Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Mount Sterling, 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.

You might need a Social Security optimization advisor if you're approaching retirement and want to maximize your monthly benefits without risking penalties or reduced payouts. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or without considering spousal and survivor options, which can significantly reduce your lifetime income.

  • Claiming strategy nuances. Ask how they tailor your claiming age to your health, work plans, and other income sources.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they evaluate all Social Security options available to couples, not just individual benefits.
  • Coordination with retirement income. See if they integrate Social Security timing with your broader retirement cash flow and tax planning.
  • State-specific cost considerations. Since living costs in Kentucky are lower than average, ask how they factor this into your benefit optimization.

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

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Melody T

CFP®

Mt. Sterling, KY

Townsend Financial Planning

Melody Townsend is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience, currently serving as an advisor at Townsend Financial Planning since 2006. She is the managing member of Mountain Sage Holdings, LLC, a commercial property management business in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. Townsend Financial Planning is an SEC-registered, fee-only fiduciary firm that provides financial planning and investment management services to individuals, families, and small businesses. The firm employs a long-term, buy-and-hold investment strategy using diversified, low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, and offers a range of engagement types including trustee services and retirement-plan consulting.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Roth conversion strategy Charitable giving & philanthropy Founder/Business Owner Retired Mid-Career Professionals

Robert S

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Paris, KY

Fidelity

Farley Stephenson serves as Vice President and Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role held since 2022. He has been with Fidelity Investments since 2011, progressing through various positions including Financial Consultant, Senior Portfolio Specialist, and Portfolio Specialist. His career reflects extensive experience in financial and investment solutions as well as retirement planning. Stephenson emphasizes a collaborative approach to financial strategies, aiming to simplify complex topics into actionable steps to empower his clients. His work is grounded in building trust and designing personalized plans that adapt to the evolving needs of individuals and families. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Farley Stephenson engages in activities such as camping, fishing, hiking, running, and volunteering.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy Income planning
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John S

Series 66

Winchester, KY

Raymond James Financial

John Saunier is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. with 11 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. He has worked at Edward Jones and has been with Raymond James since 2018. Saunier is also involved with Central Bank & Trust and Central Investment Center Inc., where he sells and services investment clients and supports investment-related activities. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to individual, high-net-worth, institutional, and nonprofit clients. The firm offers tailored non-discretionary planning and consulting using analytical tools and supports institutional consulting and portfolio management through a large advisor network.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Robert B

Series 63, Series 65

Owingsville, KY

LPL Enterprise

Robert Becker Jr. is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with six years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Pruco Securities LLC, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Becker is also a notary and operates a wealth management business as a sole owner. LPL Enterprise serves a wide range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients through advisory and brokerage channels. The firm offers financial planning, access to model wealth portfolios, third-party asset management, and brokerage and insurance products via an integrated platform.

General retirement planning Tax-loss harvesting Self-Employed Founder/Business Owner

Lindsay R

ChFC®, Series 66

Mt Sterling, KY

Edward Jones

Lindsay Rice is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Mt Sterling, KY. She holds the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license, and has nine years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2017, she worked for Clark County Public Schools from 2011 to 2016. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, managed strategies, and affiliated investment products, supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy Wealth management Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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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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