Seasoned, social Security optimization financial advisors in Myrtle Beach, SC

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 be considering Social Security optimization if you're approaching retirement and want to maximize your benefits without leaving money on the table. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or without coordinating spousal and survivor options effectively.

  • Claiming strategy expertise. Look for advisors who explain how to time your benefits to fit your full retirement age and life expectancy.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they understand how to optimize these options alongside your own benefits.
  • Integration with other income. Ask how they factor in pensions, retirement accounts, and part-time work when planning your Social Security claims.
  • Experience matters. Seasoned advisors bring years of insight into changing rules and can help you navigate complex scenarios.

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

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David W

Series 63, Series 65

Myrtle Beach, SC

Wells Fargo Clearing

David Weber is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Myrtle Beach, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 46 years of industry experience. His prior work includes seven years at UBS Financial Services. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm that serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients, offering investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines research from its Investment Institute with third-party analytics and applies diversification and modern portfolio theory to its investment evaluations.

Retired Founder/Business Owner

Jason T

Series 66

Myrtle Beach, SC

Edward Jones

Jason Toy is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Edward Jones since 2018. Prior to this, he was involved with Champion Autism Network and Ripley's Aquarium. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Retirement income strategy Business ownership considerations Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Intergenerational Families
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Bradley T

Series 63, Series 65

Myrtle Beach, SC

Gradient Advisors, LLC

Bradley Tunnell is a financial advisor at Gradient Advisors, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Brookstone Capital Management for 12 years. He also owns Palmetto Wealth Planning, a financial planning firm based in Myrtle Beach, SC. Gradient Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm operates primarily through a network of Investment Advisor Representatives and third-party money managers, employing a largely non-discretionary model supported by a range of analytical tools.

Retirement income strategy General tax planning

Herman W

Series 66

Myrtle Beach, SC

Merrill

Herman Watson is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he has been a part of the team since 2007. He leads an advisory team that focuses on helping clients develop goals-based wealth management strategies. Herman's approach emphasizes clear communication, aiding clients in understanding the narratives behind their financial data to facilitate logical decision-making throughout their financial journeys. His expertise encompasses family wealth management strategies, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and retirement income. Herman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and a Master's degree from East Carolina University. He has earned professional designations including the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Outside of his professional responsibilities, Herman spends time with his family engaged in activities such as boating, fishing, swimming, and traveling. He also enjoys exercising, playing the piano, and watching his children participate in sports.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Wealth management Income planning
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Flavio M

Series 65

Myrtle Beach, SC

Coast Wealth Management Group, LLC

Flavio Medeiros is a financial advisor at Coast Wealth Management Group, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series Series 65 license. Coast Wealth Management Group provides investment management and financial planning services to individual and business clients. The firm develops portfolios and plans tailored to client goals, using fundamental analysis and a combination of long- and short-term strategies.

Cash flow / budgeting Retirement income strategy Debt management General retirement planning Roth conversion strategy Retired Military & Veterans Approaching retirement Retired Gen X (Born 1965-1980)
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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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