Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Lake of the Woods, VA

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 have complex family or property situations. A common mistake is overlooking how local housing market dynamics and federal employment factors in Northern Virginia can affect your estate plan.

  • Local housing insights. Ask how they incorporate Northern Virginia's unique housing market into your estate strategy.
  • Federal workforce considerations. Confirm they understand how federal employment benefits or restrictions might impact your plan.
  • Comprehensive asset review. Ensure they evaluate all asset types, including real estate and retirement accounts, for cohesive planning.
  • Succession clarity. Look for advisors who help clarify how your estate passes to heirs to avoid confusion or disputes.

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

Want help finding the right advisor?

Answer a few questions to see advisors matched to you.

user avatar

William F

Series 63, Series 65

Locust Grove, VA

Principal Financial Services

William Frazer III is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Locust Grove, VA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 20 years of industry experience. Since 2013, he has been affiliated with Your Retirement Pathfinder, Principal Securities, and Principal Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an elder and Bible teacher at Lake of the Woods Church, where he helps oversee local ministry activities including a homeless shelter and special programs for adults with special needs. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third‑party money manager solutions, with investment implementation typically managed on a discretionary basis by these third parties.

Retired Founder/Business Owner

Yvette R

ChFC®, Series 66

Locust Grove, VA

Edward Jones

Yvette Ruiz is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Locust Grove, VA, holding the ChFC® and Series 66 designations with 12 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2014. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as an Officer of Election for the Orange County VA Registrar's Office and is involved with Mary Kay cosmetics sales. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a broad range of investment advisory programs and affiliated financial services, supported by a large network of advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Melissa D

Series 63, Series 65

Locust Grove, VA

Guardian Life

Melissa Daily is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities in Locust Grove, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 35 years of industry experience. She has worked with Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance Company since 1999. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides a range of financial planning and consulting services, combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and access to proprietary and third-party advisory solutions.

Business exit / sale strategy Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Executive Financial Professional Approaching retirement Established Professionals Mid-Career Professionals
user avatar

Benjamin M

CFP®

Goldvein, VA

Creative Planning

Benjamin Madtes is a CFP® professional with three years of experience, currently with Creative Planning. He previously worked at Bernhardt Wealth Management and Marriott International. Outside of advising, he is involved in hospitality as an Airbnb host. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, emphasizing a financial-planning-led investment approach that incorporates low-cost indexing, direct indexing, and selective private market exposure. The firm supports institutional and individual clients through a range of portfolio management and retirement services and operates several affiliated service entities beyond traditional advisory offerings.

Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired
user avatar

James E

Series 66

Alexandria, VA

Merrill

James Ebron is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree from East Carolina University. His professional background includes expertise in financial planning and wealth management. Further details about his experience, credentials, or personal interests were not provided.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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

People also searched

Popular in Lake of the Woods, VA

Find advisors by type

Warmer team member

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you think it through—whether you ultimately need an advisor or not. Warmer helps you compare advisors clearly, so you can choose with confidence.

Find your advisor

For advisor listings, we rely on sources including public filings and data provided by advisors, and we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate. Advisors are independent and may not have reviewed or updated this information. Please review an advisor’s Form ADV and do your own diligence before deciding whether to work with them.

Advisor matching and introductions are provided by FinanceHQ LLC (“FHQ”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment advisor. We receive compensation from certain participating advisors for introductions or referrals. This creates a conflict of interest because we have an incentive to recommend advisors who compensate us, including those who pay us more. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral or introduction. We do not review the ongoing performance of advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

By using our service, you agree to our Terms of Service and Advisory Agreement, and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. Please review FHQ’s ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. (“Warmer”)