Your St. Albans Financial Advisor — Independent, Local, and Built Around You

Bennett Wealth Management has served St. Albans and Franklin County for years, offering retirement planning, investment guidance, and wealth management from an advisor who lives and works in this community.

Rooted in St. Albans, Focused on Franklin County

What Independent Financial Advice Means for St. Albans Families

Bennett Wealth Management was founded right here in St. Albans — a city of roughly 14,000 people where reputation is built the old-fashioned way, through relationships and results that get passed from neighbor to neighbor. Kerri Irick Churchill, ChFC®, leads our practice today, continuing the tradition Roger Bennett established: straightforward financial guidance from someone who knows this community and is invested in it.

 

We work with pre-retirees, current retirees, and the adult children of long-standing clients who are beginning to build their own financial futures. Whether you're planning a retirement that's ten years out or navigating one that's already underway, we're the kind of firm where you'll speak with someone who knows your name — not a call center.

Planning for Retirement in Franklin County, VT

As an independent financial advisor, we're not limited to the products or platforms of a single bank or brokerage. Our securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (FINRA/SIPC member), and advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. — which means we can draw from a broad range of options to build a plan that fits your situation, not one that fits a product shelf.

 

For Franklin County families, that independence matters. You deserve a financial advisor in St. Albans, VT who is working in your interest, not working toward a quota. Our recommendations are grounded in your goals, your timeline, and the realities of life in this region — including Vermont's tax landscape, the cost of long-term care, and what retirement actually looks like when you've spent your career here.

 

Our core services for St. Albans and surrounding Franklin County communities include:

 

  • Retirement planning — IRAs, Roth conversions, Social Security timing, and income distribution strategies
  • Wealth management — cash flow planning, tax-aware investing, and life-event financial guidance
  • Investment planning — mutual funds, bonds, common stock, brokerage accounts, and donor-advised funds
  • 401(k) and employee benefits — plan design, profit sharing, and executive benefit structures
  • Insurance planning — life, long-term care, disability income, and health coverage
  • Estate planning and trusts — dynasty, special needs, charitable, and asset protection structures

Multi-Generational Planning for St. Albans Families

Retirement planning in Vermont looks different than it does in a major metro. Property costs, healthcare access, and the cost of long-term care in rural and semi-rural areas all factor into how a retirement plan should be built. We understand those dynamics because we're planning for them alongside our own neighbors.

 

We help pre-retirees in their late 30s through their 50s map out a path that accounts for Social Security timing, tax-efficient withdrawal sequencing, and the healthcare cost gap that often exists between early retirement and Medicare eligibility. For clients who are already retired, we focus on sustainable income distribution, long-term care exposure, and making sure the assets they've built last as long as they need them to.

 

Retirement planning Franklin County VT families can count on isn't a one-size-fits-all product — it's an ongoing relationship. We meet with clients regularly, revisit plans when life changes, and stay reachable between appointments.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is Bennett Wealth Management based in St. Albans, VT?

    Yes. Our office is located in St. Albans, and the majority of our clients come from St. Albans and the broader Franklin County area. We've been part of this community for years, and local relationships are at the center of how we work.

  • Do I need a certain amount of money to work with a financial advisor in St. Albans?

    We work with families at a range of asset levels and life stages — from young adults making their first investments to retirees managing established portfolios. The best way to find out if we're a good fit is to schedule a complimentary consultation and talk through where you are and where you want to go.

  • What makes an independent financial advisor different from a bank advisor?

    A bank or captive advisor is typically limited to the products their institution offers. As an independent financial planner in St. Albans, Vermont, we're not tied to any single company's product line. Our securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (FINRA/SIPC), which gives us access to a broader range of investment and planning options — and means our recommendations are shaped by your goals, not by a product shelf.

  • Can you help with both retirement planning and investment management?

    Yes. We offer both as part of an integrated approach. Retirement planning covers Social Security strategy, IRA and Roth planning, and income distribution. Investment planning addresses how your assets are structured and positioned to support those goals. For most clients, the two are closely connected, and we coordinate them together rather than treating them as separate conversations.

  • Do you serve clients outside of St. Albans?

    We do. While St. Albans and Franklin County represent the core of our practice, we also serve clients throughout Chittenden County and the surrounding region, including communities near the Vermont-New York border. If you're in the area and looking for a financial advisor near downtown St. Albans, VT, we're glad to talk regardless of exactly where you're located.