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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn McKeown | Southern Pacific Asset Management | Yuma | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Shon McCarley | Retirement Planning Blueprint | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stanley Schill | S. R. Schill & Associates | Mercer Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stefan Pellish | Sightline Wealth Advisors | Groton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephanie Moroney | Anchor Capital Advisors | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Cavagnaro | Anchor Capital Advisors | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Griner | Milestone Investments Columbus | Ridgeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen McNaughton | Rede Wealth | Charlottesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steve Schaefer | Eagle Eye Advisory | Westerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Levenson | Western Financial | Eagle | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Maher | Cool Creek Financial | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Randolph | Wealthview Capital | Jackson | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Sherman | CS Advisors | Boca Raton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stewart Neely | Retirement Planning Blueprint | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Susanna Fraser | Asset One | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Susanne Naso | The Pacific Financial Group | Bradenton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Suyoung Cha | BSG Advisers | Apex | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tara May | Milestone Investments Columbus | Ridgeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tayler Hebert | Fortune 45 | Baton Rouge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Taylor Retherford | Aggregate Financial Services | Navarre | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Theodore Perez | Tax Favored Retirement | Kansas City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Sjoberg | Twin Cities Retirement Group | Plymouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Trouba | Solyco Wealth | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Tuohy | Driven Investments | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothee Hammond | Hoosier Financial Planning | Indianapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Feeney | Feeney Financial | Mt. Laurel | Not listed | One-time planning fee |
| Timothy Jones | BCR Wealth Strategies | Vestavia | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Mack | High Plains Advisors | Lubbock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Powers | Powers Capital Management | Conshohocken | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Tonn | Cirrus Capital Management | Tampa | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tomas Jacobsen | Snider & Talbot | Liberty | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tonya Williams | Brookstone Wealth Management | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Travis Edington | The Pacific Financial Group | Nashville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Travis Trettin | Yosemite Wealth | Oakhurst | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Trevor Parsons | Statherós Financial Solutions | El Dorado Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Troy Tonn | Cirrus Capital Management | Tampa | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Gazdik | AdviceOne | Glastonbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tyler Page | Jackson Wealth | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Simones | Northwest Quadrant Wealth | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tyson Rutland | Wealthview Capital | Jackson | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Victoria Varisco Lulich | Fortune 45 | Gonzales | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Warren Leet | Blue Castle Wealth | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Wesley Melbrod | Melbrod Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| William Calvin | Sage Investment Counsel | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Duvall | Sightline Wealth Advisors | Groton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| William Fenimore | River Wealth Advisors | Camp Hill | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Fung | CA Investment Advisers | Cupertino | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| William Hepburn | Shadowridge Asset Management | Austin | Not listed | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| William Herbert | Balanced Wealth Management | Needham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| William Hickey | Anchor Capital Advisors | Boston | 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.