Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Iowa

Austin Norris is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Oskaloosa, IA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, Norris has ownership interests in real estate and construction businesses, including a real-estate office building, farmland, and involvement in a construction project. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients nationwide. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets through a large network of advisors and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Blake Hamer is a CFP® professional at Stifel with eight years of industry experience. He has been with Stifel since 2017 and worked previously at Ocwen Loan Servicing from 2013 to 2017. He serves as Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors for the Family YMCA of Black Hawk County. Stifel serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional clients, and municipal entities, offering brokerage and investment advisory services that incorporate proprietary capital market assumptions and probabilistic modeling developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

Michael Gasperi is a financial advisor at Cetera Planning Partners with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Avantax Investment Services, ProEquities, Inc., and Honkamp Krueger Financial Services Inc., where he also serves as a wholesaler to CPA representatives. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirees and retirees by providing investment management, financial planning, Social Security optimization, and retirement advice. The firm offers additional services such as tax planning, bookkeeping, payroll support, and estate planning through a third-party provider, utilizing a diversified investment approach tailored to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances.

Kyle Ver Woert is a financial professional with 10 years of industry experience, currently associated with Cetera in West Des Moines, IA. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Equitable Advisors and Axa Advisors, LLC. From 2016 to 2018, he was involved with the Corridor Hockey Association. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individual investors, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Andrew Russell is a financial advisor with Russell Wealth Advisors in Boone, Iowa, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. He has been associated with Russell Wealth Advisors since 2017 and has prior experience with LPL Financial and Russell Wealth Management. Russell Wealth Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and businesses, offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm manages roughly $105.6 million in discretionary assets across about 121 client relationships, employing a mix of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis with tailored portfolio strategies and ongoing supervision.

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.

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.