Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Janesville, WI

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 healthcare decisions in case you become unable to speak for yourself. A common mistake is overlooking how your estate plan fits with your retirement benefits and local laws, which can lead to unintended tax consequences or delays.

  • Pension integration. Ask how they coordinate your estate plan with public pension benefits common in Wisconsin, ensuring your retirement income and legacy goals align.
  • Healthcare directives. Confirm they help set up clear instructions for medical decisions, so your wishes are respected if you can't communicate them.
  • Asset distribution clarity. Look for advisors who explain how your assets will pass to heirs, avoiding confusion or disputes after you're gone.
  • Probate navigation. Inquire about their approach to minimizing probate delays and costs, which can affect how quickly your beneficiaries receive their inheritance.

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

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Katherine C

Series 65

Janesville, WI

Belpointe Asset Management LLC

Katherine Clausen is a financial advisor at Belpointe Asset Management LLC with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Belpointe since 2021. Her prior experience includes roles at Three Pillars Wealth Management and Carolina Espinoza State Farm. Belpointe serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, corporations, and other registered advisers. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing customized portfolios with passive, active, tactical, and blended strategies tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General retirement planning Income planning Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Shannon R

Series 66

Janesville, WI

Ameriprise

Shannon Reightley is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with seven years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliate since 2014. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets. The firm provides written Recommendation Reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies, utilizing a combination of research, modeling, and algorithmic automation overseen by a dedicated consulting team.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Nicole A

Series 66

Janesville, WI

Thrivent Investment Management

Nicole Austin is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management, where she has worked for 10 years. Based in Janesville, WI, she serves as president of the Green County Development Corporation and holds board positions with the Monroe School Board, Woodford Bancshares, United Way of Green County, Monroe Chamber of Commerce, and SSM Health-Wisconsin Regional Boards of Directors. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits, offering holistic, goal-based financial analyses and planning delivered through a network of financial advisors. The firm’s approach separates planning services from implementation and managed accounts, and it does not manage portfolios for institutional clients.

Business ownership considerations
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Scott R

Series 66

Janesville, WI

LPL Financial

Scott Richardson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 credential and 18 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, J.P. Morgan Securities, Chase Investment Services Corp., and Citigroup Global Markets. In addition to his advisory work, he is a notary and has involvement with Elder Life Group and Elder Wealth Advisors in Janesville, WI. 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 and investment management solutions, including access to model portfolios and third-party asset managers, supported by a large network of advisors and a diverse platform of non-advisory financial services.

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

Series 63, Series 65

Janesville, WI

Robert Baird & Co.

Jennifer Schwarze is a financial advisor at Robert W. Baird & Co. in Janesville, WI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 25 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Bates Financial Group, Bates Financial Advisors, Bates Securities, and Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Inc. She is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management department, which serves individuals, corporate and business clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, separately managed accounts, and tax-management capabilities, supported by internal research and ongoing manager oversight.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retired Founder/Business Owner
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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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