Top business succession planning financial advisors in Auburn, WA

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.

If you're preparing to transfer your business ownership, you need an advisor who understands the complexities of timing and tax implications. A common mistake is underestimating how state and federal taxes, especially Washington's capital gains tax, can affect your succession plan.

  • Tax-aware planning. Look for advisors who consider both federal income tax and Washington's 7% capital gains tax on large gains, not just the absence of state income tax.
  • Succession timing. Ask how they help you decide the best moment to transfer ownership to minimize tax burdens and ensure business continuity.
  • Estate and property tax integration. Confirm they factor in property and sales taxes alongside your succession strategy to avoid unexpected costs.
  • Coordination with legal counsel. Effective succession planning often requires working closely with your attorney; check how the advisor facilitates this collaboration.

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

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Paul S

Series 63, Series 66

Auburn, WA

Thrivent Investment Management

Paul Sharp is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Auburn, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and six years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Acorns, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Fidelity Investments. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of Financial Advisors, offering goal-based analyses and written recommendations on a broad range of planning topics without including implementation. The firm allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option while keeping these services separate.

Business ownership considerations

Lucas L

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Auburn, WA

Edward Jones

Lucas Ladd is a CFP® professional with 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Edward Jones since 2017 and previously held roles at Sunamerica Retirement Markets, Inc. and AIG Capital Services, Inc. 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, including wrap fee strategies and separately managed accounts, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Retirement withdrawal strategies General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jarren M

Series 66

Auburn, WA

Raymond James Financial

Jarren Mc Niesh is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. He has prior experience with firms including Cetera and Avantax, and he also works as a tax preparer through Tax Professionals ETC. Mc Niesh’s background includes financial consulting, wealth management, and income tax preparation. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a wide client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers non-discretionary planning tailored to client goals and supports its services with analytical tools and technology, including AI and machine learning.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Ann S

Series 63, Series 65

Auburn, WA

Ameriprise

Ann Scott is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Auburn, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. She has worked at Ameriprise and its affiliate since 2005. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals nearing or in retirement who meet specific asset thresholds, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver personalized recommendation reports. The firm offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its institutional platform.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Junqing S

Series 66

Seattle, WA

J.P. Morgan Securities

Junqing Sun is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Seattle, WA, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Sun worked at Merrill and Bank of America from 2022 to 2025, as well as Raymond James in 2021. Outside the financial sector, Sun has experience in the seafood industry, having been associated with several seafood companies between 2015 and 2021. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, utilizing a quantitative asset-allocation process combined with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework. The firm operates within the broader J.P. Morgan organization and offers a range of investment products, including those related to security-based swaps and futures.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Jerald L

Series 63

San Antonio, TX

Frost Investment Services

Jerald Liesman is a financial advisor at Frost Investment Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. and Frost Bank since 1993 and 1987, respectively. Frost Investment Services is a retail-focused, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and managed account programs that integrate model portfolios from its affiliate with third-party managers, utilizing a research-driven investment process and providing optional tax and ESG overlay services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive

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