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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Carroll | Verus Capital Partners | Ventura | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Coy | Wela Financial Advisory | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Thomas Ellis | B&C Financial Advisors | Ponte Vedra Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Geraci | Purtill Financial | Fort Myers Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Houston | Share The Harvest Partners | Canton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Marrollo | Apogee Financial Services Group | Moorestown | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Neja | Capital CS Group | Corona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Parker | Pendulum Partners | Itasca | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Razzano | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Twombly | Lucien, Stirling & Gray Advisory Group | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas White | Mountain Wealth Management | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tiffany Charles | Traction Financial Partners | Encampment | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Banks | Worley Banks Group | Creve Coeur | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Foster | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Koski | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Mosier | Cairn Wealth Management | Vancouver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Randak | Arkell Asset Management | Bozeman | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Walt | CVW Financial | Plymouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Carbone | Capital CS Group | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Vandam | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tom O'Neill We are a multi generational wealth management team. | Not listed | Mount Laurel | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tor Peery | Anchor Capital Management | Ithaca | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Travis Domingues | Corvus Wealth Advisors | Templeton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Trevor Johnson | Dream Weaver Financial Planning | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Troy Williamson | TruePath Financial Planning | Albuquerque | Not listed | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Tyson Farmer | Vega Financial | Mercer Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Victor Beck | Beck Capital Management | Austin | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Virginia Leon | Pathway Advisor | Fallbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Walter Thomas | GoalFusion Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Wendy Weiss | Weiss Financial Advisors | Cambridge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Wesley Mims | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Weston Howland | Howland Capital | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Catton | Catton Capital Partners | San Francisco | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Hensley | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Hines | Emancipare Investment Advisors | Easton | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| William Keller | Keller Wealth Management | Morristown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Kirk | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William March | Spring City Partners | Philadelphia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Root | Keeler & Nadler | Dublin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Xijian Zhang | Beacon Hill Wealth Management | Victoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Y Shih | Oder Investment Management | Woodland Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Zachary Smith | Kroon & Mitchell | Grand Rapids | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zachary Wolf | Boltwood Capital Management | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Zachery Price | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zaineb Sohail | Kaizen Financial Strategies | Pleasanton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zane Kuhbacher | HighPoint CPAs | Laramie | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Aaron Deitz | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Nielsen | Shared Prosperity Group | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Aaron Soderberg | BirdRock Wealth Management | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Abel Bonga | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | 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.