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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Ish | Prepared Financial Planning LLC | Milwaukee | CFP, CFA, CPA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Novick | The Investment Connection | Bridgewater | CFP, JD | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Angela Furubotten-LaRosee | Avea Financial Planning, LLC | Pasco | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Anna Golan-Reznick | Objective Financial Partners Inc. | Markham | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Ashley Rittershaus Flat-fee, six-month planning for people who want to retire early, work less or change course while caring for their future selves. | Curious Crow Financial Planning | Revere | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Audrey Morrison | Cairn Financial Advisors, LLC | Denver | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Austin Lee | Lee Financial Group LLC | Ladera Ranch | CFP, MBA | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Austin Preece | Preece Financial Planning | Eau Claire | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Autumn Knutson | Styled Wealth | Tulsa | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Ben Earls | Earls Financial LLC | Fort Worth | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Bill Jensen | Acadia Financial Services LLC | Burke | CFP, EA | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Bobby Cremins | Metanoia Financial | Philadelphia | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brenda Hiscock | Objective Financial Partners | Toronto | CFP, RHU | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Brie Pio | Birch Point Wealth Management LLC | Rockport | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Bryan Gum | Lighthouse Planning | Merriam | CFP, RLP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Carlie Ransom | Equal Path Investments | Tacoma | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Carmetta Joyner Practical, lecture-free planning that helps first-generation professionals organize their finances and put a custom plan into action. | Joyner Financial Planning LLC | San Francisco | CFP | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Cary Cates | Cates Financial Planning, LLC | Denton | CFP, EA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cassandra Smalley | Cassandra Smalley Wealth Management | Seminole | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Chad Holmes Flat fee - fee only - fiduciary - Life Audit Creator | Formula Wealth | Fairhope | CFP, CPA | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Chao Zhang | Think Different Wealth Advisors LLC | Allen | CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Charles Harper | Harper Financial Planning LLC | Columbia | CFP, ChFC, RICP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Charles Stermetz | Equity For The Win (EquityFTW) | San Jose | CEP, CFP | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Charles Terry | Shepherd Wealth Partners, LLC | Waxhaw | CAP, CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Chris Diodato WELLth is a flat fee, fiduciary financial planner located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and serving clients nationally | WELLth Financial Planning | Palm Beach Gardens | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer |
| Christina Empedocles | Insight Personal Finance | San Francisco | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher Kehoe | R.W. Roge & Company, Inc. | Bohemia | CFA, MBA, AIF, CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Christopher Marrone | Marrone Wealth Management LLC | New York | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Christopher Stroup | Silicon Beach Financial | Santa Monica | CFP, MBA, EA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Courtney McKenna | Altfest Personal Wealth Management | New York | CFP, CLU, CFA, CPA/PFS | Ongoing planning fee |
| Craig Nelson | Red Sky Financial Planning, LLC | Wilsonville | CFP, CPA | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Craig Toberman | Toberman Becker Wealth, LLC | St. Louis | CFA, CFP, CPA, MBA | Percentage of assets |
| Curtis Pope | Pope Wealth Planning | New York | CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| DAN Honsberger Advice-only planning for complex situations, from taxes and insurance reviews to equity compensation and inherited IRAs, by the hour or ongoing. | Reel Financial Planning | Midlothian | CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Daniel Wrenne | Wrenne Financial Planning | Lexington | CFP, ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Dave Rowan | Rowan Financial LLC | Bethlehem | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| David Lafferty | Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC | Philadelphia | CFP, MBA, JD, CAP | Percentage of assets |
| David Lyon | Lyon Wealth Advisory | San Deigo | CFP, EA, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Dominic Corabi | Wedmont Private Capital | West Chester | CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ed Smith | Valor Wealth Partners | Washington | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Emily Rassam | Archer Investment Management | Austin | AIFA, CDAA, CFP, CRPS | Percentage of assets |
| Fabian Degen | FMD Wealth Advisors | White Plains | CFP, CFA, EA, CDFA | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Gabriel Kaplan | Wealth Habits | White Plains | CFP, CPA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Garrett Dresen | Harbor Horizon Financial | Wilsonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Glen Monroe | Monroe Wealth Management | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Glenn Brown | PlanDynamic, LLC | Framingham | CFP, CRPC, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Greg Gorski | Owl & Ore Wealth Planning | Pleasant Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Hannah McVean | Objective Financial Partners | Markham | CFP, CIM | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Harrison Hinz | First Pacific Financial | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Hazel Secco | Align Financial Solutions | Hoboken | CDFA, CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
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.