Wealth Advisor

Specializes in: Retirement and pre-retirement planning, small business owner planning, and inter-generational wealth transfer

Sam Buchanan joined Branning Wealth Management as a Wealth Advisor, bringing two years of advisory experience and a genuine passion for helping clients build financial confidence through personalized, goal-centered planning. His approach is rooted in the belief that good financial planning isn’t about products or predictions — it’s about understanding what a client is actually trying to build, and then designing a plan that quietly and consistently makes it happen.

Sam has successfully passed the CFP® exam, underscoring his commitment to serving clients at the highest professional standard. His approach aligns naturally with Branning Wealth Management’s fee-only, fiduciary philosophy and Safety-First retirement income framework — grounded in Modern Retirement Theory and the firm’s proprietary MATCH process for coordinating every part of a client’s financial life.

Sam’s work focuses on three areas where thoughtful planning matters most. He works with clients who are retired or within five years of their retirement date, helping them transition from accumulating wealth to drawing a dependable retirement income. He advises small business owners and self-employed professionals navigating retirement planning outside of traditional employer plans — where the planning opportunities and pitfalls are often very different from what most advisors are equipped to handle. He also works with families on inter-generational wealth transfer, helping them plan the thoughtful, tax-efficient transition of wealth across generations so that what has been built is preserved and passed on with purpose.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Sam is deeply rooted in the community Branning Wealth Management has been proud to serve for decades. He is an active member of his church in downtown Jackson, an avid SEC football fan, and an enthusiastic hunter. He is getting married this year.