Linda J. Stephans
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CRD#: 4464587
Professional summary
Being a previously registered professional could mean that this person is no longer operating under the supervision of the SEC or FINRA.
That means that the Securities and Exchange Commission may not be able to oversee the services that this specific professional is providing.
Linda J Stephans, CIMA®, who also goes by Linda J Stephans Mrs., was a registered financial professional .
Linda is a previously registered financial professional and started their career in finance in 2001. Linda had worked at 2 firms and has passed the Series 66, SIE and Series 7 exams.
Biography
Linda Stephans is a Managing Director and Co-Lead of Graystone Consulting’s Stephans Van Liew & Oiler Group. She has over 38 years of investment experience as a senior corporate executive and nonprofit Board member, which gives her a unique perspective in serving the complex needs of both institutional and private wealth clients. Linda serves as the lead partner in charge of business development and client management for the Chicago practice.
Linda is a recognized industry leader and is a frequent speaker on the topic of mission-aligned and impact investing. She has received numerous professional accolades over the years and has been recognized on Barron’s 2017 Top Institutional Consultants and 2017 Top 100 Women Advisors lists. Linda was also one of the first professionals included in the 2014 Financial Times Inaugural Top 100 List. In addition, she was honored as a recipient of the 17th Annual Influential Women in Business Awards in 2014. Most recently, Linda was named by Morgan Stanley to the 2018 MAKERS List, a women’s leadership platform highlighting stories of ground breaking women.
Prior to joining Graystone Consulting, Linda spent over 13 years at Merrill Lynch, where she played an instrumental role in helping drive the growth of the firm’s institutional consulting and private banking businesses. She worked with her colleagues to launch the first Advisory Council to Management for Global Institutional Consulting, and also served as the Chair of the Private Banking Advisory Council to Management. Linda enjoyed a 19-year career at The Northern Trust Company, where she held executive management positions in both the commercial lending and private wealth management groups.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Linda is passionate about addressing the needs of her community. Linda currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Public Library Foundation, providing support to enhance state-of-the-art technology and lifelong literary and learning programs. Linda has held strategic leadership and board positions with Leadership Greater Chicago, The Music Institute of Chicago, Hadley School for the Blind, the Winnetka Community House, North Shore Senior Center, Christ Church Winnetka and the Winnetka Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of Forefront Chicago and ICCR (Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.)
Linda graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and earned an M.B.A. with a concentration in Marketing and Finance from The J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She also holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®).
Question & Answer
What are your service offerings?
Trust & estate planning
Philanthropic services
Financial planning
Retirement planning
What is your current number of clients?
Under 100
What is your minimum asset requirement?
10M
Are you a "fiduciary"?
No
Aliases
Linda J Stephans Mrs.
Other business activities
Outside business activity is any business or activity undertaken by an advisor that is outside the scope of their relationship with their firm (e.g., consulting services, real estate, freelance work, teaching, etc.). Investors should stay informed about these activities to ensure no conflicts of interest.
The advisor shows no other business activity.
CRS (Client Relationship Summary)
The CRS(Customer Relationship Summary) document is not provided.
Certified licenses
Advisors may have various certifications and credentials from different organizations. AdvisorCheck highlights these seven certifications - AIF®, CFP®, ChFC®, CFA, CLU®, CIMA®, CPWA®
Experience
Past
January 2, 2015 - February 19, 2025
MORGAN STANLEY
RIA
CRD#: 149777
Palm Beach, FL
Past
January 2, 2015 - February 19, 2025
MORGAN STANLEY
BD
CRD#: 149777
Palm Beach, FL
Past
February 4, 2002 - January 5, 2015
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED
RIA
CRD#: 7691
CHICAGO, IL
Past
November 2, 2001 - January 5, 2015
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED
BD
CRD#: 7691
CHICAGO, IL
Primary Firm SEC Registration
This SEC-registered firm can serve clients nationwide. Some states may require the firm to submit a notice filing if the firm has more than 5 clients or a physical office there. You can view these state-level filings under the section titled "State Registrations and Notice Filings".
MORGAN STANLEY
CITIGROUP INSTITUTIONAL CONSULTING | SMITH BARNEY | PRIVATE PORTFOLIO GROUP | MORGAN STANLEY WEALTH MANAGEMENT | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY | MORGAN STANLEY PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT | MORGAN STANLEY CONSULTING GROUP | MORGAN STANLEY | GRAYSTONE CONSULTING | E*TRADE FROM MORGAN STANLEY | CONSULTING GROUP
CRD#: 149777 / SEC#: 801-70103, 8-68191
RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - SEC (5/11/2009 Approved)BD
Broker-Dealer Firm Regulated by FINRA (New York district office)
State Registrations and Notice Filings
Listed states reflect where the advisor is authorized to serve clients under state regulations.
Visual representation of state registrations
This advisor is not registered in any state.
Exams
State Security Law Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
Current Firm
MORGAN STANLEY
CITIGROUP INSTITUTIONAL CONSULTING | SMITH BARNEY | PRIVATE PORTFOLIO GROUP | MORGAN STANLEY WEALTH MANAGEMENT | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY | MORGAN STANLEY PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT | MORGAN STANLEY CONSULTING GROUP | MORGAN STANLEY | GRAYSTONE CONSULTING | E*TRADE FROM MORGAN STANLEY | CONSULTING GROUP
CRD#: 149777 / SEC#: 801-70103, 8-68191
RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - SEC (5/11/2009 Approved)BD
Broker-Dealer Firm Regulated by FINRA (New York district office)
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Contact information
Main Address
2000 Westchester Avenue, Purchase, NY 10577-2530
Mailing Address
1300 Thames Street C/o Shared Services Compliance - Registration, Baltimore, MD 21231
Phone number
(914) 225-1000
Established
Delaware since 02/02/2009
Firm type
Limited Liability Company
Fiscal year end
December
Firm Size
Large
# of Employees
29,200
SEC notice filing (51 States and Territories)
FINRA licenses (53 States and Territories)
Documents
Part 2 Brochures
Direct owners and executive officers
| Name | Position | CRD# |
|---|---|---|
| MORGAN STANLEY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC | MEMBER | |
| CROWE, JOHN WILLIAM | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 5475007 |
| FINN, JED | DIRECTOR, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 5658048 |
| FLETCHER, PATRICIA KAY | TEXAS DESIGNATED PRINCIPAL | 1202060 |
| GALASSO, DAVID ANTHONY | PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS OFFICER | 1926502 |
| GIVENS, WILLIAM BENJAMIN | CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER (BD ONLY) | 2790454 |
| HANSEN, TIMOTHY GERARD | CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER (IA ONLY ) | 4956475 |
| HENNESSY, MICHAEL S | DIRECTOR | 1988660 |
| JANOVER, JAMES TROY | DIRECTOR | 2818307 |
| TURNER, CHAD EDWARD | DIRECTOR | 6009808 |
Regulatory assets under management
| Total Number of Accounts | 2,539,760 |
| AUM (Assets Under Management) | $ 1,650,015,946,338 |
Disclosures
| Regulatory Event | 66 |
| Arbitration | 115 |
Accountant surprise examination report
| Filing Date | Form ADV-E Cover | Form ADV-E Report |
|---|---|---|
| 08/20/2025 | ||
| 07/23/2024 | ||
| 08/24/2023 |
Red Flags
Disclosures can be potential red flags, including customer disputes, regulatory fines, employer terminations, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, or certain criminal activities.
Check for any disclosures as part of your thorough research when choosing an advisor.
