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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Casto | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Calvin Chanski | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Calvin Lo | Keystone Global Partners | Monrovia | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Cameron Hamilton | Ballast | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Candace Lee | Glassman Wealth | Vienna | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carlton Davis | Realm Investment Consulting | Cary | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Carol Dixon | Your Planning Partner | Palm Beach Gardens | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carol Lane | The Financial Resource Center | Carmel | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carolina Ortiz | Shared Vision Wealth Group | Carlsbad | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carolyn McClanahan | Life Planning Partners | Jacksonville | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Catherine Atwood | Founders Grove Wealth Partners | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Celeste Pryor | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Chad Kelley | Means Wealth Management | Bangor | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Charles Lawson | Heritage Financial Network | Concord | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chase Perry | Beaird Harris | Dallas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christian Doyle | Saling Wealth Advisors | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christie Whitney | Rebalance | Palo Alto | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Christina Brown | Andrews Advisory Associates | Honolulu | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christine Parker | Parker Financial | La Plata | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christine Sakraida | White Aspen Capital | Henderson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Battreall | Precision Wealth Strategies | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Gauthier | Proactive Financial Solutions 360 | North Attleboro | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Hughes | Burton Enright Welch | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher June | Sweeney Financial Advisors | Bedford | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Mallon | Pennsylvania Capital Management | Huntingdon Valley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher McBee | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher McCrea | Legacy Financial Independent Advisors | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Snyder | Richard P. Slaughter Associates | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Stakley | Steffes Financial | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Sternau | Altere Financial | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clark Hayden | Lockshield Partners | Glasgow | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Claudia Bellars | Bellars Harris Wealth Management | Mount Pleasant | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cody Makela | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Coleman Pollard | Steelhead Wealth Management | Glen Allen | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Colin Gerrety | Glassman Wealth | Vienna | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Colin Higgins | Richard P. Slaughter Associates | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Colton Owen | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Connor Cox | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Courtney Kenning | Destiny Capital | Golden | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Curtis Burch | Destiny Capital | College Station | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Dale Hershman Hourly or ongoing investment advice on biotech, healthcare and dividend stocks for FIRE seekers, expats and entrepreneurs. | Sick Advisory Services | Boca Raton | Not listed | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Dana Sippel | Glassman Wealth | Vienna | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Heidel | Integritas Wealth Strategies | Charleston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Huffman | Cornerstone Financial Planning | Other | ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel King | S. Harris Financial Group | San Antonio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel McCurdy | McCurdy Financial Solutions | Rocklin | CFP, ChFC, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Phillips | Michels Family Financial | Fort Worth | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Tripp | Redwood Grove Wealth Management | San Rafael | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Daniel Weinstein | KFA Private Wealth Group | Tyson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Danielle Barbato | Milestone Asset Management Group | Avon | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
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.