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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Sanchez | Model Wealth | Wheaton | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Douglas English | ACT Advisors | Asheville | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Douglas Newport | Our Investment Guy | Clinton Twp | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Drew Garner | Castlepoint Wealth Advisors | Oklahoma City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Drew Waterbury | Ocean Advisors | Charlotte | CFP | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Dustin Burkhart | Summit Wealth & Retirement Partners | Westfield Center | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Edward Anderson | Twin Arbor Wealth Management | Saint Paul | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Edward Creegan | Castlepoint Wealth Advisors | Oklahoma City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Hoppe | Verus Financial Partners | Richmond | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Edward Williams | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Elaine Morgillo | Flying Point Financial | Portsmouth | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Harper | Monument Wealth Management | Alexandria | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Emily Lopez | Mills Wealth Advisors | Southlake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Turner | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Walls | Ascension Capital Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Horne | Arc Element Wealth Design | Papillion | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Nelson | Independence Wealth | Voorhees | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Schrum | Schrum Private Wealth Management | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Strong | Miller Avenue Advisors | Mill Valley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erich Imphong | Plotkin Financial Advisors | Marriottsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erich von Geis | Aspire Private Wealth Counsel | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Erik Baskin | Baskin Financial Planning | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erik Helmstetter | Oder Investment Management | Los Angeles | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Erin Goss | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Erin Martin | MRP Advisors | Milton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Esmond Pabilona | Wela Financial Advisory | San Antonio; | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Eva Howland | White Lighthouse Investment Management | Bedford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Evan Davies | Praetorian Guard Wealth Management | Carmel | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Evan Kraft | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gabriel Twining | Financial Plan | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Garrett Gould | Halyard Financial | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gary Wood | BDC Capital Management | Glen Allen | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Genevieve George | Pelican Financial Planning & Wealth | Jupiter | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| George Kiraly | LodeStar | Naples | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gerrond McKee | Lifeway Financial | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gino Poli | Pendulum Partners | Itasca | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Graham Shepherd | Armor Investment Advisors | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Greg Miyashiro | Kahala Financial Advisors | Honolulu | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Fowler | Integrated Capital Planning | Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Guadalupe Lechuga | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Haley Schwartz | ARX Private Wealth | Lancaster | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Harrison McQuaig | Rothschild Capital Partners | Washington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Heath Hampton | Boldin | Kathleen | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Heather McClain | Deters Wealth Management | Gilbert | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Heidi Yoshida | Oak Advisors | Bluffton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian Castille | Capital Advantage | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | Kaizen Financial Strategies | Pleasanton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ilirjan Shkurti | Whistle Stop Financial Advice | Birmingham | CFA | Hourly |
| Isaac Hutchins | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| J Cameron Zabko | Westhollow Wealth Management | Milton | 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.