Seasoned, social Security optimization financial advisors in Milwaukee, WI

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 and want to maximize your benefits, you need an advisor who understands the nuances of claiming strategies. A common mistake is claiming too early or in the wrong sequence, which can reduce your lifetime income.

Seasoned advisors bring decades of experience navigating Social Security rules and coordinating benefits with other retirement income sources.

  • Claiming strategy expertise. Ask how they tailor claiming ages and spousal benefits to your unique work and family history.
  • Coordination with pensions. In Wisconsin, strong public pensions affect Social Security; confirm how they integrate these into your plan.
  • Longevity planning. Social Security benefits can last decades; check how they model your income needs over a long retirement horizon.
  • Benefit maximization trade-offs. Understand how they balance early access against higher future payments to fit your cash flow needs.

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

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Randy P

Series 63, Series 65

Wauwatosa, WI

J.P. Morgan Securities

Randy Potter is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with J.P. Morgan entities since 2000. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Zachary H

CFP®, Series 65

Wauwatosa, WI

Perk Planning

Zachary Hidden is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Perk Planning since 2021. He previously worked at Plante Moran Financial Advisors for five years. Outside of advising, he holds a minor ownership stake in a bookkeeping and consulting firm. Perk Planning provides financial planning and investment consultation to individuals and businesses, focusing on cash-flow, retirement, education, risk management, and estate planning through interviews and written plans. The firm employs a passive, long-term investment approach emphasizing strategic asset allocation and diversified index funds, operating on an hourly or fixed-fee basis without discretionary trading or commission-based fees.

Cash flow / budgeting Debt management
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David M

Series 66

Wauwatosa, WI

Robert Baird & Co.

David Manke is a financial advisor with Robert W. Baird & Co. in Wauwatosa, WI, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Robert W. Baird Incorporated since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member on the investment and finance committee of Holy Cross Lutheran Church. He is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird’s Private Wealth Management practice, which provides tailored consulting and portfolio management services to individuals, families, institutions, and charitable organizations using a range of traditional and non-traditional investment strategies.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retired Founder/Business Owner
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John D

Series 63

Wauwatosa, WI

Kestra Advisory

John Dodds is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory who holds a Series 63 designation and has 43 years of industry experience. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and has extensive prior experience including founding John F. Dodds & Associates and involvement with Sportsrep Inc and Telesports Communications Co. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in sports media as an owner and co-host of basketball shows focused on Marquette basketball, and has a background representing NBA prospects in the 1980s and 1990s. Kestra Advisory provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including institutional and individual investors. The firm offers a range of services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serving clients that include sovereign wealth funds and other large institutional investors.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Annuities Wealth management Founder/Business Owner Executive
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John P

CFP®, Series 66

Hartland, WI

LPL Financial

John Pelletier is a CFP® professional with 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently affiliated with LPL Financial and has held positions at BMO Harris Financial Advisors, Inc. and BMO HARRIS Bank. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives, offering a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and brokerage services.

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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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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David C

Series 63, Series 65

Houston, TX

LPL Financial

David Cade is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked for Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years before joining LPL Financial in 2025. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services with both discretionary and non-discretionary management, utilizing research and model portfolios to support diversified investment strategies.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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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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Linda P

Series 63

Mt. Laurel, NJ

BC Advisors, LLC

Linda Postorivo is a financial advisor at BC Advisors, LLC with 43 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with MAFG RIA Services, Inc. since 1994 and with Mid-Atlantic Companies since 1981. BC Advisors provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary investment recommendations grounded in fundamental analysis alongside technical and cyclical reviews, employing a variety of strategies including long-term, short-term, trading, options, and alternatives.

Active portfolio management
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