Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Grand Rapids, 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 a complex estate, such as coordinating pensions from the auto industry or planning for multiple heirs, you need an advisor who understands the unique challenges of your situation. A common mistake is overlooking how different assets and retirement benefits interact, which can lead to unintended tax consequences or family disputes.

  • Pension integration. Confirm how they incorporate auto industry pensions into your overall estate plan, not treating them as separate from other assets.
  • Heir coordination. Ask how they handle communication and planning for multiple beneficiaries to avoid conflicts.
  • Tax impact awareness. Ensure they consider state and federal tax implications specific to your estate's composition.
  • Document review. Check if they regularly update wills and trusts to reflect changes in your family or financial situation.

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

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Danielle G

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Gradient Securities, LLC

Danielle Gray is a financial advisor at Gradient Securities, LLC with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked previously at O'Neill Asset Management and Primerica. In addition to her advisory role, she teaches a financial literacy class through Gull Lake Virtual Partnership. Gradient Securities, LLC provides financial planning, consulting, and non-discretionary asset management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm emphasizes a non-discretionary investment model and often incorporates third-party managers in its approach.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business ownership considerations Business exit / sale strategy General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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James H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

LPL Financial

James Hamilton Jr. is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with over 33 years of industry experience. He is currently with LPL Financial and has previously worked at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. and Jgh & Associates. 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 financial planning and investment management services through a large network of advisors and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies.

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

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Primerica Advisors

Mark Tangen is a financial advisor at Primerica Advisors with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1999 and Primerica Financial Services since 1998. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a member of Horizontal Venture, LLC, a non-investment related business based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and a limited number of discretionary separately managed accounts. The firm curates third-party asset managers and uses a tiered wrap-fee structure, offering a range of strategic, tactical, tax-aware, and income distribution investment models.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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Jeffrey H

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC

Jeffrey Heitzman is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has worked with several firms including Cetera Advisors LLC and 20/20 Capital Management, Inc., and has operated his own financial planning firm, Heitzman Advisory, Inc., since 2000. He is also involved with Canvas Financial, a firm consolidation and marketing organization affiliated with Ameritas. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and organizations, offering a range of asset management and consulting solutions across multiple program platforms.

Private / alternative investments Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Retired Mid-Career Professionals
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Shelley S

Series 63, Series 65

Grand Rapids, MI

OSAIC

Shelley Strobel Erhardt is a financial advisor with Osaic Wealth Inc. based in Grand Rapids, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 15 years of industry experience. She previously spent 14 years at Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC. Outside of her advisory work, she is president and sole member of Strobel Resources, LLC, a consultative services business. Osaic Wealth, Inc. serves a broad range of retail and institutional clients through a large network of affiliated advisors, offering integrated brokerage and advisory services along with financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money managers. The firm uses a variety of asset-allocation tools and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Annuities Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) 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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