Seasoned, social Security optimization financial advisors in Sunnyvale, CA

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.

If you’re approaching Social Security age and want to maximize your benefits, you need an advisor who understands the complex rules and timing options that affect your monthly payments. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or in the wrong sequence, which can permanently reduce your lifetime income. Seasoned advisors bring decades of experience navigating these choices.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age to start benefits based on your full financial picture, not just your current needs.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they consider all available options for couples, including how one spouse’s claiming affects the other’s benefits.
  • Tax impact awareness. Social Security benefits can be taxable; check how they plan to minimize taxes on your benefits alongside other income.
  • Coordination with retirement income. See if they integrate Social Security claiming with your broader retirement cash flow and investment plans.

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

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Steven H

Series 63, Series 65

Sunnyvale, CA

IP Financial Advisory Services LLC

Steven Hoffman is a financial advisor with IP Financial Advisory Services LLC in Sunnyvale, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role since 2020, he has been a financial education instructor at Sunnyvale-Cupertino Adult School and a college planning consultant at Hife College Planning since 2013. Hoffman is also CEO of Backproject Corporation, a medical device manufacturer. IP Financial Advisory Services primarily serves individual retail clients, focusing on portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm constructs customized portfolios using various analytical approaches and also refers clients to third-party investment advisors while providing a range of consulting and insurance-related services.

Business succession planning Charitable giving & philanthropy Income planning Long-term care insurance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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William D

Series 63

Sunnyvale, CA

NEwEdge Advisors

William Donnelly is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, holding a Series 63 license and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with NewEdge Advisors since 2021 and has longstanding roles at Mid Atlantic Financial Management, Inc. and Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation since 2004. Donnelly also leads a CPA firm, Donnelly Accountancy Corporation, where he serves as CEO and President. 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, utilizing asset allocation across mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities with regular portfolio reviews.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Shrddha S

Series 63, Series 66

Sunnyvale, CA

LPL Financial

Shrddha Singhi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and two years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing before joining LPL Financial and BMO Bank NA in 2024. Outside of her advisory role, she is also a licensed notary. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement consulting, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house and third-party research.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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John C

Sunnyvale, CA

Conway Partners

John Conway is a financial advisor at Conway Partners with two years of industry experience. Prior to his work in financial advising, he has been operating John Conway Law since 1992. Outside of finance, he is also a restaurant owner. Conway Partners provides wealth management, financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to a variety of clients, including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and insurance companies. The firm’s investment approach centers on diversified, asset-allocation portfolios using low-cost ETFs and third-party independent managers, with additional services covering retirement plan consulting and specialized financial planning.

Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General tax planning General retirement planning Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Saravanaraj S

Series 66

Sunnyvale, CA

Legacy Wealth Management, LLC

Saravanaraj Sathyaseelan is a financial advisor at Legacy Wealth Management, LLC with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. He is also the director of BloomSports, a youth basketball league, and serves as an advisor at ArightCo, providing accounting and financial advisory services. Additionally, he is the CEO of LINK Silicon Valley, a firm engaged in M&A, business brokering, and commercial and residential real estate transactions. Legacy Wealth Management is a multi-advisor firm serving individuals, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning through a team of 35 advisors, focusing on tailored investment strategies and continuous account monitoring.

Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Annuities
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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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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

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.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

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.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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David C

Series 63, Series 65

Houston, TX

LPL Financial

David Cade is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked for Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years before joining LPL Financial in 2025. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services with both discretionary and non-discretionary management, utilizing research and model portfolios to support diversified investment strategies.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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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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Linda P

Series 63

Mt. Laurel, NJ

BC Advisors, LLC

Linda Postorivo is a financial advisor at BC Advisors, LLC with 43 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with MAFG RIA Services, Inc. since 1994 and with Mid-Atlantic Companies since 1981. BC Advisors provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary investment recommendations grounded in fundamental analysis alongside technical and cyclical reviews, employing a variety of strategies including long-term, short-term, trading, options, and alternatives.

Active portfolio management
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