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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Linch | Waterfront | Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Wharton | Worcester Advisors | Worcester | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jahndavid Teschler | Western Wealth Group | Greenwood Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jake Rubin | Targeted Financial Services | Seminole | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Adams | Adams Wealth Management | Amarillo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Beck | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Berman | JBGlobal.com | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Curran | Pacific Point Wealth Management | Carlsbad | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Gura | Stonebridge Financial Group | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Hedges | Harvest Capital Assets | Sanborn | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Lee | Lee-Kelleher-Klein Wealth Management | Ellicott City | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Lubin | Infiniti Wealth Management | Brewster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Payne Jr | Targeted Financial Services | Boerne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Thompson | Invest | Lexington | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| James Walter | Founders Capital Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jared Farnsworth | Skymark Advisors | Sun City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Meese | Shearwater Capital | Ballwin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jared Rasmussen | Serene Point Advisors | Ridgefield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Stubbs | Narus Financial Partners | Salt Lake City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Finnigan | High Road Wealth Advisors | Coos Bay | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Mickey | Wealth Management Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Mitchell | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Sgroi | Sgroi Wealth | Albany | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jay Polson | Polson Wealth Management | Des Moines | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jayden Frank | High Road Wealth Advisors | Coos Bay | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jedediah Sires | Sound Investment Strategies | Bothell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffery Sorensen | OverRidge Wealth Advisors | Westlake Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Bowlby | Dash Investments | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Heveroh | Stonebridge Financial Group | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Jacobs | Palisade Wealth | Draper | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Johnson | Old Mission Investment | Traverse City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jenner Preston | Tranquilli Financial Advisor | Shawnee | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Barron | Adell, Harriman, & Carpenter | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jennifer Cornish | BeauMorgan | Pittsford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Foster | SmartPlan Investing | Juno Beach | Not listed | Not listed |
| Jennifer Johnson | Pinelight Financial | Estero | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremiah Eischen | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremy Ellisor | Convergent Financial Group | Mount Pleasant | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeremy Houy | Vickerman Investment Advisors | Spokane | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jerene Meissert | Bell Investment Advisors | Orinda | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jerry Bainbridge | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jerry Schuder | Sage Investment Advisers | Wappingers Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jesse Sikorski | Sikorski Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jessica Chominski | Aquinas Wealth Advisors | West Chester | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jill Gibb | Targeted Financial Services | Seminole | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jimmy Martin | Martin Wealth Solutions | Christiansburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joe Baker | Financial Independence Advisors | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joel Grimm | Pathway Financial Advisers | Auburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Oldham | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Johann Simpson | Aspen Capital Management | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.