Large-firm, social Security optimization financial advisors in Port Royal, 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.

If you're approaching retirement and want to maximize your Social Security benefits, timing and claiming strategies are crucial. Without expert guidance, you might claim too early or miss out on benefits that could boost your income for life. Large-firm advisors often have access to extensive resources and specialized teams to support complex Social Security decisions.

  • Claiming age strategies. Ask how they evaluate the best age to start benefits based on your full work history and future income needs.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they consider all available options for you and your spouse to optimize household income.
  • Integration with retirement income. See if they coordinate Social Security with your other income sources to avoid unintended tax consequences.
  • State-specific planning. Since South Carolina offers favorable retirement deductions, check how they incorporate local tax rules into your Social Security plan.

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

Want help finding the right advisor?

Answer a few questions to see advisors matched to you.

John T

Series 66

Beaufort, SC

Merrill

John C. Troutman, Jr., CPWA®, CPFA, serves as a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining the firm in 2011, he has focused on addressing the wealth management needs of affluent client families. His approach emphasizes personal attention and professional discipline, informed by over two decades of experience in the field and a family background in banking. John holds the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor credential. He earned bachelor's degrees in Finance and Management from the Moore School of Business and in Religious Studies from the College of Humanities at the University of South Carolina. His expertise encompasses a broad range of client focus areas, including family wealth management strategies, legacy and philanthropic planning, divorce transition planning, tax minimization, and portfolio management services. He works closely with clients, coordinating retirement, estate, and tax planning strategies with their CPAs and attorneys. In addition to his professional responsibilities, John is actively involved in community organizations. He serves on the board of The Historic Beaufort Foundation and has contributed to several other groups, such as the YMCA, Beaufort Rotary Endowment, Moore School of Business, Bluffton Self Help, and Penn Center. John resides on Lady’s Island with his wife Danielle and their four children.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Charitable giving & philanthropy Business ownership considerations General estate planning guidance Financial Professional
user avatar

Samuel M

CFP®, Series 66

Beaufort, SC

&PARTNERS

Samuel Martin is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at &PARTNERS, having joined in 2025, and previously worked at SJ Martin Wealth Management, Raymond James Financial, and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Herban Market LLC, a café in Beaufort, SC. &PARTNERS serves a diverse clientele including individual and institutional clients such as high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and universities. The firm provides a range of advisory and brokerage services, employing a mix of proprietary and third-party investment strategies and operates both as a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Financial Professional
user avatar

Herbert T

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Beaufort, SC

OSAIC

Herbert Tanner is a financial advisor with OSAIC, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 42 years of industry experience, including prior roles at INVEST Financial Corp. and founding Hand & Tanner Financial Group Inc. He has served in leadership positions in community organizations such as the Beaufort Water Festival and holds board roles in religious and civic groups. OSAIC serves a diverse client base ranging from individual investors to institutions, offering integrated brokerage and advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm employs asset-allocation tools and supports a range of investment options, including managed accounts and third-party money manager programs.

Annuities Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Joshua G

CFP®, Series 66

Greenville, SC

Fiduciary Organization, LLC

Joshua Glenn is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Fiduciary Organization, LLC since 2026, following roles at Edward Jones, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, and George Beam State Farm. Outside of advisory work, Glenn is involved with Fishhawk Capital, an apartment and condominium business in Clemson, SC. Fiduciary Organization, LLC is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers investment management and financial planning using a combination of passive and active strategies, asset allocation, and both fundamental and technical analysis, often implementing client-specific plans on a discretionary basis.

Business sale tax planning Business ownership considerations Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
user avatar

John C

Series 63, Series 65

Beaufort, SC

Wells Fargo Clearing

John Chase is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 45 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as the personal representative for his father's estate. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s IPS-driven advisory process incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broader range of financial products, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

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)
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. 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, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

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)
Warmer team member

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you think it through—whether you ultimately need an advisor or not. Warmer helps you compare advisors clearly, so you can choose with confidence.

Find your advisor

For advisor listings, we rely on sources including public filings and data provided by advisors, and we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate. Advisors are independent and may not have reviewed or updated this information. Please review an advisor's Form ADV and do your own diligence before deciding whether to work with them.

Advisor matching and referrals are provided by FinanceHQ LLC ("FHQ"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment adviser. We may be compensated by participating advisors. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral. We do not supervise advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

By using our service, you agree to the Warmer Terms of Service and FHQ Advisory Agreement, and acknowledge Warmer's Privacy Policy. Please review FHQ's ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. ("Warmer")