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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnet Goverman | Goverman Financial Solutions | Dedham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Barry Mendel | Mendel Money Management | Northbrook | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Barry Picker | Meisels, Kunstler, Picker & Auerbach | Cedarhurst | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bashar Qasem | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Benjamin Beck | Beck Bode | Dedham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Benjamin Dolan | Dolan Capital Advisors | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Greenman | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Nostrand | Westview Investment Advisors | Burlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Rickey | Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors | Yakima | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Benjamin Weaver | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bernard Murphy | Arista Advisory Group | Albany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bixby Gilbertson | Petros Family Wealth | Bloomington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Blair Shein | Compass Financial Group | Deerfield Beach | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Blaise Stevens | Strategic Advisory Partners | Greensboro | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Blake Hedrick | Family Wealth Partners | Matthews | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Blake Martin | Cloud Capital Management | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brad Williams | WS Wealth Management | Sandpoint | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bradley Blackburn | Blackburn Financial | Cashmere | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bradley Fine | Four Seasons Investment Management | Rehoboth Beach | Not listed | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Bradley Johnston | Fiduciary Benefits Group | San Diego | CFP, ChFC | Flat fee or retainer |
| Bradley Lacore | Cogent Private Wealth | Orlando | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bradley Sherman | Sherman Wealth | Gaithersburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brady Storhoff | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brandon Clouse | Prism Planning Partners | Libertyville | Not listed | One-time planning fee |
| Brandon Ivy | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brandon Richins | Next Level Wealth Planning | Meridian | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brandon Steele | Mainsail Financial Group | Bellevue | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Brandon Vanlandingham | Perissos Private Wealth Management | Bethany | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brayden Zettle | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Breanna Jensen | Petros Family Wealth | Bloomington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brendan Bugenski | William Mack & Associates | Troy | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brent Woolsey | Red Crane Wealth | Palo Alto | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brenton Smith | Minich MacGregor Wealth Management | Albany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brett Goverman | Goverman Financial Solutions | Dedham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bretton Williams | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Barthol | William Howard & Co. Financial Advisors | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Baum | Family Wealth Partners | Matthews | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Bond | Leverage Financial Advisory | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brian Boswell | Newbridge Wealth Management | Malden | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Brown | PlanVest | Blair | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Buckley | Buckley Wealth | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Cochran | John Moore Associates | Albuquerque | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Jones | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Kopp | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Lichtenheld | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian McGivern | Stonestreet Financial | Stoughton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Brian McKnight | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Presti | TFC Financial | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Talbott | OLIO Financial Planning | Mclean | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Brian Ward | W&S Management Services | Rochester | Not listed | 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.