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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paula Verity | Verity Investment Partners | Beaufort | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Payton Simon | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Perry Jeffries | Diamond Equity Advisors | Columbus | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Peter Christakos | Christakos Financial | Westfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Detwiler | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Girolamo | Retirement Wealth Center | Thousand Oaks | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Kalianiotis | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Lautmann | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter McCleskey | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Schumacher | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Weiss | Modus Advisors | Excelsior | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Petr Burunov | Ambassador Wealth Management | Vancouver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Philip Devries | RBS Wealth Management | Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Phillip McGrath | Waterstone Financial Advisory | Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Preston Byrnes | Guerra Wealth Advisors | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Preston Sanders | Sanders & Scott Chartered Financial Consultants | Watkinsville | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Quentin Rickey | Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors | Yakima | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Quinlan Ingraham | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Quinton Vlach | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachel Potters | OLIO Financial Planning | Blacksburg | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Ralph Wasiakowski | Brightside Wealth Planning | Center Valley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Randy Tam | Beyond Wealth Advisory | South San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raygn Robertson | Altura Private Wealth | Centerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Raymond Hawkins | RMH Capital Advisors | Houston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raymundo Flores | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rebecca Dobson | Multnomah Group | Portland | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rebekah Adams | Perspective Wealth Partners | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Reed Wheless | Tar River Wealth Planning | Louisburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Regan Shipp | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Regina Spence | CWS Financial Advisors | Kalamazoo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ricardo Jesus | Liberty Atlantic Advisors | Conceição, Portugal | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Culpepper | James Investment | Xenia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Dombrowski | Rigden Capital Strategies | Erie | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Early | Early McClintic & McMillan | Stafford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Ervolino | Fouts Law Group | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Fruth | Fruth Investment Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Luchini | Luchini Financial | Altoona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Saxon | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richelle Hofer | Impact Wealth Management | Sioux Falls | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Rilee Erickson | Fidelis Wealth Advisors | Big Piney | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Riley Beal | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Boggs | Catawba River Capital | Belmont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Chester | Chester Financial Services | Fredericktown | Not listed | One-time planning fee |
| Robert Deitrick | Polaris Financial Partners | Westerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Grimm | Boden Wealth | Lemoyne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Guerra | Guerra Pan Advisors | Montclair | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Lloyd | Revolution Partners | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Murphy | BlueDoor Private Wealth | Beverly | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Phelps | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Russell | Qmulate Capital | Ojai | 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.