Large-firm, general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Dalton, GA

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 estate planning guidance when organizing your assets to protect your family or manage your wishes after passing. Without clear planning, you risk leaving your estate subject to unnecessary taxes or legal complications. Large-firm advisors often have access to broader resources and specialized teams, which can benefit complex estate situations.

  • Comprehensive asset review. Confirm how they evaluate all your holdings, including real estate and investments, to create a cohesive plan.
  • Tax impact awareness. Ask how they address potential tax exclusions and liabilities, especially those relevant to your state.
  • Coordination with legal experts. Estate plans often require legal documents; check how they collaborate with attorneys to ensure your wishes are properly documented.
  • Succession planning insight. If you own a business or significant assets, see how they approach passing these on smoothly to heirs or beneficiaries.

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

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William B

Series 66

Chattanooga, TN

Merrill

William Beard is a financial advisor with Merrill in Chattanooga, TN, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. He has previously worked at Bank of America, Consumer Direct Services, and SunTrust Bank. Outside of his advisory role, Beard is involved with Consumer Direct Care, assisting individuals with physical, mental, learning, and emotional disabilities in his community. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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James B

Series 66

Dalton, GA

LPL Financial

James Boling is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing experience from previous roles at FoundationWealth and a 15-year career with the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office. He serves as a board member of the Dalton Golf and Country Club. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that offers a broad range of advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions, with a focus on providing customizable investment strategies and access to various 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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Amy S

Series 63, Series 66

Dalton, GA

Fidelity

Amy Shopp is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 15 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked across various Fidelity entities since 2011. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, offers investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies. The firm employs a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction, and is noted for its use of systematic methodologies, AI tools, and formal governance procedures.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Active portfolio management
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Allen P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Dalton, GA

CPC Advisors, LLC

Allen Petway Jr. is a CFP® professional with over 43 years of industry experience. He is currently with CPC Advisors, LLC and has held prior roles at Raymond James Financial Services and LPL Financial. He also serves on the Finance and Investment Committee of the First Baptist Church of Dalton, GA. CPC Advisors provides financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and other business entities. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes model portfolios and asset allocation aligned with Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing mutual funds, equities, and ETFs with a focus on long-term holdings.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Wealth management Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Will P

Series 66

Dalton, GA

Ameriprise

Will Patterson is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Dalton, GA, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise since 2019 and previously was affiliated with the University of Georgia. Outside of his primary role, he is also an associate financial advisor at 825 Group LLC, where he is involved in servicing clients, trading, financial planning, and back-office duties. Ameriprise Financial Services is a diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering specialized retirement income planning focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies. The firm’s approach includes a centralized service team that collaborates with advisors to deliver tailored recommendations using proprietary research and third-party data.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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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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Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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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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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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