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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Bortolussi | Bortolussi Wealth Management | Hopkinton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Croll | Crew Capital | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Adam Daniels | Waterstone Financial Advisory | Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Laibson | Mainsail Financial Group | Bellevue | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Adam Minor | RBS Wealth Management | Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Van Ness | Northwest Straits Financial Services | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adeeb Chowdhury | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adrian Fernandez | Opal Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Adrian Kowal | Equity Financial Management | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Adrian Lyles | Lyles Wealth Management | Calhoun | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Afzaal Abbas | The Mass Group | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Aidan Schultz | Capstone Investment Financial Group | Webster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Akhil Shah | Holmes Investment Management | Brockton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alan Kepfer | Aspen Financial Management | Cheney | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alec Medlin | investgro | Brentwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alex Foster | AF Capital Management | Marietta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alex Ierardi | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Craner | Craner Capital | Bountiful | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Hartzel | Kohmann Bosshard | Akron | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Ingrim | Liberty Atlantic Advisors | Florence, Italy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Johnson | Holcombe Financial | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Waesche | Anchor Capital Advisors | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ali Alsari | AWM Global Advisors | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Alyse Uzarski | Kreitler Financial | New Haven | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Amanda Kelley | Plan2Thrive Financial Services | Eldridge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Amanda McCoin | Paul Winkler | Gallatin | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Amir Alamir | Holmes Investment Management | Brockton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Amy Drinkard | Steadmont Advisors | Birmingham | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Amy Showalter | Arbor Private Wealth | Ashburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrea Ward | New Century Investments | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Aldrett | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Arkfeld | Arkfeld Wealth Strategies | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Canter | Canter Wealth | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Christakos | Christakos Financial | Cranford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Foss | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Gildea | CWS Financial Advisors | Kalamazoo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Green | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Martone | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew McDirmid | Lodestone Wealth Management | Spokane | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Skinner | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew St Martin | Anchor Capital Advisors | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Strong | Martel Wealth Advisors | Vancouver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Urbanski | N10° Wealth | Greenwich | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Wacker | Convergence | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Waymire | Perspective Wealth Partners | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Angel Costanza | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anke Parpart | Good Harbor Advisors | Gloucester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anna Christakos | Christakos Financial | Cranford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Annette Quinter | James Investment | Xenia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anthony Mensah | Mensah Finance Group | Atlanta | 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.