The Punta Gorda Branch of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (operating under SEC-registered fiduciary Investment Adviser and broker-dealer Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, CRD #149777, SEC File #801-70103) is an institutional private wealth, retirement income, and business-succession advisory office located at 117 Herald Court, Suite 113, in Historic Downtown Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida (ZIP 33950). Situated on the ground level of Herald Court Centre just three blocks west of the Charlotte County Justice Center and the Charlotte County Property Appraiser's Punta Gorda branch (Paul L. Polk, CFA — 410 Taylor St, Punta Gorda, FL 33950), the office is anchored by three veteran Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professionals across The Peace River Team and the Harbor Coast Group: Branch Manager, Senior Vice President, and Portfolio Management Director Ryan Rupert, CFP®, CEPA® (Individual CRD #4242479), First Vice President and Portfolio Management Director John C. Couto, CFP® (Individual CRD #4193280), and Vice President Francis ('Frank') Leontitsis, CFP® (Individual CRD #6453553).

Uniting three CFP® professionals, two discretionary Portfolio Management Directors, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®) in Downtown Punta Gorda, the Morgan Stanley team serves affluent retirees, corporate executives, closely held business owners, and waterfront residents across Punta Gorda Isles, Burnt Store Isles, Burnt Store Marina, Deep Creek, Port Charlotte, and Englewood (34224). Using Morgan Stanley's Goals Planning System (GPS) and Total Tax 365 platform, Ryan Rupert, CFP®, CEPA®, John Couto, CFP®, and Frank Leontitsis, CFP® construct customized dividend-growth, fixed-income, and tax-exempt Florida municipal bond portfolios, while advising retiring City of Punta Gorda, Charlotte County Government, Charlotte County Public Schools, and Charlotte County Sheriff's Office leaders on Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension versus Investment Plan elections and Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) lump-sum rollovers.

To insulate Charlotte Harbor retirees from concentrated equity risk, sequence-of-returns drawdowns, and avoidable tax brackets, the Punta Gorda CFP® team models multi-year Roth conversions, SECURE 2.0 Act Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) schedules (ages 73–75), and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) calibrated to prevent two-year lookback Medicare Part B and Part D IRMAA surcharges alongside AAASWFL (PSA 8) SHINE Medicare counseling (1-866-413-5337). Advisors also coordinate corporate trustee services, estate liquidity, coastal flood/wind insurance budgeting, and long-term care funding models (including South Port Square CCRC and private duty care near Bayfront Health Punta Gorda / ShorePoint Health), while assisting relocating snowbirds with documenting residency and household AGI at 410 Taylor Street for Florida's $50,000 Homestead Exemption, 3% Save Our Homes portability, and Age 65+ Senior Homestead Exemption.