Top social Security optimization financial advisors in Virginia

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 careful planning, you might claim too early or miss out on spousal or survivor benefits that could increase your income.

  • Claiming age impact. Understand how starting benefits at different ages affects your monthly payments and lifetime income.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Ask how these options might apply to your situation and boost your household income.
  • Coordination with other income. Social Security interacts with pensions and retirement accounts; check how your advisor plans around these sources.
  • State-specific factors. Northern Virginia's unique housing and income patterns can influence your overall retirement plan; see how advisors incorporate local conditions.

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

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Amanda Q

Series 66

Richmond, VA

Wells Fargo Advisors

Amanda Quicke is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 18 years of industry experience. She has worked at various Wells Fargo entities since 2009. Amanda is a Series 66 license holder and has partial ownership in an investment-related business, Granite Wealth Management, LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing investment and fee-based financial planning services. The firm offers a broad range of planning options using proprietary research and tools, with services tailored to clients who meet specific net-worth criteria.

Divorce financial planning Planning for children with special needs Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner
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James C

Series 63, Series 65

Roanoke, VA

Valley Investors Corporation

James Comer is the sole advisor at Valley Investors Corporation in Roanoke, VA, where he has worked since 1995. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 30 years of industry experience. Valley Investors Corporation provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to individual clients, managing approximately $2.6 million in assets for 11 clients. The firm operates under a solo practitioner model, emphasizing direct advisor involvement in account management and review.

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John J

Series 63, Series 65

Richmond, VA

Merrill

John Jones II is a financial advisor at Merrill with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. since 2015. 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 investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Thomas H

Series 65

Duck, NC

The Burney Company

Thomas Hunt is a financial advisor at The Burney Company with 38 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with The Burney Company since 1985. The Burney Company serves mostly individual investors, including high net worth clients, as well as small businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $3.59 billion in discretionary assets across a multi-team advisory platform, offering discretionary equity portfolio management and financial planning alongside tax preparation services through an affiliated CPA firm.

Active portfolio management Concentrated stock management Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Ashley M

CFP®, Series 63

Moseley, VA

Edelman Financial Engines

Ashley Morris is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. She currently advises at Edelman Financial Engines and previously worked at Facet Wealth, The Vanguard Group, Inc., and Keatley Wealth Management, LLC. Morris serves as an honorary board member of the JC Morris Family Foundation, a charitable organization providing educational assistance for underserved minors. Edelman Financial Engines offers technology-driven investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm employs a committee-driven modeling process combined with planner delivery and online tools, providing diversified portfolios, rebalancing, and both discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management 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 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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