Financial Guidance That Carries Into the Next Generation

We work with your whole family — not just you — so the plan you build today becomes the foundation your children build on tomorrow.

A Financial Relationship That Grows With Your Family

What Family Financial Planning Looks Like in Practice

For many of our clients, the relationship with Bennett Wealth Management started years ago — sometimes decades ago. Over time, we've watched families grow, watched children graduate and enter the workforce, and watched parents begin asking a question we hear often: "How do I help my kids get started on the right foot?"

 

That question is exactly what multi-generational wealth planning is built to answer. We work directly with clients' adult children to open their first accounts, build early savings habits, and understand the basics of investing — before the mistakes have a chance to take hold. It's one of the things that sets us apart in Franklin County, and one of the things we're most proud of.

Why Families in Franklin County Come Back — and Bring Their Kids

Multi-generational planning isn't a single conversation — it's an ongoing process that keeps your family informed, involved, and moving in the same direction. At Bennett Wealth Management, that can look different for every household.

 

For some families, it starts with a parent asking us to sit down with their adult child who just landed their first real job. For others, it means bringing a spouse or adult sibling into an existing planning conversation so everyone understands the full picture. And for families thinking further ahead, it means making sure the people who will eventually manage or inherit your assets actually know what they're inheriting and why.

 

Here's what we commonly work through with families across Vermont:

 

  • Helping adult children open and fund their first investment or retirement account
  • Walking young adults through budgeting, debt management, and early savings priorities
  • Introducing the next generation to your existing estate plan and what it means for them
  • Facilitating family conversations about wealth, values, and long-term goals
  • Coordinating education funding strategies, including 529 plans and gifting approaches
  • Reviewing beneficiary designations and ownership structures across the whole family

 

  

 

We're an independent firm, which means we're not limited to any single bank's or broker's product lineup. When we make a recommendation to a 25-year-old just starting out, it's based on what actually fits their situation — not what's on a proprietary shelf. That same independence guides every family financial planning conversation we have, regardless of which generation is sitting across the table.

Starting the Conversation With Your Kids

One of the most common things we hear from parents is that they want to help their children build better financial habits — but they're not sure how to bring it up, or what that kind of guidance even looks like. That's a reasonable place to start.

 

You don't need to arrive at our office with a plan already in mind. We're used to facilitating these conversations from the very beginning — helping you figure out what your adult child actually needs, what they're ready to hear, and what first steps make sense given where they are in life. Whether your child is 22 and just starting out or 35 and realizing they've been putting off retirement savings, there's a right starting point for every situation.

 

Family wealth advisor relationships work best when they're built on trust that spans generations. That's what we've been building in this community for years — and we'd like to build it with your family, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Multi-Generational Financial Planning

  • Can my adult children become clients even if they're just starting out financially?

    Yes — and that's often the best time to start. We work with young adults at all income levels, including those opening their very first investment or retirement account. Early guidance tends to have an outsized impact, and we're glad to welcome the next generation into the practice.

  • Do my kids need to be involved in my existing financial plan, or can they meet with you separately?

    Either approach works. Some families prefer to bring adult children into existing planning conversations so everyone has a shared understanding of the bigger picture. Others prefer a separate, independent relationship for their child. We'll follow your lead and make sure everyone is comfortable.

  • What does a first meeting with a young adult client typically cover?

    We usually start with the basics — current income, any debt, existing savings, and short- and long-term goals. From there, we help prioritize: whether that's building an emergency fund, contributing to a 401(k), opening a Roth IRA, or some combination. The goal is a clear, manageable plan they can actually follow.

  • How do you handle family wealth planning in Vermont if family members live in different places?

    We work with clients throughout Vermont and into the New York border region, and we're comfortable coordinating across households. If adult children have moved to Burlington or elsewhere in the state, we can still serve them directly. We handle what we can remotely and meet in person when it makes sense.

  • Is family financial planning in Vermont different from what a national firm would offer?

    In meaningful ways, yes. We know this community and the financial realities that come with living and building a life in Franklin County. We're not managing a book of thousands of clients from a call center — we know our clients by name, and we know their families. That relationship is the foundation of how we plan.