Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Kings Mountain, NC

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 need a Social Security optimization advisor if you're approaching retirement and want to maximize your benefits without risking penalties or reduced payments. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or too late, which can significantly lower your lifetime income.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age for you to start claiming Social Security to balance immediate needs and long-term gains.
  • Earnings record review. Confirm they thoroughly analyze your work history to ensure all eligible earnings are counted toward your benefit calculation.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Check if they consider options that maximize benefits for couples, including survivor benefits and coordination between spouses.
  • Tax impact awareness. Social Security benefits can be taxable; ask how they plan to minimize taxes on your benefits in retirement.

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

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Tony W

Series 63, Series 65

Kings Mountain, NC

Credit Union Investment Services

Tony Walker Jr. is a financial advisor with Credit Union Investment Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing six years of industry experience. He has worked with Members Trust Company since 2022 and has been affiliated with Credit Union Investment Services, SECU Life Insurance Company, SECU Brokerage Services, and State Employees' Credit Union since 2019 or earlier. Outside of his advisory roles, he serves as a financial advisory services specialist and life insurance agent within the State Employees' Credit Union system. Credit Union Investment Services serves primarily individual investors in North Carolina with non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement and financial planning, and a wrap-fee program. The firm emphasizes low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs, fixed-income products, and a goals-based, long-term planning approach, with client decisions implemented at their discretion.

General retirement planning Passive / index investing
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Keith M

Series 63, Series 65

Kings Mountain, NC

Vestech Asset Management Inc.

Keith Miller is a financial representative at Vestech Asset Management Inc. with 35 years of industry experience. He previously worked at First Allied Advisory Services, Inc. and First Allied Securities, Inc. Miller serves on several local boards, including the Kings Mountain Housing Authority and the Cleveland County Board of Equalization & Review. Vestech Asset Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm employs a combination of technical, fundamental, and cyclical analysis to manage diversified portfolios and offers both ongoing investment management and project-based planning.

Annuities Life insurance needs analysis Tax-loss harvesting Attorney

Joshua S

Series 66

Kings Mountain, NC

Edward Jones

Joshua Shelton is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Kings Mountain, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with eight years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2018, he worked for Broad River Retail dba Ashley HomeStore from 2016 to 2018. Outside of his advisory role, he is vice president of C J Farms Inc in Shelby, NC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices across the country.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management General estate planning guidance Sales Professional
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Jon H

Series 63, Series 65

Kings Mountain, NC

Gradient Advisors, Llc

Jon Hoyle is a financial advisor with Gradient Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Securities America, and VOYA Financial Advisors. He has also operated as an independent Medicare agent and managed his own financial services business. Gradient Advisors, LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm operates primarily through a network of Investment Advisor Representatives and third-party money managers, employing a largely non-discretionary approach that incorporates fundamental, technical, and cyclical portfolio analysis.

Retirement income strategy General tax planning
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Michele M

Series 63, Series 65

Kings Mountain, NC

LPL Financial

Michele McDuffie is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 26 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Waddell & Reed, various insurance carriers, IDS Life Insurance Company, and American Express Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory work, she is associated with Alfred and Charlie's BBQ House, a business she has operated since 2003. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a broad range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, and institutions, through a national network of representatives. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and advisory programs, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house and third-party research.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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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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