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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Storjohann | Allora Wealth | Chula Vista | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Berhow | All Star Financial | Minneapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Brennan | Covenant Wealth Advisors | Reston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Cobas | Kaiyo Wealth | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Dattilio | Mascoma Wealth Management | Hanover | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Gatt | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Jude | Rebalance | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Ohrenich | Stillwater Private Wealth | Allenton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Maxwell Elsasser | Glassman Wealth | Washington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| McKenzie Ebbesen | Bason Asset Management | Platte City | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Meagan Niese | Teamwork Financial Group | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Megan Waters | Covenant Wealth Advisors | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Melodie Ace | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Melody Laser | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Booker | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Brundage | Clear Ridge Wealth Management | Kalamazoo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Furois | The Planning Associates | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Kothakota | WolfBridge Wealth | Durham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Mazzei | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Meehan | TFC Financial | Boston | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Minter | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Pumphrey | Tanglewood Total Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Rettinger | KFA Private Wealth Group | Tyson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Yang | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michelle Brow | Full Bloom Financial | Northville | ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michelle Wells | Darrow Wealth Management | Needham | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Miller Hoffman | TradeWinds | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mitchell Byrum | S. Harris Financial Group | San Antonio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Burleson | Heritage Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan McDuffee | Oliver Wealth Management | Towson | CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Nathan Mirizzi | Blue Barn Wealth | Orem | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nathan Snow | Accruent Wealth Advisors | Winston-Salem | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Bzovi | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Sullivan | KFA Private Wealth Group | Cranford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholaus Domachowski | Carroll Advisory Group | Texarkana | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Noah Polk | Saling Wealth Advisors | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Graver | Center Stage Planning | Greeley | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Patrick McNamara | Glassman Wealth | Rockville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Sweeney | Patrick M Sweeney & Associates | Libertyville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Swift | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Carroll | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Esposito | Prestige Wealth Management Group | Flemington | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Bobolia | Destiny Capital | Denver | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Peter Eberhart | Henry H. Armstrong Associates | Pittsburgh | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Faust | Tanglewood Total Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Levine | Velara Wealth Management | New York | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peyton Klawinski | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Philip Matalucci | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Quinn McCracken | River's Edge Wealth Management | Beaver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Rachel Buckhoff | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | 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.