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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seun Adeyemi | SA Capital Advisors Inc. | Whitby | CKA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Susan Stefura | Bespoke Financial Consulting Inc. | Toronto | CFP, RFP, TEP, FCSI | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Thomas Mullooly | Mullooly Asset Management, Inc. | Wall Township | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Timothy Murray | Gladwyn Financial Advisors, Inc. | Chantilly | CDFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trent Templer | Templer Wealth Management, LLC | Tysons Corner | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tricia Kollath | Inspired Financial Planners, LLC | Gulfport | CFP, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Troy Sapp | Commencement Financial Planning, LLC | Lakewood | CFP, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Wilson Li | Abacus Wealth Partners | Sebastopol | FPQP, CFP, MBA, CDFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Albi Kacani | HFS Wealth Management | Dallas | CFP, CPA, CDFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Musbach | MD Wealth Management | Chelsea | CFP, CFA, MBA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Polzin | Behl Wealth Management | Delafield | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Anil Chacko | Ark Alliance Financial | Missouri City | CFP, CKA | Hourly |
| Austin Boyce | SoundView Advisors | Seattle | CFP, CLU, CPA/PFS, CPA | Percentage of assets |
| Barry Corkern | Barry M. Corkern & Co., Inc. | Little Rock | AIFA, CFP, CLU | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bill Holliday | AIO Financial, LLC | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brian Behl | Behl Wealth Management | Delafield | CFP, CRPC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Bryan Lee | Strategic Financial Planning, Inc. | Plano | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carol Alexander | Retirement Investment Advisors, Inc. | Frisco | AIF, CDFA, CFP, CPA/PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chad Arrington | The Kelly Group | Bel Air | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clayton Phillips | Clarity Financial | Beaverton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clayton Quamme | AP Wealth Management | Columbia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Colin Moynahan | TWENTY FIFTY CAPITAL, LLC | Mount Pleasant | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Colleen Soares | Soares Financial, Inc. | Napa | CFP, CPA | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Daniel Granucci | Iron Path Wealth Management, Inc. | Sandy Hook | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Danny Michael | Satori Wealth Management Inc. | San Diego | CFP, RLP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Mayes | Three Bearings Fiduciary Advisors, Inc. | Hampton | CFP, CRPC, CRPS, EA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Stevens | Stevens Capital Partners, Inc. | Omaha | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dennis O'Brien | Coastal Financial Advisors, Inc. | Philadelphia | BS, MS, RTRP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Derek Moran | Smarter Financial Planning Ltd. | Kelowna | RFP | Not listed |
| Donald Hance, Jr | Glenmore Financial, Inc. | Pacific Palisades | CFP, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Douglas Lynch | Lynch Financial Group LLC | Dublin | CFA, CFP, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elijah Essa | Essa Financial LLC | Louisville | CFP, MSPFP, MSFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Emiramis Gjini | MyGen Planning | Chicago | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Eric Schlosser | Kisher Capital, LLC | Malta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Walters | Summit Hill Wealth Management | Greenwood Village | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ethan Bridgewater | Bridgewater Advisory Group LLC | Crystal City | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Franklin Gay | Tobias Financial Advisors | Plantation | CFP, EA, MBA, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| G. Martin Poole | HFH Planning Inc | 283 Nautical Way | ADPA, CFP, RFC, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gabriel Shahin | Falcon Wealth Planning, Inc. | Irvine | AIF, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Maddox | Hampton Park Financial Planning | Charleston | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Greg Peterson | Adaptive Financial Solutions, Inc. | Cambridge | BA, CFA, CFP, MA | Fixed fees |
| Hyrum Smith | Livet Wealth, LLC | Salt Lake City, | CFP, CPA, PhD | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jake Ridley | Ridley Wealth Management | Round Rock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Janet Stanzak | Financial Empowerment, LLC | Burnsville | CFP, MS | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Jeff Stewart | Lucid Wealth Planning LLC | Wake Forest | CFP, CRPC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jennifer Rupp | Hendershott Wealth Management | Fishers | CFP, MBA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeremy Portnoff | PortSalus Wealth Management | Mission Viejo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jesse Carlucci | Arrow Investment Management | Oklahoma City | CFP, PhD | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joanne Burke | Birch Street Financial Advisors LLC | Vienna | CFP, CPA, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Owens | Horizon Advisors LLC | Rome | CFP, CGMA, CKA, CPA/PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
Guides
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.