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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Williams Guiding your family’s wealth | ProsperPlan Wealth | Gold River | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Maureen Demers | Demers Financial Planning | North Andover | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Michael Babicz | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Ryan | Marathon Mission | Latham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michelle Campbell | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Fahrendorff | Pine Grove Financial Group | Minnetonka | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Lombardozzi | Kingdom Wealth Advisers | Gilbert | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paige Millikin | Sage Wealth Planning | Georgetown | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Ross Cutler We aim to be readily available to clients at all times. | King Tide Advisors | Stuart | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Landmark Financial Planner for families that want to know how the clock works, not just what time it is. | Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC | Sioux Falls | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Sarah Schwieterman | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Evensen Gerber Kawasaki is a forward-thinking wealth and investment management firm based in Santa Monica that helps individuals and families build, grow, and protect their wealth through personalized financial planning, investment strategies, and equity-compensation expertise. | Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management | Santa Monica | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terra Johnson | Pine Grove Financial Group | Minnetonka | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Zach Ungerott We help streamline complexity, save money, and grow wealth, but ultimately, we set out to uncover what’s truly important to our clients, building a financial life that reflects a meaningful life. | Hightower Wealth Advisors | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Zackary Smutzer | Sage Wealth Planning | Georgetown | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Adam Kalender | Milestone Asset Management Group | Pearl River | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Andrew Fox | Fox Financial Services | White Plains | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ashley Stewart | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher McBee | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Danielle Barbato | Milestone Asset Management Group | Avon | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Gregory Syrios | Syrios Wealth Management Group | La Jolla | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Brennan | 1 North Wealth Services | Annapolis | CFP | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jason Yee | Finepoint Solutions Inc. | Saskatoon | CFA, P.Eng | Not listed |
| Jeremy Lott | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jesse Rodriquez At Rodriquez Wealth Management, our dedicated team offers a highly personalized approach that helps you simplify the challenges associated with preserving, growing, and transitioning your wealth. | Rodriquez Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John McCorvie | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Russell | Peak Asset Management | Needham | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Julie Pribble | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Keith Van Dyke | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Logan Sanders | Sanders Retirement Planning | Omaha | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Michael Furois | The Planning Associates | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Kothakota | WolfBridge Wealth | Durham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Mazzei | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Carroll | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Esposito | Prestige Wealth Management Group | Flemington | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard LoPresti | Milestone Asset Management Group | Avon | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Sarah Maskill | Financial Answers | Ellington | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Tara Hefty | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Burt | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Russell | Dean Roland Russell Family Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brendan Crews Daviman Financial provides customized financial planning and research-based investment management services to small business owners looking to increase the efficiency of their personal finances. | Daviman Financial | Fishers | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Chad Valchar | R.I.T. Wealth Advisors | Santa Barbara | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Derek Thomsen | RED Seven Wealth Management | La Palma | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Donald McCarty | Financial Decision Partners | Snellville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erik Helmstetter | Oder Investment Management | Los Angeles | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Greg Miyashiro | Kahala Financial Advisors | Honolulu | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| J.R. Robinson We do comprehensive financial planning for individuals and families in the mid-market affluent space. | Financial Planning Hawaii | Honolulu | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Jerod Fenton | RED Seven Wealth Management | Escondido | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Cunningham | Reality Financial Planning Services | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Richardson | RED Seven Wealth Management | Escondido | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.