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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Waltz | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Faruk Jaffer | Index Gurus | Concord | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Fatima Iqbal | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Francisco Aguilar Puyol | MAPT Capital | Madison | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Gary Ferguson | John Moore Associates | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| George Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gordon Shearer | CRA Financial | Northfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Grant Bugner | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Grant Palmer, IV | Waypoint Wealth Management | Timonium | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Grant Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Barishian | Aurelius Family Office | Chepachet | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hannah Gohmert | Keller Wealth Advisors | Victoria | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ibtasam Mahmood | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ifeoma Idoko | Rothenburg Capital Management | Calgary | CIM | Not listed |
| Jack Stemper | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jaco Jordaan | Riverchase Wealth Management | Upper St. Clair | CFP, ChFC, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacob Bartel | Birchcreek Wealth Management | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| James Griffin | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| James Hargrave | Pillar Financial Planning | Raymore | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| James Nash | Clark Wealth Partners | O'Fallon | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Stork | Pinnacle Financial Group, LLC | Western Springs | CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jansen Davidson | Birchcreek Wealth Management | Miami Township | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jarrett Topel | Topel & DiStasi Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jason Cutitta | ToBA Financial | Kaneohe | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Edgerton | Certified Financial Strategies | Dallas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jay Hutchins | The Wealth Conservatory | Plymouth | AEP, AIFA, CDFA, CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Arnold | IMPACTfolio | Denver | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Belmonte | SummitView Advisors | Belmont | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Clark | Redwood Money | San Jose | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Hilliard | CRA Financial | Haddonfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Vistica | Vistica Wealth Advisors | Carlsbad | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jessica Lanning | Lanning Financial | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jim Stanhouse | Stanhouse Financial Planning & Mgt. | Duluth | MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Carr | Carr Consulting P.A. | San Antonio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Hopkins | Swift Creek Wealth Management, LLC | Moseley | BS, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Jakobs | Jakobs Financial | Edmonton | P.Eng | One-time planning fee |
| John Onesti | John Moore Associates | Albuquerque | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Payne | Birchcreek Wealth Management | Miami Township | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jon Henderson | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Davison | Austin Asset | Austin | CFP, CPA, MBA, CFA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jonathan Duong | Wealth Engineers | Denver | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jordan Talbert | Creative Wealth Management | Punta Gorda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joseph Brady | Rock Financial Planning | Arvada | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Limond | Clerestory Advisors, Inc. | Bloomington | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joseph McCaffrey | CRA Financial | Haddonfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Julie Kern | Bridge Financial Strategies | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Julie McDaniel | IMPACTfolio | Denver | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kassi Fetters | Artica Financial Services | Anchorage | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kathleen Daunt | New School of Finance | Toronto | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, One-time 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.