Top social Security optimization financial advisors in East Lansing, MI

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, you need an advisor who understands the nuances of claiming strategies. A common mistake is claiming too early or in the wrong sequence, which can reduce your lifetime income.

  • Pension integration expertise. Many local families have pensions from the auto industry; ask how the advisor coordinates Social Security with these benefits.
  • Claiming age strategy. Confirm they analyze your full work history and life expectancy to recommend the best age to start benefits.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. These can significantly impact your household income; ensure the advisor explains how to optimize these options.
  • Tax impact awareness. Social Security benefits can be taxable; check how the advisor plans for taxes in your overall retirement income.

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

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Joseph B

ChFC®, Series 63

East Lansing, MI

Fairhaven Financial Advisory Corporation

Joseph Brooks is a financial advisor with Fairhaven Financial Advisory Corporation in East Lansing, MI, holding the ChFC® and Series 63 designations and bringing 45 years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Innovation Partners LLC and Royal Alliance Associates, INC., and has been with Fairhaven Financial Advisory Corporation since 1999. Brooks is also a licensed insurance agent for various life, health, disability, and fixed interest annuity products. Fairhaven Financial Advisory Corporation serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients and sponsors of qualified retirement plans, focusing on retirees and those nearing retirement. The firm offers portfolio management, retirement distribution planning, financial consulting, and employer-sponsored plan advisory services using an asset-allocation approach with strategies ranging from conservative to aggressive.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization General estate planning guidance Income planning Life insurance needs analysis Retired
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Bryan F

Series 66

East Lansing, MI

Fairway Investment Group, LLC

Bryan Frazzini is an Investment Advisor Representative at Fairway Investment Group, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Fairway Investment Group, Paradigm Equities, and MEA Financial Services since 2022. Outside of finance, he has managed sales and design at SWAT Environmental, a radon mitigation company, since 2014. Fairway Investment Group primarily serves members of the Michigan Education Association (MEA) and their families, offering fee-based investment advisory and portfolio management services through LPL Financial–sponsored programs. The firm operates mainly on a non-discretionary basis and emphasizes tailored recommendations based on fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Real estate investing Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Richard J

ChFC®, Series 63

East Lansing, MI

LPL Financial

Richard Johnston is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience, currently serving clients at LPL Financial since 2004. Based in East Lansing, MI, he also acts as a successor trustee for a family trust. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that provides financial planning, advisory programs, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations through a nationwide network of investment adviser representatives.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Tobias T

Series 63, Series 66

East Lansing, MI

Oppenheimer

Tobias Timm is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in East Lansing, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 39 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Oppenheimer in 2017, he worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and Cantor Fitzgerald Wealth Partners. Oppenheimer serves individuals, corporations, pooled vehicles, and retirement plans by offering a variety of advisory programs and services, including portfolio management, consulting, and financial planning. The firm employs diverse investment approaches tailored to specific programs and advisors, managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets as of year-end 2025.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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William S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 63, Series 65

East Lansing, MI

OSAIC

William Stoskopf is a financial advisor with OSAIC based in East Lansing, MI, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and possessing 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. since 2018 and previously spent 24 years with Signator Investors, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, he is a musician and music teacher in Bath, MI. He is also the owner and managing member of Comprehensive Financial Solutions, LLC, which focuses on employee benefits and insurance services. OSAIC serves a broad mix of retail and institutional clients through a large network of financial advisers, offering integrated brokerage and investment advisory services, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers. The firm employs asset-allocation tools and efficient-frontier analysis to construct diversified portfolios and supports multiple advisory platforms and legacy program transitions.

Annuities Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) 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 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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