Estate & legacy planning
Estate and legacy planning covers the coordination of wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, lifetime gifting, generation-skipping and dynasty planning, and the implementation work that sits between the attorney's documents and the household balance sheet. Advisors listed here coordinate closely with trusts-and-estates counsel and carry the plan forward through life events.
By the numbers
The Wellspent public graph lists 6,173 fee-only financial advisors focused on estate & legacy planning at 2,325 firms, most in Houston, San Diego and Austin. 44% hold the CFP certification. Of the 6162 with fees on file, 91% charge percentage of assets.
- Advisors listed
- 6,173
- Firms
- 2,325
- Cities
- 1,184
- Hold the CFP
- 44%
- Other credentials: CFA 9% · CPA 2% · EA 1%
- How they charge (of 6162 with fees on file): percentage of assets 91% · fixed fees 54% · hourly 44% · ongoing planning fee 12%
Source: Wellspent public graph, data as of . Shares are of advisors listed here; an advisor can hold several credentials or fee types. Methodology
Advisors with depth in estate & legacy planning
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January Smith | Janus Financial Planning, LLC | San Antonio | CFP, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jason Gunkel | Syverson Strege | West Des Moines | CAP, CFA, CFP, AEP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeff Tolsma | Tolsma Investments, LLC | Bellevue | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jeffrey Mehler | Jeffrey N. Mehler, CFP LLC | Essex | BS, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Hernandez | Petra Financial Advisors, Inc. | Colorado Springs | CFA, CFP, EA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Hillman | Do Wealth Different | Bentonville | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Jim Kilgore | Buckeye Wealth Partners, LLC | Dayton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Losen | Bespoke Financial Planning, LLC | Wayne | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| John Piershale | Piershale Wealth Management | Crystal Lake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Stocking | Evidence Based Finance | Toronto | CIM, CIWM, PFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jonathan Huss | Hussmen Financial, LLC | Midlothian | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Hourly |
| Justin Brownlee | BWM Planning LLC d/b/a Brownlee Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Justin Chidester | Wealth Mode Financial Planning, LLC | Bountiful | CFP, AFC | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Justin Porter | Porter Wealth Management, LLC | Nashville | CFP, CPA/PFS, JD, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kade Hammes | Storybook Financial | Coralville | CFP, RLP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kaden Wootton | ENSPIRE WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC | Santa Rosa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kaki Perdue Retirement and tax planning for people nearing retirement who want to feel safe, strong and secure managing their own money. | Look Both Ways Financial | Houston | CPA, CFP | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Karen Ogden | Envest Asset Management, LLC | Ridgefield | CFP, MBA, BS, CPWA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kathleen Tranovich | Elser Financial Planning | Indianapolis | CFP, CPWA, RMA, ABFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Kaylin Dillon | Kaylin Dillon Financial Planning | Lawrence | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Keith Deane | Deane Retirement Strategies, Inc. | New Orleans | AIF, CFP, CRC | Percentage of assets |
| Kevin Lam Retirement income, health, safety and legacy planning for seniors age 60 and up, from a planner in his 60s. | Age Wisely Financial | Wilmington | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Leo Nunez | Everest Financial Advisors | Cooper City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lucas Bucl | Aspyre Wealth Partners | Overland Park | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Marc Lowe | In The Money Retirement Planning | Waterford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marcus Holzberg | Holzberg Wealth Management | Corte Madera | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matt Hylland | Arnold & Mote Wealth Management | Hiawatha | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Matt Reakus | Sound Wealth LLC | Marlton | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Ardrey | TriDelta Financial | Toronto | CFP, FMA, CIM | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Matthew Fitzgerald | Holistic Planning | Sedona | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew McKee | Target Rock Wealth Management | New York | CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Meg van den Már | Alongside Financial Partners, LLC | Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Deepwell | Lamp Financial Inc. | Vancouver | TEP, CPA, CA, CFP | Not listed |
| Michael Johnson | Flagstone Financial Management | Lincoln | CFP, JD, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Randall | Oak Summit Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, CFA, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Shea | True Equity Wealth Management LLC | Nashville | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Michelle Goldstein | Goldstein Financial Future | Dallas | CFP, MBA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Mike Anderson | AdviceOnly | Murrieta | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Nick Nauta | Shotwell Rutter Baer | Lansing | CFP, CLU, RLP, TPCP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Omen Quelvog | Formynder Wealth Management, LLC | Fredericksburg | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Phil Francois | Foundation Wealth Planning | Salina | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Philip Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management LLC | Phoenix | CFA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Phillip Mills | Flying Forward Wealth Management | Boerne | AEP, CFP, ChFC, CIMA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Quinn Arnold | Arnold Financial Planning LLC | Cedar Rapids | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Rebecca Noss | Healthy Wealth | Niceville | CFP, ChFC | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sara Stanich | Cultivating Wealth | Brooklyn | CFP, CDFA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Sarah Maitre | Camriel Advisors | Mount Shasta | CFP, CFA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Bown | AdviceOnly | Bethel Park | CFP, MBA | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Scott Logan | HoganTaylor Wealth | Oklahoma City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Oeth | Cahill Financial Advisors, Inc. | Fort Worth | CFP, MSFS | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
Guides
-
Estate attorney vs financial planner: who does what in an estate plan
An estate attorney drafts and signs the legal documents: wills, trusts, powers of attorney. A financial planner works out what those documents should do and keeps beneficiaries, accounts and taxes lined up. Most people need the attorney for the documents and a planner for the rest.
-
Estate planning in Canada: what you need and what it costs
A Canadian estate plan is a will, two powers of attorney, up-to-date beneficiary designations and a plan for the tax due at death. The documents come from a lawyer or notary; a one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median C$1,900.
-
Setting up an estate plan: the documents and the order
A basic estate plan is a will, a durable financial power of attorney, a healthcare directive and up-to-date beneficiary forms, plus a revocable trust for many families. Federal estate tax starts at $15 million in 2026, but some states tax estates from $1 million. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median $2,000.
-
After a death in the family: the first 90 days
In the first 90 days, get death certificates, secure the home and accounts, find the will and let the deadlines set the order. Most money decisions can wait. A few can't, including Social Security paid for the month of death and, for estates that need one, an estate tax return due 9 months after the death.
-
How to review your beneficiary designations
Beneficiary forms decide who receives your retirement accounts, life insurance and transfer-on-death accounts, whatever your will says. Check every form after a marriage, divorce, birth or death. A divorce doesn't reliably remove an ex from a workplace plan, and a 401(k) generally goes to your spouse unless they sign a witnessed waiver.
-
Financial planning for a blended family
In a second marriage, the default rules often leave everything to the new spouse and nothing to children from before. Beneficiary forms, trusts and a written agreement fix that. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median $2,000.