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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Reinert | Berkeley Capital Management | Ellsworth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Rossetti | LifeGoal Investments | Saratoga Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Rutz | Powers Advisory Group | Highland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nick Dionisos | Cornerstone Wealth Management | Westlake | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nick Konakis | Read & Powell Financial Services | Elko | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicole Kustok | Evansbrook Capital Management | Bolingbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Norman Sehnoutka | Naperville Private Wealth | Naperville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Pamela Vasquez | Waterfront | Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Pat Wang | Shearwater Capital | Redondo Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Berch | Waterfront | Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Donnelly | Donnelly Financial Services | Rock Tavern | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Sheppard | Atlantic Retirement & Wealth Advisors | Johns Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Chapman | Colburn Wealth Management, LLC. | Grove City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Escarcega | Sensible Money | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Kiker | Kiker Wealth Management | Jasper | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Dixon | Howland Capital | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Phillip Sharp | Palisade Wealth | Broomfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Pritam Dhavale | Wealth Compounders | Wesley Chapel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachel Lysne | Aspen Capital Management | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Rachel Rademacher | Rademacher Financial | Lawrence | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ray Lombardo | Clearview Investment Partners | Costa Mesa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Reuben Stewart | Navigate Wealth Management | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ricardo Donalexis | Insight Family Financial | Sarasota | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Richard Ambrose | Axia Wealth Management | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Bach | Dash Investments | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Kagy | Phoenix Rising Wealth Management | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Ringwald | Powers Advisory Group | Highland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Sanford | Whitener Capital Management | Rocky Mount | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robbie Johnson | CSH Investment Management | Taylorville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Badger | Dash Investments | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Gabel | Colburn Wealth Management, LLC. | Grove City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Jones | The Investor Advisory Group | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Knapp | OverRidge Wealth Advisors | Aledo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Kristof | Casey Wealth Management | Orland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert McCarver | Heritage Investment Group | Pompano Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Miller | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Moise | Jackson Financial Services | Mt. Pleasant | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Moskowitz | Chatham Wealth Management | Chatham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Rachlow | Luminary Wealth | Fort Wayne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Snelgrove | Kiker Wealth Management | Jasper | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robroy Wiley | SmartPlan Investing | Juno Beach | Not listed | Not listed |
| Roger Cox | Rademacher Financial | Lawrence | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roger Ratzlaff | Waterfront | Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ronnie Huskey | OverRidge Wealth Advisors | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Roy Lopez | Sage Stone Wealth Management | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Roy Wiley | SmartPlan Investing | Juno Beach | Not listed | Not listed |
| Ryan Bradley | Holder Wealth Management | Champaign | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Crooks | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Curtis | Curtis Advisory Group | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Forsythe | Forsythe Wealth Management | Crown Point | 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.