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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cindy Kleiner | Guiding Financial | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Claire Kluth | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clifford Straub | Lifestyle Financial Strategies | Middletown | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Clinton Cannon | Cannon Capital Management | Salt Lake City | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Clinton Walkner | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Cody Columna | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cole Hystead | Logan Park Wealth Management | Minneapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cole Leonida | John Moore Associates | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cole Matsuura | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Connie Judkins | Palmetto Financial Planners | Richmond Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connie Lee | Lakeridge Wealth Management | Albuquerque | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connor Hughes | Diversified Portfolios | Bloomfield Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Cory Laird | Minich MacGregor Wealth Management | Saratoga Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cory Wietfeldt | CWS Financial Advisors | Kalamazoo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Craig Farkas | Harold Davidson & Associates | Los Angeles | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Morgan | Colmina | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Ritter | Continuum Wealth Management | Greenville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Cristi Tanner | Meritas Wealth Management | San Rafael | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Dajin Yang | New Insight Wealth Advisors | San Ramon | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dale Terwedo | TFS Advisors | Edmonds | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dallas Trahern | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dalya Inhaber | Minerva Wealth Advisory | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dana Levit | Paragon Financial Advisors | Newton | CFP | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Adams | Analog Capital Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel DeSouza | Not listed | Honolulu | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Divizio | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Dollinger | Daniel Dollinger CPA, CFP® | Wilsonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Doyle | Oak Park Wealth Management | Lakewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Henning | HC Advisors | Sandy Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Jacobson | Gabriel Capital | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Lubs | Integrated Investment Strategies | Carmel | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Miladinovich | DKM Wealth Management | Stockton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Sciortino | Fig Tree Wealth Management | Mountainside | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Sigmon | Collegiate Capital Management | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Snowden | ENZI Wealth | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Vistica | Vistica Wealth Advisors | Carlsbad | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Danielle Miura | Spark Financials | Elk Grove | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Darren Leader | Acacia Grove Wealth | Schenectady | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Bartoski | Forma Financial Planning | Boerne | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Bass | Decision Tree Advisor | Houston | ChFC | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| David Bennett | Unify Financial Advisors | Clearwater | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Faulkner | Spectrum Advisors | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Goodson | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Greene | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Hamra | Gordian Advisors | Tucson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Kirr | Kirr, Marbach & Company | Columbus | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| David Luck | Advisor Financial Services | Glen Allen | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Markle | Markle Wealth Management | Danielsville | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| David Martinez | ENZI Wealth | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Muehl | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.