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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patricia Kane | Kane Financial Planning, LLC | Avon | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Dinan | Impact Fiduciary | Pasadena | CFP, Chartered SRI Counselor | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Yaghoobians | Noor Financial Services | Los Angeles | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Peter Ankeny | Wolf Pine Capital | Portsmouth | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Philip Murphy Independent, advice-only planning for people saving, investing or facing transitions like retirement, a new career or a health challenge. | IndiePlan LLC | Albany | CFP, CFA | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Prudence Zhu | Enso Financial | Phoenix | CFP, CFT-I, CPA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Rachael Levine | Peltoma Capital Partners | Austin | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Rachel DeCarolis | Northstar Financial Planning | Windham | CDFA, CeFT, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Rana Choubah | Meridian Financial Advisors, LLC | Holliston | CFP, CRPC, CRPS, MPAS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Rebecca Jackson | SeedSafe Financial | Austin | CFP, CPA, PFS, RLP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| RJ Devick | Bond&Devick Wealth Partners | Saint Louis Park | BA, BFA, BS, CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Robert Costello | Costello Financial Planning | Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Greiser | Opulus, LLC | Doylestown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ryan Kurtz | Objective Financial Partners Inc. | Markham | CPA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Sara Young | Live and Give Financial LLC | Cincinnati | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Grissom A former college professor who helps couples build a custom retirement roadmap covering investments, taxes, insurance, spending and estate planning. | Socrates Financial Planning LLC | Jenison | CFP, PhD | One-time planning fee |
| Sean Lovison | Purpose Built Financial Services, LLC | Moorestown | CFP, CPA | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Sefa Mawuli | Jade & Cowry | Arlington | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Shane Dennehy | CayDen Wealth Management | Broomfield | BFA, CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Sheila McGinn | Brightview Financial Solutions, LLC | Redwood City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Nelson | Birchwood Capital LLC | Carlsbad | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Stanganelli | Clear View Wealth Advisors, LLC | Amesbury | AEP, CFP, CRPC, MS | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Stu Sneen | TwoTen Planning PLLC | Austin | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Thuy (Twee) Lam | Objective Financial Partners | Markham | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Tommy Lopez | Coffeehouse Capital LLC | Financial Planning and Wealth Management | Fresno | CFP, CRPC | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Tracy Baron Garcia | TBG Investing | Lake Oswego | CFP, MBA | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Travis Tracy | Fortitude Financial Planning, LLC | Raleigh | CFP, EA, JD | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Troy Knighton | Veritas Wealth Management LLC | Salt Lake City | CFP, CPA/PFS, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Vikki Brown | Modern Cents | Mississauga | CFP, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Will Revels | PieCapital | Raleigh | CEPA, CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Zeke Anders | Planalto Financial LLC | Huntsville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Ziad Sahuri | Parallel Wealth Financial Group | Ottawa | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Zubin Kapur | Valor Wealth Partners | Washington | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Adam Cornwell | North Ridge Wealth Advisors | Beaverton | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets |
| AJ Flores | Portfolio Advisors, Inc. | Fresno | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Alan Nelson | Measured Money Maneuvers LLC | Solana Beach | CFP, ChFC, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Alex Bridges | Tiverton Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP, ChFC, RICP, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Alex Caswell | Wealth Script Advisors | San Francisco | CFP, CFA, EA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Alex Caswell-Yatsenko | Wealth Script Advisors | San Francisco | CFA, CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Alex Crouch | Tech Financial Planning | Spring Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Allen Gibson | GIBSON WEALTH ADVISORS LLC | Tyler | CFP, ChFC, CDFA, CRPC | Percentage of assets |
| Alonso Rodriguez Segarra | Advise Financial | Boca Raton | CFP | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrea Oliver | One Wild Life Advisors, LLC | Chicago | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Andrea Vedder | Iambic Financial | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Cayer | SK Wealth Management, LLC | Providence | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Andrew Damcevski | AJD Wealth Management | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Gray | Gray Wealth Strategies | Bend | CFP, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Angela Dorsey | Dorsey Wealth Management | Torrance | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ashley Coake | Cultivate Financial Planning | Radford | CFP, EA | Flat fee or retainer |
| Audrey Emerson Planning with no minimums for newlyweds, freelancers and creative millennials, usually through a four- to five-month integrated process. | AdviceOnly | Bellingham | CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
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.