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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Conover | Hudson Companies | Pearl River | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Cubbage | Opportunus Wealth Management | Gig Harbor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Fitts | Bortolussi Wealth Management | Southborough | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Gettelfinger | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Saint Petersburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Harris | Strategic Advisory Partners | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Morgan | Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Niemela | Foresee Wealth Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Nolt | Solid Rock Wealth Management | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Radigan | Whitney & Company | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Ricketts | Ricketts Financial | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Ruane | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Claireese Baggao | Layline Financial | Sandpoint | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Clare Manning | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Clarence Bush | Bush Capital Management | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clark Brown | Hello Wealth Financial Advisors | Athens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clay Skurdal | RiskBridge Advisors | Norwalk | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cody Gunn | Arrowstone Wealth | Malaga | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cody Jennings | Clear Investment Research | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cole Smith | Lyons Capital Group | Shreveport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Colton Koehler | Convergence | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Connor Williamson | TrueNorth Wealth & Impact | Joplin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cory Capps | Collegiate Capital Management | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cory McPherson | ProActive Capital Management | Topeka | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Buckhout | Rockbridge Investment Management | Syracuse | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Pfeiffer | RiskBridge Advisors | Norwalk | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Sigeti | CES Investment Strategies | Lititz | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dalton Herrin | Lakeridge Wealth Management | Albuquerque | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Damian Dufour | Fiduciary Benefits Group | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Dane Nelson | Northern Edge Wealth Management | Marquette | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Carter | Sierra Management Group | Reno | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Evans | StrategyCap | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Kain | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Martinez | ENZI Wealth | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel McMillan | Early McClintic & McMillan | Stafford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Nunez | Guerra Wealth Advisors | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Quartararo | Cogent Private Wealth | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Speirs | Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors | San Luis Obispo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dante Milanesi | MDT Financial Advisors | Webster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darin Snow | Denver Private Wealth Management | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darrell Brooks | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darrell Warner | Qmulate Capital | Simi Valley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darren Williams | Wallace Hart Capital Management | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| David Benning | Logan Park Wealth Management | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Berkowitz | VAP Wealth Advisors | Red Bank | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Cantor | Liberty Atlantic Advisors | Florence, Italy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David D'Eredita | Rise Private Wealth Advisors | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Freisner | Konza Global Wealth Group | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Greenleigh | LGG Financial | Bethesda | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Hammond | Christian Values Investing | Statesboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Hofer | Brightwood Ventures | Tigard | CFA | 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.