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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Flanagan | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bruce Griffith | AssetBuilder | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Bruce Hulme | Bortolussi Wealth Management | Southborough | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bruce Petrie | Petrie Capital Management | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Bryan Kelly | Hodos Wealth Group | The Woodlands | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Bryan Petry | Stonebridge Wealth Management | Oak Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bryan Thomas | Financial Solutions | Oak Hill | Not listed | Hourly |
| Bryce Chandler | Bentwood Investment Advisory | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bryon Brooks | Adaptive Advisory | Olathe | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caden Heyen | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caleb Frankart | Blue Jay Financial Group | Defiance | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cameron Marzi | Rogue Advisors | Grants Pass | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Camie Quigley | Petros Family Wealth | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Caren Ober | Balancing Life Financial Planning | Orange | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Carl Bradley | Wittenberg Investments | Troy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carl Lymangood | Petros Family Wealth | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carly Denial | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Az 85260 | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carol Bieber | Professional Advisory Services | Vero Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Carrie Fitzpatrick | USA Financial and Tax Services | Farmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Carson Pope | AssetBuilder | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Carson Skaggs | Altura Private Wealth | Centerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carter Abbott | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Carter Klaas | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Casey Boland | HCM Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Casey Martens | investgro | Brentwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caspian Campaigne | Blue Heron Capital | Englewood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cassandra Conte | Taylor Financial Group | Roanoke | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cassidy Kohmann | Kohmann Bosshard | Akron | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Catharine Betzig | Diversified Portfolios | Bloomfield Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Chad Majors | Next Level Wealth Planning | Meridian | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chad Taylor | MDT Financial Advisors | Webster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Anderson | Verity Investment Partners | Beaufort | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Charles Arnold | Forthright Wealth Management | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Charles Boling | Global Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Boling | Global Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Dickinson | William Mack & Associates | Harbor Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Charles Foss | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Pouliot | Wealth Effects | West New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Charles Smith | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Chaya Sternbach | Yields4U | Bet Shean, Israel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christie Markham | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christina Borger | BirdRock Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christina Hua | Opal Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Christine Batts | CWS Financial Advisors | Kalamazoo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christine Foster-Perry | Absher Wealth Management | Wilkesboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Angle | Heritage Capital | Redding | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Berte | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Naples | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Brauner | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Brown | Professional Advisory Services | Vero Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Coleman | Fiduciary First Advising | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.