Large-firm, social Security optimization financial advisors in Durham, NC

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 Social Security age and want to maximize your benefits, the advisors below can help you navigate the complex claiming rules. A common mistake is claiming too early or in the wrong sequence, which can reduce your lifetime benefits.

  • Claiming strategy expertise. Look for advisors who explain how different claiming ages and spousal benefits affect your total income.
  • Coordination with retirement income. Ask how they integrate Social Security timing with your other income sources to optimize cash flow.
  • Large-firm resources. Advisors at large firms often have access to specialized tools and teams that can model complex Social Security scenarios.
  • State tax considerations. Since North Carolina has a flat income tax, confirm how they factor state taxes into your Social Security planning.

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

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Gary G

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Durham, NC

OSAIC Advisory Services, LLC

Gary Gaulden is a CFP® with 33 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with OSAIC Advisory Services, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Arbor Point Advisors, and Securities America, Inc. He operates a satellite office in Atlantic Beach, NC, through Gaulden & Associates. OSAIC Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension plans, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. The firm provides a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing multiple program models and offering access to alternative investments and affiliated capabilities.

Annuities
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Travis H

CFP®, CFA®, Series 63

Durham, NC

SLP Wealth

Travis Hornsby is a financial advisor at SLP Wealth with CFP®, CFA®, and Series 63 credentials and three years of industry experience. He has been involved in web publishing and consulting through his ownership of Student Loan Planner since 2016. SLP Wealth is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual clients and small-business owners with discretionary investment management, financial planning, and non-discretionary 401(k) services. The firm employs diversified, risk-based portfolios using no-load mutual funds and ETFs, with ongoing monitoring and periodic rebalancing.

Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Charitable giving tax strategies Founder/Business Owner
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Gary C

Series 63, Series 65

Durham, NC

Raymond James Financial

Gary Crenshaw is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at Pinnacle Bank/Pinnacle Financial Partners and Suntrust Investments. He is also an associate at Pinnacle Asset Management, where he serves as a financial consultant. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to individual, high-net-worth, corporate, institutional, and nonprofit clients. The firm utilizes risk profiling and analytical tools to tailor non-discretionary planning and encourages clients to implement recommendations through various advisory programs.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Brad C

Series 65, Series 63

Durham, NC

Verity Asset Management

Brad Corbett is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has been with Verity since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for Thalweg Capital Management, a real estate firm, providing oversight and governance. Verity Asset Management is a multi-team SEC-registered firm managing approximately $1.15 billion across 55 advisers. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, institutional clients, and other investment advisers, using a largely model-based investment approach that includes both internally managed specialty strategies and third-party models.

Concentrated stock management Tax-loss harvesting Passive / index investing Active portfolio management ESG / Sustainable investing
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Nahnsan G

Series 65

Durham, NC

Capital Solutions Advisors, LLC

Nahnsan Guseh is a financial advisor at Capital Solutions Advisors, LLC in Durham, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he works as a data scientist at Intuitive Surgical, a medical device company. Capital Solutions Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual clients, tailoring investment programs to each client's goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. The firm employs a range of strategies including options and hedged equity approaches, and it supports active trading with custodians offering fully digital account integration.

Retirement income strategy Income planning General retirement planning Tax-loss harvesting Options & derivatives strategies Young Professionals
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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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Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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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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