Best Lakeland Advisors for Estate & Legacy Planning (2026)

Estate Planning in Florida Is Not Optional#

A surprising number of Floridians die without a will, trust, or any formal estate plan. The consequences are concrete: your estate goes through probate — a public, court-supervised process that can take months or years and costs a percentage of your estate in fees.

A properly drafted revocable living trust, combined with current beneficiary designations, can bypass probate entirely for most families.

The Financial Advisor’s Role in Estate Planning#

Ensuring beneficiary designations are correct and current
Reviewing how assets are titled vs. estate plan intent
Modeling estate tax implications of current asset structure
Identifying liquidity needs at death
Coordinating charitable giving for legacy goals and tax efficiency

Florida-Specific Estate Planning Considerations#

The Homestead Protection

Florida’s homestead law is unusually strong. A primary residence is protected from most creditor claims, and there are restrictions on how you can devise it if you have a spouse or minor children.

The Elective Share

A surviving spouse has the right to an elective share of 30% of the decedent’s elective estate — regardless of what the will says.

Beneficiary Designation Overrides Your Will

Your IRA, 401(k), life insurance, and POD/TOD accounts pass outside your will entirely.

Lakeland Advisors for Estate & Legacy Planning#

CPS Investment Advisors

CPS Investment Advisors has been a fixture in the Lakeland financial planning community since 1975 — one of the longest-running independent advisory firms in Lakeland. The firm was founded by CPAs, and that background still shapes how they work: every client relationship integrates CFP-credentialed financial planning with CPA-level tax expertise, which is genuinely uncommon in a single firm.

CPS manages approximately $1.46 billion in client assets and operates out of offices in Lakeland and The Villages. They describe their approach as acting as a client's 'personal CFO' — available not just for annual reviews but as an ongoing partner for the full range of financial decisions.

Specialization: Tax-integrated financial planning, retirement income, investment management, business planning
Fee structure: Fee-only
Credentials: CFP, CPA, PFS across advisory team
Location: 205 E. Orange Street, Ste 310, Lakeland, FL 33801 • cpsinvest.com

Waverly Advisors — Lakeland (Lee Wall, CPA/PFS/CFP)

Waverly Advisors is a national fee-only RIA managing over $16 billion across 38 offices, with a significant local presence in Lakeland built on the merger with the longtime Wall Foss Advisors practice in 2022. Lee Wall, who now serves as Waverly's Regional Director for Central Florida, is a CPA, Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), and CFP with over two decades of local advisory experience.

For clients who want the resources of a large national RIA combined with an advisor who has served the Lakeland community for decades, the Waverly-Lakeland combination covers a lot of ground. The firm is particularly strong on tax and estate planning coordination alongside investment management.

Specialization: Comprehensive wealth management, tax planning, estate coordination, business owner planning
Fee structure: Fee-only
Credentials: CPA, PFS, CFP (Lee Wall); CFP, CFA across team
Location: Lakeland, FL • waverly-advisors.com

Our Recommendation

Emerge 180 Wealth Management

Emerge 180 Wealth Management is an independent financial advisory firm with offices in Tampa and Lakeland, FL. The firm helps clients across every stage of their financial life — investment services, risk management, retirement planning, and estate planning — with a planning process built around clarity, customization, and long-term partnership.

Founder Keith DeLoach has provided strategic financial planning and retirement income management for two decades. A 1995 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Keith was commissioned as a Field Artillery officer and served in the 82nd Airborne Division and 3rd Special Forces Group, including a 2002 deployment to Afghanistan. That background shapes how Emerge 180 works: preparation-heavy engagements, recommendations with the reasoning attached, and a process built to put a practical course of action in front of every client.

Specialization: Individual & retirement planning, investment & risk management, estate planning, military transition, business owner & executive benefits, high-net-worth strategy
Credentials: Founder: West Point graduate, U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, 20+ years advisory experience
Location: Tampa & Lakeland, FL • emerge180.com

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Allen & Company

Allen & Company is the oldest investment firm in Florida, founded in 1932 by J. Everett Allen in downtown Lakeland. More than nine decades later, the firm remains headquartered at 1401 S. Florida Avenue with additional offices in Winter Haven and the Space Coast. Generations of Lakeland families have maintained relationships with the firm across decades, which is a meaningful statement about continuity and trust in a market where advisor turnover is common.

The Lakeland advisory team carries an unusually deep credential stack — CFP, CFA, CIMA, CPFA, and CRPS designations are represented across the staff — and the firm's community involvement is embedded in its culture. Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial.

Specialization: Retirement planning, investment management, estate planning, corporate retirement plans, private wealth management
Credentials: CFP, CFA, CIMA, CPFA, CRPS across advisory team
Location: 1401 S. Florida Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33803 • alleninvestments.com

On Point Wealth Management

On Point Wealth Management is a CFP-led advisory firm in Lakeland with industry roots going back to 1988. The firm operates explicitly under the Fiduciary Standard and has built working relationships with estate planning attorneys and CPAs to take a coordinated, multi-professional approach to client planning — ensuring that investment management doesn't exist in a silo from tax and legal strategy.

On Point offers a free initial consultation and structures fees in multiple ways depending on the scope of engagement.

Specialization: Retirement planning, estate coordination, investment management, asset protection
Credentials: CFP
Location: Lakeland, FL • onpointwealthmanagement.com

Common Estate Planning Mistakes in Florida#

Never created a will or trust
Created a trust but never funded it
Beneficiary designations not updated after major life events
No durable power of attorney or healthcare surrogate
Will conflicts with beneficiary designations on retirement/insurance accounts
No liquidity at death — illiquid estate forces a fire sale

The Bottom Line#

In Florida, the tools are strong: robust homestead protections, no state estate tax, a trust-friendly legal environment. Those tools only work when put in place correctly and kept current.

Talk to a local financial planner

Get clarity on retirement, investments, taxes, and estate planning with Keith DeLoach at Emerge 180 Wealth Management — based in Tampa & Lakeland, FL.

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This is not financial, tax, or legal advice. The content on this page is provided for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or financial product. Nothing here should be relied upon as a substitute for personalized advice from a qualified fiduciary advisor, CPA, or attorney who knows your specific situation. This site is sponsored by Emerge 180 Wealth Management; no advisor paid for editorial inclusion. Always independently verify any advisor's credentials, regulatory history, and fee structure before engaging their services.