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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Lopez Experienced entrepreneurs helping business owners pay less in taxes and build wealth. | Truvize Financial Planning | El Paso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Subscription |
| Jose Martin | LifeCraft Wealth | Sunrise | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Marc Roland | Dean Roland Russell Family Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Allgeyer | Worley Banks Group | Creve Coeur | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Bormann | Bormann Wealth Management, LLC. | Spokane | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Gyeszat | Reality Financial Planning Services | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Cicchetti I help 7-figure service-based business owners simplify their finances, minimize taxes, and buy back time—so they can focus on life beyond the business. | Ryse Capital Management | Rochester | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Riley Adams We offer tax, accounting, financial planning, and investment advisory services for small-to-midsize businesses, wealth advisory clients, and high-net worth individuals. | Daniel M Kavanaugh CPA Inc | Pleasanton | CPA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ryan Miyashiro | Kahala Financial Advisors | Honolulu | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Peterson | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | ChFC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Alexander Wilson | Provident Financial Planning | Addison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Andrew Cecil | Cecil Wealth | Westminster | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Cassandra Kirby | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cassidy Steck | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Charles Allison | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Christina Gamache | RADIANT Wealth Planning | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Faulkner | Spectrum Advisors | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Douglas Bostich | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eldon Fielding-Monson | Monson Wealth Management | Kennewick | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Maretsky | Educated Financial Planning | Astoria | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Gabrielle Fitzwater | Dwyer Financial | Flagstaff | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Foster | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jon Reppert | Spectrum Advisors | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Inzero | Innova Wealth Partners | Newtown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Apolinar Financial planner for Christians | Behavior Shift | Murrieta | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Subscription |
| Noel Bennett | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Olivia Kriscunas | Paratus Financial | Dallas | CFA | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Peter Hedberg | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Randa Hoffman | RADIANT Wealth Planning | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Melnyk | Manzanita Wealth Management | West Sacramento | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sam Evans | Evans Wealth Management | Duluth | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sophia Berglund | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Terry Robinette | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Travis Wurz | Wurz Financial Services | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alec Schrock | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alek Johnson | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Alison McFadden | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Brandon Morton | Financial Designs | Claremont | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brianna Shealey Helping clients find clarity of their financial future while humanizing the financial planning experience. | Buena Vista Financial Planning LLC | Decatur | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Calisto Reghi | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cameron Kaska | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christina Fanourakis | Cornerstone Wealth Management | Westlake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christina Larson | Larson Financial Planning | Winchester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cole Schrock | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Corey Jordison | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Damon Wykrent | Divorce Financial Expert | Flower Mound | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Friel | JSK Capital Advisors | Waltham | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Langworthy | Fortress Financial Group | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Debra Pladsen | Fortress Financial Group | Chanhassen | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Derek Nutter | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.