Blog Focused on Financial Advisor Career Opportunities for People from Diverse Backgrounds

(BLACK PR WIRE) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morgan Stanley Smith Barney today announced that, concurrent with the national holiday celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is launching the Multicultural Financial Advisors Forum (MFAF), a blog for people of diverse backgrounds interested in careers as Financial Advisors.

This new blog, which will go live on Monday, January 17, can be accessed at www.multiculturalfaforum.com.

It is patterned after the Women Financial Advisors Forum (WFAF), which showcases successful women FAs and explores a range of career issues and opportunities for women in financial services. Since its launch in July 2009, the WFAF blog has been read by more than 70,000 visitors.

The new multicultural online site showcases the opportunities, challenges and advantages of a Financial Advisor career. It was developed to offer multicultural Financial Advisors an opportunity to share insights and ideas about the work they do, the clients they advise, and the work-life balance they seek, and to be a useful source of information for people from diverse backgrounds considering a career in wealth management.

“We’re committed to making Morgan Stanley Smith Barney the firm of choice for the world’s best Financial Advisors, and this initiative is just one more tool in our efforts to cast a wide net for talent,” said Andy Saperstein, Head of U.S. Wealth Management. “It’s fundamental to securing our role as a global leader, as well as a recognition that the markets for wealth management are increasingly diverse. We thought it fitting to launch this blog on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, given his pivotal role in creating equal opportunity for all Americans.”

The site is designed to engage readers on a path from being a visitor to the site to becoming a potential candidate for hire. It seeks to stimulate an online conversation by encouraging participation and providing a forum for questions and concerns. Information about the job requirements of a Financial Advisor, how to apply, career development, weekly polls and a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section also are included.

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 42 countries. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

2011 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, member SIPC.