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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaley Bockhop | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kaley Klepps | KOM Wealth Management | Appleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Karen O'Donoghue | Beck Bode | Portsmouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Karen Vavra | VCM Wealth | Collegeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Karina Kingman | Spectrum Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Karley Fidani | Fidelis Wealth Advisors | Castle Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Karo Lokmanyan | N10° Wealth | Greenwich | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katherine Malone | Malone Financial Planning | Mckinney | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katherine St Onge | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kaushal Majmudar | Ridgewood Investments | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kayla Taylor | AssetBuilder | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Keegan Erva | Unify Financial Advisors | Clearwater | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Keith Bosco | Verity Investment Partners | Bluffton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Keith Hutson | Eubank, Hutson & Associates | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Keith Maderer | Senior Financial and Tax | Orchard Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Keith Whitt | Maritime Wealth Advisors | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kelley Taylor | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kelly Ryan | OLIO Financial Planning | Blacksburg | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Kenneth Haren | Prudent Investor Advisors | Folsom | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth McGlone | KOM Wealth Management | Appleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Moore | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Wittenberg | Wittenberg Investments | Troy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kennon Grose | AssetBuilder | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Kent Christensen | Haynie Wealth Management | Salt Lake City | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kerstin Driscoll-Witt | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Cavanaugh | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Guarino | Clover Leaf Financial | Fairport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Mayo | Cogent Private Wealth | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Morrow | Sonoma Allocations | Santa Rosa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Theissen | HWC Financial | Manchester Center | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Weingarden | Wittenberg Investments | Troy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kiel Lewis | Eminence WM | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kingshook Ghosh | USAWorld Capital | Canton | CFA | Hourly |
| Konner DeLeon | DeLeon Wealth | Kennewick | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kurt Ahrens | Mendota Financial Group | Madison | ChFC | One-time planning fee |
| Kurt Laubinger | Potomac Wealth Management | Great Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kurt Mihelich | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kwadwo Osei | Atwima Wealth | Sacramento | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Bruner | Innova Wealth Partners | Newtown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Dennehy | California Financial Advisors | San Ramon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kyle French | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kymberly Watson | Fruth Investment Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lance Parker | Lance Parker Wealth Management | San Luis Obispo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Landon Blodgett | Blodgett Wealth Advisors | Concord | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Larry Baugh | Baugh & Associates | Atlanta | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Larry Bright | Bright Asset Management | Venice | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Laura Markoff | Meritis Wealth Management | Potomac | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Laura Schmidt | Higgins & Schmidt Wealth Strategies | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lauren Douglas Carpenter | Revolution Partners | Lamar | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lauren Procknow | Stordahl Capital Management | Greenwood Village | 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.