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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Rutherford | Liberty Atlantic Advisors | Florence, Italy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Henry Vance | Ark Advisors | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Heriberto Chinea | EightOne Capital | Pearland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hogan Roberts | investgro | Brentwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hugh Arant | Milestone Investments Columbus | Greenwood | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hunter Smith | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian Cobb | Fluent Financial | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian Foster | Innova Wealth Partners | Newtown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ian Robertson | Fouts Law Group | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ian Skurdal | RiskBridge Advisors | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian Starkel | Starkel Wealth Advisors | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Isabella Tam | Beyond Wealth Advisory | South San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jaan Larkin | StratFI | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jace Prows | Luminary Wealth Advisors | Mckinney | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jack Tamez | BirdRock Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jack Tsai | Tsai Wealth Management | Pasadena | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jackson Burk | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jaclyn Gilbert | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jaclyn Gruber | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Artz | Econ Wealth Management | Harrisburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Mardian | American Financial Planning | Roanoke | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Jacob Martin | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Rosemeyer | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jaime Boyer | Kachkovsky & Fisher | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jake Crosby | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jake Miller | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jake Popoff | Hutchinson Capital Management | San Rafael | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James "Tripp" Lumpkin | Tar River Wealth Planning | Louisburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Bailey | Perspective Wealth Partners | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Bode | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Divirgilio | Chacon Diaz & Di Virgilio Wealth Management | Gainesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| James Duronio | William Mack & Associates | Longwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| James Forsyth | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Gallagher | Waterstone Financial Advisory | Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Gissy | Fouts Law Group | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Hallett | Hallett Advisors | Port Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Hershberger | Round Table Investment Strategies | Lincoln | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Hua | Opal Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| James Hunt | PrimeTRUST Advisors | Greenville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Lumpkin | Tar River Wealth Planning | Louisburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Minich | Minich MacGregor Wealth Management | St Augustine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Pritchett | Fouts Law Group | Woodstock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Robinson | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Schmidt | Schmidt Wealth Management | Fargo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Sexton | Phillip James Financial | Plymouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Zagelmeyer | Lionshead Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jamie Langlow | TrueWealth Financial Partners San Diego | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jamie Shelton | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Pearson | StrategyCap | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Van Slyke | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | 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.