Thomas
C. West

Thomas C. West, CLU^®, ChFC^®, AIF^®, is a Managing Senior Partner in the Virginia office of Signature Estate & Investment Advisors (SEIA). He helps families navigate the financial decisions that arise when aging, a health diagnosis, caregiving, disability, or changing independence alters the future they had planned for.

For many families, the need for guidance does not begin with the markets. It begins when a parent is diagnosed with dementia, a spouse becomes a caregiver, a fall or hospitalization exposes new risks, or the family realizes that remaining independent will require more planning than they expected. These moments can bring difficult questions about family responsibilities, tax planning, and how to use financial resources wisely, while simultaneously facing new priorities and realities.

With more than 30 years of experience in investment management and insurance, Tom provides comprehensive wealth management through SEIA, integrating tax planning, cash-flow planning, liquidity management, portfolio management, and insurance strategies. His specialty is helping families ensure that these elements work together as health needs and personal priorities change.

Tom developed this focus early in his career after working with families affected by dementia and other long-term care challenges. He saw that even a strong retirement plan can be disrupted when a family must make major decisions under emotional pressure and with limited time. He also learned that the most important questions are often not purely financial: How can someone remain at home? How can spouses stay together? Who will make decisions if a loved one no longer can? How can the family preserve dignity, independence, and choice?

Tom is the creator of SEIA’s proprietary Lifecare Affordability Plan^®, a planning process that helps families evaluate different health, care, housing, and financial scenarios before a crisis narrows their options. Rather than relying on a single retirement projection, the process helps clients understand how a range of possible futures could affect their resources and priorities.

For families facing potentially significant care costs, Tom’s team places particular emphasis on tax-aware planning, cash flow, liquidity, and investment strategies that can support the outcomes that matter most. The goal is to help clients make informed decisions earlier, preserve flexibility, and give their families a shared plan for moving forward.

Tom was named RIA Intel and RIA Institute’s 2023 Advisor of the Year. He has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, and has published in peer-reviewed professional journals on wealth-management planning for older adults facing health-related dependency. His community leadership has included roles with Insight Memory Care Center, the National Capital Alzheimer’s Association, the Jewish Council for the Aging, and Goodwin Living.

Tom earned his B.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and his MBA in Finance and Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He lives in Falls Church, Virginia, with his spouse.