Flat-fee, social Security optimization financial advisors in Traverse City, MI

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 retirement and want to maximize your Social Security benefits, timing and claiming strategies are crucial. Without expert guidance, you might claim too early or miss out on spousal or survivor benefits that could increase your income.

  • Claiming age strategy. Ask how they determine the best age for you to start benefits, considering your health, work plans, and other income sources.
  • Pension integration. In Michigan, many families have pensions; confirm how the advisor coordinates Social Security with your pension to avoid benefit reductions.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Ensure they evaluate all potential benefits from your spouse's work record, not just your own.
  • Flat-fee clarity. With flat-fee advisors, understand exactly what services are included so you know what you’re paying for upfront.

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

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Trevor F

Series 63, Series 66

Traverse City, MI

Chief Advisors Corp

Trevor Fetters is a financial advisor at CF Advisors LLC with 21 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked with several firms, including First Asset Financial Inc. and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. CF Advisors LLC provides fee-based investment advisory and portfolio management services to individuals, trusts, retirement accounts, corporations, estates, and nonprofit organizations. The firm manages approximately $62 million for about 98 clients, using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory.

General retirement planning
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Mark F

ChFC®, Series 63

Traverse City, MI

ARK Advisors, LLC

Mark Folgmann is a financial advisor at ARK Advisors, LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license and has been with ARK Advisors since 2005. ARK Advisors, LLC is a fee-only, holistic financial planning firm serving individuals, families, and pension plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes a passive, long-term investment approach using low-cost, tax-efficient index funds and ETFs, and offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management services on both non-discretionary and discretionary bases.

General retirement planning General tax planning Wealth management College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Justin N

Series 63, Series 65

Traverse City, MI

Hantz financial Services, Inc.

Justin Neilson is a financial advisor at Hantz Financial Services, Inc. with six years at the firm and a total of one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior roles include positions at Limitless Investment and Capital, Northwood University, and North and Kidd. Hantz Financial Services serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable and corporate clients, and business owners. The firm emphasizes ETF-based model portfolios across multiple risk levels, supplemented by third-party managers and Direct Indexing, and offers a combination of advisory, brokerage, mortgage, and insurance services.

Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting Business ownership considerations Retirement withdrawal strategies Founder/Business Owner Executive

Joel L

Series 66

Traverse City, MI

Edward Jones

Joel Leipprandt is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Traverse City, MI, holding a Series 66 designation with two years of industry experience. Before joining Edward Jones, he worked in church ministry for seven years. He also coaches the junior varsity boys basketball team for Traverse City Area Public Schools. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm that serves over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a wide range of advisory programs and affiliated investment products. The firm is notable for its extensive retail advisor and branch network, as well as additional services including trust capabilities and securities-based lending.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Michelle B

Series 63, Series 66

Traverse City, MI

J. W. Cole Advisors, Inc.

Michelle Berry is a financial advisor with J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. She has worked at J.W. Cole Advisors since 2021 and previously at Raymond James and Associates from 2017 to 2020. Berry is also involved with Michigan College Planning, providing college and career planning services. J.W. Cole Advisors operates a large network of independent investment adviser representatives and offers fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan services, third-party manager platforms, and digital advice for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions. The firm utilizes a variety of investment strategies and platforms while managing accounts on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Retired Founder/Business Owner
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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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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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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

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.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Hassan A

Series 63, Series 65

Rockville, MD

LPL Financial

Hassan Al Kadhimi is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is also involved with NIHFCU Wealth Advisors, a related business entity. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

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

Series 66

Ft. Wayne, IN

Raymond James & Associates

Amanda Scheele is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Raymond James in 2024, she worked at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2016 to 2024 and is involved with Lucky Duck since 2025. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, institutions, and municipal entities. The firm offers financial planning and non-discretionary consulting services, drawing on various portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

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

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