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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Grant You've worked hard to prepare for retirement. Retirement Matters will guide you through that transition and partner with you as you live out those dreams. | Retirement Matters, Inc. | Barrington | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Matthew Etzler Etzler Financial Advisors is a fee-only fiduciary firm providing comprehensive, conflict-free financial planning on a time-based model, helping clients make informed decisions and achieve peace of mind without sales or asset-based fees. | Etzler Financial Advisors, LLC | Red Bluff | CFP | Hourly, Subscription |
| Max Novak Flat-fee. Fiduciary. Life-centered planning. | Novak Financial Partners | Carterville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Subscription |
| Taylor Schulte Tax-smart retirement planning for investors with a $2MM+ nest egg. | Define Financial | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Timothy Massie | Timepiece Financial Planning, Inc. | Spokane | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Amy Braun-Bostich | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Tisler | Epic Financial | Hudson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Bethany Aylor | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brent Yanagida | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Jaros | Ville Wealth Management | Avon Lake | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Flis | Resilient Asset Management | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Colleen Weber | Colleen Weber CPA | Chanhassen | CFP | Fixed fees |
| Curtis Byrd | Onyx Wealth Management | Durham | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Darren Wurz | Wurz Financial Services | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Bugner | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Greta Myerchin-Tape | Frontier Financial Planning | Fairbanks | CFP, RLP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kassi Fetters | Artica Financial Services | Anchorage | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kyle Kuyat | Defining Wealth | Franklin | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Olivia Knapp | Colleen Weber CPA | Chanhassen | CFP | Fixed fees |
| Paul Michel | Provident Financial Planning | Addison | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Stacia Bearden | Wurz Financial Services | Holland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tammy Pompei | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Theodore Dwyer | Dwyer Financial | Flagstaff | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Addison Delage CAPTRUST is a leading independent investment research and advisory firm providing comprehensive wealth management services to individuals and institutions. | CAPTRUST | Raleigh | CFA, CFP, CPA | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Aidan Ryan | Fortress Financial Group | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Alexander Call | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Bjorn Amundson A systematic approach to financial planning and investment overview | Quarry Hill Advisors | St Paul | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Carman Kubanda Holistic Financial, Tax, Estate, Business Planning from a boutique firm. | Innovative Wealth Building | Fort Worth | CFP | Percentage of assets, Subscription |
| Carson Johnson | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Cody Schaefer | Fortress Financial Group | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Ruske | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Dean Allen | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ethan Kok | Sage Wealth Planning | Georgetown | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Garrett Smith Low Cost Direct Indexing and Securities Backed Lending and related services. PLAN for your future, KEEP more for your family, GROW for generations. Your Investment partner that manages your money like our own while considering taxes, estate, and business strategies. | Ascend Investment Partners | Ogden | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Guilian DiLeonardo Tax-efficient Wealth Management for high-income ($500k+) executives | Liberty One Wealth Advisors | Philadelphia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ian Weiner Reduce tax, optimize investments, grow preserve and protect your wealth - for generations. | Not listed | Bentonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jack Zinser | Fortress Financial Group | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Turner We help athletes and entrepreneurs build and protect wealth. | Moment Private Wealth | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jared Holt | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Johnson | Pine Grove Financial Group | Minnetonka | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Clark | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Lindsay | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Meenes | Meenes Wealth Partners | Shrewsbury | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joe Ciliberti Helping Families & Business Owners Plan Retirement and Major Liquidity Events | Thayer Partners, LLC | Wyndmoor | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joel Baumgarten | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Schmitz, Jr. | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshua Anderson | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Kaden Waters | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Lauren Naze | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lauren Overzet We deliver a boutique planning experience for highly-compensated individuals and high-net-worth families who desire the partnership, service and knowledge of a team of financial professionals. | Civic Financial | Boston | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
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.