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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Bryce | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Collin Osbahr | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Collin Sinnott | StratiCo | Sacramento | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Conner McClure | True North Financial Advisors | Hilliard | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Connie Costanzo | Connie Costanzo | Brunswick | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connor Keller | Live Oak Private Wealth | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Constantinos Athanailos | Hurley Capital | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Corinna Rose | Bell Investment Advisors | Orinda | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Curtis Lamb | Narus Financial Partners | Salt Lake City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dane Petty | OverRidge Wealth Advisors | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Caswell | Integrated Wealth Strategies | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Fisher | Fisher Financial Group | Northbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Greenwald | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Heth | Preserve Wealth Management | Weaverville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Maxwell | Amicus Financial Advisors | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Danny Colburn | Colburn Wealth Management, LLC. | Grove City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darien Croce | Parallel Wealth Management | Redding | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darin Swall | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darren Spreeuw | Aviator Wealth Group | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Babb | Stone Bridge Asset Management | Chattanooga | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Caldwell | Harvest Capital Assets | Sanborn | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Eltringham | Benchmark Wealth | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Flanders | Momentum Wealth Planning | Estero | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Gibbs | Successful Wealth Strategies | Farmington | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| David Given | Curtis Advisory Group | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Jackson | Del Mar Wealth Management | Del Mar | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Macino | Macino Financial Services | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Martin | MB Generational Wealth | Spokane | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Millet | Galvin, Gaustad & Stein | Sagamore Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Padilla Herrera | Intuitivo PR | Guaynabo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Piano | Piano Wealth Management | Victor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Robbins | Varney Wealth Management | Tampa | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| David Ross | Price Financial Group | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Thompson | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Walsvick | Walsvick Wealth Management | Phoenix | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David White | Zermatt Wealth Advisors | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dawn Correia | Stillwater Capital Management | Carmel-By-The-Sea | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Deep Patel | GenRise Wealth Advisors | Mt. Laurel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Deirdre Keenan | Quantum Leap Capital | South Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Dennis Berry | Phoenix Rising Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Devin Campbell | LifeGoal Investments | Saratoga Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diane Rice | Read & Powell Financial Services | Elko | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diego Reyes | Stillwater Capital Management | Carmel-By-The-Sea | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dina Draguicevich | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Donald Watson | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Medford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Douglas Reed | AtlanticMidwest Global Advisors | Moca | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Drew Ashland | Milborn Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dylan Bastress | Pace Financial Advisors | Ashville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dylan Bohnert | Vickerman Investment Advisors | Spokane | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Earl Miller | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.