Atlanta Financial Advisor Chosen 2019 National Social Security Advisor of the Year
Faye Sykes, NSSA and CEO of Scarlet Oak Financial Services in Atlanta, Ga., has been selected the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) Advisor of the Year for her commitment to helping clients maximize their Social Security income, as well as her efforts to educate senior citizen clients and the public on the Social Security program.
CINCINNATI, Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Social Security Association in Cincinnati has selected Faye Sykes, NSSA, and CEO of Scarlet Oak Financial Services in Atlanta, Ga., its 2019 National Social Security Advisor (NSSA®) Advisor of the Year.
The award was announced by Marc Kiner, board member of the National Social Security Association. Kiner is also a partner at Premier Social Security Consulting of Cincinnati, which teaches the NSSA Social Security Advisor certificate program to professional advisors across the nation.
"Faye is an NSSA advisor and Social Security expert dedicated to helping others," said Kiner. "Not only does she help her clients plan and invest to secure their financial futures, she coaches them how to maximize Social Security income. She also provides Social Security training and planning for CPAs and financial advisors and educates the public at large on Social Security by speaking to media, along with corporations, church memberships, and civic and philanthropic groups. Last year she spoke to more than 90 organizations nationally."
The NSSA program is the nation's only accredited Social Security education certificate program. Accreditation is provided by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) in Washington, D.C.
The NSSA Advisor certificate is awarded to professional advisors who take the NSSA course and pass an assessment.
More than 2,000 professional advisors have been certified as National Social Security Advisors since the program began in 2013. NSSA Advisor certificate training will be offered in 10 cities across the nation in 2020.
A native of Madison, Wisc., Sykes graduated from Syracuse University and became a financial advisor in 2005 to learn more about investing and finance to help herself and others. In 2006, her mother became ill and Sykes became her caregiver. During that time, she also became interested in long-term care and began to focus her practice on Social Security retirement income planning.
An Investment Advisor Representative, (IAR), Sykes acts as a fiduciary for clients and works on a fee-based or fee-only basis that keeps her financial consultant role transparent and simple for clients.
She owns and operates two businesses: Scarlet Oak Financial Services, a full-service fiduciary investment and financial planning company; and Social Security Benefit Planners, a Social Security flat fee planning and consulting agency.
Forty-two percent of men and 48 percent of women nationwide take Social Security early, said Sykes, citing Social Security Administration statistics. Claiming Social Security before Full Retirement Age means benefits are permanently reduced by 25 to 30 percent. Workers who defer taking Social Security until the age of 70 can boost their monthly Social Security benefit in many cases by thousands of dollars per year.
Sykes said a widow's unfortunate situation kicked off her interest in learning about Social Security in depth.
"The widow's husband took Social Security early at age 62 and claimed his pension only over his lifetime, not hers," said Sykes. "They had been married for about 40 years and she had been a stay-at-home mom and didn't have a significant work record of her own.
"When he died eight months after retiring, she was financially devastated. Her income plummeted from $5,700 per month, which included his pension, Social Security, and a half- spousal benefit to $1,670 a month representing just his Social Security. Sadly, there was nothing I could do to help her. All the planning needed to be done on the front end. In the end, she had to move in with one of her children to survive. Unfortunately, women are left with limited resources with little to no planning in many cases. My goal as a retirement advisor is to help as many people maximize their Social Security retirement income and use financial tools available so they don't outlive their money."
Sykes said the NSSA certificate program that Kiner and Premier partner Jim Blair provide has been invaluable to her and her business.
"Jim Blair's expertise with his 35 years with the Social Security Administration, and Marc Kiner's experience as a CPA enhanced my knowledge of Social Security," she said. "Most importantly, since I became a certified NSSA, I can contact either one of them if I have a scenario where I need some help. They're always extremely helpful and available and will help me find the answers.
"I've found that the certification, too, is a credential that tells people you've taken the time to stay on top of the Social Security issue. I know I can't individually help the 3.6 million workers who turn 65 and will claim Social Security this year, but having Jim and Marc available for consultation, along with their annual Social Security book, are invaluable sources. They do a fantastic, high-quality job."
Sykes said she can't stress enough how important it is for workers in their mid-50s to educate themselves about the Social Security program and work with a professional advisor who can help them determine the best age to claim, as well as how to coordinate spousal benefits.
Scarlet Oak Financial Services provides holistic financial planning and wealth building services to individuals and business owners as fee-only, as well as fee-based fiduciary. For more information, contact Sykes at [email protected] or call (800) 871-1219.
For more information on flat-fee planning with Social Security Benefit Planners, visit http://www.socialsecuritybp.com, email [email protected], or call (877) 270-7727.
For more information about the NSSA Advisor® certificate program, visit http://www.nationalsocialsecurityassociation.com or call Kiner at (513) 247-0526.
Contact: Marc Kiner
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (513) 247-0526
About Premier Social Security Consulting:
Premier Social Security Consulting, LLC of Cincinnati educates professional advisors nationwide on the national Social Security program so they can counsel their clients on maximizing Social Security income. Partners Marc Kiner and Jim Blair teach the NSSA certificate program.
About National Social Security Advisor:
Marc Kiner and Jim Blair are partners at Premier Social Security Consulting of Cincinnati, which teaches the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) certificate program. NSSA is the nation's only accredited Social Security education certificate program.
SOURCE National Social Security Association
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