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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Chase | CGN Advisors, LLC | Brooklyn | CFP, MBA, CFA, BA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Chad Lawyer | Life Strategy Partners | Tucson | CFP, RICP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Chandler Fugate-Laus Six-month comprehensive planning that helps burned-out Millennials use their money to create breathing room and long-term security. | Moneyfluent | Columbus | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Chris Arnold | Refresh Wealth | University City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Chris Ferris | Ryan Lamontagne Inc. | Ottawa | CFP, CFA | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Chris Hostetler | Hilltop Wealth Advisors | Chapel Hill | CDAA, CFP, CRPS, Certified Student Loan Professional | Percentage of assets |
| Chris Ryan | Ryan Lamontagne Inc. | Ottawa | CFP, CFA | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Chris Ward | EntryPoint Wealth Management | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Annello | SAGEbroadview Wealth Management, LLC | Farmington | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher Congema | Landmark Wealth Management, LLC | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Clandine Schrock | Montis Financial | Waltham | CFP, CPWA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cody Cassidy | TCI Wealth Advisors, Inc. | Scottsdale | CFP, CPA, MBA, AAMS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cole Brooks | CRB Strategic Services LLC | Phoenix | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Crystal Kelly | Amani Financial Inc. | Edmonton | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Dallen Haws | Haws Financial Planning, LLC | Sierra Vista | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dan Michaud | NPF Investment Advisors | Grand Rapids | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Dan Wood | Zimmerman Wealth Management, LLC | Evanston | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dana Menard | Twin Cities Wealth Strategies, Inc. | Maple Grove | CFP, RLP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Masuda Lehrman | Masuda Lehrman Wealth | Honolulu | CFP, Certified Student Loan Professional | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| David Blain | BlueSky Wealth Advisors, LLC | Acworth | CFA, CDFA, CFP, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| David Dodd | The Other 90 Financial, LLC | Mount Vernon | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| David Frisch | Frisch Financial Group, Inc. | New York | CFP, CPA/PFS, CFS, CDFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Martin | Eltero Financial Partners Inc. | Halifax | FCSI, CIM, CFP (ret'd) | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Dean Schuler | Schuler Wealth Planning LLC | Columbus | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Deborah Hobart | Blue Water Capital Management, LLC | Apex | CFP, CPA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Deirdre Hegarty | Branch & Bloom Financial Planning, LLC | Menlo Park | CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Della Stegall | Fruit of the Vine Financial | New Braunfels | CFP, CIMA, RICP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Demel Gonzalez | Heartwood Financial Services | Sanford | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Den Murley | Belonging Wealth Management | Longview | CFP, MBA, MSFP | Percentage of assets |
| DJ Hunt | Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC | Jacksonville | CFP, CPA, EA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Don Martini | Envision Financial Planning | San Francisco | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Donovan Brooks | Prospurpose Wealth | Saint Joseph | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Douglas Marcello | Core Wealth Management, Inc. | Jupiter | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Edward B. Aufman | Aufman Associates Inc. | Longboat Key | BS, CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Edward Mahaffy | ClientFirst Wealth Management, LLC | Little Rock | CFP, ChFC, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Elizabeth Barrett | Sterling Wealth Advisors® | Plantation | CFP, CKA, MA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Elizabeth Geiser | Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. | Wheaton | CFA, CFP, CPA, BS | Hourly |
| Eric McClain | Approach Retirement Advisors, LLC | Birmingham | CFP, JD, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Evor Vattuone | Aspire Planning Associates, Inc. | Cupertino | CFP, CFS | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Gabriel Markiz | Portland Financial Advisors, Inc. | Port Washington | CFP, CPA/PFS, MSFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Gary Birdsall | True Financial, LLC | Houma | CFP, JD | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gina Hagen | Full Circle Financial Planning | Topanga | CFP, CPA | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Gitanjali Kumar | Worthique LLC | San Francisco | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Grant Bledsoe | Three Oaks Wealth | Lake Oswego | AIF, CEPA, CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Olson | Ronald Olson, Inc. | Lehi | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Hannah Moore | Guiding Wealth Management | Richardson | CeFT, CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| J. David Principe | SAGEbroadview Wealth Management, LLC | Farmington | CFP, Certified Student Loan Professional, CPA/PFS, RLP | Ongoing planning fee |
| J. Scott Kittrell | Modera Wealth Management, LLC | New York | CFP, CFA, ACA, EA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jacob Greenberg | Pure Financial Advisors, LLC | San Diego | AIF, CFP, ChFC, MPH | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jake Skelhorn Tax-smart financial advice for high-earners and pre-retirees | Spark Wealth Advisors | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
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.