Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Arkansas

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you're approaching retirement and Social Security benefits will be a key part of your income, you need an advisor who understands how to maximize those payments. A common mistake is not timing your benefits correctly, which can reduce your lifetime income.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age to start benefits, considering your health, work plans, and spousal options.
  • Tax impact awareness. Since Social Security income is exempt from Arkansas state income tax, confirm how they factor this into your overall retirement tax plan.
  • Coordination with other income. Check if they model how Social Security interacts with pensions, withdrawals, and other income sources to avoid unexpected tax hits.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Ensure they explain options for maximizing benefits across couples, including survivor benefits and restricted applications.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Marshall B

Series 66

Cabot, AR

Paladin Investment Advisors

Marshall Butler is a Series 66-registered financial advisor at Paladin Investment Advisors with eight years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms including Veritas Independent Partners, Pinnacle Wealth Management, and Edward Jones. Butler is a part owner of Pinnacle Consultants, where he is involved in the sale of insurance products. Paladin Investment Advisors provides customized investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, business owners, nonprofit charities, foundations, and sponsors of ERISA-qualified retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $49.5 million in discretionary assets and employs a holistic wealth management approach using active, passive, or blended strategies.

Real estate investing Annuities Options & derivatives strategies
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Brete G

Series 63, Series 65

Fayetteville, AR

Stephens

Brete Garland is a financial advisor at Stephens with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior experience includes roles at Voya Financial Advisors, Morgan Keegan & Company, and Morgan Stanley. Stephens is a multi-team investment adviser with approximately 243 advisors and about $18 billion in assets under management. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, foundations, corporations, and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory, brokerage, investment banking, and research services.

Private / alternative investments Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner

Lawrence C

Series 63, Series 65

Little Rock, AR

Merrill

Lawrence Chance is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He utilizes a disciplined process to deliver a consistent and customized wealth management experience tailored to clients' personal perspectives and priorities. Larry collaborates closely with clients to fully understand their objectives and recommends strategies drawing on the resources of Merrill Lynch to integrate all aspects of their financial life. He regularly conducts reviews to monitor progress and adjusts strategies to align with any changes in clients' personal or business situations. Larry holds several professional designations, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., the Certified Investment Management Analyst® designation, and the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation, both awarded by the Investments & Wealth Institute™. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas Tech University in 1986 and a Master of Science in Industrial Administration from Purdue University in 1987. In addition to his professional work, Larry is active in Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock. His personal interests include camping, fishing, hunting, and traveling.

Wealth management
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Logan J

CFP®, Series 66

Jonesboro, AR

Mass Mutual Investors Services

Logan Johnson is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Mass Mutual Investors Services. His prior experience includes roles at Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company, Northwestern Mutual, Arkansas State University, and Harding University. He is also the owner of an LLC for tax purposes. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC operates as a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser, providing financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm uses firm-approved software tools to analyze client goals and offers a range of planning programs, including recent additions like Divorce Planning and employer-sponsored planning services.

Divorce financial planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Attorney Executive Married/Couples/Partners Divorced
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Malissa M

Series 65

Hot Springs, AR

Black Knight Wealth Management, LLC

Malissa Mc Nanna is a financial advisor with Black Knight Wealth Management, LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. She has four years of industry experience and has previously worked at Optivise Advisory Services, LLC, OnPointe Advisory and Financial Services LLC, and Vision Advisors, Inc. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Vision Advisors, Inc., where she recruits agents, conducts product training, and provides sales support for annuity and life insurance products. Black Knight Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and coordination with other professional advisors. The firm employs a range of investment strategies and prepares individualized Investment Policy Statements, managing accounts primarily on a discretionary, asset-based basis while reviewing portfolios monthly.

Concentrated stock management Retirement income strategy Annuities Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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Stavroula K

Series 63, Series 65

Linwood, NJ

Ameriprise

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Cassandra S

Series 63, Series 65

Plano, TX

Financial & Tax Architects, LLC

Cassandra Sanchez is a financial advisor at Financial & Tax Architects, LLC with seven years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Fisher Investments, TIAA, US Health Advisors, and various other firms. Sanchez also had involvement with Drunken Donkey, reflecting experience outside the financial sector. Financial & Tax Architects provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on those nearing or in retirement. The firm offers proprietary “Private Wealth Strategies” that use ETFs, individual securities, and trend-aware rebalancing, with accounts reviewed monthly and customizable strategies to meet client needs.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Annuities Income planning General tax planning Retired
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Keith E

CFP®

Pittsburgh, PA

Keith L. Eliou, CFP

Keith Eliou is the principal of Keith L. Eliou, CFP, an investment management firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. He holds the CFP® designation and has one year of experience as a financial advisor. In addition to his advisory role, he practices law focusing on elder law and real estate and is involved in insurance, mortgage lending, and real estate brokerage businesses. The firm primarily serves pooled vehicles and institutional accounts, offering portfolio management, retirement plan services, and financial planning. It utilizes an open-architecture investment approach with third-party money managers and employs multiple analytical methods and strategies, conducting annual account reviews.

Social Security optimization Retirement income strategy Cash flow / budgeting Charitable giving tax strategies Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner
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Charles P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

San Rafael, CA

WealthSpire Advisors

Charles Pyfer III is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at Wealthspire Advisors since 2024. Prior to this, he spent 15 years at Private Ocean. Wealthspire Advisors provides wealth management, investment advisory, financial planning, and family office support to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment approach that emphasizes diversified, institutional-style asset allocation and utilizes a range of investment vehicles and third-party platforms for comprehensive portfolio management.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Roth conversion strategy Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner Retired Mid-Career Professionals Established Professionals
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