Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Winter Haven, FL

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 seek 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. A common mistake is overlooking how state-specific rules, like Florida's strong homestead protections, affect your plan.

  • Homestead protection knowledge. Confirm the advisor understands Florida's laws that safeguard your primary residence from certain creditors.
  • Federal tax focus. Since Florida has no state income tax, ask how they address federal income, property, and sales tax implications in your estate plan.
  • Asset distribution clarity. Ensure they help you clearly define who inherits what to avoid confusion or disputes later.
  • Updating plans regularly. Estate laws and personal circumstances change; check how often they recommend reviewing your plan.

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

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Ryan L

CFA®, Series 66

Winter Haven, FL

EmeraldSpark Investments

Ryan Layton is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license with 13 years of industry experience. He has been the sole advisor at EmeraldSpark Investments since 2015. Ryan is also an adjunct professor and regularly participates in industry conferences and consulting with the CFA Institute. EmeraldSpark Investments provides personalized discretionary investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients and offers 401(k) plan investment advisement to plan sponsors and participants. The firm combines Modern Portfolio Theory with behavioral finance in its investment process and is known for its educational outreach, including seminars, workshops, and no-cost financial planning services for clients.

Wealth management Cash flow / budgeting
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John S

Series 63, Series 65

Winter Haven, FL

Morgan Stanley

John Scheck Jr. is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Winter Haven, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 36 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley and its affiliated entities since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Bullish on Bamboo, LLC, a real estate and agriculture business based in Winter Haven, Florida. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves individual and institutional clients with a broad range of advisory programs, including customized financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and models. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and provides services through both direct and corporate financial planning arrangements.

General estate planning guidance
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Mark A

CFP®, Series 66

Lakeland, FL

J.P. Morgan Securities

Mark Alford is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience, currently with J.P. Morgan Securities in Lakeland, FL. He has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A., and has served as president of Express Printing of Winter Haven, Inc. since 2007. Outside of his financial career, he is president of Polk County For Life, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on education and promoting pro-life and sexual purity initiatives. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Richard M

Series 66

Winter Haven, FL

Kingsbury Capital Investment Advisors LLC

Richard Mcadams Jr. is a financial advisor with Kingsbury Capital Investment Advisors LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and over 26 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at firms such as Morgan Stanley and Merrill, and he currently serves as a partner and Chief Investment Officer at Legacy Capital Wealth Advisors, a financial services firm based in Orlando. Kingsbury Capital Investment Advisors is an SEC-registered independent investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and institutional retirement plan advisory, utilizing diversified portfolios and quantitative tools to implement client objectives.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jason C

Series 63, Series 66

Winter Haven, FL

Fidelity

Jason Carpenter is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at Citigroup and TD Ameritrade. Carpenter is based in Winter Haven, Florida. He is affiliated with Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company that provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage a range of portfolios and serves as an advisor to multiple registered investment companies.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Active portfolio management
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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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