Retirement planning
Retirement planning covers the transition from accumulation to distribution: income strategy, withdrawal order, Social Security timing, bridge income before Medicare, Roth conversion runway, sequence-of-returns risk, long-term-care planning, and the tax coordination that determines whether a retirement plan actually survives 30+ years of drawdown.
By the numbers
The Wellspent public graph lists 7,304 fee-only financial advisors focused on retirement planning at 3,218 firms, most in Houston, San Diego and Austin. 46% hold the CFP certification. Of the 7281 with fees on file, 87% charge percentage of assets.
- Advisors listed
- 7,304
- Firms
- 3,218
- Cities
- 1,467
- Hold the CFP
- 46%
- Other credentials: CFA 8% · CPA 2% · EA 2%
- How they charge (of 7281 with fees on file): percentage of assets 87% · fixed fees 47% · hourly 45% · ongoing planning fee 15%
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 retirement planning
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Reilly | Safe Harbor Financial Advisors, LLC | Rehoboth Beach | CFP, JD, LLM | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Gina Hagen | Full Circle Financial Planning | Topanga | CFP, CPA | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Gitanjali Kumar | Worthique LLC | San Francisco | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Grant Bledsoe | Three Oaks Wealth | Lake Oswego | AIF, CEPA, CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Olson | Ronald Olson, Inc. | Lehi | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Hannah Moore | Guiding Wealth Management | Richardson | CeFT, CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Heather Haas | Imperium Wealth Management, LLC | San Antonio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Helen Ngo | Capital Benchmark Partners, LLC | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Huyen Nguyen | Inclusive Wealth Financial Planning LLC | Mechanicsburg | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| J. David Principe | SAGEbroadview Wealth Management, LLC | Farmington | CFP, Certified Student Loan Professional, CPA/PFS, RLP | Ongoing planning fee |
| J. Scott Kittrell | Modera Wealth Management, LLC | New York | CFP, CFA, ACA, EA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jacob Greenberg | Pure Financial Advisors, LLC | San Diego | AIF, CFP, ChFC, MPH | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jacob Rich | Capstone Wealth Advisors | Indianapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jake Skelhorn Tax-smart financial advice for high-earners and pre-retirees | Spark Wealth Advisors | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jake Taylor | Astra Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| James Mayo | IronFjord Wealth Management | Lakewood | CFP, MBA, CFA, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| James Sweeney | SwitchPoint Financial Planning LLC | Lehi | CFA, CFP, MBA, MS | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jane Beule | Griffin Black, LLC | Redwood City | BA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jared Hoole | Lakeside Financial Planning, LLC | Windham | CFP, MST | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jarrod Sandra | Chisholm Wealth Management | Burleson | CFP, CKA, MS, MSFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Simpson | Trailway Wealth Advisors | Ottawa | CFP, CIM, CIWM | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jeffrey Mastronardo | Financial Coach Group | West Chester | CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jennifer Bush | INTENTIONAL WEALTH PARTNERS | Cleveland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jennifer Daniel | Guided Retirement Planning | Mississauga | CFP, CEA, BComm | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Jerry Broussard | Broussard Financial Group, LLC | Lafayette | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Jessica McDonald | Southern Wealth Builders | Birmingham | CFP, MS | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Jim Crider | Intentional Living FP LLC | New Braunfels | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| JoAnn May | Forest Asset Management LLC | Riverside | CFP, CPA/PFS, MBA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Anderson | Cypress Wealth Management, LLC | Germantown | AIF, CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| John Bovard | Incline Wealth Advisors | Cleves | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Cress | Madison Wealth Partners, Inc. | Manitowoc | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Davis | JKD Financial | Springfield | CFP, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| John Krehbiel | Krehbiel Financial LLC | Satellite Beach | CFP, MBA | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| John Kvale | J.K. Financial, Inc. | Dallas | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Mason | Mason & Associates | Newport News | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| John Miller | Longview Advisors, LLC | Wichita | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Hourly |
| John Pak | Otium Advisory Group | El Segundo | BA, CFP, EA, MST | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| John Spoto | Sentry Financial Planning, LLC | Andover | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| John Underhill | Acorn & Oak Wealth Management LLC | Sanford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John W. Bowen | Bowen Financial Services, LLC | Midlothian | CFP, EA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jon Kutney | Parallel Wealth Financial Group | Langley | CFM, CIM | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Jon Powell | Ferguson-Johnson Wealth Management | Rockville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonas Merrill | Pathlight Financial Planning | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jordan Leaman | True Wealth Retirement Partners | Grand Rapids | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jose Armenta | Create Your Path | San Diego | CFP, ChFC, EA, MSBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jose Sanchez | Retirement Wealth Guidance, LLC | Albuquerque | CFP, RICP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Joseph Hebert | trueNorth Wealth Advisors | Seattle | CFP, PhD | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Josh Clifford | Quoinage Capital LLC | Austin | CFP, CFA, CPA, MPA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Joshua Duncan | F5 Financial | Venice | CFP, MS, PhD | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Juan Guevara | J.F. Williams Co., Inc. | Denver | CFP, BS, MSFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
Guides
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Downsizing in retirement: the tax and money decisions
Up to $250,000 of gain on your main home is tax-free, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly, if you've owned and lived in it for two of the last five years. The bigger questions are how much the move really frees up, and what the sale does to your taxes and Medicare premiums.
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Planning an early retirement (FIRE)
The hard part of retiring early is the gap before 59½ and 65: reaching your savings without the 10% additional tax, paying for health insurance, and spending in low tax brackets. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner has a median of $2,000.
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Financial advisor for retirement: what to look for
A retirement advisor's real job is the income plan: when to claim Social Security, which accounts to draw first, and how to keep the tax bill down for 30 years. Fee-only planners charge a median $4,500 a year.
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How much can I withdraw in retirement?
About 4% of your starting balance, raised each year for inflation, is the historical baseline for a 30-year retirement: $40,000 on $1 million. Fees, taxes, a longer horizon and a rigid spending rule all push it lower; a willingness to cut back after bad years pushes it higher.
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HSA investing strategy: your HSA as a retirement account
For 2026 you can put $4,400 (self-only) or $8,750 (family) into an HSA, plus $1,000 at 55. Invested and left alone, it's the only account that's tax-free going in, growing and coming out for medical costs.
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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.