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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tedi Hughes | Destiny Capital | Lake Ozark | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Tendai Charasika | Saling Wealth Advisors | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thaddeus Toal | RCS Financial Planning | Annapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Theodore Noble | Sherrill & Hutchins | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Bengtson | Lakeshore Advisors | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Bowman | Investors Portfolio Services | Puyallup | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Cooney | Wealth Dimensions Group | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Curti | Wealth Dimensions Group | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Falkner | Legacy Financial Independent Advisors | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Gruber | AMG Wealth Management | Land O Lakes | PFS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Thomas Koleski | Cedar Capital Advisors | Glen Ellyn | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Schiller | Wealth Dimensions Group | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Burt | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Doyle | Destiny Capital | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Timothy Dutton | Dutton Financial Planning | Aledo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Goodwin | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy McGrath | Riverpoint Wealth Management | Chicago | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Whitney | TradeWinds | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tina Yang | Tanglewood Total Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tracy Kasing | Regimen Wealth | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Travis Russell | Glassman Wealth | Vienna | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Trent Lakes | Ballast | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trey Ellington | Steelhead Wealth Management | Glen Allen | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Troy Daum | Wealth Analytics | Poway | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Abney | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Linsten | Alder Cove Capital | Tukwila | CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Thompson | Tanara Wealth Management | Lehi | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Vahick Yedgarian | Regency Financial Group | Olhão, Portugal | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Vincent Barrett | Acorn Financial Services | Bethesda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Wai Ngan Yu | Summa Global Advisors | Clackamas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Walter Hurt | Covenant Wealth Advisors | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Wesley Kotys | Kotys Wealth Professionals | Valparaiso | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Allen | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Bunch | Maze Financial Planning | Chapel Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Goodson | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Hutchins | Sherrill & Hutchins | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Johnson | White Pine Investment Co | Livonia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Zuzana Brochu | Mascoma Wealth Management | Hanover | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Aaron Karas | Insight Wealth Strategies | San Ramon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Tice | Delphi Wealth Partners | Grand Junction | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Abbie Frishman | Councilor | Bethesda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Abigail Rose | Keeler & Nadler | Dublin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Boor | Pursuit Wealth Strategies | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Drake | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Greene | Sage Financial Group | West Conshohocken | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Smetzer | Sky Vision Wealth | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Aileen Bost | CM Wealth | Beachwood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ajoke Esomo | Mills Wealth Advisors | Southlake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alan Cohn | Sage Financial Group | West Conshohocken | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alexander Boeri | Miller Avenue Advisors | Mill Valley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.