Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Battle Creek, MI

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.

When you're managing an estate in Battle Creek, MI, especially with pension-related retirement decisions common in the auto industry, you need guidance that covers all the moving parts. Without focused expertise, it's easy to overlook how pensions and other assets interact in your estate plan.

  • Pension integration. Confirm how the advisor accounts for your pension benefits alongside other estate assets to avoid unintended tax or distribution issues.
  • Probate navigation. Ask about their approach to minimizing probate delays and costs, which can affect how quickly your heirs receive assets.
  • Asset titling review. Ensure they examine how your property and accounts are titled, as this impacts what passes through your estate plan.
  • Legacy goals alignment. Discuss how they help align your estate plan with your personal wishes for heirs and charitable giving, not just legal requirements.

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

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Brian J

Series 63, Series 66

Portage, MI

Cetera

Brian James is a financial advisor with Cetera in Portage, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at PNC Investments, CX Institutional, LPL Financial, and Oak Point Wealth Management. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with various portfolio management options and a broad network of over 10,000 advisors managing more than $256 billion in assets.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Mark Y

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 63

Battle Creek, MI

Cetera

Mark Yatros is a CFP® and ChFC® with 33 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. He has held prior roles at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Commonwealth Financial Network, and Allegiant Wealth Strategies. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in divorce planning through Empower Divorce Consulting, which he owns and operates. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with various portfolio management options, combining discretionary and non-discretionary services and access to affiliated and third-party money managers.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Tina P

Series 66

Battle Creek, MI

Edward Jones

Tina Perry is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Battle Creek, MI, holding a Series 66 credential and 18 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2007. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Seanna F

Series 66

Springfield, MI

Raymond James & Associates

Seanna Fields is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Springfield, MI, holding the Series 66 designation and bringing 18 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing for 10 years and J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC for 6 years. Outside of her advisory role, she assists with checkwriting for her spouse’s business, Fields Electric, LLC. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities. The firm offers financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary solutions, utilizing multiple portfolio management styles supported by affiliated research and model managers.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Renee G

Series 66

Battle Creek, MI

Janney Montgomery Scott

Renee Giles is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 13 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Raymond James and Associates for 24 years before joining Janney in 2018. Giles is also a notary. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base and offers a range of advisory and brokerage services supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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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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