Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in West Des Moines, IA

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 protect your family or planning for how your estate will be managed after your passing. Without clear guidance, you risk creating confusion or unintended tax consequences for your heirs.

  • Comprehensive asset review. Confirm the advisor considers all types of assets, including digital and non-traditional holdings, to ensure nothing is overlooked.
  • Tax implications awareness. Ask how they address state and federal tax rules, especially recent changes affecting retirement income.
  • Succession planning insight. Check if they help coordinate estate plans with business succession or guardianship arrangements.
  • Document coordination. Ensure they review and align wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations to avoid conflicts.

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

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Stephen M

CFA®, Series 63, Series 66

West Des Moines, IA

Legacy Bridge Private Family Offices

Stephen Musser is a CFA® charterholder with 16 years of industry experience. He is currently with Legacy Bridge Private Family Offices in West Des Moines, IA. His prior work includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and Victory Capital Management. Legacy Bridge Private Family Offices serves high-net-worth families, related family entities, and select trusts, estates, and foundations with fully discretionary investment management and comprehensive private family office services. The firm’s approach focuses on diversified, asset-allocation driven portfolios tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance, offering detailed consolidated performance reporting and negotiated performance-based fee arrangements.

Wealth management Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Matthew K

Series 63, Series 66

West Des Moines, IA

Charles Schwab

Matthew Kenny is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab in West Des Moines, IA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at TD Ameritrade Investment Management, Scottrade, Voya, and Directed Services. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves a large client base, primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm combines non-discretionary advisory relationships with access to discretionary separately managed accounts and offers multi-asset model portfolios alongside a structured due diligence process for alternative investments.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Eric R

ChFC®, Series 63, Series 65

West Des Moines, IA

Wells Fargo Advisors

Eric Raasch is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 37 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors in 2026, he worked at Ameritas Advisory Services, Midwest Financial Solutions, RK Wealth Management, and Ameritas Investment Company. Raasch serves as a director for Norwich Housing Corporation, a nonprofit lender that provides housing loans to fraternity-affiliated alumni organizations. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser offering investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm provides comprehensive planning solutions using proprietary research and tools, with services tailored to clients meeting specific net-worth criteria.

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

CFP®

West Des Moines, IA

Gilbert & Cook, Inc.

Tiffany Scharfenkamp is a CFP® with experience at Gilbert & Cook, Inc., Cerity Partners LLC, Vision Financial Group, and Iowa Realty - Midland Title & Escrow. She has been working in the financial services industry since 2018. Gilbert & Cook, Inc. provides financial planning, investment advisory, and private wealth services to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a combination of active and passive investment strategies and conducts periodic account reviews, with additional due diligence for private and alternative investments.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Business exit / sale strategy Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Joshua E

Series 63, Series 65

West Des Moines, IA

Commonwealth Financial Network

Joshua Ervasti is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including New York Life, Eagle Strategies, and R2 Financial Strategies, where he is a co-owner. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in business consulting through his firm, Ervasti Financial, LLC. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients, providing a range of advisory programs and back-office support. The firm offers discretionary model portfolios and multiple program structures, combining investment management, technology, and compliance services for affiliated advisors.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting Wealth management Retirement income strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired
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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 previously worked at CoreCap Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and serves as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million across 724 clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and specialized educational programs, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs as primary investment vehicles.

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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