Independent, social Security optimization financial advisors in Middlesborough, KY

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 retirement and want to maximize your Social Security benefits, timing and claiming strategies are crucial. Without expert guidance, you might claim too early or miss out on benefits that could boost your income.

  • Claiming age strategies. Ask how they determine the best age for you to start benefits, considering your health, work plans, and spousal options.
  • Benefit maximization. Confirm they analyze your full earnings record and potential credits to increase your monthly payments.
  • Coordination with retirement income. Social Security decisions affect your overall retirement cash flow; check how they integrate this with your other income sources.
  • Independent advice. Being independent means they aren’t tied to specific products, which can help focus on your Social Security goals without sales pressure.

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

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Carolyn L

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Tazewell, TN

Archer Investment Corporation

Carolyn Lambert is a CFP® with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Archer Investment Corporation since 2019 and previously spent 20 years with H.D. Vest Investment Services. In addition to her advisory work, she owns and operates Lambert Bookkeeping & Financial Services and serves as treasurer for the Claiborne County Historical & Genealogical Society, a nonprofit organization. Archer Investment Corporation provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and investment companies. The firm manages approximately $900 million primarily on a discretionary basis, offering customized portfolio management and model-based strategies utilizing a range of asset classes including mutual funds and ETFs.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies
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John V

Series 63, Series 65

Washburn, TN

Morgan Stanley

John Vita is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Washburn, Tennessee, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009 and also works with Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member and on the investment committee of the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation, a private foundation in Florida. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a wide range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, focusing on tailored financial planning supported by structured discovery processes and firm-approved tools. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and offers both direct and employer-sponsored financial planning services.

General estate planning guidance

Adam S

Series 66, Series 63

New Tazewell, TN

Thrivent Investment Management

Adam Schrader is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and four years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Edward Jones and led LvLuP Solutions, a small business consulting firm focused on processing client finance applications. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering comprehensive written recommendations on topics such as retirement, tax, estate, and special needs planning. The firm’s approach uses goal-based analyses and allows clients to combine planning with managed accounts under a consolidated billing option.

Retirement income strategy Business ownership considerations Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management Inheritance planning Founder/Business Owner

David W

Series 66

Middlesboro, KY

Edward Jones

David Whitlock is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones in Middlesboro, Kentucky, where he has worked since 2016. He has 10 years of industry experience. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a building that will be used for his Edward Jones office relocation. 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 strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, and operates under a fiduciary standard.

Retirement income strategy Business ownership considerations Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner
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Patrick A

Series 63, Series 66

New Tazewell, TN

LPL Financial

Patrick Anstett is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at LPL Financial since 2018. Prior to that, he was with Invest Financial Corporation for 13 years and has been associated with Commercial Bank & Trust since 2005. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, 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 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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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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