Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in West 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.

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 overlooking key documents or strategies that could lead to unintended tax consequences or family disputes.

  • Comprehensive document review. Confirm the advisor helps you evaluate wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives to ensure your wishes are clearly documented.
  • Tax implications awareness. Ask how they address potential estate taxes and strategies to minimize them within West Virginia's context.
  • Asset distribution planning. Look for advisors who consider your unique family dynamics and future needs when recommending how assets should be allocated.
  • Coordination with other professionals. Effective estate planning often involves working with attorneys and tax experts; check how the advisor collaborates with these specialists.

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

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Anthony W

Series 63, Series 65

Charleston, WV

Merrill

Anthony Watts serves as a Senior Financial Advisor within Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he provides financial guidance and investment strategies to clients, leveraging his expertise as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Charleston. This educational background supports his professional qualifications and role in advising clients on wealth management.

Wealth management
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Gregory B

Series 63

Charleston, WV

Ameriprise

Gregory Bumgarner is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Ameriprise Financial Services LLC since 2011. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service designed for individuals approaching or in retirement with substantial investable assets. The firm provides a range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored retirement income recommendations.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Steve H

Series 63, Series 65

Martinsburg, WV

LPL Financial

Steve Hose is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 31 years of industry experience. He has held positions at LPL Financial since 2010, previously working at M&T Securities, Inc. and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. He is registered with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and is involved with The Hose Group, which includes non-variable insurance activities. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a broad range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing various investment strategies and tools to support its extensive network of over 22,800 advisors managing more than $819 billion in discretionary assets.

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

Series 63, Series 65

Barboursville, WV

Raymond James Financial

Todd Dudley is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 34 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Citigroup Global Markets and has been associated with Raymond James since 2009. He owns and operates Todd Dudley & Associates, a support company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. offers financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm provides tailored, non-discretionary planning using analytical tools and supports both institutional consulting and advisory programs.

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

Series 66

Berkeley Springs, WV

Edward Jones

Patricia Starliper is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Berkeley Springs, WV, holding a Series 66 designation and with 10 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2016. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

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