Seasoned, social Security optimization financial advisors in Mountain View, CA

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 triggering penalties or reducing your future income. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or in the wrong sequence, which can permanently lower your lifetime Social Security income. Seasoned advisors bring decades of experience navigating these complex rules to help you avoid costly errors.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age to start benefits based on your full financial picture.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they understand how to coordinate benefits between you and your spouse for maximum household income.
  • Tax impact awareness. Social Security benefits can affect your taxes; check how they plan to minimize tax burdens on your benefits.
  • Coordination with other income. See if they integrate Social Security decisions with your retirement accounts and pensions for a holistic approach.

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

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Weijie Y

Series 66

Mountain View, CA

Merrill

Weijie Yuan is a financial advisor with Merrill in Mountain View, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill and Bank of America since 2019. Prior to his current role, he held positions at Premier Nissan of San Jose and Next Generation Marketing Inc. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Anil A

Series 65

Mountain View, CA

Ambastha Financial LLC

Anil Ambastha is a financial advisor at Ambastha Financial LLC with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has a background in the oil and gas industry, currently serving as a Chevron Fellow and Senior Principal Reservoir Engineer. Ambastha Financial LLC provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to high-net-worth individuals and small businesses. The firm combines fundamental analysis with modern portfolio theory, employing both active and passive strategies, including the use of derivatives, to meet client objectives.

Options & derivatives strategies Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Real estate investing
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Phuong Q

Series 66

Mountain View, CA

Ameriprise

Phuong Quach is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. She has been with Ameriprise and its related entities since 2005. Quach serves as treasurer on the board of the Santa Clara County Estate Planning Council and chairs the FPA NorCal Conference Committee. Ameriprise Financial Services is a diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service focused on retirement income planning through written recommendations and ongoing advice, utilizing proprietary research and third-party data.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Lee S

Series 63, Series 65

Mountain View, CA

Scundi Investment Management, LLC

Lee Scundi is the principal of Scundi Investment Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Mountain View, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 16 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his own firm in 2009, he worked with Niemann Capital and Quasar Distributors. Outside of his financial advisory role, he holds a General Building Class B license and conducts limited construction project work on a part-time basis. Scundi Investment Management provides discretionary investment management for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and small businesses. The firm employs an asset-mix approach using model portfolios and incorporates macroeconomic data, fundamental and technical analysis, and volatility measures in managing client accounts.

Concentrated stock management Options & derivatives strategies
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Daniel H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Mountain View, CA

Independent Financial Group, LLC

Daniel Hahn is a CFP® with 33 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Independent Financial Group, LLC since 2017, following nine years at NEXT Financial Group and ten years at Securian Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, he has worked part-time as a statistician for the San Jose Earthquakes MLS. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of firm- and third-party models to develop client strategies, offering a variety of portfolio management options and financial planning services.

Wealth management Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired
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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, 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.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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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 with LPL Financial based in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 42 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he worked at Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. for six years. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions, integrating proprietary research and third-party strategies.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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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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