Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Raleigh, NC

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.

You might need a Social Security optimization advisor if you're approaching retirement and want to maximize your benefits without triggering penalties or reducing future payouts. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or in the wrong sequence, which can permanently lower your lifetime income.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age to start benefits based on your full work history and expected longevity.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they consider all available options for couples to increase household Social Security income.
  • Coordination with retirement income. Ensure they integrate Social Security decisions with your other income sources to avoid tax pitfalls.
  • Local tax impact. Since North Carolina has a flat income tax, ask how they factor state taxes into your Social Security planning.

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

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Sherwood B

Series 63, Series 65

Raleigh, NC

Altitude Capital Management LLC

Sherwood Barbour Jr. is a financial advisor at Altitude Capital Management LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked with firms including Amerity Wealth Management and Gradient Investments. Altitude Capital Management LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals and high net worth clients. The firm offers managed account programs tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance, utilizing a variety of investment approaches across a multi-team structure.

Annuities General estate planning guidance
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Jacqueline W

Series 63, Series 66

Raleigh, NC

FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc.

Jacqueline Williams is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. based in Raleigh, NC. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 12 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Fidelity Investments and First Citizens Asset Management. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base, including individual and institutional clients, through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple managed account programs on the Passageway platform, allowing clients to select strategies ranging from mutual funds and ETFs to separately managed accounts and tax-overlay services.

Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing General retirement planning

Tyler B

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Raleigh, NC

RFG Advisory, LLC

I’m Tyler Brown, CFP®, founder of Turnpoint Wealth in Raleigh. I work with professionals in their 50s and 60s who are getting close to retirement or have just made the move, when decisions about income, taxes, Social Security, healthcare and investments start to depend on each other. Most of the people I work with have done the right things for decades. What they’re missing is a clear picture of how it all fits together once the paycheck stops. I build that picture year by year, then help coordinate the decisions as real life replaces the projections: which accounts to draw from first, whether Roth conversions make sense, when to claim Social Security, how to cover healthcare before Medicare, and what to do with company stock or RSUs. I start every meeting by asking what matters most to you before we get to my list. As a CFP® professional and investment adviser representative, I act as a fiduciary when providing financial advice to my clients. Before founding Turnpoint Wealth in 2025, I spent 18+ years at Fidelity Investments, Fisher Investments and Edelman Financial Engines. I’m an NC State graduate, and outside the office I fly, follow hockey and spend time with my wife, our daughter and our two dogs.

Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Income planning Social Security optimization Medicare planning Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Technology Professional Women Professionals Approaching retirement Retired
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Renan G

Series 65

Raleigh, NC

Secure Wealth, Inc.

Renan Guillou is a financial advisor with Secure Wealth, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has worked with Secure Wealth since 2019 and has prior experience at Wealth Watch Advisors and First American National Investment Advisors. Outside of advisory work, he operates as a sole proprietor insurance agent and owns Rise Financial, Inc. Secure Wealth provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on discretionary portfolio management and tailored financial plans. The firm specializes in managing structured-note portfolios with an investment approach that emphasizes downside protection through diversified, analytic-driven implementation.

Executive
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Michael Y

Series 66

Raleigh, NC

Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC

Michael York is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 25 years of industry experience and has been with Independent Advisor Alliance since 2015, concurrently serving with LPL Financial since 2012. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting services. The firm provides both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and utilizes a network model that integrates technology platforms and access to third-party managers.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Tax strategies for small businesses Founder/Business Owner Retired
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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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