Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Alabama

Dustin Woodham is a financial advisor at Cetera with 18 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He has been with Cetera Investment Advisors LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC, and Regions Bank since 2014. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services, operating a multi-manager platform that includes model portfolios, third-party managers, and bespoke strategies.

James Harris III is a financial advisor at Stifel with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Stifel since 2015. Stifel serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, institutional investors, and charitable organizations, offering both brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is based on a proprietary methodology that uses forward-looking capital market assumptions and probabilistic modeling to support asset allocation and financial planning.

Leslie Layne is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Hoover, AL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. She has seven years of experience at Edward Jones following previous roles at PRUCO Securities and The Prudential Insurance Company of America, as well as ten years at State Farm Insurance and its management corporation. Leslie has served as a panelist in a FINRA dispute resolution arbitration case in Alabama. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets with a nationwide network of more than 23,700 advisors.

John Mott is a financial advisor at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His career includes roles at NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Co. Outside of advising, he is involved in managing a family limited partnership and operates Mott Farms. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional investors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Thomas Leland Jr. is a financial advisor with Southeast Asset Advisors, LLC in Mobile, Alabama. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 29 years of industry experience. His prior work includes 16 years at Morgan Keegan & Company, LLC and 2 years at Raymond James & Associates. Southeast Asset Advisors provides wealth management, portfolio management, and consulting services to individuals, family offices, endowments, foundations, and pension plans. The firm manages a range of investment strategies and is notable for its involvement with pooled investment vehicles and private funds, including its majority ownership of Conifer Advisors, the manager of the Conifer Funds.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Warwick, RI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017 and previously at MetLife Securities. In addition to her advisory role, Santos is an independent insurance agent, offering life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance products. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, wrap and money-manager programs, and educational seminars, structuring engagements as annual collaborative relationships focused on goal analysis and written recommendations.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

William Soltow is a financial advisor at Smith & Wyatt with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at CoreCap Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and serves as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million across 724 clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and specialized educational programs, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs as primary investment vehicles.

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.