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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Lotocky | The Dixon Davis Group | Victoria | CPA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Schweiss | Modern Dollar Planning | St. Louis | CFP, CFA, CPA | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Mark Young | Clearview Financial, Inc. | San Diego | CFP, CPA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matt Buckwalter | MJB Financial Planning, LLC | Omaha | CFP, MS | Ongoing planning fee |
| Matt Fizell | Harmony Wealth | Madison | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Matt Hylland | Arnold & Mote Wealth Management | Hiawatha | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Matthew Fitzgerald | Holistic Planning | Sedona | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Jenkins | Noble Hill Planning LLC | Richmond | CFA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew McKee | Target Rock Wealth Management | New York | CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Meg van den Már | Alongside Financial Partners, LLC | Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Meghan Coolbaugh | Oak Street Advisory Group, LLC | Nevada City | CFP, MA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Melinda Satterlee | Marathon Wealth Management LLC | Medina | CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Deepwell | Lamp Financial Inc. | Vancouver | TEP, CPA, CA, CFP | Not listed |
| Michael Johnson | Flagstone Financial Management | Lincoln | CFP, JD, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Randall | Oak Summit Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, CFA, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Shea | True Equity Wealth Management LLC | Nashville | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Michael Zung | Java Wealth Planning | Lees Summit | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Michelle Goldstein | Goldstein Financial Future | Dallas | CFP, MBA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Mike Anderson | AdviceOnly | Murrieta | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Mike Farrow | FlightPath Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Molly Laughter | Laughter Financial, LLC | Celina | CFA, CFP, MA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Myles Brandt | Charleston Financial Advisors, LLC | Charleston | CFP, MS | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Nicholas Stevens | Evergreen Wealth Management | Boston | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Nick Booth Advice-only planning for people nearing retirement and millennials balancing big life events with saving for the future. | Nine Inning Finance, LLC | North Bethesda | CDAA, CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Nick Nauta | Shotwell Rutter Baer | Lansing | CFP, CLU, RLP, TPCP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Omen Quelvog | Formynder Wealth Management, LLC | Fredericksburg | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Patrick Whalen | Whalen Financial Planning | Los Angeles | CFP, CTFA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Phil Francois | Foundation Wealth Planning | Salina | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Philip Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management LLC | Phoenix | CFA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Phillip Durbin I help rural and middle-income families to learn about personal finance so that they can great Generational Wealth and change their families futures. | Generational Wealth Development | Cameron | Not listed | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Phillip Mills | Flying Forward Wealth Management | Boerne | AEP, CFP, ChFC, CIMA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Quinn Arnold | Arnold Financial Planning LLC | Cedar Rapids | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Richard Feight | IAM Financial, LLC | East Lansing | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard McCormack | School of Personal Finance | Yorktown Heights | CFP, RICP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Falcon | Falcon Wealth Managers LLC | Concordville | BS, CFP, CPA, CPA/PFS | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ron Rhoades | Scholar Financial | Bowling Green | CFP, JD | Percentage of assets |
| Rorik Larson | Essential Financial Strategies | Palos Heights | CFP, EA, MBA | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Allen | Financial Advisory Corporation | Grand Rapids | CFA, CFP, CKA, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Derousseau | United Financial Planning Group | Hauppauge | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Mohr | Clarity Capital Management | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan Moran | Locus Wealth Management | West Chester | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Weiser | Weiser Financial Planning LLC | Lewis Center | CASL, CDFA, CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sandi Martin | Sandi Martin Financial Planning | Gravenhurst | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Sarah Brown | Natural Bridges Financial Advisors | Santa Cruz | CFP, CPA, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sarah Maitre | Camriel Advisors | Mount Shasta | CFP, CFA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Blaesing | Cascade Wealth Advisors, Inc. | Wenatchee | CFP, CPA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Bown | AdviceOnly | Bethel Park | CFP, MBA | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Scott Logan | HoganTaylor Wealth | Oklahoma City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Oeth | Cahill Financial Advisors, Inc. | Fort Worth | CFP, MSFS | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Seun Adeyemi | SA Capital Advisors Inc. | Whitby | CKA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer, 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.