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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mallory Kretman | Laurel Wealth Planning | Edina | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Mario Posteraro | Roble Belko & Company | Sewickley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Aguilar | ProCore Advisors | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Mark Boujikian | Keymark Financial | Rolling Hills Estates | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Cecchini Comprehensive wealth management and equity advice for people in tech/crypto with $2m+. | Quadrant Capital | Center Valley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Mark Meredith | Meredith Wealth Planning | Maryville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Whitman | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Christl | Wise Wealth Partners | Folsom | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Davis | Sherwood Financial Partners | Westlake Village | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Furlong | Furlong Investment Solutions | Chicago | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Lee | Paragon Advisors | College Station | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew McGahey | Steadfast Financial Services | Altamonte Springs | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Mondoux | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Spradling | Paragon Advisors | College Station | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Maureen Demers | Demers Financial Planning | North Andover | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Maxwell Carlos | Laurel Wealth Planning | Edina | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Melanie Brophy | Next Play Financial Solutions | Ashburn | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Michael Babicz | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Macke | Wealth 73 | Jacksonville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Ryan | Marathon Mission | Latham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michele Gawthrop | ONE Advisory Partners | Overland Park | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Campbell | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Konstantarakis | The Investment Counsel Company of Nevada | Las Vegas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mitch Hamer The intersection of financial planning, investment management, and life plans for high performers. | Intersecting Wealth | Northbrook | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Myriah Lipke | Stone Pine Financial Partners | Media | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nancy Doyle Hourly, advice-only planning that helps women and families in transition simplify their finances and understand their money. | Manage Your Financial Life | Winnetka | CFA, CFT | Hourly |
| Naoko McKelvey | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nathan Dingler | DiversiFi Capital | Los Altos | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Fahrendorff | Pine Grove Financial Group | Minnetonka | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Hickly | The Investment Counsel Company of Nevada | Las Vegas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Lombardozzi | Kingdom Wealth Advisers | Gilbert | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Phelps | Nicholas H. Phelps, CFP® | State College | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Nicholas Wolverton | Peak Financial Management | Broomfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paige Millikin | Sage Wealth Planning | Georgetown | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Patricia Konetzny | The Practical Planner | Groton | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Peter O'Keefe | O'Keefe Stevens Advisory | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Ramon Franklin | Capital Focus | Greenville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raymond Vo | DiversiFi Capital | Los Altos | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Richard Taborda | LBT Wealth Management | Iselin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Richard Wimmer | Meredith Wealth Planning | Maryville | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robb Pryor Helping individuals and small business professionals convert high income to high net worth. | Priority Tax & Financial Planning | Amherst | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Robert Calhoun | Paragon Advisors | College Station | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Curry | Curry Webb Wealth Management | Indianapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Dignan | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Gregov | Roche Financial Partners | Hopewell | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Steinberg | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ross Cutler We aim to be readily available to clients at all times. | King Tide Advisors | Stuart | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Casey | Tilia Fiduciary Partners | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ryan Earley Flat-fee, comprehensive planning for Mississippi state employees in PERS, from a planner who is a vested PERS member himself. | PERS Pro | Vancleave | MBA | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Ryan Furlong Tax Efficient Wealth Management for families who want to leave a legacy. | Parkwoods Wealth Partners | St Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets |
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.