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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison Fluent | Iron Gate Wealth Advisors | Poland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alec Schrock | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alek Johnson | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Alex Kozlowski | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Braun | Financial Planning Navigators | Maple Grove | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alison McFadden | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Alix Demartino | Defined Wealth Management | Beaverton | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Amanda Phillips | Hudock Capital | Williamsport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Amber Pennycoff | Hudock Capital | Williamsport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anastasiya Kolodiy | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrea Cloutier | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrea Searle | Schaefer Financial Management | Centennial | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Basinger | Live Oak Private Wealth | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Boyd | Gibraltar Capital Management | Tulsa | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Buzan | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Castleberry | truFP | Cumming | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Dodds | Dodds Wealth | Greenwood Village | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Molnar | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Osborne | Windward Private Wealth Management | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Woodard | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andri Buckley | Paragon Advisors | College Station | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Angela Williams | Wealthquest | Oak Brook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anne McPhail | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Carr | Carr Wealth Management | Pleasanton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Erzen | Legacy Wealth Planning | Bethalto | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Anthony Steffan | HS Wealth Partners | Nashville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| April Blasen | StackStone Wealth | Dubuque | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ashwini Patil | GoalVest Advisory | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Austen Auger | Shira Ridge Wealth Management | Vacouver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Austin Rowland | truFP | Cumming | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Austin Scott | Andina Advisors | Draper | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Wallace | CM Wealth | Beachwood | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bernadette Mashas | The Investment Counsel Company of Nevada | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Blake Flanders | Momentum Wealth Planning | Estero | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Braden DeForge | GoalVest Advisory | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brady Johnson | Curry Webb Wealth Management | Indianapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Bregan Heitz | Financial Management | Ardmore | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Brenda Stein | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Grant Pass | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brendan Moody | Watershed Private Wealth | Oak Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brennan Pate | Dodds Wealth | Greenwood Village | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brent Dunn | SchlegelDunn | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brett Kidd | Kidd Financial Planning | Livonia | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brewster Smith | The Financial Planning Company | Royal Oak | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Ferrin | MA Private Wealth | San Carlos | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Kopinski | Woodmont Investment Counsel | Nashville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Krause | Cascade Financial Partners | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Rosso | Elevate Wealth Advisory | Athens | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Timm | Global Financial Private Client | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Vogel | Manchester Capital Management | Manchester | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brianna Shealey Helping clients find clarity of their financial future while humanizing the financial planning experience. | Buena Vista Financial Planning LLC | Decatur | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
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.