Large-firm, social Security optimization financial advisors in Punta Gorda, FL

Thaddeus Obecny is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 27 years of industry experience. His career includes long tenures at Avantax Insurance Agency, LLC and Avantax Investment Services, Inc. He is also a partner in a notary public service and serves as an executor of an estate, overseeing its operations. Additionally, he assists with financial management for his son's professional golf business. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers, managing over $256 billion in assets.

Joshua Howell is a CFP® with 30 years of industry experience, currently serving at Prospera Financial Services, Inc. since 2023. Prior to joining Prospera, he worked at Wells Fargo Advisors for nine years. Howell is also the owner of Howell Wealth Management, LLC, an independent financial practice based in Punta Gorda, FL. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is an enterprise-scale adviser and dually registered broker-dealer that manages approximately $12.4 billion across 207 advisors and 140 offices. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporate and charitable entities, and retirement plans, offering investment advisory and financial planning services through various platforms and customizable portfolio solutions.

Todd Priest is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has previously worked at Wells Fargo and Bank of America. J.P. Morgan Securities 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.

Jeffrey Leedy serves as the Senior Resident Director for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Punta Gorda. He is a founding partner of Aber & Leedy Wealth Management and has been with Merrill Lynch since 1999, holding the Resident Director position since 2008. In this role, he leads a team that assists clients with their ongoing financial needs, focusing on personalized financial strategies. With decades of experience, Jeffrey specializes in retirement planning, high-net-worth guidance, residential lending, and collateralized lending services. He works closely with high-net-worth individuals, as well as small to medium-sized nonprofit organizations and family businesses. Jeffrey holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) designation and maintains several FINRA registrations, including Series 7, 63, 65, 9, 10, and 31. He also holds Florida Life, Health, and Annuity licenses. Jeffrey received his High School Diploma from Clearfork High School. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys fishing, hunting, woodworking, and spending time with his family. He has served as a board member of the Charlotte County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. Jeffrey is married to his wife Angela and together they have five children and twelve grandchildren.

Timothy Meyer is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Punta Gorda, FL. He has 16 years of industry experience, including 17 years with Edward Jones. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.