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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Downie | Wealth Pinnacle | Centerville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Schlaffer | Alexander Randolph Advisory | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Stoller | Elevate Wealth Advisory | Athens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Whitehurst | Brighter Investing | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Geoffrey Galbraith | GFM Asset Management | Maumee | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gerard Guertin | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Gianna Mossotti | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Giosefin Tonej | Gryphon Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gloria Jones | Sweeney & Michel | Chico | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Garretson | Gryphon Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Greg Newman | Three Oaks Partners Investment Counsel | Clearwater | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Greg Pyne | Red Oak Financial Group | Towson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Boyle | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Bryson | Wealth Management Partners | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Clifford | The Clifford Group | Wayland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Forsythe | Forsythe Wealth Management | Crown Point | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Lessard | Aspen Leaf Wealth Management | Golden | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Luke | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Griffin Eberly | Mills Wealth Advisors | Southlake | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Guillermo Monge | Wealth Management Partners | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Habib Anwar | ShariaPortfolio | Lake Mary | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Hardik Patel | Trusted Path Wealth Management | Santa Rosa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Harold Porter | Summit Wealth & Retirement Partners | Eagle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Harshvardhan Ved | Guardant Wealth Advisors | Southampton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Harvey Kraus | Walnut Investment Services | Brooklyn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Heather Proctor | Milestones Private Investment Advisors | Fairport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Heinz Brisske | KRM Financial Services | St. Charles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Henry McCall | Inman Jager Wealth Management | Hattiesburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hilton Kelly | Tall Trees Wealth | Portsmouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hunter Breedlove | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hunter Brockway | Boca Retirement Strategies | Jupiter | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hunter Klus Wedel | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian Burkhard | Capital Advantage | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ian Dillow | Dillow Wealth Management | Oak Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ian Richards | CMH Wealth Management | Dallas | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Ira Ross | Spartan Planning | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Isaac Brohinsky | Financial Independence Advisors | Jacksonville | PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Isaac Neidbalson | Jarrod Adams Investing | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ishaq Mohiuddin | ShariaPortfolio | Lake Mary | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Isiah Williams | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ivan Tokarev | Total Wealth Services | Westlake Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jack Wheeler | Kansas City Private Wealth Management | Kansas City | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jackson Greer | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jackson Murray | Intermountain Wealth Management | Idaho Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jackson Roberts | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jackson Wilson | Mauney-Pitt Financial Management | Shelby | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Ferry | Total Wealth Services | Westlake Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Schwartz | Green Ocean Global | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacqueline Bos | B&C Financial Advisors | Ponte Vedra Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Dean | Guardant Wealth Advisors | Palmetto Bay | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.