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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dustin Allbery | Northwest Planning Advisors | Spokane | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dylan Jones | Paragon Management | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dylan Rasmason | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Earl Berg | Guardian Wealth Management | Salt Lake City | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Edward Kriczky | Kriczky Wealth Management | Downingtown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Ledermann | Whale Shark Financial | Ann Arbor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward O'Gorman | River Wealth Advisors | Camp Hill | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Ober | Balancing Life Financial Planning | Orange | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Edward Riley | Colmina | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Smith | Smith Capital Management | Loveland | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Edward Taylor | Verity Investment Partners | Beaufort | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Elena Hawk | Hawk Advisory | San Francisco | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Eli Dollinger | Daniel Dollinger CPA, CFP® | Wilsonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elijah Fleming | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elise Henderson | Spectrum Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Flores | Legacy Wealth Advisors | Santa Cruz | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Kombrink | Willamette Wealth Partners | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Elizabeth Lynch | N10° Wealth | Greenwich | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Morrison | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ella Anderson | Family Wealth Partners | Matthews | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ellen Ginsberg | Harbor Asset Planning | Belmont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ellen Seitzler | AssetBuilder | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ellie Buntin | Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors | Yakima | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Elliott Hollingsworth | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emilio Gonzalez | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Emily Dolan | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Emily Johns | Paragon Management | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Emma Gustin | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emmanuel Tsantes | Aries Investment Advisors | Garden City | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Hildenbrand | Aurdan Capital Management | Wayne | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Linger | Sherwood Investments | Redmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Eric Suttmiller | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erick Reinoso | Guerra Wealth Advisors | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erik Beck | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erik Daley | Multnomah Group | Portland | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erik Roberts | Infinitus Wealth Management | Nashville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erin Erdil | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erin Kinney | Arkfeld Wealth Strategies | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ernest Domingue | BCM Advisors | Lafayette | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ethan Call | Craner Capital | Bountiful | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ethan Mayo | Fluent Financial | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Evan Daniels | Nexus One Financial Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Evan Harris | Willamette Wealth Partners | Kalispell | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Fabian Waldner | Eiger Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Facundo Rawson | Acanto | Pound Ridge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Felicia Fly | Mainsail Financial Group | Bellevue | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Fiona Capell | Blue Anchor Wealth Advisors | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Forbes Watson | Legacy Wealth Management | Ridgeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Frank Cooper | Grand Central Investment Group | Montreat | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frank Ortiz | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.