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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmund Malone | Cornerstone Wealth Management | Westlake | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Daniels | Colburn Wealth Management, LLC. | Grove City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Jackson | The Investor Advisory Group | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Lewis | Strong Tower Wealth Management | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Edward Moody | CFM Wealth Partners | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Wheeler | Attleboro Wealth Management | Yardley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Kenney | Kenney Wealth | Issaquah | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Malden | Shearwater Capital | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Eric Wiseman | Read & Powell Financial Services | Elko | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erik Dante | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erik Johnson | Heritage Investment Group | Pompano Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erin Mutton | Pathway Financial Advisers | Auburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erin Willcutt | TrueLine Wealth Group | Pascagoula | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ernest Miller | WholeHuman Wealth Management | Lewisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ethan Kelly | Renaissance Advisors | Ridgeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ethan Pflug | Strong Tower Wealth Management | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ethan Senn | Sage Stone Wealth Management | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Evan Wiggins | LifeGoal Investments | Saratoga Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Fernando Guardia Virreira | Guardian Brothers | Boulder | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Forrest Bell | Bell Investment Advisors | Orinda | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frederick Timm | Timm Financial Services | Poughkeepsie | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gabriel Roman Bibiloni | CAF Investments | Guaynabo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gabriel Woodward | Woodward Diversified Capital | Bakersfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Garrett Peterson | Spectrum Asset Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Schatsky | IFC Personal Money Managers | New York | Not listed | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Gavan Griesmeyer | Wealth Management Group | Beavercreek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| George Pierce | Invest | Lexington | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| George Racette | Calder Financial Group | Ada | Not listed | One-time planning fee |
| Geovanny Vega-Zamora | Holder Wealth Management | Champaign | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gerald McIlhon | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gerard McGeough | Chatham Wealth Management | Chatham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Grant Evans | True North Wealth | Parker City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Fridley | Powers Advisory Group | Highland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Grant Lawton | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Adams | Optimist Capital | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Pierce | Windward Wealth Strategies | Oshkosh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Wilson | GL Trust | Whittier | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Gwendolyn O'Connell | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hakeem Webb | Ncfa | Douglasville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hayden Heinz | OverRidge Wealth Advisors | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Heidi Crawford | Bell Investment Advisors | Orinda | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hogan Choyce | Wealth Management Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hugo Vega Calder | CAF Investments | Guaynabo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hunter Beck | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Hunter Davis | Galvin, Gaustad & Stein | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Isabella Ramon | Axia Wealth Management | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ivan Rosa | Optimist Capital | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| J Miller | Blue Bell Private Wealth Management | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jack Boyd | Boyd Financial Strategies | Round Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jack Kazickas | CFM Wealth Partners | Austin | 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.