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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Obrien | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Orobono | Innova Wealth Partners | Newtown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Park | Craner Capital | Bountiful | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Paulson | Clear Sky Financial | Prosper | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Shepherd | BlueDoor Private Wealth | St. Petersburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Slater | CUBIC Advisors | Wayne | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Tenley | Summit Advisor Group | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jon Paul Espinoza | B1 Financial | Aventura | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Becker | California Financial Advisors | San Ramon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jonathan Shaw | Catawba River Capital | Lake Wylie | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Smith | Smith Partners Wealth Management | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Spangler | Cambridge Advisors | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jonathan Verity | Verity Investment Partners | Beaufort | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Wagner | WS Wealth Management | Washington | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathon Oden | Aesop Advisor | Denton | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jordan Bailey | Craner Capital | Bountiful | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jordan Daugherty | FSA Wealth Partners | Rockville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jorge Perez Ruiz | Guerra Wealth Advisors | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jose Maria Bilbao Cunha Joia | Walters Strategic Advisors | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Billeaud | BCM Advisors | Lafayette | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Feste | KM Capital Management | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Feste | KM Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Fisher | Altura Private Wealth | Centerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Freeman | Private Wealth Advisors | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Gaspari | HFM Investment Advisors | Glassboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Gilligan | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Gilliland | Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Jennings | Clear Investment Research | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Schultz | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Singer | HC Advisors | Sandy Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Splendorio | CWS Financial Advisors | Kalamazoo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Turkal | Sierra Hotel Financial | Triangle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshua Bruckert | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Cochran | Cochran Wealth | Atlanta | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Fennimore | Benchmark Financial | Schwenksville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Grass | Stapleton Asset Management | Delano | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Herlan | Future U Financial | Tulsa | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joshua Kaufman | RiskBridge Advisors | Norwalk | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Moore | Mainsail Financial Group | Bellevue | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Joshua Plosker | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Julia Wentworth | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Julian Hunt | PrimeTRUST Advisors | Greenville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Julianne Hoerman | Nexus One Financial Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Julie Scott | Martel Wealth Advisors | Sequim | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jun Chen | Fidare Wealth Solutions | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Anderson | Cambridge Advisors | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Justin Martin | Altura Private Wealth | Centerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Justin Young | Opal Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Kaden McCarney | Next Level Wealth Planning | Meridian | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kaleialoha Cadinha-Pua'A | Cadinha & Co | Honolulu | 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.