan Stanley LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors pays a fee to Working Mother or SHOOK Research in exchange for the ranking. For more information see www.SHOOKresearch.com.
In The Press
Location
Location
- 28601 Marlboro Ave Ste 201
- Easton, MD 21601
- Direct: (410) 822-3400(410) 822-3400
- Toll-Free: (800) 634-0070(800) 634-0070
Meet The Easton Group
Thomas E Hill
Managing Director, Wealth Management, Financial Advisor, Wealth Advisory Specialist
About Me
Since 1967, Tom Hill has worked with clients to help them define and achieve their financial goals. When he founded the Hill Group, his vision was to offer clients a deep and highly credentialed team of multi-skilled professionals who share his dedication to quality, excellent service and integrity.
Tom has provided a steady hand and thoughtful advice through numerous market cycles and economic conditions. He feels privileged to have built many long-term, multi-generational relationships that affirm his commitment to making a difference for his clients. Among his professional recognitions, Tom was named one of Barron’s Top Financial Advisors five times, and in 2017, he was the only advisor in the area selected by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s Top 250 Wealth Advisors. Tom was also one of just 30 Financial Advisors nationwide featured in the inaugural edition of R.J. Shook’s “The Winners’ Circle.”1
Tom is a graduate of the University of Richmond.
A leading citizen in our community for many years, Tom was honored by the Comptroller of Maryland with the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award in 2012. He was also recognized with the Morgan Stanley Community Leadership Award in 2011. Among many community service initiatives, Tom led a $5 million capital campaign for the Talbot County YMCA. He is grateful for his affiliations with the Talbot County United Fund, Character Counts, Habitat for Humanity and many other causes. He and his wife Cathy live in Easton and enjoy spending time with their grown children Brad and Jennifer, and their families.
BM/Supervisor; Securities Agent: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#:
1272978
Curry Wilford
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Portfolio Management Director, Financial Planning Specialist
About Me
Curry has been helping clients articulate, plan for and reach their goals since 1971, having spent his entire career with Morgan Stanley and its predecessor firms.
Advisors at the Easton Group are encouraged to pursue their particular passions – Curry’s focus is retirement planning. He watched his own parents reach retirement age without sufficient savings or financial knowledge, and vowed to help others avoid a similar fate. Curry works with clients to develop wealth accumulation programs, and creates long-term investment strategies so they have an opportunity to enjoy a successful retirement.
Curry’s Portfolio Management Director designation is a testament to his knowledge of goals-based investing. Combined with his vast experience, Curry can help clients navigate virtually every kind of market and economic environment.
He earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Nichols College in Dudley, MA.
Curry lives in Oxford, MD with his wife Susan. He is the proud father of three grown children, and enjoys spending time on the water. He is a member of his local yacht club and serves as a mark boat. He also enjoys travel and is an avid NFL fa
Securities Agent: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#:
1435730
Bradley V Hill
Managing Director, Wealth Management, Financial Advisor
About Me
Brad is a partner in the Hill Group, creating customized wealth management strategies for clients with a particular emphasis on alternative investments and portfolio management. Brad provides sophisticated wealth management for our clients while helping to simplify their increasingly complex financial lives
Brad has been working with clients to reach their goals since 1996, all with Morgan Stanley. Previously, he was a CPA for a major accounting firm, where he came to appreciate the importance of both sides of each client’s personal balance sheet. He joined his father to form the Hill Group in 1997.
Brad graduated cum laude with a B.S in Business Administration/Accounting from the University of Richmond, and later received his Certified Public Accounting accreditation. He is also a Family Wealth Director, an elite distinction earned by fewer than 2% of all Morgan Stanley advisors. His Portfolio Management Director designation is reserved exclusively for advisors who demonstrate excellence in investment management. In 2018 Forbes named him one of the Top Financial Advisors in Maryland.
Like his father, Brad is committed to community service. He is a past director of the Araminta Freedom Initiative, an organization named after Harriet Tubman (Araminta was her given slave name) dedicated to fighting human trafficking in the area. Brad is also a former director of Casa of Talbot and Dorchester Counties, which advocates for children under court protection. Brad is a former director and treasurer of the Talbot County Country Club. He has served as Treasurer of The Country School, and is a past president and treasurer of the Talbot County YMCA. He serves as a director on the board of an organization that is dedicated to supporting the house churches in China. He lives with his wife and three children in Easton.
Securities Agent: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#:
1265105
Stephanie L Saunders
First Vice President, Financial Advisor, Portfolio Management Director, Senior Investment Management Specialist
About Me
Stephanie helps clients navigate through life transitions with personalized strategies and practical solutions. She combines careful listening, extensive knowledge and experience and rigorous analysis to create goal-based financial plans with straightforward action steps.
Stephanie began her financial services career in 1997 and has been with the Hill Group since its founding. She is a thought leader among women advisors, and a passionate advocate for women clients and advisors. Stephanie was honored to be selected for the Women’s Leadership Summit, which strives to empower women in their everyday lives. In 2017, she was selected to Working Mother magazine’s inaugural list of “Top Wealth Advisor Moms.”2
Stephanie graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business. She has also earned two prestigious designations – Senior Investment Management Specialist and Senior Portfolio Manager – which demonstrate her ability to integrate the vast resources of Morgan Stanley within her sophisticated wealth management strategies
As a survivor, Stephanie feels blessed to serve on the board of directors for the Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen where she finds joy in offering hope and courage to others. She believes strongly that financial literacy should start young, and is a volunteer and advocate for Junior Achievement. Stephanie enjoys raising her family here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where she spends time kayaking, reading and being outdoors. She is actively involved in her faith community and believes that “we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.”
Securities Agent: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#:
1274523
Gail M Nagel
CFP, Vice President, Financial Advisor, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
About Me
Gail has been helping clients and families achieve their financial goals for more than two decades. As a CERTITIFED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®), she offers a customized, comprehensive, strategic approach to wealth management.
While she offers extensive experience, knowledge and credentials, Gail believes that her most important skill is listening. By identifying and articulating financial goals and concerns, she creates goal-based strategies fully customized to each client and family.
Prior to joining a Morgan Stanley predecessor firm in 1999, Gail had a successful career in accounting and finance for a major transportation company, extending her perspective to include cash flow, assets and liabilities and long-term planning.
Her highly desirable CFP designation speaks to her knowledge, commitment and strong sense of ethics and accountability.
Gail is a passionate supporter of the Parkinson’s Foundation. She and her husband are both natives of the Eastern Shore, and now live in Easton. Gail enjoys spending time with her four grown children and grandchildren, as well as travel, gardening and being outdoors.
BM/Supervisor; Securities Agent: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#:
1297968
James A Malena
CFP, CPWA, Vice President, Financial Advisor, Senior Investment Management Consultant
About Me
Jim works with our clients to make a meaningful impact on their lives and families. With outstanding credentials and experience, he focuses on goal-based financial planning to answer two fundamental questions – “will I make it?” and “do I have any financial blind spots?”
Jim began his career in the financial services industry in 2001 and partnered with the Hill Group in 2006, engaging in frank, honest relationships with his clients. During this time, he has seen firsthand how removing the distraction of managing money frees clients to re-discover (and focus on) what is most important to them. As a husband and father of three young children, he understands the challenge of balancing work and life.
Jim earned a B.A. in Business Management from Washington College, which he supplemented with an impressive complement of credentials. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional, considered the gold standard in the industry. He completed the University of Chicago Booth School’s distinguished Certified Private Wealth Advisor Program, and is also a Certified Private Wealth Advisor. As one of Morgan Stanley’s inaugural Family Wealth Advisors, Jim is one of fewer than 3% of Morgan Stanley advisors specifically focused on multi-generational wealth management.
Jim and his wife live in Severna Park, and are the busy parents of 3 young children, a son and twin girls. Jim serves on the boards of the University of Maryland Foundation’s Planned Gifts Committee and Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore. He enjoys spending time with his family, exercise, fishing, golf, and the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Securities Agent: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#:
1272857
Kate Kraus
Group Director, Financial Planning Associate
About Me
Kate leads our client services team, facilitating relationships and communication between our advisors, clients and associates. She builds innovative systems and strategies to ensure that our clients experience the highest level of service. Kate is also a key resource for our clients’ Cash Management activities.
Kate has spent more than a decade working with advisors and clients. She joined Morgan Stanley in 2010, and became Group Director of the Hill Group in 2012.
Kate earned a B.S. in Finance from Salisbury University, with a concentration in Financial Planning. She later earned her Financial Planning Associate designation.
Born and raised in Easton, Kate lives there with her husband and three children – her older son and boy/girl twins. She is a fan of all sports, particularly the hometown Washington Redskins and Baltimore Orioles. Kate and her family enjoy spending time outdoors and with her large extended family.
Sharon Lister
Senior Registered Associate, Portfolio Associate
About Me
Sharon is responsible for executing various operational and administrative functions for our clients. She is knowledgeable, proactive and a big believer in attention to detail and organization.
Sharon began with the Hill Group in 1993. Since then, she has become intimately familiar with the often complex rules and regulations governing the securities industry. Her extensive background in customer service and administrative support drive her desire to get it right, and get it done.
She lives in Easton with her husband, and they enjoy visiting their adult daughter in Florida. Sharon is also a reader, gardener and explorer of Maryland’s many parks and trails.
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Diana Gourley
Registered Associate
About Me
Diana handles support for many team operations, such as trading, reports, alternative investments, risk analysis, asset management and legacy planning. She started in the financial services industry in 1992, and joined the Hill Group in 2007.
As a senior in high school, Diana was one of only five top Maryland students chosen for an exclusive honor – a program in the Industrial Engineering department at General Motors. This experience opened her eyes to the importance of careful analysis, attention to detail and best practices. She went on to study Finance at the University of Maryland.
Diana lives with her husband and two children. She is a committed volunteer at His Hope Haven family shelter, as well as at her church. Her family also enjoys dance, swimming and biking.
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Theresa Durnbaugh
Senior Registered Associate
About Me
Theresa is responsible for getting our new clients up and running. She handles all onboarding functions, such as IRA rollovers and new account set up, while also assisting with client meetings.
Theresa has worked in financial services since 2001, in a variety of roles, and joined the Hill Group in 2018. She started in the mutual fund department at Legg Mason and later served as a regulatory analyst. This diverse background underscores her knowledge and attention to detail with the Group.
Theresa was a Communications major at the University of Dayton. She lives in Centreville with her husband and two children, enjoying a busy family life of sports, activities and travel. Theresa also enjoys volunteering, scrapbooking and learning about wine.
Shane Hatfield
Registered Associate
About Me
Investment and Market Perspectives
On the Markets
Family
Creating customized financial strategies for the challenges that today's families face.
- Estate Planning
- 529 Plans / Education Planning
- Long Term Care Insurance
- Trust Services and Accounting
Insights and Outcomes
Thought Leadership for our ultra high net worth clients, which contains thought-provoking articles, authored by leading experts from Morgan Stanley Family Office Resources.
Investing
Working closely with you to guide your wealth and investments through the most challenging market cycles.
- Asset management
- Traditional investments
- Alternative Investments
- Impact Investing
Retirement
Working with you to understand your life goals and develop a truly personalized wealth strategy. Today and for the years to come.
- 401(k) Rollovers
- IRA Plans
- Retirement income strategies
- Annuities
Business Planning
Partnering with you on key aspects of your business such as ownership, liquidity and developing opportunities.
- Succession Planning
- Business Planning
- Retirement Plan Sponsors
- Corporate Pension Funds
Philanthropy
Making sure your philanthropic dollars are managed with the same best-in-class service as the rest of your wealth.
- Endowments
- Foundations
- Donor Advised Funds
- Impact Investing
More From Morgan Stanley
Ready to start a conversation? Contact The Easton Group today.
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