HomeExpertTom West

Thomas C. West, CLU®, ChFC®, AIF®

Finance Expert, SEIA Senior Partner, & Founder of Lifecare Affordability Plan®

Highlights

  • Over 25 years of professional experience advising retirees, adult children, caregivers, and families facing health-related dependency, capacity challenges, and aging transitions
  • Senior Partner at Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC (SEIA), and leader of an aging and health care-integrated financial planning practice, with a focus on retirement income, long-term care planning, and senior financial risk management
  • Architect of the Lifecare Affordability Plan®, a proprietary planning framework that quantifies health care and long-term care costs across a client’s lifespan and then stress-tests retirement income strategies
  • 2023 Advisor of the Year award from RIA Intel and the RIA Institute
  • Leader of the Northern Virginia team named a 2025 Excellence Awardee for RIA Team of the Year (Under 10 Advisors) by Investment News

Tom West is a seasoned and widely respected wealth management professional whose work sits at the crucial intersection of retirement income, health care cost risk, and aging-driven financial planning. As Senior Partner at Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC (SEIA), Tom leads one of the firm's most distinctive practices, centered on preparing clients and families for the financial realities of aging, long-term care decisions, and transitions in care needs.

With more than 25 years of experience, Tom works extensively with retirees, adult children coordinating care, and families navigating complex health and capacity decisions. His commitment to client service is driven by deep empathy for the emotional and financial challenges aging clients face. Tom helps families evaluate sensitive issues such as incapacity, caregiving costs, asset protection strategies, and legacy considerations. A hallmark of his practice is proactive planning, which gives clients and their families clarity and confidence before a health crisis.

Tom created the Lifecare Affordability Plan®, a proprietary health care-driven financial planning service that integrates projected health care and long-term care costs into retirement income strategies, enabling clients to evaluate their financial readiness for assisted living, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), in-home care, memory care, and skilled nursing. The LCAP approach extends beyond traditional wealth management to include liquidity planning, fiduciary coordination, and multi-disciplinary decision support involving attorneys, care managers, health care experts, and family members.

Tom's community service in aging services has stretched for decades. Tom most recently served on the board of the Jewish Council for the Aging. He previously served in leadership positions on the boards of Insight Memory Care Center, the National Capital Alzheimer's Association, and Goodwin Living Inc.

Tom is recognized for his industry excellence and regularly educates professionals on planning for seniors, long-term care, and aging risk. Most recently, he presented at the FutureProof Conference, co-hosts a podcast, and regularly writes on Substack

Tom holds a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and dual master's degrees, an MBA in Finance and a Master of Public and International Affairs, from the University of Pittsburgh. He has earned the Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designations, reflecting advanced expertise in insurance, comprehensive financial planning, and fiduciary responsibility. He is also a licensed insurance agent in Virginia. Tom lives in Falls Church, Virginia with his spouse.

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