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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Sorum | Adaptive Advice | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Matthew Teeple | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maureen Quigley | Howland Capital | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Melissa Manley | StillBlue Financial Partners | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Melissa Miller | Sovereign Financial Services | Phoenix | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Melissa Storch | Gryphon Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Meredith Jones | Allvet Financial | Manakin Sabot | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Micah Droescher | Atticus Wealth Management | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Micah Gibson | Heritage Oak Wealth Advisors | Santa Rosa Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Abram | Integral Wealth Management | Turlock | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Andrews | Verus Capital Partners | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Beels | Share The Harvest Partners | Canton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Chochon | Adaptive Advice | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Michael Flanagan | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Keeton | Grange Capital | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael McFerran | Emerald Advisors | Bellevue | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Paulus | PCM Encore | Aspen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Quigley | Beck Capital Management | Austin | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Raimondi | Clarus Group | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Rosendahl | Torrey Pines Financial | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Stock | Boltwood Capital Management | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Tenreiro | Jackson, Grant | Stamford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michele Holton | WealthFolio Advisors | Sonoma | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michele McCabe | Vestpointe Wealth Management | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Francis | Life Story Financial | Arvada | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Fulcher | Verus Capital Partners | South Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michelle Hams | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Miguel Rundstrom-Holguin | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Miguel Sosa | Rose Capital Advisors | Miami Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mitchel Ludtke | Grange Capital | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mitchel Needelman | Spectrum Asset Management | Newport Beach | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mitchell Bloom | Bloom Financial | Westminster | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mitchell Towne | LeClair Wealth Partners | Dublin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Mitra Shahi | Wealth Management Partners | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mohammed Khalid | Nabata Investment Group | Mountlake Terrace | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Monica Carlos | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Monica Ladson | Elm3 Financial Group | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Monty McCurley | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Collierville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Morgan Brown | Wealth Management Partners | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Morris Armstrong | Crionna Wealth | Cheshire | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Natalia Callahan | Callahan Wealth Advisory | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nathan Barham | Perspective Advisors | Bartlesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nathan Mescobi | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Tonsager | Monument Wealth Management | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nathaniel Gilbert | Meridian Financial Partners | Warrenton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Naushad Virji | ShariaPortfolio | Lake Mary | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Coleman | Bonfire Financial | Colorado Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Nicholas Crocker | Howland Capital | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Giannakopoulos | Total Wealth Services | Westlake Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Hoffman | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.