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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Calme | HCM Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Chester | Tableaux Wealth | Great Barrington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Cochran | Atlantic Edge Wealth | Jacksonville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Dellovo | BFA Wealth Management | Delray Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Matthew Fulton | Atlas Legacy Advisors | Los Angeles | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Haefner | Monograph Wealth | Manhattan Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Liebman | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Mathiesen | Integrity Wealth Management | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Miller | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Newman | High Probability Advisors | Pittsford | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Oberholzer | Infinity Wealth Counsel | Loveland | CFP | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Page | True Wave Financial Planners | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Rinkey | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Snyder | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Treskovich | Flavin, Nooney & Person | Melbourne | CFP, PFS, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maynard Keller | American Financial Planning | Roanoke | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Megan Miller | Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Melissa Ballard | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Melissa Phillippi | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Bechtold | Hager Investment Management Services | New London | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Bernstein | Lionshead Wealth Management | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Bisbee | Enduro Wealth | Eagle | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Broadhurst | Heritage Wealth Management Group | Norfolk | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Canzone | Canter Wealth | La Jolla | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Cermak | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael D'Antonio | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Dixon | Your Planning Partner | Palm Beach Gardens | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Ehlenbeck | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Foster | Dolan Capital Advisors | Charlotte | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael George | FPL Capital Management | Metairie | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Haskins | Larsen Wealth Management | El Dorado Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Hughes | OLIO Financial Planning | Mclean | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Lemich | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Lynch | Michael P. Lynch Wealth Management | Stockton | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael O'Connor | Capasso Planning Partners | Charleston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Pompian | Sunpointe Investments | St. Louis | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Power | Power Investing | Danville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Rudy | Wolakota Advisors | Ypsilanti | CFP | Hourly |
| Michael Sicuranza | Affinity Wealth Management | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Stacey | HC Advisors | Sandy Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Wagner | Omnia Family Wealth | Aventura | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michelle Berry | Berry Wealth Group | Granbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Eldridge | Clear Ridge Wealth Management | Kalamazoo | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Miguel Irazabal | Monograph Wealth | Manhattan Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Minka Hull | Mission Hills Financial | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mitchell Crowder | WealthCrossing | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mitchell Doman | Haynie Wealth Management | Salt Lake City | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mitchell Kramer | Fluent Financial | Dallas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mitchell Mosgrove | Trebuchet Consulting | Pittsburgh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Montaser Takrouri | Azzad Asset Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.