Pension planning
Pension planning is its own corner of retirement work: lump-sum versus annuity elections, survivor-benefit choices, federal employee FERS and CSRS coordination, military retirement integration, corporate pension freezes and buyouts, and the cash-flow modeling required to integrate a pension stream with Social Security and portfolio drawdown. Specialty advisors here run the irreversible elections through several lenses before the deadline closes.
By the numbers
The Wellspent public graph lists 391 fee-only financial advisors focused on pension planning at 214 firms, most in Columbus, Milwaukee and Orem. 54% hold the CFP certification. Of the 386 with fees on file, 82% charge percentage of assets.
- Advisors listed
- 391
- Firms
- 214
- Cities
- 190
- Hold the CFP
- 54%
- Other credentials: CFA 6% · CPA 3% · EA 2%
- How they charge (of 386 with fees on file): percentage of assets 82% · fixed fees 35% · hourly 31% · one-time planning fee 23%
Source: Wellspent public graph, data as of . Shares are of advisors listed here; an advisor can hold several credentials or fee types. Methodology
Advisors with depth in pension planning
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Belger | rebel Financial | Groveport | AIF, CFP, ChFC, CLU | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chris Ferris | Ryan Lamontagne Inc. | Ottawa | CFP, CFA | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Chris Merrick | Merrick Financial Inc. | Toronto | CFP, QAFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Chris Ryan | Ryan Lamontagne Inc. | Ottawa | CFP, CFA | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Dean Schuler | Schuler Wealth Planning LLC | Columbus | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Devon Rauth | North Haven Financial LLC | Suffield | CFP, TPCP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| George Reilly | Safe Harbor Financial Advisors, LLC | Rehoboth Beach | CFP, JD, LLM | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| John Mason | Mason & Associates | Newport News | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| John W. Bowen | Bowen Financial Services, LLC | Midlothian | CFP, EA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lei Deng Efficient financial plans and investing for busy skilled trades professionals | Core Planning, LLC | Saint Louis | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Lori Curtiss | A Money Maker Mindset | Calgary | CFP, CFBS | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Humphries | Sentinel Financial Planning, LLC | Edgewater | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Whitaker | Retirement Advice LLC | Provo | CFP, MSFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Matt Will | Wealth Accel LLC | Dayton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Ferrell | MADE Financial Design | Land O Lakes | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ralph Ted White | Arrivity Financial Planning | Seattle | CFP, CIMA, MBA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Robert Riedl | Endowment Wealth Management, Inc. | Chicago | AWMA, BS, CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Townsley | Town Capital | Bel Air | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Todd Kephart | Retirement Income Solutions, Inc. | Ann Arbor | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Tommy Blackburn | Mason & Associates | Newport News | CFP, CPA, PFS | Ongoing planning fee |
| Aaron Hector | Doherty & Bryant Financial Strategists | Calgary | CFP, RFP, TEP | Not listed |
| Andrew Trammell | Trammell Wealth LLC | Wellington | CFP, EA, MSFP, RICP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Anna Knight | Simplicity Financial | mississauga | CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brenna Baucum | Collective Wealth Planning, LLC | Salem | CFP | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brenna Jensen-Baucum | Collective Wealth Planning | Salem | CFP | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Charles Parker | Parker Financial Advisors, LLC | Houston | AEP, BBA, CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Shotwell | Shotwell Rutter Baer, Inc. | Lansing | CFP, MSFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Edmond Fhima | Tulett, Matthews and Assoc. | Kirkland | C.Adm.F.P., CFP, RFP | Not listed |
| Eric Imley | Soaring Investment Management, LLC | Portland | CFP, MFA, CKA, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Estep Iii | Everest Financial Advisors | Cooper City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Keith Deane | Deane Retirement Strategies, Inc. | New Orleans | AIF, CFP, CRC | Percentage of assets |
| Kerry Mayo | Capital Financial Advisors of New York, LLC | Clifton Park | CFP, MA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Leo Nunez | Everest Financial Advisors | Cooper City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Mesquit | Soaring Investment Management, LLC | Portland | CFA, CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nick Nauta | Shotwell Rutter Baer | Lansing | CFP, CLU, RLP, TPCP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Patrick Whalen | Whalen Financial Planning | Los Angeles | CFP, CTFA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Frailich | Deliberate Finances, LLC | New Orleans | CFP, Certified Student Loan Professional | Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Medland | TABR Capital Management, LLC | Orange | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tom Kaminski | Twin Robins Capital, LLC | Kansas City | CFP, CRPC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anthony Reynolds | CoreTegic Capital Wealth Management | Arlington | CFP, ChFC, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Delia Fernandez | Fernandez Financial Advisory, LLC | Los Alamitos | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derek Moran | Smarter Financial Planning Ltd. | Kelowna | RFP | Not listed |
| Elise Stevenson | Clearvue Advisors | Milton | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Kent Addis | Addis & Hill, Inc. | Wayne | BS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Paul Duxbury | Duxbury and Associates | Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph | CFP, FCIA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Ron Graham | Ron Graham and Associates Ltd. | Edmonton | CA, RFP, CFP | Hourly |
| Ronald Strobel | Retire Sensibly LLC | Meridian | CFP, RICP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steve Warta | Roadmap Wealth Management | Overland Park | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andy Moran Ad Astra Financial Planning specializes in helping tech professionals navigate RSUs, stock options, tender offers, IPOs, and financial independence. We are a flat-fee, fee-only, fiduciary firm - we don't receive commissions or kickbacks or charge based on a percentage of your assets. | Ad Astra Financial Planning | Santa Rosa | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Subscription |
| Caleb Bogia-Curles Financial Advice for Millennial and Gen X Entrepreneurs with ADHD | Focused Founders Wealth Planning | MOUNT JOY | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
Guides
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Pension commuted value: take the lump sum or keep the pension?
Leaving a defined benefit pension in Canada usually means choosing between a monthly pension for life and a lump sum you invest yourself. Only part of the lump sum can move tax-free, and the choice can't be undone. Here's how to decide, and what a fee-only planner charges to check it.
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Pension income splitting: how it works and what it saves
Couples can move up to half of eligible pension income to the lower-income spouse on their tax returns each year. For a retired couple with C$110,000 and C$30,000 of income, splitting C$40,000 saves about C$4,180 in federal tax and OAS repayment in 2026.
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Pension lump sum or monthly payments: how to decide
A pension lump sum is the plan's price for your monthly payments, set with IRS interest rates. The test is what that money would have to earn to pay you as much, for as long, and who carries the risk.
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Divorce and money in Canada: property, pensions and CPP
Divorce is federal law, but how property is divided depends on your province, and whether you were married. A fee-only planner can show what a settlement is worth after tax, at a median C$250 an hour or C$1,900 for a one-time plan.
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Financial advisors for teachers, federal employees and tech workers
Each of these jobs comes with its own rulebook: 403(b), 457(b) and a pension for teachers, FERS and the TSP for federal workers, RSUs for tech. The right advisor knows yours. Fee-only planners charge a median $300 an hour or $2,000 for a one-time plan.
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Military retirement and transition planning
The choices with the most money in them come in your last year of service: the Survivor Benefit Plan, the Blended Retirement System lump sum, your TSP and your VA claim. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner has a median of $2,000.