Top multi-generational wealth transfer financial advisors in Syracuse, 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 a multi-generational wealth transfer advisor if you're planning to pass assets to children or grandchildren and want to avoid unexpected estate taxes. A common mistake is underestimating how quickly estate tax liabilities can grow once you exceed exemption limits.

  • Estate tax awareness. Confirm how they navigate the sharp tax increase that happens just above exemption thresholds in New York.
  • Family communication. Ask how they help facilitate conversations across generations to align goals and expectations.
  • Asset structuring. Look for strategies that consider how to preserve wealth through trusts or gifting while minimizing tax impact.
  • Long-term planning. Ensure they model scenarios that span multiple generations, not just immediate heirs.

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

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Leslie S

Series 63

Syracuse, NY

Cetera

Leslie Smith is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 63 designation and 34 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cetera in 2025, Leslie worked at Avalon, Avantax Advisory Services, and Cadaret, Grant & Co. Outside of advising, Leslie is involved with Avalon Position, a company providing printing, cybersecurity, and document management services to the legal and medical fields. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutions. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with various portfolio management and financial planning services, supported by a nationwide network of over 10,000 advisors.

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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Geoffrey I

Series 66

Syracuse, NY

Equitable Advisors

Geoffrey Irving is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Syracuse, NY, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equitable Advisors in 2019, he was associated with AXA Advisors and AXA Equitable. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Partner and President of Operations at American Made Games Inc., a company that fabricates wooden lawn games. Equitable Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset-management programs through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment models.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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Mac C

Series 63

Dewitt, NY

LPL Financial

Mac Cadaret Jr. is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 28 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he worked at Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. for 28 years. He holds the Series 63 designation. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser offering a range of advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm provides financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supporting advisors with research and technology tools.

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

Series 63

Syracuse, NY

Mass Mutual Investors Services

Donald Karlik is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds a Series 63 designation. He has 16 years of industry experience, including prior roles at MetLife Securities Inc. and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of advising, he is an insurance agent with Family First Life. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers with financial planning and asset management services.

Divorce financial planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Attorney Executive Married/Couples/Partners Divorced
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Gary S

Series 63, Series 65

Syracuse, NY

Eagle Strategies (NY Life)

Gary Sunada is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Syracuse, NY. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 19 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Eagle Strategies in 2025, he has been associated with NYLIFE Securities since 2007 and New York Life since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokering with outside carriers for non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types emphasizing tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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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
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Deborah E

Series 63, Series 66

Cape Girardeau, MO

Edward Jones

Deborah Etherton is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Cape Girardeau, MO, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2005. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive

George B

Series 66

Austin, TX

Merrill

George Bonikos is a Financial Advisor affiliated with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and retirement income. He works to help clients build, manage, and optimize their wealth with clarity and confidence through disciplined and tailored strategies. George holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Hunter College and has earned the designation of Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). His approach emphasizes curiosity and continuous improvement, aiming to serve as a trusted partner for clients facing retirement planning, portfolio growth, or complex financial decisions. Outside of his professional work, George has personal interests that include adventure sports, camping, chess, cooking, fishing, hiking, music, reading, rock climbing, and spending time with his family.

Wealth management General estate planning guidance Retirement income strategy General retirement planning
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Carson L

CFP®, Series 66

Greenville, RI

Kintra Wealth, LLC

Carson Leydecker is a CFP® professional with two years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Kintra Wealth, LLC. He has held positions at Kintra Wealth and Mutual Securities, Inc. since 2026 and previously worked at Loring Advisory Group and Commonwealth Financial Network. Kintra Wealth serves individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, foundations, pension plans, and corporations, providing wealth management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and portfolio management. The firm combines client interviews and document review with model-driven asset allocation and fundamental security analysis to implement tax-efficient investment strategies on a household basis.

Business exit / sale strategy Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Taylor S

CFP®, Series 65

Chamblee, GA

Verisail Partners, LLC

Taylor Stanfill is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Veritas Planning Group since 2014 and is currently part of the Verisail Partners, LLC team in Chamblee, GA. Verisail Partners serves individuals, families, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and other institutions with comprehensive financial planning and investment management. The firm employs a top-down, asset-allocation first approach, emphasizing a factor-based framework informed by the Fama-French three-factor model, and manages portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Multi-generational wealth transfer College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Factor investing / smart beta Founder/Business Owner Retired
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