Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Poughkeepsie, 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 cause large tax bills 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 unnecessary claims or creditors while respecting your intentions.

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

Christa C

Series 63, Series 65

Poughkeepsie, NY

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

Christa Coates is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Her prior firms include Lincoln Financial Advisors and Commonwealth Financial Network. Outside of advising, she is involved with wealth legacy planning businesses and works as an employee at a dance center. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and retirement-plan sponsors. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through independent Financial Professionals using a variety of portfolio management and model-based solutions across multiple custody platforms.

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

Diane M

Series 63

Poughkeepsie, NY

J. W. Cole Advisors, Inc.

Diane Matelsky Lieberman is a financial advisor with J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 38 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Securities America Advisors and SSN Advisory, Inc. She is involved in life insurance and annuities sales through a separate business she owns. J.W. Cole Advisors serves individuals, charities, corporations, and retirement plans nationwide through a network of over 400 independent advisers. The firm offers portfolio management, fee-based financial planning, and access to multiple managed account solutions, with investment decisions implemented on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Mark C

Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Poughkeepsie, NY

LPL Financial

Mark Choinski is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Securities America Advisors and National Planning Corporation. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in tax preparation and accounting through his business Oak Tree Financial Advisors LLC. LPL Financial serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, banks, and corporations. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by internal and third-party research.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
user avatar

Gregory A

Series 63, Series 65

Poughkeepsie, NY

Primerica Advisors

Gregory Ashe is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Poughkeepsie, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 2010 and has worked in Primerica Financial Services since 1999. Outside of advising, he is involved in sales of loan products and home security and automation services through affiliates of Primerica. Primerica Advisors sponsors a wrap-fee asset management program primarily serving individual investors, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and charitable entities. The firm operates at scale with nearly 3,700 advisors and offers model-driven investment strategies managed by third-party asset managers.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
user avatar

Kenneth S

Series 63, Series 66

West Harrison, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Kenneth Simon is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JP Morgan Chase Bank since 2022. Prior to that, he was employed by KeyBank and Key Investment Services, and has experience at Edward Jones and the Culinary Institute of America. Outside of his advisory role, Simon serves as an election inspector for the Orange County Board of Elections, working one day annually to assist voters on Election Day. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applying an ESG eligibility framework in its investment approach.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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 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
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 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
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
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 referrals are provided by FinanceHQ LLC ("FHQ"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment adviser. We may be compensated by participating advisors. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral. We do not supervise advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

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

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. ("Warmer")