Michael Nickler - Morgan Stanley Global Wealth Management


Back in March 2009 when the stock market was near its bottom and the media was warning of a prolonged downturn, Michael Nickler took a contrary approach. “We advised our clients to rebalance to take advantage of the bargains available,” says Nickler, a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Global Wealth Management in West Palm Beach. “We became more growth oriented and it paid off.”

Nickler has been helping clients make financial decisions for the past 28 years. “I always had a strong interest in investments.,” says Nickler, who graduated with honors in finance from Penn State University and then worked in corporate finance. After graduation, it was a very natural and successful transition to become a financial advisor.”

Today, Nickler advises high-net-worth individuals, including successful business owners, attorneys, former financial advisors and branch managers, municipalities, and institutional clients. “One of my strengths is the methods and strategies regarding how I manage money for each individual client,” he says. “I take a disciplined objective approach to delivering results, and I enjoy helping clients achieve their goals.”

When seeking a prospective wealth manager, Nickler says it’s important to ask questions like these:

• How long have you been with your present firm? (longevity, experience and loyalty are very important).
• What makes you better than other advisors?
• What is your investment philosophy?    
• What is the appropriate benchmark to gauge performance?
• What is your investment strategy
• What is the cost of doing business?

“One of the biggest wealth management mistakes made by attorneys, accountants and other professionals is trying to manage their own investments,” says Nickler. “They can become emotional regarding their investments. It’s important to realize managing money is an art, science and specialty. Investing is an unemotional and systematic process. You must be willing to ride the fluctuations, have a longer-term approach and be willing to be a contrarian.”  

Michael Nickler is a Financial Advisor who leads The Nickler Group at Morgan Stanley Global Wealth Management in West Palm Beach. A member of Morgan Stanley*’s prestigious Chairman’s Club, he has been ranked one of the top U.S. financial advisors for the last five consecutive years by Barron’s and is currently ranked in the top ten in Florida.

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