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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Cunningham | Reality Financial Planning Services | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Desimone | Peddock Capital Advisors | Braintree | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Gullo | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Kamola | JW Financial Advisors | Santa Rosa | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| John McNertney | Green Ocean Global | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Planell | Round Rock Advisors | Wilton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Purrington | Armor Investment Advisors | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Richardson | RED Seven Wealth Management | Escondido | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Schniepp | Cascade Financial Strategies | Bend | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Wanvig | White Lighthouse Investment Management | Bedford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John York | White Lighthouse Investment Management | Aurich, Germany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jon Moores | Ascension Capital Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jon Sevenker | Pittenger & Anderson | Lincoln | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Bottaro | B&C Financial Advisors | Ponte Vedra Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Hall | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Lachowitz | White Lighthouse Investment Management | Bedford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Lopez Experienced entrepreneurs helping business owners pay less in taxes and build wealth. | Truvize Financial Planning | El Paso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Subscription |
| Jonathan Lopez | Caveness Wealth Advisory | Abingdon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Moore | Ironwood Wealth Management | Chandler | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Swanburg | TSA Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jordan Gibbs | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jose Martin | LifeCraft Wealth | Sunrise | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Clark | Praetorian Guard Wealth Management | Carmel | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Elsasser | Adaptive Advice | Omaha | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Joseph Fernandez | Invenio Wealth Partners | Coral Gables | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Gauvin | Stonehearth Capital Management | Danvers | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Hendrickson | PCM Encore | Folsom | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Kirby | Gryphon Wealth | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph McCabe | Vestpointe Wealth Management | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Smith | StillBlue Financial Partners | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Sweeney | Sweeney & Michel | Chico | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Josh Womack Your personal wealth manager, advising on and managing both public and private investments. | Womack Financial | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Bailey | Muirfield Wealth Advisors | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshua Jakubovitz | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Salway | Full of Grace Financial | Roanoke | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joy Schlie | Harvest Financial Advisors | West Chester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Julia Zakarias | GenFi Family and Fiduciary Services | Chicago | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Julie Hetland | Financial Planning Navigators | Maple Grove | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Justin Best | Kooman & Associates | Altoona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Justin Gross | Financial Plan | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Justin Mayo | Sierra Wealth Strategies | El Cajon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin McCurdy | Bridge Financial Planning | Valapariso | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Justin Sanderson | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Justina Welch | Integrity Wealth Solutions | Denver | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Kaleb Paddock | Ten Talents Financial Planning | Parker | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Katelyn Mahon | Peddock Capital Advisors | Braintree | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katharine Bressington | Linden Financial Consultants | Rochester | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Katherine Hollenbeck | Keen Capital | Chapin | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kathleen Adams | Second 50 Financial | Manhattan Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kathryn Starkey | Kooman & Associates | Altoona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.