Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Olean, 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 tax bills or to ensure your wishes are clear after you pass. A common mistake is overlooking how estate tax cliffs can cause large taxes just above exemption limits.

  • Tax cliff awareness. Confirm the advisor understands how small changes in your estate's value can trigger significant tax consequences.
  • Will and trust integration. Ask how they coordinate wills and trusts to reflect your goals and minimize probate delays.
  • Beneficiary updates. Ensure they review and update beneficiary designations regularly to keep your plan current.
  • Asset protection strategies. Discuss how they help shield your estate from creditors or legal challenges while respecting your intentions.

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

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John M

Series 63, Series 65

Olean, NY

Ameriprise

John Mclaughlin III is a financial advisor with Ameriprise, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes nine years at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc before joining Ameriprise in 2020. Outside of his advisory role, he has involvement in commercial real estate ownership. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services targeting individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, delivering written Recommendation Reports that cover income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis in its approach and offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through its institutional platform.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Jillian P

Series 63, Series 65

Olean, NY

Morgan Stanley

Jillian Pleakis is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 19 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning that uses structured discovery and advanced modeling tools.

General estate planning guidance
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Stephanie A

Series 63

Olean, NY

Cetera

Stephanie Aloi is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds a Series 63 designation and has eight years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Cetera Wealth Services, Avantax Insurance Agency, Fox Financial, and Howden North America. Outside of financial advising, she is involved in tax preparation and bookkeeping through Fox Holdings, Inc. dba H&R Block, and serves as a trustee for a family friend. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager investment platform with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various third-party managers and program structures.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig R

Series 66

Olean, NY

Equitable Advisors

Craig Ryan is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Olean, NY, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 2003, having also worked with Axa Advisors during that time. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member and treasurer for the Bartlett Country Club in Olean. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement plan support, and asset management services to individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a hybrid referral and implementation model, utilizing third-party asset managers and offering both advisory and brokerage channels to meet client needs.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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Subir B

Series 63, Series 65

Olean, NY

LPL Enterprise

Subir Barua is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Prudential Insurance Company of America since 1993. Barua also serves as a Prudential agent specializing in property and casualty insurance. LPL Enterprise serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers financial planning, consulting, model wealth portfolios, and third-party asset management, delivering investment advice primarily through its investment adviser representatives.

General retirement planning Tax-loss harvesting Self-Employed 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 65, Series 63

Warwick, RI

Mass Mutual Investors Services

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. She has 10 years of industry experience, including roles at MetLife Securities and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. In addition to her advisory work, she operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides ongoing financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, utilizing firm-approved tools to develop collaborative, goal-oriented financial plans.

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 Wealth management General estate planning guidance Oil & Gas
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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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