Independent, social Security optimization financial advisors in St. Charles, MO

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 seek a Social Security optimization advisor if you're nearing retirement and want to maximize your benefits without risking penalties or reduced payments. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or in the wrong sequence, which can permanently lower your lifetime income. Independent advisors here operate without ties to specific financial firms, aiming to provide advice aligned with your unique situation.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age to start benefits based on your work history and retirement goals.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they consider all available options to optimize household Social Security income.
  • Coordination with retirement income. Ensure they integrate Social Security decisions with your broader retirement cash flow and tax planning.

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

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Mark C

Series 63, Series 66

St Charles, MO

Edward Jones

Mark Charlton is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in St. Charles, MO, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2000. Outside of advising, he owns and manages farm rental properties in Madison, MO. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs and investment strategies. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and operates a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Retirement income strategy Early retirement planning Wealth management Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Suresh F

Series 65

St Charles, MO

Creative Financial Designs, Inc.

Suresh Fernando is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Creative Financial Designs, Inc. and has been with Pathfinder Financial Advocates since 2014. Fernando is also involved in independent insurance sales and serves as President of Pathfinder Financial Advocates, LLC. Creative Financial Designs, Inc. provides investment management and financial planning services to individual clients, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach that incorporates third-party research and offers a range of strategies, including Biblical Responsible Investing, with flexible billing arrangements and specialized management programs.

ESG / Sustainable investing Options & derivatives strategies Religious/faith focused
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Mark R

Series 63, Series 65

Saint Charles, MO

Primerica Advisors

Mark Rutherford is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and possessing 41 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1984 and Primerica Financial Services since 1991. Outside of finance, he has served as a college soccer official with NISOA since 1981. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, which provides model-driven strategies and a limited selection of separately managed accounts primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a tiered wrap-fee structure and curates third-party asset managers while overseeing portfolio implementation through BNY Mellon Advisors.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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Thipp R

Series 63, Series 65

St. Charles, MO

QuantumLeap Wealth Management, LLC

Thipp Ratsaboutseua is a financial advisor at QuantumLeap Wealth Management, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with QuantumLeap Wealth Management since 2014. QuantumLeap Wealth Management provides investment supervisory services and individualized portfolio management to private individuals, including high-net-worth clients. The firm integrates derivatives and borrowing strategies into separately managed accounts and employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis tailored to client objectives.

Active portfolio management
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Daniel S

Series 63, Series 65

St. Charles, MO

Cape Investment Advisory, Inc.

Daniel Schlef is a financial advisor with Cape Investment Advisory, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 34 years of industry experience. Schlef has worked at Century Securities Associates, Inc. since 2004 and is currently affiliated with both Cape Investment Advisory and American Global Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory roles, he is an agent with Financial Independence Group, where he is involved in the sales of insurance and fixed annuities. Cape Investment Advisory provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, and qualified plans. The firm operates a multi-office network with approximately 40 advisors serving about 1,624 clients and employs a flexible investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, and macroeconomic analysis along with third-party asset managers.

Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies
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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 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.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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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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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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