Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Arkansas

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

You might need general estate planning guidance if you're organizing your assets to protect your family or planning for incapacity. A common mistake is overlooking how state-specific rules, like Arkansas's exemption of Social Security income from state tax, affect your plan.

  • Comprehensive asset review. Ensure the advisor considers all your assets, including those that might not be obvious, to avoid gaps in your plan.
  • Succession clarity. Ask how they handle transferring assets smoothly to heirs, minimizing delays and disputes.
  • Incapacity planning. Confirm they include strategies for managing your affairs if you become unable to make decisions.
  • Tax implications. Look for advisors who understand Arkansas's tax rules, especially how Social Security income is treated, to optimize your estate plan.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Marshall B

Series 66

Cabot, AR

Paladin Investment Advisors

Marshall Butler is a Series 66-registered financial advisor at Paladin Investment Advisors with eight years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms including Veritas Independent Partners, Pinnacle Wealth Management, and Edward Jones. Butler is a part owner of Pinnacle Consultants, where he is involved in the sale of insurance products. Paladin Investment Advisors provides customized investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, business owners, nonprofit charities, foundations, and sponsors of ERISA-qualified retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $49.5 million in discretionary assets and employs a holistic wealth management approach using active, passive, or blended strategies.

Real estate investing Annuities Options & derivatives strategies
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Brete G

Series 63, Series 65

Fayetteville, AR

Stephens

Brete Garland is a financial advisor at Stephens with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior experience includes roles at Voya Financial Advisors, Morgan Keegan & Company, and Morgan Stanley. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with approximately 243 advisors and about $18 billion in assets under management. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, foundations, corporations, and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory, brokerage, investment banking, and research services.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner

Lawrence C

Series 63, Series 65

Little Rock, AR

Merrill

Lawrence Chance is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He utilizes a disciplined process to deliver a consistent and customized wealth management experience tailored to clients' personal perspectives and priorities. Larry collaborates closely with clients to fully understand their objectives and recommends strategies drawing on the resources of Merrill Lynch to integrate all aspects of their financial life. He regularly conducts reviews to monitor progress and adjusts strategies to align with any changes in clients' personal or business situations. Larry holds several professional designations, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., the Certified Investment Management Analyst® designation, and the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation, both awarded by the Investments & Wealth Institute™. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas Tech University in 1986 and a Master of Science in Industrial Administration from Purdue University in 1987. In addition to his professional work, Larry is active in Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock. His personal interests include camping, fishing, hunting, and traveling.

Wealth management
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Logan J

CFP®, Series 66

Jonesboro, AR

Mass Mutual Investors Services

Logan Johnson is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Mass Mutual Investors Services. His prior experience includes roles at Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company, Northwestern Mutual, Arkansas State University, and Harding University. He is also the owner of an LLC for tax purposes. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC operates as a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser, providing financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm uses firm-approved software tools to analyze client goals and offers a range of planning programs, including recent additions like Divorce Planning and employer-sponsored planning services.

Divorce financial planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Attorney Executive Married/Couples/Partners Divorced
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Malissa M

Series 65

Hot Springs, AR

Black Knight Wealth Management, LLC

Malissa Mc Nanna is a financial advisor with Black Knight Wealth Management, LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. She has four years of industry experience and has previously worked at Optivise Advisory Services, LLC, OnPointe Advisory and Financial Services LLC, and Vision Advisors, Inc. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Vision Advisors, Inc., where she recruits agents, conducts product training, and provides sales support for annuity and life insurance products. Black Knight Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and coordination with other professional advisors. The firm employs a range of investment strategies and prepares individualized Investment Policy Statements, managing accounts primarily on a discretionary, asset-based basis while reviewing portfolios monthly.

Concentrated stock management Retirement income strategy Annuities Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

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.

General estate planning guidance
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Kayla S

Series 63, Series 65

Warwick, RI

Mass Mutual Investors Services

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.

Divorce financial planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Attorney Executive Married/Couples/Partners Divorced

Gordon B

Series 66

Luling, LA

Edward Jones

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.

Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Wealth management Oil & Gas Engineering Professional
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William S

Series 63, Series 65

College Station, TX

Smith & Wyatt

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.

Government Employee
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Thaddeus P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC

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.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Charitable giving & philanthropy General estate planning guidance General tax planning Options & derivatives strategies
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