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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Beaver | Keeler & Nadler | Dublin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Chemtob | Chemistry Wealth Management, LLC. | New York | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Farrelly | Cairn Wealth Management | Vancouver | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Hildebrand | Nearside Advisors | Indianapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Moberg | Green Ocean Global | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Olsen | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Zionsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Stephens | Pendulum Partners | Itasca | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Ward | Lucien, Stirling & Gray Advisory Group | Austin | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Martin Day | Brexton Family Financial | Grapevine | CFP | Fixed fees |
| Martin Kelman | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Margolis | MBR Financial | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Matthew Blades | Woodard & Company Asset Management Group | Bermuda Run | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Brown | Mills Wealth Advisors | Southlake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Crisafulli | ACap Advisors & Accountants | Studio City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Goff | The Goff Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | One-time planning fee |
| Matthew Hudak | CoCreate Financial | Bozeman | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Miller | Armor Investment Advisors | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Riggins | Mash Financial Planning | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Matthew Shriver | Alexander Randolph Advisory | Reston | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Simmons | Peddock Capital Advisors | Braintree | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Snuggs | Pursuit Wealth Strategies | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Snyder | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Max Heintz | MFH Financial Services | Dayton | CFP | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Megan Prochniak | Paladin Partners | Hartland | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Meghan Bohlke | Financial Planning Navigators | Maple Grove | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Melissa Montalvo | Atticus Wealth Management | Palm Beach Gardens | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Dunlap | Pathway Advisor | Fallbrook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Klubnik | Keeler & Nadler | Dublin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Macco | Macco Financial Group | Green Bay | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Manjarrez | Whelan Financial | Fresno | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Mills | Mills Wealth Advisors | Southlake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Phillips | Verus Capital Partners | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Purtill | Purtill Financial | Cleveland Heights | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Ryan | Whelan Financial | Fresno | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Smith | ProFocus | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Troxell Financial planning for folks with stock options and RSUs | Modern Financial Planning | Oakland | CPA | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Hundley | Trio Wealth Management® | Great Falls | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michelle Myhre | Oak Advisors | Bluffton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mohua Das | Crimson Oak Wealth Management | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Molly LaFleche | Financial Planning Navigators | Maple Grove | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Monica Dwyer | Harvest Financial Advisors | West Chester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Monica Sipes | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Morgan Cain | Macco Financial Group | Green Bay | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nancy Mulvey | Heritage Financial Counselors | Bedminster | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nathan Brown | Brown Financial Planning | Bay City | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nathan Paulson | Paulson Wealth Management | Wheaton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Twining | Financial Plan | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Neil Unger | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Allgeyer | Worley Banks Group | Creve Coeur | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Bormann | Bormann Wealth Management, LLC. | Spokane | 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.