Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Petaluma, 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.

If you're approaching Social Security age and want to maximize your benefits, you need an advisor who understands the complex rules and timing options that affect your monthly payments. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or in the wrong sequence, which can reduce your lifetime income.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the optimal age to start benefits based on your work history and spouse's records.
  • Tax impact awareness. Confirm they consider how Social Security income interacts with your other income and state taxes, especially in California.
  • Coordination with retirement income. Look for advisors who integrate Social Security decisions with your broader retirement cash flow plan.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Ensure they explain options for maximizing benefits across couples, including survivor scenarios.

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

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Alicia M

Series 66

Petaluma, CA

Merrill

Alicia Marquez is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Merrill with 8 years of industry experience. She has been with Bank of America and Merrill since 2012. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary 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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Russell A

Series 63, Series 65

Petaluma, CA

Sovran Advisors, LLC

Russell Albright is a financial advisor at Sovran Advisors, LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has held positions at multiple firms including RWA Wealth Partners, Polaris Wealth Advisory Group, and Bank of the West. He is also the owner of Russell Albright CTFA, LLC, an entity established for tax management and income purposes related to his wealth management business. Sovran Advisors serves individual, corporate, and retirement plan clients by providing financial planning, advisory services, and portfolio management through various program types. The firm utilizes a combination of active and passive investment strategies implemented via written investment policy statements and third-party managers, supported by technology-enabled rebalancing and administrative services.

Business sale tax planning Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Executive Founder/Business Owner

Elliot S

CFP®, Series 66

Petaluma, CA

Edward Jones

Elliot Sandvig is a CFP® and Series 66 licensed financial advisor at Edward Jones with six years at the firm and a total of five years in the industry. His prior experience includes roles at Medtronic and Ascent Services Group, as well as research work at the University of California, Davis (Bers Lab). Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, managing approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a large network of advisors and branch offices.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Family Business Business ownership considerations Real estate investing Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Leah P

Series 65, Series 63

Petaluma, CA

LPL Financial

Leah Ponce De Leon is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. She has worked at LPL Financial since 2024 and previously spent seven years with CUSO Financial Services and nine years with Redwood Credit Union. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by research and model portfolios.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Matthew F

Series 66

Petaluma, CA

J.P. Morgan Securities

Matthew Foster is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities who holds the Series 66 designation and has 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JP Morgan Chase Bank since 2019 and previously held roles at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc from 2011 to 2019. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applying an ESG eligibility framework in its investment recommendations.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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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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