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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Hobbs | Clearview Investment Partners | Costa Mesa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kenneth Ouellette | Orca Wealth Management | New Port Richey | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Schrauben | Retirement Capital Services | Grand Blanc | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Simpson | Firethorn Wealth Partners | Augusta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Templeton | Ulta Wealth Management | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kevin Mellinger | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Michael | Rademacher Financial | Lawrence | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Sweeney | Firethorn Wealth Partners | Augusta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kim Molitor | Windward Wealth Strategies | Oshkosh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kurt Leeney | Infinium Investment Advisors | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kurt Schuler | Old Mission Investment | Traverse City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyle Kiser | Sikorski Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kyle Krasker | Olivar & Greb Capital Management | Maitland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Landon Malo | Narus Financial Partners | Salt Lake City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Laurel Buckalew | Insignia Wealth Advisory | Opelika | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Laurent Harrison | Bell Investment Advisors | Orinda | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lawrence Gale | Indelible Wealth Group | Berthoud | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lindsey Colaco | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Linwood Fraher | Martin Wealth Solutions | Christiansburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lisa Gamble | Walton Financial | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa MacEwen | Howland Capital | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Logan Dickey | IntelliVest Wealth Management | Boiling Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Logan Hauschild | Green Peaks Planning | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lori Hartman | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lorri Jefferson | Vision Tech Group | Pinehurst | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Louis Tranquilli | Tranquilli Financial Advisor | Clinton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lucinda Buce | Founders Capital Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Luke Tait | Golden Guidance | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Luke Timm | Timm Financial Services | Poughkeepsie | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mackenzie Thompson Stussie | Whitener Capital Management | Rocky Mount | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Makayla Allen | Sensible Money | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Malissa McNanna | Phoenix Rising Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Manish Patel | BluePrint Private Wealth Management | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Manishkumar Jain | BluePrism Wealth Management | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mansoor Ahmad | Global Hill Wealth Advisors | Monroe | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maranda Barnhart | Aspen Capital Management | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Marc Maddox | TrueLine Wealth Group | Hattiesburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marcus Berry | Adell, Harriman, & Carpenter | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Marcus Holzschuh | Vickerman Investment Advisors | Spokane | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Maria Colon | CAF Investments | Guaynabo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Conrad | The Investor Advisory Group | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Crowe | Crowe Financial Group | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Diehl | True North Wealth Management | Palmer | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Dougal | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Nampa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Hoffman | Milborn Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Januszewski | Tax Advantage Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Sauer | AllOneWealth | Camarillo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Marti Brust | West End Wealth Management | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Naber | Sage Stone Wealth Management | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mateusz Sudol | Price Financial Group | Portland | 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.