Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Panama City, FL

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 or planning your retirement income, you need an advisor who understands how to maximize your benefits without costly mistakes. A common error is claiming benefits too early or in the wrong sequence, which can permanently reduce your lifetime income.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age for you to start claiming benefits, considering your health, work plans, and spousal options.
  • Coordination with other income. Social Security interacts with pensions, retirement accounts, and taxes; confirm they factor these into your overall plan.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. These can add significant value if handled correctly; check if they explain options beyond your own benefits.
  • Federal tax impact. Since Florida has no state income tax, focus is on federal taxes; ensure they plan for how Social Security income affects your federal tax bill.

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

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Joe K

Series 63, Series 65

Panama City, FL

LPL Financial

Joe King Jr. is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Panama City, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 50 years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, Raymond James & Associates, and Citigroup Global Markets. Outside of his advisory work, he is an author with several published books. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a wide range of financial planning and investment services supported by extensive technology and a large network of advisors.

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

Series 63, Series 66

Panama City, FL

Cetera

John Farrell is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Hancock Whitney Bank. He serves on the board of the Anchorage Children's Home, meeting monthly to support the charity. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional accounts. The firm offers various portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with over 10,000 advisors and more than $256 billion in assets under management.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Malissa R

CFP®, Series 63

Panama City, FL

Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc.

Malissa Romack is a CFP® professional with 29 years of industry experience. She has worked at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2011, following prior roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. She also serves as an attorney-in-fact and trustee for investment-related trusts in Panama City, Florida. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and corporate clients through more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of services including advisory programs, financial planning, investment management, and brokerage services, combining proprietary strategies with third-party models.

Wealth management Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Bradlee H

CFP®, Series 66

Panama City, FL

First Command Advisory Services

Bradlee Hilley is a CFP® with 10 years of experience currently serving at First Command Advisory Services. His career includes roles at First Command Insurance Services Inc. and First Command Financial Planning, and he has served in the United States Army National Guard since 2013. Outside of his advisory work, he is a partner in a local coffee shop, Hilltrust Coffee, LLC, where he assists with business operations. First Command Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs managed by a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Retirement income strategy Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Self-Employed Young Professionals
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Richard F

Series 63, Series 66

Lynn Haven, FL

Edward Jones

Richard Filippi is a financial advisor with Edward Jones, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and having 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 1992. Outside of his advisory work, he leads and moderates discussions on current foreign policy topics for the Encore Life-long Learning program at Gulf Coast State College. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, supported by a nationwide network of over 23,000 financial advisors and more than 15,000 branch offices.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer 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, 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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