Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Destin, FL

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 managing a complex estate or planning for wealth transfer, you need guidance that considers more than just the basics. Without focused expertise, you might overlook how Florida's unique tax environment and homestead protections affect your estate plan.

  • Florida tax nuances. Confirm how they address federal taxes alongside Florida's lack of state income tax, focusing on property and sales tax impacts.
  • Homestead protection knowledge. Ask how they incorporate Florida's strong homestead laws to safeguard your primary residence.
  • Wealth transfer strategies. Look for advisors who discuss options that align with your family dynamics and long-term goals.
  • Coordination with legal counsel. Estate planning often involves wills and trusts; ensure they collaborate effectively with your attorney.

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

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Joseph K

Series 63, Series 66

Destin, FL

Cornerstone Wealth Management, LLC

Joseph Keifer is a financial advisor with Cornerstone Wealth Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has worked at Cornerstone since 2012, with prior experience at LPL Financial and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory role, Keifer serves as an advisory board member for PLM Companies, a for-profit organization. Cornerstone Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, retirement plans, and other advisors with asset management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and third-party manager referrals. The firm manages $4.93 billion in discretionary assets and employs a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative analysis to tailor client portfolios, while leveraging multiple advisory platforms and LPL services.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Hunter E

Series 66

Destin, FL

Merrill

Hunter Eager is a financial advisor at Merrill with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Bank of America. Outside of his advisory role, he is a general partner and managing member of Eager Operative LLC, a business involving freelance writing, administrative assistance, and consulting primarily for his wife. Merrill 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, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Mark D

Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Destin, FL

RFG Advisory, LLC

Mark Dutram is a financial advisor at RFG Advisory, LLC with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and previously worked at LPL Financial for 16 years. Dutram is a trustee on the Destin Fire District Board of Pensions and serves as treasurer and board member of the Emerald Coast Estate Planning Council. He also contributes to financial education through the FMT Financial Educators Network at Northwest Florida College. RFG Advisory provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and select institutional clients, utilizing a primarily discretionary investment approach with model strategies, third-party platforms, and curated access to alternative investments.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Women Professionals Mid-Career Professionals
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James K

Series 63, Series 65

Destin, FL

Eagle Strategies (NY Life)

James Kersanac is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 23 years of industry experience and has been affiliated with NYLIFE Securities Inc and New York Life Insurance Company since the early 2000s. In addition to his advisory role, he acts as an outside brokering agent for various insurance companies, focusing on non-registered life, health, annuity, disability, accident, and cancer policies. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual investors, defined contribution and defined benefit plans, as well as charitable and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services, emphasizing tailored recommendations and primarily managing assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Amy P

Series 63, Series 65

Destin, FL

LPL Financial

Amy Parrish is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Destin, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 16 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Raymond James Financial Services, First Florida Bank, Renasant Bank, and The First, A National Banking Association. Outside of her advisory work, she is involved in a family rental real estate business generating income to cover property expenses. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supporting over 22,800 advisors and 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
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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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