Independent, social Security optimization financial advisors in Franklin, TN

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 or planning your retirement income, optimizing your Social Security benefits can significantly impact your financial security. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or without considering how it affects your overall tax situation and long-term income.

  • Claiming strategy nuances. Ask how they tailor your claiming age and spousal benefits to maximize lifetime income, not just immediate payouts.
  • Federal tax impact. Since Tennessee has no state income tax, confirm how they plan around federal taxes and the high local sales and property taxes.
  • Coordination with retirement income. Social Security decisions should align with your other income sources; check how they integrate these for tax efficiency.
  • Independent advice. Being independent means these advisors aren’t tied to specific products, so ask how they ensure recommendations fit your unique situation.

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

Want help finding the right advisor?

Answer a few questions to see advisors matched to you.

user avatar

Laura S

Series 66

Franklin, TN

FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc.

Laura Stevens is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., where she has worked since 2013. She has 15 years of industry experience. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in music through her ownership and operation of Laura Kaczor Music Ministries, where she writes, records, performs, and sells original music. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors through its Passageway Managed Account Program, offering multiple managed-account options and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing General retirement planning
user avatar

Philip W

CFP®

Franklin, TN

Philip M. Watson, Financial Advisor

Philip Watson is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advising. He has operated Philip M. Watson Financial Advisors in Franklin, TN since 2001. The firm serves middle-income individuals and families by providing holistic financial planning and investment advisory services focused on tax, estate, retirement, risk management, and small business needs. Philip M. Watson Financial Advisors operates as a fee-only independent firm that does not sell insurance or accept commissions on product recommendations.

General retirement planning
user avatar

Jesse H

CFP®, Series 63

Franklin, TN

Mass Mutual Investors Services

Jesse Holman is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Franklin, TN, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 license. He has 23 years of industry experience, having worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2003 and at MassMutual Life Insurance Company since 2002. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in various real estate and business ventures, including ownership positions in multiple LLCs related to real estate investment and financial consulting. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides financial planning and asset management to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of services including investment programs and educational seminars, with financial planning engagements structured as annual, collaborative relationships that utilize firm-approved analytical tools.

Divorce financial planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner Attorney Executive Married/Couples/Partners Divorced

Matthew S

CFP®, Series 66

Franklin, TN

Edward Jones

Matthew Sell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Franklin, TN, holding CFP® and Series 66 designations and having seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2019, he worked at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company for one year, and at Advantage One Insurance Agency for four years. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, and affiliated investment products, supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branches.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Divorce financial planning Business ownership considerations Business succession planning Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Intergenerational Families
user avatar

Joshua L

Series 63, Series 66

Brentwood, TN

Money Concepts Capital Corp

Joshua Levine is a financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp in Franklin, TN, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Palms Casino Resort since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, Levine serves on the board of directors for a travel baseball organization and acts as a pitching coordinator for a related charity. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm manages assets through a combination of model portfolios, advisor-designed strategies, and third-party sub-advisers, employing fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory.

Annuities College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Cash flow / budgeting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

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)
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
user avatar

David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Medicare planning Annuities
user avatar

Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
Warmer team member

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you think it through—whether you ultimately need an advisor or not. Warmer helps you compare advisors clearly, so you can choose with confidence.

Find your advisor

For advisor listings, we rely on sources including public filings and data provided by advisors, and we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate. Advisors are independent and may not have reviewed or updated this information. Please review an advisor's Form ADV and do your own diligence before deciding whether to work with them.

Advisor matching and referrals are provided by FinanceHQ LLC ("FHQ"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment adviser. We may be compensated by participating advisors. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral. We do not supervise advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

By using our service, you agree to the Warmer Terms of Service and FHQ Advisory Agreement, and acknowledge Warmer's Privacy Policy. Please review FHQ's ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. ("Warmer")