Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in New York, NY

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 avoid unexpected taxes or to ensure your wishes are clear after you pass. A common mistake is overlooking how estate tax cliffs can trigger large tax bills just above exemption limits.

  • Tax cliff awareness. Confirm the advisor understands how small changes in your estate's value can lead to big tax jumps.
  • Will and trust integration. Ask how they coordinate wills and trusts to reflect your goals and minimize probate delays.
  • Beneficiary updates. Check if they review and update beneficiary designations regularly to match your current intentions.
  • Asset protection strategies. Inquire about approaches to shield your estate from unnecessary claims or taxes while keeping control flexible.

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

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Dwayne W

Series 63, Series 65

Brooklyn, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Dwayne Winter is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 21 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Outside of his advisory role, Winter is a partial owner of Savvy Bistro and Bar Inc., a restaurant and bar in Brooklyn, NY. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, using a quantitative asset-allocation approach combined with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Kenzie H

Series 66

Brooklyn, NY

Fidelity

Kenzie Hechtel is a financial advisor at Fidelity with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Her background includes roles at Fidelity Investments, Sixty Vines, and Clemson University. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, employing a systematic investment process that combines fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction across mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Active portfolio management
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Helen B

ChFC®, Series 63

Brooklyn, NY

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

Helen Beichel is a ChFC®-designated financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, based in Brooklyn, NY. She has 31 years of industry experience, including over two decades with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and its affiliated entities. Outside of advising, she serves as president of the Park Place Improvement Block Association and is active in several local nonprofit and civic organizations in Brooklyn. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals and provides a variety of portfolio solutions tailored to client objectives.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Annuities Self-Employed
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Audrey S

Series 63, Series 65

Brooklyn, NY

Wealthcare Capital Management LLC

Audrey Sanders is a financial advisor at Wealthcare Capital Management LLC with 31 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Citigroup, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Wealthcare Capital Management LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered advisor managing approximately $3.03 billion for individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, retirement plans, foundations, and other entities. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and advisory services, using model portfolios primarily composed of mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by alternative investments and specialty platforms.

Private / alternative investments ESG / Sustainable investing Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner
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Jose M

Series 66

Brooklyn, NY

Merrill

Jose Martinez is a financial advisor at Merrill with six years of experience in the industry and holds a Series 66 designation. His prior work includes positions at Bank of America and Best Buy Co., Inc. He also spent a year at Strayer University. Merrill provides managed account services through its Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm integrates internal and third-party portfolio management and supports various account administration and trading functions.

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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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 has worked previously at CoreCap Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research. Outside of his advisory role, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and works as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million for around 724 clients through a team of eight advisors. The firm offers financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and estate-planning consulting, tailoring investment advice to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances primarily through mutual funds and ETFs.

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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