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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Dukeman | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Raftis | Insight Wealth Strategies | San Ramon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Senter | Woodard & Company Asset Management Group | Bermuda Run | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tony Newman | Quest Wealth Solutions | Mansfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Trent Colledge | Sunset Retire | Provo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trevor Bryant | Westshore Wealth | Dallas | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tristan Cox | Wealth Span Capital Management | Northfield | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Troy Crutcher | McIlrath | Eck | Arlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tucker Weppner | Sanderson Wealth Management | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Caveness | Caveness Wealth Advisory | Roanoke | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Harris | ARX Private Wealth | Lancaster | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Hunt | Sunset Retire | Provo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Snow | Verus Financial Partners | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Stearns | Castle Coast Wealth | La Jolla | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Veronica Fuentes | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Vincent Whelan | Whelan Financial | Fresno | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Vinnie Maliakkal | Wavvest | Chicago | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Walter Hinson | Tarheel Advisors | Chapel Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Wesley Read | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Baxter | Paladin Partners | Hartland | CFP, ChFC | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| William Fan | Paulson Wealth Management | Wheaton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Lagos | Verus Financial Partners | Richmond | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| William Litton | Castle Coast Wealth | Incline Village | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Losey | Bill Losey Retirement Solutions | The Villages | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Steinberg | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Welborn | Hoskins Financial | Nashville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Wolf | Financial Plan | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| 5T Wealth Management Financial advisory firm in Napa with a focus on clients needing comprehensive financial planning and sophisticated investment solutions. | 5T Wealth Management | Napa | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Aaron Buckholtz | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Aaron Nolan | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Coughlin | Willamette Wealth Partners | Kalispell | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Adam Grossman | Mayport | Newton | CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Adam Kierzek | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Adam Magee | Whitney & Company | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Mehrer | Wills Financial Group | Newton Square | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Scholl | Henry H. Armstrong Associates | Pittsburgh | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Adam Wojtkowski | Copper Beech Wealth Management | Mansfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Adrienne Fox | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Aiden Cox | Canter Wealth | La Jolla | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alastair Stansfield | Rise Private Wealth Advisors | Tucson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Albert | Lincoln Capital | East Greenwich | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alexander Benson | Birchcreek Wealth Management | Miami Township | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Alexander Doll | Anfield Wealth Management | Cleveland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Alexander Wilson | Provident Financial Planning | Addison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Alexandra Demosthenes | Boca Wealth Advisors | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alexis Olian | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alicia Martinez | Divergent Financial Advisory Services (DiFi Advisory) | Salem | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Alicia Singer | Singer Wealth Management | Seattle | ChFC | Hourly |
| Alison Cantley | Boden Wealth | Lemoyne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Allen Trim | Blue Summit Wealth Management | San Diego | 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.