Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Asheville, NC

Stephen Herbert is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Asheville, NC. He has 21 years of industry experience and has been with Edward Jones since 2004. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supporting approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management.

Angela Rutledge is a Series 66 registered financial advisor at Merrill in Asheville, NC, with 18 years of industry experience. She has been with Merrill and its affiliate Bank of America, N.A. since 2014. Merrill provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal and third-party managers.

Wade Howell is a financial advisor at Cetera with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked with Avantax and Legacy firms. Howell also serves as a registered agent and financial advisor at Legacy Tax and Accounting and Legacy Capital Advisor, LLC. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutions. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of portfolio management options, including model portfolios, third-party managers, and customized strategies.

Eric Hauser is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has worked at Kestra Advisory since 2017 and previously spent seven years with Williams Financial Group. Hauser also operates KB Elliot Financial Advisors, conducting registered representative and independent insurance agent activities through Kestra entities under a DBA. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan design, investment advice, and employee education, serving large institutional investors including sovereign wealth funds and managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets.

Jonathan Payne is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer & Co, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Oppenheimer since 2009. Oppenheimer serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering advisory and brokerage services such as discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, consulting, and retirement services. The firm emphasizes strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and a range of investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

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 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

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.

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.

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.

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.