CFP®-certified, social Security optimization financial advisors in Newark, NJ

Oscar Abaunza Velazquez is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having six years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2019 and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Outside of his advisory role, he co-owns a medical billing business with his spouse. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients with investment and fee-based financial planning services. The firm offers a broad planning menu including specialized areas such as business-owner transition and special-needs analysis, delivering tailored recommendations through a combination of research, planning tools, and client meetings.

Frederick Palmerton is the sole advisor at Palmerton Financial Services, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Newark, NJ. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 20 years of industry experience, managing his own firm since 2002. Palmerton Financial Services primarily serves individual clients as well as corporate and nonprofit organizations, offering discretionary supervisory management of customized investment portfolios. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental equity-oriented investment approach focused on a limited list of large, well-covered companies, with low turnover and portfolios tailored to client risk tolerance and objectives.

Samuel Wallace Jr. is a financial advisor at Merrill with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill since 2009 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program to Bank of America fiduciary clients. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal and third-party managers, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Stephen Roth is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Gladstone Wealth Partners since 2015 and previously worked at Private Portfolio Partners, LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. Roth is also involved in benefit consulting and insurance-related activities through firms such as Emerson Reid Company and Crump. Gladstone Wealth Partners provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individual and high-net-worth investors, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm operates through a network of independent advisers who implement tailored strategies, utilize third-party managers, and offer ongoing financial planning and consulting services.

Shaquille Blake is an Investment Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2024. Prior to this, he worked as a Retirement Planner for the Tax Exempt Market at Fidelity from 2022 to 2024, and as an Investment Solutions Representative II at Fidelity from 2021 to 2022. His earlier experience includes serving as a Complex Branch Analyst at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney from 2018 to 2021. Shaquille focuses on guiding clients through personalized retirement and goal-based planning strategies. He aims to understand each client's unique needs and priorities to deliver strategies offered by Fidelity that align with both short- and long-term financial goals. Outside of his professional work, Shaquille has interests in art, fitness, football, hiking, and volunteering.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management. Outside of financial advising, he has experience in the lawn care business with Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate-planning services, utilizing a range of investment strategies and managing both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Investment Management & Planning LLC since 2010 and is also affiliated with LPL Financial LLC. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides fee-based investment advisory and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases. The firm emphasizes ongoing account supervision and individualized asset allocation, often utilizing LPL-sponsored platforms and model portfolios.