Lead Financial Planner

Northwestern Mutual; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 105,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Verity Wealth seeks a Lead Financial Planner to organize and deliver sophisticated, tax-aware planning for affluent families in Indiana. You will integrate tax, estate, investment, and insurance considerations into clear guidance and collaborate with CPAs, attorneys, and investment professionals.

You will coach junior planners, review complex work, and continually improve templates and methodologies while staying current with planning developments and applying prudent judgment.

Qualifications

• Experience independently developing and communicating comprehensive plans for affluent families.
• Strong working knowledge of tax-aware, estate, retirement, investment, insurance, charitable, executive, or business-owner planning.
• Ability to explain consequential choices clearly in writing and speech.

Responsibilities

• Lead the analysis of sophisticated client situations and identify the decisions that matter most.
• Develop integrated, decision-ready recommendations and explain assumptions, tradeoffs, and implementation priorities.
• Coordinate with advisors, CPAs, attorneys, investment professionals, and insurance specialists.
• Review advanced planning work, strengthen quality controls, and help developing planners build technical independence.
• Improve planning templates, methods, documentation, training, and repeatable intellectual capital.
• Stay current on planning developments and apply them with sound professional judgment.
• Use planning tools as analytical resources, not substitutes for judgment.
• Own work through resolution, including handoffs, follow-through, and communication of dependencies.

Skills

Independent analytical judgment

Communication clarity

Coaching and mentoring

Integrated planning across tax, estate

Client-focused financial planning

Education

CPWA

CEPA

ChFC

CPA

JD

Job description

HELP FAMILIES ALIGN THEIR WEALTH WITH WHAT MATTERS MOST.

At Verity Wealth, the Lead Financial Planner brings structure, analysis, and sound judgment to important financial decisions ensuring each client family’s most important priorities and values remain at the center of their financial plan. You will partner closely with advisors, clients, and outside professionals to connect the many dimensions of a family’s wealth into clear, thoughtful advice that helps them make better decisions.

This role may be right for you if…

• You are a strong financial planner who is energized by sophisticated planning challenges.
• You ask better questions before reaching for the planning software.
• You can connect tax, estate, investment, insurance, business, cashflow, and family considerations.
• You communicate technical ideas clearly without oversimplifying what matters.
• You enjoy improving the work of other planners through review, coaching, and shared methods.
• You want meaningful responsibility, high standards, and room to broaden your impact over time.

The Work

• Lead the analysis of sophisticated client situations and identify the decisions that matter most.
• Develop integrated, decision-ready recommendations and explain assumptions, tradeoffs, and implementation priorities.
• Coordinate effectively with advisors, CPAs, attorneys, investment professionals, and insurance specialists.
• Review advanced planning work, strengthen quality controls, and help developing planners build technical independence.
• Improve planning templates, methods, documentation, training, and repeatable intellectual capital.
• Stay current on planning developments and apply them with sound professional judgment.
• Use eMoney/EMX, Holistiplan, Income Lab, Wealth.com, CRM, and portfolio tools as analytical resources, not substitutes for judgment.
• Own work through resolution, including clean handoffs, implementation follow-through, and early communication of dependencies.

The Planning Challenges You Will Help Solve

CONCENTRATED WEALTH

• Low-basis assets, employer stock, private businesses, real estate, and liquidity.

TAX-AWARE PLANNING

• Multi-year decisions involving gains, income, retirement, charitable, and gifting strategies.

ESTATE + TRANSFER

• Ownership, beneficiaries, trusts, insurance, liquidity, charitable intent, and family goals.

EXECUTIVES + OWNERS

• Equity compensation, benefits, enterprise value, succession, transitions, and liquidity events.

FAMILY DYNAMICS

• Differing objectives, beneficiary circumstances, family-business roles, and definitions of fairness.

MULTIGENERATIONAL

• Stewardship, education, philanthropy, relationship continuity, and transfer of trust.

TOTAL FAMILY WEALTH

• The portfolio’s role alongside businesses, real estate, trusts, liabilities, taxes, and future liquidity.

INTEGRATED ADVICE

• One coherent strategy across disciplines, professionals, decisions, and implementation steps.

What You Bring

• Experience independently developing and communicating comprehensive plans for affluent families with sophisticated planning needs.
• Strong working knowledge of tax-aware, estate, retirement, investment, insurance, charitable, executive, or business-owner planning.
• Excellent analytical judgment, written communication, and ability to explain consequential choices clearly.
• Evidence of coaching, reviewing, teaching, or developing other professionals.
• Additional depth such as CPWA®, CEPA®, ChFC®, CPA, JD, or advanced tax/estate education is valued.

COMPENSATION:

• $105,000-$120,000 base + incentive opportunity. Expanded compensation may be considered for an exceptional candidate prepared to assume broader planning leadership scope.