Independent, social Security optimization financial advisors in Houston, TX

Markos Pappas is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Edward Jones and Investment Professionals, Inc. before joining Ameriprise in 2018. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service targeting individuals approaching or in retirement with significant investable assets, providing detailed recommendation reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax analysis to deliver customized, non-discretionary advice through a centralized consulting team.

Jared Tobin is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Olive Wealth Management in Houston, TX. He has been with Olive Wealth Management since 2021 and previously attended Texas Tech University. Olive Wealth Management is a small, supported registered investment adviser managing approximately $83.9 million across 54 clients. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, trusts, and retirement plans, providing discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning with a focus on tax efficiency, cost minimization, and diversified global asset-class portfolios.

New Heights Planning is a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in oil and gas professionals. Our clients work at Shell, Hess, Chevron, EOG, Oxy, and More. Our Financial Independence Framework combines modern financial planning and investment management to help you reduce your taxes, invest smarter, and be prepared for retirement. I spent 14 years at Shell as an engineer and a leader. I know what it's like to be a professional at a large energy company: fascinating work, great people, and excellent pay, accompanied by frequent lay-offs, corporate bureaucracy, and never-ending meetings. My favorite part was helping people realize the career they desired. Now, I help people optimize their finances to realize the life they desire. I chose to leave Shell and transition into financial advising to go from work I liked to work I love. Before starting New Heights Planning, I built financial plans for high-net-worth individuals and families at Asset Management Advisors. I later founded New Heights Planning to do this for those I like working with the most, Shell and other oil and gas professionals. I am committed to learning and continuing my education to serve you best. I have: -Completed the financial planning program at Rice University and am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. -Passed the Series 65 exam -Received the CRPC® designation from the College for Financial Planning -Joined the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), and the XY Planning Network New Heights Planning is not endorsed by nor affiliated with Shell or any other oil and gas company. Read Trevor's blog here: https://newheightsplanning.com/videos/

Christopher Hopper is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 28 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2002. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Hopper Farms, which sells hay. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management with resources such as model portfolios and research from internal and third-party sources.

Jonathan Ginsburgh is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds a Series 66 designation and has 10 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Cetera Investment Services LLC, Cetera Investment Advisors LLC, Regions Bank, Infinex Investments, Inc., and Iberia Financial Services. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to various third-party money managers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.