Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Columbia, SC

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 want to maximize your Social Security benefits, timing and claiming strategies are crucial. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or without considering your full financial picture, which can reduce your lifetime income.

  • Claiming age strategy. Ask how they determine the best age for you to start benefits, balancing early access against higher monthly payments later.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they understand how to optimize benefits for couples, including coordinating claims between spouses.
  • Impact on taxes and deductions. Social Security income can affect your tax bracket and state deductions; check how they integrate this into your overall retirement plan.
  • Coordination with other income. Ensure they consider how your Social Security fits with pensions, investments, and other income sources to avoid unintended penalties or tax hits.

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

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Ann B

Series 66

Columbia, SC

LPL Financial

Ann Bone is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 credential and has been with LPL Financial since 2017. Prior to joining LPL, she worked at Lexington School District Two for four years. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, model portfolios, and retirement plan consulting.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)

Steven J

Series 66

Columbia, SC

Edward Jones

Steven Junis is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Columbia, SC, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2018, he held roles at Aqua Splash Inc. and Pool Patrol Service. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Brandon B

Series 66

Columbia, SC

Ameriprise

Brandon Briggs is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Davidson, Wren and DeMasters, P.A. from 2016 to 2020 before joining Ameriprise in 2021. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides written recommendations and annual retirement-income planning advice focused on dependable income sources and tax-aware withdrawal strategies.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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David W

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Davinci Financial Designs

David Wells is a financial advisor at DaVinci Financial Designs with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation for 14 years. Wells provides investment advisory services primarily through DaVinci Financial Designs, an independent firm he joined in 2022. DaVinci Financial Designs serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business owners with comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a risk-adjusted, alpha-based investment approach, offering tailored portfolios and specialized services such as generational and business planning through a five-person team affiliated with LPL Financial.

General retirement planning Charitable giving & philanthropy Business ownership considerations Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals
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Carolyn M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Primerica Advisors

Carolyn Mendelssohn Drake is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 32 years of industry experience. She has been with Primerica Advisors since 1995 and has worked with Primerica Financial Services since 1987. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in the sale of investment-related products and receives compensation for referrals of home security, automation, and other home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, which includes model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed account options for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers, uses a tiered wrap fee structure, and delegates trading responsibilities to BNY Mellon Advisors.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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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 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.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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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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