Top business succession planning financial advisors in Virginia

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.

If you're preparing to transfer your business ownership, whether to family or partners, you need an advisor who understands the full financial and personal impact of succession decisions. A common mistake is treating succession as a simple sale rather than a complex process involving tax, estate, and operational planning.

  • Tax implications insight. Confirm how they address potential tax burdens that can arise from transferring ownership, including estate and capital gains taxes.
  • Family dynamics awareness. Succession often involves family members; ask how they navigate sensitive relationships to help avoid conflicts.
  • Operational continuity planning. Ensure they consider how the business will keep running smoothly during and after the transition, not just the financial handoff.
  • Customized exit strategies. Look for advisors who tailor plans to your unique business structure and goals, rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions.

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

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Amanda Q

Series 66

Richmond, VA

Wells Fargo Advisors

Amanda Quicke is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Richmond, VA, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. She has worked within Wells Fargo entities since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she has ownership interests in an investment-related business, Granite Wealth Management, LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing a broad range of investment and financial planning services. The firm utilizes proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations, offering both brokerage and advisory programs.

Divorce financial planning Planning for children with special needs Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner
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James C

Series 63, Series 65

Roanoke, VA

Valley Investors Corporation

James Comer is the sole advisor at Valley Investors Corporation in Roanoke, VA, where he has worked since 1995. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 30 years of industry experience. Valley Investors Corporation provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to individual clients, managing approximately $2.6 million in assets for 11 clients. The firm operates under a solo practitioner model, emphasizing direct advisor involvement in account management and review.

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John J

Series 63, Series 65

Richmond, VA

Merrill

John Jones II is a financial advisor at Merrill with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. since 2015. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Thomas H

Series 65

Duck, NC

The Burney Company

Thomas Hunt is a financial advisor at The Burney Company with 38 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with The Burney Company since 1985. The Burney Company serves mostly individual investors, including high net worth clients, as well as small businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $3.59 billion in discretionary assets across a multi-team advisory platform, offering discretionary equity portfolio management and financial planning alongside tax preparation services through an affiliated CPA firm.

Active portfolio management Concentrated stock management Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Ashley M

CFP®, Series 63

Moseley, VA

Edelman Financial Engines

Ashley Morris is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. She currently advises at Edelman Financial Engines and previously worked at Facet Wealth, The Vanguard Group, Inc., and Keatley Wealth Management, LLC. Morris serves as an honorary board member of the JC Morris Family Foundation, a charitable organization providing educational assistance for underserved minors. Edelman Financial Engines offers technology-driven investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm employs a committee-driven modeling process combined with planner delivery and online tools, providing diversified portfolios, rebalancing, and both discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Jerald L

Series 63

San Antonio, TX

Frost Investment Services

Jerald Liesman is a financial advisor at Frost Investment Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. and Frost Bank since 1993 and 1987, respectively. Frost Investment Services is a retail-focused, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and managed account programs that integrate model portfolios from its affiliate with third-party managers, utilizing a research-driven investment process and providing optional tax and ESG overlay services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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