Marilyn Gentilotti joined Washington Trust Advisors Inc. in August as vice president and senior wealth planner, focusing on trust and estate planning, tax strategy and investment advisory services. Washington Trust Advisors is a division of The Washington Trust Co., with its client-facing brand and marketing under Washington Trust Wealth Management. Gentilotti was one of five senior professionals added to the division as part of its expansion following the bank’s acquisition of wealth advisory firm Lighthouse Financial Management in Westerly in July.
Gentilotti has more than 20 years of experience advising high-net-worth clients, including prior roles as an attorney at Cushing & Dolan PC and a financial adviser at Beacon Light Planning LLC. She holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Johnson & Wales University, a Master of Science in taxation from Northeastern University, a juris doctorate from Suffolk University, and she is admitted to the bar in Florida and Massachusetts.
PBN: What attracted you to join Washington Trust Wealth Management at this point in your career?
GENTILOTTI: I decided to join Washington Trust Wealth Management because they have an exceptionally talented team and positive culture that promotes integrity and quality service. I was also attracted to the opportunity to help build the expertise of a growing team.
As the division expands its capabilities, I see my role evolving in two key ways. First as a trusted wealth planner advising clients, including multigenerational families, particularly where financial planning, estate planning, trust structures, charitable strategies and future generational planning intersect.
Second, as a connector across disciplines, acting as a bridge between clients, trust officers, investment teams and external advisers – helping explain financial planning strategies and ensuring that our clients’ goals are foremost in our planning, investments and fiduciary administration.
PBN: How do you see Washington Trust differentiating itself in the competitive New England wealth advisory market?
GENTILOTTI: Many firms offer wealth management, but few can provide sophisticated, integrated services across many disciplines. Washington Trust Wealth Management is able to deliver financial planning as well as trust, estate and investment coordination for clients with complex or unique needs, particularly multigenerational families, business owners and those with charitable or legacy objectives.
We can also easily connect clients with related banking services – such as lending, cash management and private banking – providing the convenience of seamlessly delivering comprehensive financial management through Washington Trust.
PBN: Your background spans trust and estate law, tax strategy and wealth planning – how do you integrate those disciplines to help high‑net‑worth clients navigate today’s complex financial and regulatory landscape?
GENTILOTTI: My broad experience across trust and estate law, tax strategy and wealth planning gives me a good understanding of how they are interrelated and I use that insight to help clients holistically. Decisions in one area almost always create consequences in another, so an integrated approach is essential.
I leverage wealth planning as the connecting discipline to align investment strategy, trust administration and legacy objectives into a coordinated financial plan that can adapt as laws change, markets shift and families evolve.
Importantly, I focus on working closely with trustees, investment teams, attorneys and CPAs [certified public accountants] to ensure that strategies are executed properly and remain effective over time, ensuring they are in alignment with each client’s goals.
PBN: What kinds of services or solutions do you expect will be most in demand in 2026?
GENTILOTTI: Expanding our service offerings and expertise gives clients more options and convenience. In 2026, we expect strong demand for four key areas of wealth management:
- First, comprehensive and sophisticated financial planning that emphasizes flexibility – clients want strategies that adapt to life changes rather than static, one-time solutions.
- Second, integrated planning for liquidity events and concentrated wealth, particularly for business owners and executives navigating exits.
- Third, charitable and legacy planning that aligns wealth with family values and fosters engagement across generations.
- Finally, trust administration paired with proactive advice, where trustees collaborate with advisers and families to manage distributions, beneficiary dynamics and long-term objectives.
PBN: As a senior planner, what trends are you seeing locally in Rhode Island and the broader region around wealth transfer, tax planning, or retirement strategy, and how is Washington Trust positioning itself to meet those needs?
GENTILOTTI: The recent enactment of OBBBA [One Big Beautiful Bill Act] and related income tax changes have created planning opportunities, particularly the increase in the state and local tax deduction from $10,000 to $40,000 for many taxpayers. This shift opens the door for strategic timing of income and deductions.
At the same time, charitable planning has become more complex due to new rules that limit the deductibility for many clients, including the 0.5% AGI [adjusted gross income] floor and the 35% deduction cap.
On the retirement front, clients are focused on tax-efficient income strategies, managing required minimum distributions, exploring Roth conversions and coordinating Social Security taxation with legacy goals. Washington Trust addresses these needs through integrated, multidisciplinary advice and planning for longevity and legacy, connecting trust, tax and wealth strategies into a unified approach for clients.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
