Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Spartanburg, 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.

You might need a Social Security optimization advisor if you're approaching retirement and want to maximize your benefits without risking penalties or reduced payments. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or without considering spousal and survivor options, which can significantly lower your lifetime income.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age for you to start claiming Social Security to balance immediate needs with long-term gains.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they evaluate all available options for you and your spouse to ensure no benefits are overlooked.
  • Coordination with retirement income. Check how they integrate Social Security with your other income sources to optimize tax efficiency and cash flow.
  • State-specific considerations. Since South Carolina offers favorable retirement deductions, see how they factor 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.

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Jeffery P

Series 63, Series 65

Spartanburg, SC

Primerica Advisors

Jeffery Paddyfote is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Spartanburg, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. His prior firms include Wells Fargo Clearing, BB&T, and Principal Financial Services. Outside of advisory work, he is sole owner and president of a non-investment related business. Primerica Advisors primarily serves individual investors, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and charitable clients. The firm offers a wrap-fee asset management program that utilizes model strategies and discretionary management, supported by third-party custodians and overlay managers.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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Shelby S

Series 63, Series 66

Spartanburg, SC

Morgan Stanley

Shelby Smith is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with three years of industry experience. Shelby holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley and its Private Bank since 2024. Prior roles include positions at ADP and Tindall Corporation. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, focusing on tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and offers services both directly and through employer-based financial planning agreements.

General estate planning guidance
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Joseph C

Series 66

Spartanburg, SC

Edward Jones

Joseph Christiano is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with Series 66 registration and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he founded Christiano Financial Coaching and spent 15 years at Duke Energy. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Marcus E

Series 66

Spartanburg, SC

LPL Financial

Marcus Elliott Sr. is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with firms including Elliott & Painter, LLP and 1st Global Advisors, Inc. Elliott is also a CPA partner at Elliott & Painter LLP. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions with a range of advisory and brokerage services.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Michael A

Series 63, Series 65

Spartanburg, SC

Raymond James & Associates

Michael Anthony is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Raymond James & Associates since 2013. The firm is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. Raymond James & Associates serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering financial planning, investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary services.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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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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