Investment bank reports suggest wealth management salary growth will track equity market volatility; recent upticks in Dow Jones levels have boosted bonus pools and compensation packages. Sethi recommends explaining to your financial advisor — preferably over email — that you’ve decided to move your brokerage account because the fees you’re paying are not part of your financial goals. By transferring your brokerage account in-kind and moving assets as-is from one account to another, you can avoid “selling them and triggering a taxable event,” he said. At its core, the new plan reduces the amount of compensation advisors must wait to receive. Under the current structure, Morgan Stanley defers between 1.5% and 15.5% of advisor pay, depending on where an advisor falls on the production grid. Starting with the 2026 plan, that range will be cut in half, with deferrals between 0.75% and 7.25%. The adjustment directly impacts cash flow for advisors, giving them more immediate control over their earnings rather than having a larger slice tied up in future vesting schedules. Analysts note that wealth management salary trends can be early indicators of market expansion phases, as higher client profitability drives advisory compensation.