Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Bellingham, 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.

You might need general estate planning guidance if you're organizing your assets to protect your family or planning for how your estate will be managed after your passing. Without clear planning, you risk leaving your heirs with legal complications or unintended tax burdens.

  • Comprehensive asset review. Look for advisors who consider all types of assets, including property, investments, and personal belongings, to create a complete plan.
  • Tax implications awareness. Since Washington has no state income tax but does tax long-term capital gains, ask how they address both federal and state tax impacts in your plan.
  • Succession and guardianship planning. Confirm they help set up clear instructions for who manages your estate and cares for dependents, avoiding family disputes.
  • Coordination with legal professionals. Estate planning often involves wills and trusts; check how they collaborate with your attorney to align financial and legal documents.

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

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Lindsey M

Series 66

Bellingham, WA

Ameriprise

Lindsey Maphumulo is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Ameriprise in Bellingham, WA, holding 14 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. Lindsey is also employed by Scannell LLC under Ameriprise as a Private Wealth Advisor. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, notable for its Premier Retirement Income service that provides tailored retirement income planning through a structured recommendation process focused on dependable income and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Melvin D

Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Bellingham, WA

Baring Financial LLC

Melvin Danson is a financial advisor with Baring Financial LLC in Bellingham, WA, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Waddell & Reed, Inc. and First Allied Advisory Services, Inc., and he is also owner of Logan Danson LLC and a trustee involved in trust management. Baring Financial LLC provides discretionary investment management to individuals, pension plans, trusts, and small businesses, managing approximately $210 million for over 480 clients. The firm employs a strategic asset-allocation approach with a core of passive index funds and ETFs complemented by actively managed funds, and it discloses the use of borrowing and derivatives in client accounts.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies
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Elizabeth S

Series 65

Bellingham, WA

Trail Financial Planning LLC

Elizabeth Snyder is a financial advisor at Trail Financial Planning LLC with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 65 designation and has worked at Trail Financial Planning since 2017, following a prior independent advisory practice from 2002 to 2025. Outside of her advisory work, she is a partner in a rental property management business. Trail Financial Planning LLC is a fee-only firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management. The firm uses a blend of passive and active strategies informed by Modern Portfolio Theory and emphasizes tax efficiency and regular account reviews.

General retirement planning Social Security optimization College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting Tax strategies for small businesses Young Professionals Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Megan C

Series 65

Bellingham, WA

WealthMark, LLC

Megan Cooley is a financial advisor at WealthMark, LLC with a Series 65 designation and over 11 years of industry experience. Prior to her current role, she worked at Gruff Brewing for six years. WealthMark, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a range of investment strategies, combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and offers customized solutions including subadvisory and 529 college-savings services.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Active portfolio management
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Joseph C

Series 63, Series 65

Bellingham, WA

LPL Financial

Joseph Carpenter is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Bellingham, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He worked at Merrill from 1999 to 2012 before joining LPL Financial, where he has been since 2012. He also provides occasional notary public services for clients. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired 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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