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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Devico | Mountain Pass Planning | Hopewell Junction | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| James Ek | PCM Encore | Woburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Fisher | The Aranda Group | Jenkintown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Gore | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Keene | McLaughlin Asset Management | Lafayette | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James King | Fruitage Financial | Fort Collins | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Naify | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James ONeill | Magnolia Wealth | Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Smith | StratiCo | Walnut Creek | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jarrod Adams | Jarrod Adams Investing | Mooresville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Berkholz | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Dow | Verus Capital Partners | Ventura | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Hetland | Financial Planning Navigators | Maple Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Roesler | HighPoint CPAs | Laramie | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Wood | Rothschild Capital Partners | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jasper Vaccaro | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jaxson Simmerman | Pittenger & Anderson | Lincoln | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffery Powell | Elevage Partners | Reno | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Brink | The DBS Companies | Bay City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Brown | Shearwater Capital | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Camarda | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Geiser | Verus Capital Partners | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Shaw | Round Rock Advisors | Wilton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Strode | Grange Capital | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Wyatt | Gryphon Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeremiah Barwick | Keen Capital | Chapin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremy Keating | Cosmos Wealth | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremy Tate | Tate Capital Group | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeremy Wolf | GFM Asset Management | Weinfelden, Switzerland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jerome Ledzinski, II | Praetorian Guard Wealth Management | Carmel | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jerry McDonnell | Keen Capital | Westminster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jesse Geary | Geddi Capital | Ann Arbor | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jesse Radoslovich | Mountain Wealth Management | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Adams | B&C Financial Advisors | Ponte Vedra Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jessica Frigon | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica McConnell | Capital CS Group | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Stanley | Rezny Wealth Management | Aurora | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joan Woodard | Woodard & Company Asset Management Group | Bermuda Run | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joanne Keller | The Aranda Group | Jenkintown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joel Chamberlain | Financial Independence Advisors | Jacksonville | PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Joel Kocen | Kocen Financial Group | Rancho Mirage | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joel Meyer | Meyer Financial Advisors | Los Altos | CFA | One-time planning fee |
| Joel Stilwell | Rssic | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Brady | MBR Financial | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| John Burrows | Council Oak Wealth Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Chiacchiero | Oak Advisors | Bluffton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Dabov | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Dame | Rothschild Capital Partners | Washington Dc | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Gavin III | PCM Encore | Aspen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Giehrl | Financial Independence Advisors | Jacksonville | PFS | Percentage of assets |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.