Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Santa Cruz, CA

Jeffrey Martin is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Santa Cruz, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked with various Wells Fargo entities since 2011. He is a 40% owner of Martin Financial Group, an investment management business based in Brentwood, CA. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutions by providing investment and fee-based financial planning services. The firm offers a broad planning menu with tailored recommendations supported by Wells Fargo research, integrating advisory services with other financial products and referral channels.

Scott Mc Donald is a CFP® professional associated with SLP Wealth, holding a Series 65 license and having three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Outside of finance, he operates a commercial photography business, Scotty McDonald Photography, serving editorial and commercial clients. SLP Wealth is an SEC-registered advisory firm that provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individual clients and small-business owners, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. The firm uses diversified, risk-based portfolios primarily consisting of no-load mutual funds and ETFs and offers additional services such as tax preparation and 401(k) plan advisory.

John Anzaldua is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2015. Anzaldua is involved with wealth management operations under the names Big Trees Wealth Management and Strategic Wealth Advisors Group. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management and various model portfolios supported by LPL Research and third-party subadvisors.

Elizabeth Flores is a financial advisor with Legacy Wealth Advisors, LLC in Santa Cruz, CA, holding a Series 65 license and 22 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Legacy Wealth Advisors in 2020, she worked at Sterling Advisory Services, LLC and operated her own CPA practice for 18 years. She is also a 50% owner of a tax preparation business, Oversight Group, LLC, where she is involved in preparing and processing tax returns. Legacy Wealth Advisors, LLC provides multi-family office and wealth management services to individuals, high-net-worth families, and institutions. The firm combines macroeconomic analysis with client-specific risk assessments to build customized portfolios, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management alongside integrated tax and real estate advisory services.

Jane Mckenzie is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and holds a Series 63 designation. She has 26 years of experience in the industry and has been with Cambridge since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a volunteer director for the Santa Cruz Surfing Preservation Society. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services through a network of independent Financial Professionals.

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.