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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katie Macdonald | MacDonald Wealth Management | Mansfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kayse Kress | DocsFP | Newington | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Keith Wander | Roble Belko & Company | Sewickley | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kelsey Doren | Barlow Wealth Partners | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kelsey Martin | Financial Plan | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kendall King | Castlepoint Wealth Advisors | Oklahoma City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Cala | Lowery Thomas | Alameda | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Kenneth Carraro | Financial Planning Northwest | Portland | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Kenneth Petrashek | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Campbell | McIlrath | Eck | San Luis Obispo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Dunford | Boldin | Snowflake | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kevin McLoughlin | Trio Wealth Management® | Sterling | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kian Rahmanzadeh | Castlepoint Wealth Advisors | Oklahoma City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kraig Mickelsen | KRM Financial Services | St. Charles | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kristen Buchman | Castlepoint Wealth Advisors | Oklahoma City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kristin Lindsay | Verus Financial Partners | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Kristin Short | Confide | Thousand Oaks | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Kristofer Harrison | Northeastern Financial Consultants | South Abington Township | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyle Boucher | PCM Encore | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Gowen | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyle Moerschbacher | Kooman & Associates | Altoona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Wagner | Wagner Wealth Management | Conyngham | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lance Jamerson | Westshore Wealth | Dallas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Larren Odom | Chastain Wealth Management | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Larry Sprung Bringing JOY to Your Money Journey™ | Mitlin Financial, Inc | Hauppauge | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Laura Barnard | Wealth Management Partners | Tucson | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Laura Cook | Flourish Financial Life Planning | Anderson | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Laura Kuntz | Laurel Wealth Planning | Edina | PFS | Ongoing planning fee |
| Lauren Friedlander | Spectrum Financial Management | San Rafael | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lauren Matthiessen | LeClair Wealth Partners | Dublin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Leonard Barry | Yahara Wealth Management | Madison | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lester Detterbeck | Detterbeck Wealth Management | Palatine | CFP, CFA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Lindsey Meredith | Heritage Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ljubisa Vrcelj | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Logan Bennett | Brexton Family Financial | Grapevine | CFP | Fixed fees |
| Lori Ong | Whelan Financial | Fresno | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Louai Bibi | Ecivda Financial Planning Boutique | Ottawa | Not listed | Not listed |
| Louis Patierno | Peak Planning Group | Centennial | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lukas McCalla | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lyndon Lorenz | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Madeline Barconi | Breakwater Capital Group | Denver | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maggie Fisher | ARX Private Wealth | Lancaster | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Manan Patel | Ample Wealth Partners | Saint Cloud | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Marc Henn | Harvest Financial Advisors | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marc Roland | Dean Roland Russell Family Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Marc Wehmeyer | Praetorian Guard Wealth Management | Arlington | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Margaret Nickens | Elm3 Financial Group | Alpharetta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marguerite Cook | Rothschild Capital Partners | Hollywood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mariette Campbell | Osprey Private Wealth | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Adams | The DBS Companies | Bloomington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
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.