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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Curran | Breachway Investments | West Hartford | CFP, CRPC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Justin Owens | Horizon Advisors LLC | Rome | CFP, CGMA, CKA, CPA/PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katherine Edwards Personalized retirement income and tax-efficient planning for pre-retirees and retirees, plus families at every stage of life. | MainStreet Financial Planning | Raleigh | CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Katie Brewer | Your Richest Life, LLC | Plano | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Keith Southwick | StraitGate Financial | Northville | CFP, ChFC, CLU | Ongoing planning fee |
| Kelly Stanley | Cogent Strategic Wealth | Chicago | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Kelly Van Wyhe | Bright Road Wealth Management, LLC | Tacoma | CFP, CFA, BA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Robinson | Sax Wealth Advisors, LLC | New York | CFP, JD, CPA, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kent Addis | Addis & Hill, Inc. | Wayne | BS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kevin Arruda | Cornerstone Financial Management LLC | Providence | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Peacock | Astra Wealth Partners, LLC | Jersey City | CAIA, CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kristen Moosmiller | NorthAvenue Financial Advocates | Columbus | CFP, MSPFP | Fixed fees |
| Kurt Dupuis | Root Wealth Management | Decatur | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lauri Salverda | Castle Rock Financial Planning, Inc. | Mendota Heights | AIF, CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lawrence Pershing | Optimum Retirement Planning | Lisle | CFP, Retirement Management Advisor | Flat fee or retainer |
| Leslie Merrithew | Merrithew & Thorsten | San Diego | CFP, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Lisa Crivella | Ivy League Financial Advisors LLC | Rockville | CFP, AIF, BA, BS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Loyd Burleson | Financial Freedom for Dentists LLC | Snoqualmie | CFP, MS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Luke McCord | Greenway Financial Planning, LLC | Cumming | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Maggie Beach | NexJenn Financial Services | Naperville | CFP, CPA/PFS, MBA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Marie Schuett | Entirement Financial Planning | Watertown | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Kelly | University Financial Strategies, LLC | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marshall Groom | Groom Financial Advisory | Virginia Beach | CFP, JD | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Matt Pruitt | Exhale Wealth Management, LLC | Minneapolis | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Knoll | The Planning Center | Chicago | CFP, MBA, CAP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Seppanen | Newpark Wealth Management | Park City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Fuhr | Evergreen Wealth Services | Mooresville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Gross | Rising Tides Financial, LLC | Needham | CFP, CPA, MST | Fixed fees |
| Michael Martinez | Live, Learn, Grow Wealth Management | Diamond Bar | CFP, CRPC | Fixed fees |
| Michael Schell | Pathway Financial Advisors, LLC | Atlanta | CFP, EA, CPA/PFS, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mike Schupak | Astra Wealth Partners LLC | Jersey City | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Misty Lynch | Sound View Financial Advisors, LLC | Newton Center | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Morgann Zimmer | Goodman Financial Corporation | Houston | CFP, CPA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Nicolaisen | Redspire Wealth Management, LLC | West Des Moines | CFP, MBA | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Neal Hansen | Net Worth Advisory Group, LLC | Sandy | CFP, BS, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Niamh Douglas | Financial Symmetry, Inc. | Raleigh | CFP, BS, CEPA, BBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nick Fazio | Chattahoochee Wealth | Cumming | CFP, CPA, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Olivia Partin | Diesslin Group, Inc. | Fort Worth | AAMS, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Borges | Borges Financial | Brookfield | CFA, CFP, MS | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Paul Duxbury | Duxbury and Associates | Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph | CFP, FCIA | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Paul Pfeiffer | NorthPoint Financial Planning LLC | Maineville | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Staib | Staib Financial Planning, LLC | Parker | CFP, MBA, RICP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| R Brian Werner | Winthrop Partners | Doylestown | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Randy Wall | Penn Cove Financial, LLC | Oak Harbor | CFP, MBA | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Reggie Fairchild | Flip Flops and Pearls, LLC | Mount Pleasant | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Predham | Impact Financial Planning Inc. | Ottawa | CFP, BBA | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Rick Valenzi | The Financial Zen Group, Inc. | San Francisco | CFP, CRPC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Tucker Unbiased retirement, tax and investment planning for individuals and families, with project-based, hourly or ongoing options. | Tucker Wealth Advisory | Westfield | CFA, CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Ron Graham | Ron Graham and Associates Ltd. | Edmonton | CA, RFP, CFP | Hourly |
| Ronald Strobel | Retire Sensibly LLC | Meridian | CFP, RICP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.