Large-firm, social Security optimization financial advisors in Sarasota, FL

Gina Tedesco is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. She has four years of industry experience and previously worked at Equitable Advisors LLC and WR Wealth Planners LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is an instructor and coach at the State College of Florida 26 West Entrepreneurship Center and co-owns the Women’s Power Forum, a professional networking group. NewEdge Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through a wrap fee program that integrates asset management with financial planning and consulting.

Joseph Levine is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors in Sarasota, FL, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Hightower in 2025, he was involved in the wine industry through ownership roles at Suncoast Wine Cellars LLC and VinoVino LLC. Levine also owns a custom wine cellar business, Bespoke Wine Cellars FL, which is in the process of transitioning to a new owner. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse group of individual and institutional clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting through a multi-manager approach that includes both affiliated and third-party managers.

Nicholas Fiegoli is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 30 years of industry experience. He has worked with firms including UBS Financial Services and Raymond James Financial Services. Outside of his advisory role, he has a personal investment in the Grand Hyatt at Pagent Beach. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of portfolio management and financial planning services.

Keith Whitt is a financial advisor with Investment Advisory Group LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Advisory Group since 2018 and has been with Maritime Wealth Advisors LLC since 2011. Prior to that, he was employed at Geneos Wealth Management, Inc. from 2006 to 2018. Investment Advisory Group LLC manages approximately $1.2 billion in assets for individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a five-advisor team and uses a disciplined investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, the Fama-French three-factor model, and behavioral finance, primarily utilizing diversified portfolios of mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income securities.

Erik Fischer is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 10 years of industry experience, currently with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Sarasota, FL. He has held roles at MassMutual and Mezrah Financial. Outside of his advisory work, Fischer serves on the boards of two charities, Round of a Lifetime and A Kid’s Place, where he holds leadership positions related to finance and organizational management. Mass Mutual Investors Services, a subsidiary of MassMutual, provides financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm emphasizes collaborative, goal-oriented planning and offers a range of programs including educational seminars and specialized event-driven planning services.

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.