Top financial advisors working with clients approaching retirement in Fort Walton Beach, FL

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.

You might be approaching retirement and wondering how to balance your income needs with tax planning and asset protection. A common mistake is underestimating the impact of federal taxes and property taxes, especially since Florida has no state income tax but relies heavily on sales and property taxes.

  • Federal tax focus. Confirm how the advisor plans for federal income tax, since Florida doesn’t tax income but other taxes can affect your cash flow.
  • Property tax strategy. Ask about managing property taxes and leveraging Florida’s strong homestead protections to safeguard your home equity.
  • Income sequencing. Understand how they recommend drawing from different accounts to optimize tax efficiency and maintain steady income.
  • Retirement cash flow. Check how they model your spending needs against expected income sources to avoid shortfalls.

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

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Richard M

Series 63

Fort Walton, FL

Cetera

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Draylen M

Series 66

Ft Walton Beach, FL

Merrill

Draylen Mc Grew is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to Merrill, he held positions at Bank of America and Regions Bank. Outside of his advisory role, he streams video games on Twitch as a hobby that generates additional income. 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 investment strategies for a range of client types including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Dallis S

Series 65

Fort Walton Beach, FL

D3 Advisors LLC

Dallis Shipe is a financial advisor at D3 Advisors LLC in Fort Walton Beach, FL, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he worked in real estate with Keller Williams Realty for over a decade and had roles in fitness and contracting industries. D3 Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, wealth management, consulting, and client education to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, small businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm uses an asset-allocation-driven investment approach, typically implemented through the Betterment Advisor Solutions platform, combining automated portfolio management with personalized client services.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Active portfolio management Real estate investing Founder/Business Owner
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Nancy K

Series 63, Series 65

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Wells Fargo Advisors

Nancy Kline is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Fort Walton Beach, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 38 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Outside of advising, she owns and manages several entities related to real estate investment. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing investment and fee-based financial planning services using a broad planning menu and proprietary research tools. The firm offers tailored recommendations and integrates advisory services with other financial product sales and referral channels.

Divorce financial planning Planning for children with special needs Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner
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Jeffrey J

CFP®, Series 63

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Private Advisor Group, LLC

Jeffrey Johnson is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with one year of industry experience, currently with Private Advisor Group, LLC and LPL Financial. Prior to his advisory career, he has worked at Delta Air Lines for ten years. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies and technology platforms.

Annuities 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, 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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Barbara B

Series 66

Conshohocken, PA

RBC Capital Markets

Barbara Brewer is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves individual investors, institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, custody, and brokerage services, tailoring strategies to clients’ Advisory Risk Profiles through a mix of in-house and third-party providers.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner Retired Financial Professional Approaching retirement HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)
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Richard M

Series 63

Fort Walton, FL

Cetera

Richard Martin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes nearly three decades at Avantax Advisory Services and eight years at Avantax Insurance Agency. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and sole proprietor of Martin & Pellegrin, CPAs, a tax preparation and accounting firm. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm provides a multi-manager platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various program structures and third-party money managers.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Lee C

Series 63, Series 65

Pasadena, CA

UBS Financial Services

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting Equity compensation tax strategy Executive Founder/Business Owner Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement

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