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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsey Hadfield | Verus Financial Partners | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lisa Whitley | MoneyByLisa | Washington | Not listed | One-time planning fee |
| Logan Bowers | SOW Advisors | Youngsville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Logan Stelzner | PCM Encore | Aspen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lori Powell | Elevage Partners | Reno | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lorie Scheibel | Scheibel Planning Solutions | Crownsville | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Louis Leyes | Stages Planning Group | Virginia Beach | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Louiza Smith | ACap Advisors & Accountants | Studio City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lowell Thomas | South Shore Capital Advisors | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lucas Franco | Oder Investment Management | Woodland Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lucas Hodge | Monument Wealth Management | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Luis Whu | LULLA Wealth Financial | Vero Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lydia Lok | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Madison Hicks | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mahdi Walji | ShariaPortfolio | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mailinh Vu | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Marc Eppinger | Cascade Financial Strategies | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marcus Rose | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Blue Ash | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maria Lavrentyeva | BDC Capital Management | Glen Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Blinderman | Walnut Investment Services | Brooklyn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Buscher | Milestones Private Investment Advisors | Fairport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Fedenia | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Fetterolf | My Financial Coach | Midland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Friedenthal | Friedenthal Financial | Marlton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Mark Frombach | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Herskovitz | Equilibrium Wealth | Jerusalem, Israel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Idzik | Nearside Advisors | Indianapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Kleespies | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Mahshie | MPM Advisors Group | Liverpool | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Reagan | Reagan Financial Planning | Oxford | Not listed | Hourly |
| Mark Vicencio | Lowery Thomas | Pebble Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Wojno | Pinnacle Wealth Management | Brighton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Zembo | Elevage Partners | Longmeadow | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marshall Fraser | Perspective Advisors | Bartlesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Martha Hays | ACT Advisors | Asheville | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Martha Raghunauth | Oxler Private Wealth | Rye Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Martin Lee | Church Organizers Foundation | Mason | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Marty Block | Verus Capital Partners | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Atkinson | Schrum Private Wealth Management | St. Augustine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mary Harris | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mary Jule Roginski | Northeastern Financial Consultants | South Abington Township | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Patch | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maryam Khoshreza | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Masahiro Yamazaki | Oxler Private Wealth | Rye Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Ahrens | MN Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Civello | HeadInvest | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Dunham | Dream Lake Financial | Saukville | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Freiburger | Shuttleworth & Company | Powell | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Hill | Emerald Advisors | Bellevue | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Savoti | Harvest Financial Advisors | West Chester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
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.