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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Rausch | North River Wealth Advisors | Pittsburgh | ASA, CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Miguel Gomez | Sophronia Wealth Advisors, Inc. | El Paso | CFP, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Miguel Gomez Garcia | Sophronia Wealth Advisors, Inc. | El Paso | CFP, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mike Davis | Legs Financial | Greensboro | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mike Morton | Morton Financial Advice | Harvard | CFP, ChFC, RLP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Mitchell Anderson | EFinancial Alliance | Franklin | CFP, MBA | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Nancy Grouni | Objective Financial Partners Inc. | Markham | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Nate Willardson | Currents Wealth Strategies | Chandler | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Nick Foy | Greenway Wealth Advisors, LLC | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Patricia Kane | Kane Financial Planning, LLC | Avon | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Dinan | Impact Fiduciary | Pasadena | CFP, Chartered SRI Counselor | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Yaghoobians | Noor Financial Services | Los Angeles | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Phil Orwig | Fair Asset Management, LLC | Dallas | CFP, CPWA, ChFC, RICP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Philip Murphy Independent, advice-only planning for people saving, investing or facing transitions like retirement, a new career or a health challenge. | IndiePlan LLC | Albany | CFP, CFA | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Praveen Krishnamurthy Advice-only planning for tech professionals on equity compensation, taxes and diversification, from a former Google engineering leader. | Empower Financial | Fremont | CFP | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Prudence Zhu | Enso Financial | Phoenix | CFP, CFT-I, CPA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Rachel DeCarolis | Northstar Financial Planning | Windham | CDFA, CeFT, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Rana Choubah | Meridian Financial Advisors, LLC | Holliston | CFP, CRPC, CRPS, MPAS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Rebecca Jackson | SeedSafe Financial | Austin | CFP, CPA, PFS, RLP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| RJ Devick | Bond&Devick Wealth Partners | Saint Louis Park | BA, BFA, BS, CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Robert Costello | Costello Financial Planning | Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Persichitte | Delagify Financial | Arvada | CFP, CPA, PFS | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan Greiser | Opulus, LLC | Doylestown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ryan Kurtz | Objective Financial Partners Inc. | Markham | CPA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Ryan Miyamoto | Derive Wealth | Pasadena | CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Grissom A former college professor who helps couples build a custom retirement roadmap covering investments, taxes, insurance, spending and estate planning. | Socrates Financial Planning LLC | Jenison | CFP, PhD | One-time planning fee |
| Sean Lovison | Purpose Built Financial Services, LLC | Moorestown | CFP, CPA | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Shane Dennehy | CayDen Wealth Management | Broomfield | BFA, CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Sheila McGinn | Brightview Financial Solutions, LLC | Redwood City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Nelson | Birchwood Capital LLC | Carlsbad | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Stanganelli | Clear View Wealth Advisors, LLC | Amesbury | AEP, CFP, CRPC, MS | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Stu Sneen | TwoTen Planning PLLC | Austin | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sweta Bhargav | Adviso Wealth | Princeton | CEPA, CFA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Thuy (Twee) Lam | Objective Financial Partners | Markham | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Tommy Lopez | Coffeehouse Capital LLC | Financial Planning and Wealth Management | Fresno | CFP, CRPC | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Tracy Baron Garcia | TBG Investing | Lake Oswego | CFP, MBA | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Travis Tracy | Fortitude Financial Planning, LLC | Raleigh | CFP, EA, JD | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Troy Knighton | Veritas Wealth Management LLC | Salt Lake City | CFP, CPA/PFS, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Vikki Brown | Modern Cents | Mississauga | CFP, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Will Revels | PieCapital | Raleigh | CEPA, CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Zeke Anders | Planalto Financial LLC | Huntsville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Ziad Sahuri | Parallel Wealth Financial Group | Ottawa | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Zubin Kapur | Valor Wealth Partners | Washington | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Aaron Milledge | Targeted Wealth Solutions | Colorado Springs | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Adam Cornwell | North Ridge Wealth Advisors | Beaverton | CFA, CFP | Percentage of assets |
| AJ Flores | Portfolio Advisors, Inc. | Fresno | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Alan Nelson | Measured Money Maneuvers LLC | Solana Beach | CFP, ChFC, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Alex Bridges | Tiverton Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP, ChFC, RICP, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Allen Gibson | GIBSON WEALTH ADVISORS LLC | Tyler | CFP, ChFC, CDFA, CRPC | Percentage of assets |
| Alonso Rodriguez Segarra | Advise Financial | Boca Raton | CFP | Hourly, 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.