Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Cortland, NY

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 seek general estate planning guidance when you want to organize your assets and wishes clearly, especially if you’re concerned about unexpected tax bills that can arise just above exemption limits. A common mistake is working with an advisor who overlooks how small changes in your estate’s value can trigger large tax consequences.

  • Tax cliff awareness. Confirm the advisor understands how estate tax thresholds can sharply increase your tax burden if your estate value crosses certain limits.
  • Comprehensive asset review. Look for advisors who consider all types of assets, including non-traditional ones, to ensure your plan covers everything.
  • Succession planning insight. Ask how they help structure your estate to smoothly transfer wealth to heirs while minimizing complications.
  • Coordination with legal counsel. Effective estate planning often requires working alongside your attorney; check how the advisor collaborates with legal professionals.

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

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Aidan C

Series 66

Cortland, NY

LPL Enterprise

Aidan Carpenter is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities LLC. Outside of finance, he coaches basketball at Mater Dei Academy and serves as a music instructor at the YMCA. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and institutional entities. The firm uses model-driven investment implementation and offers financial planning alongside access to third-party asset managers and insurance products through affiliated entities.

Tax-loss harvesting
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John B

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Cortland, NY

Ameriprise

John Baringer Jr. is a CFP® professional with 40 years of industry experience, currently serving at Ameriprise since 2005. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the Finance Committee of the YMCA in Cortland, NY. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals with significant investable assets, combining research and modeling with tax-efficient strategies. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through affiliated companies.

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

Series 63, Series 65

Cortland, NY

LPL Financial

Eric Schneider is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked with LPL Financial since 2008. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in ticketing fixed annuities and life insurance through his DBA, Schneider Financial LLC. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning, portfolio management, and institutional platforms, supporting advisors with research and operational tools while overseeing more than $819 billion in discretionary assets.

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

Jason C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Cortland, NY

Edward Jones

Jason Cicioni is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 27 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has been with Edward Jones since 1998. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Multi-generational wealth transfer General estate planning guidance Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive Intergenerational Families
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Bret H

Series 66

Cortland, NY

Cetera

Bret Hartman is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Berthel, Fisher & Company Financial Services, N B T Bank, and LPL Financial. Hartman is also the owner of Upskill Wealth Management and Upskill Tax Services, where he provides financial and tax services. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves a broad range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable entities, and institutional accounts. The firm offers various portfolio management and consulting services through a multi-manager platform, with access to affiliated and unaffiliated third-party managers and multiple program options.

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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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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