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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Joseph | Sentinel Wealth Management | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas King | Targeted Financial Planning | East Stroudsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Nicholas Lenssen | Bear Peak Financial | Boulder | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Niklas Brusen | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nikolas Madonis | ARX Private Wealth | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nilu Judge | Kenora Financial | Des Plaines | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nisiar Smith | Courtside Wealth Partners | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noah Cottman | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Noah Skinner | Skinner Copper & Ehmen | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noelle Moser | Verus Financial Partners | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Odette Thurston | HeadInvest | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Orie Helaire | Epiphany Wealth Management | Houston | ChFC, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Osman Arain | Evansbrook Capital Management | Bolingbrook | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Owen Schrum | Schrum Private Wealth Management | St. Augustine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Pasha Shemirani | Wealth Management Partners | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Keane | Nevis Equity Advisors | Dobbs Ferry | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Latta | ACT Advisors | Asheville | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Patrick Mauney | Mauney-Pitt Financial Management | Shelby | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Paul Banks | Worley Banks Group | Creve Coeur | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Paul Burgdorf | Harvest Financial Advisors | West Chester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Day | Pinnacle Wealth Management | Brighton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Linzer | Kenora Financial | Des Plaines | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Paul Lipcius | PracticeCFO | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Thompson | Ascension Capital Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paulette Greenwell | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Penny Houseman | Kocen Financial Group | Rancho Mirage | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Boyd | Boyd Financial Strategies | Auburn | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Gillis | Pallas Capital Advisors | Oak Bluffs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Kunze | Guardant Wealth Advisors | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Pavlov | Lynx Investment Advisory | Columbia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Simmons | Peddock Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Philip Fessler | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Phillip Hogan | Beacon Hill Wealth Management | Victoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Praveena Naduthota | Pallas Capital Advisors | Westford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Preston Mayo | Insight Wealth Strategies | San Ramon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Preston Wilkie | Elevate Wealth Advisory | Athens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Quinn Vicars | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Rachel Benton | B.I.G. Investment Services | Dover | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Rachel Gurinsky | Wela Financial Advisory | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ramy Hindiyeh | Finmentum | Elk Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Randal Trinidad-Ambar | Gryphon Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Randy Lundy | PracticeCFO | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Raul Shah | DocShah Financial | Ellicott City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Regan Duperon | The DBS Companies | Bay City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Reilly Skorupski | Meridian Financial Partners | Warrenton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Renee Michel | Sweeney & Michel | Chico | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rezwana Abed | ShariaPortfolio | Lake Mary | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Arbury | My Financial Coach | Midland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Dexter | Spartan Planning | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Mullen | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | 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.