Katie Hancock
Courtesy of Morgan Stanley
Name: Katie Hancock
Firm: Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Team Assets (Custodied): $4.2 billion
Background: Katie Hancock’s path to wealth management began in a most unconventional way: through the University of Alabama basketball program. A North Mississippi native and standout high school athlete, Hancock was offered a walk-on spot with the Crimson Tide, becoming a four-year Academic All-American and team captain. After earning a business degree and a master’s in marketing, she spent time on a basketball-focused mission trip to Mexico and worked on a cattle and catfish farm in Greensboro, Alabama—unexpected detours that taught her adaptability and patience. Hancock started at Merrill as a receptionist before earning a spot in the Financial Advisor Development Program in 2015. Today, she’s a key leader within her 55-person team, overseeing operations and investment strategy across eight offices in six states. “I operate like a COO,” she says. “I oversee the people and processes that drive how we service clients—and I chair both our asset allocation and investment committees.”
Building Relationships: Though much of her time is now spent guiding advisors, Hancock remains closely involved with the firm’s top 50 households. “I still spend about 20 to 30 percent of my time in front of clients, usually working in a coaching capacity with our advisors,” she says. She’s also closely involved in her community—serving as president of the University of Alabama Women’s Basketball booster club and holding season tickets. “It’s a really cool time in women’s sports,” she adds. “I try to attend any program or league I can.”
Investment Philosophy: Asset allocation is the centerpiece of Hancock’s strategy. “We believe it’s the primary determinant of risk and return,” she says. While public markets remain a foundational component of client portfolios, her team has gradually increased allocations to fixed income and private markets over the past few years. “Volatility is not the enemy,” she emphasizes. “The real risk is not understanding your asset allocation and being unable to meet long-term goals.” Hancock and her team emphasize client education—especially when it comes to alternatives. “Private equity and private credit do very different things in a portfolio,” she says. “We spend a lot of time helping clients understand that.” Her team’s preferred approach is a mix of tax-efficient public market exposure—via direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting wrappers, for instance—paired with alternatives tailored to each client’s risk tolerance and income needs. She’s also seen strong interest in private placement variable annuities and life insurance as tax-deferred wrappers for alternative investments.
Market Outlook: While public markets are at all-time highs, Hancock sees little reason for clients to make dramatic portfolio changes. “We’re cautiously optimistic,” she says. “It’s about steady growth over time. We’re rebalancing, not making major strategic shifts.”
She notes that the easy-money era is likely behind us, and higher rates are here to stay—something her team has planned for by shifting more capital to private markets and fixed income. “Markets aren’t just public equities,” she says. “And more value is being created pre-IPO than ever before.”
Best Advice: For clients, Hancock emphasizes clarity and perspective: “Try to differentiate the noise from the news. While today feels polarizing, these cycles are nothing new. We’re a resilient economy.” And for advisors? “Be where your feet are,” she says. “If you’re not fully present—at home or at work—people will notice. Give 100% to whatever you’re doing in the moment.”
