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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Patterson | Patterson Advisors | Waterford | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| David Ybarra | Aspired Wealth | Loveland | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Denis Smirnov | Gordian Advisors | Tucson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dennis Jackson | Allred Jackson | North Logan | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Dennis Peatrowsky | Virtue Wealth Counsel | Omaha | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derek Dzingle | Stolz & Associates, P.S. | Tacoma | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Derek Lewis | Catawba River Capital | Lake Wylie | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derek Schmidt | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Devin Blodgett | Blodgett Wealth Advisors | Brentwood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Devyn Deleon | DeLeon Wealth | Kennewick | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Diana Harrison | Financial Investment Team | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diana Kahn | The Financial Pharmacist | Aventura | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Diane Bourdo | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dinghao Jiang | Downtown Wealth Studios | Wellesley | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Don Eidam | Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Donald VandeVanter | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Donna Savastani | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Douglas Bartol | Nexus One Financial Advisors | Plano | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Douglas Bostich | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Douglas Morisoli | Fairman Financial | Berwyn | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edmond Griffin | Apex Investment Group | Hudson | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Edward Hadad | Financial Asset Management | Chappaqua | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Toole | Toole Financial | Longmeadow | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Edwin Knowles | The Knowles Company | Oakton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ehab Alalfey | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Elaine Chan | FIOH Global Asset Management and Strategies | Tacoma | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eldon Fielding-Monson | Monson Wealth Management | Kennewick | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elijah Lyons | Lookahead Wealth | West Linn | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Elizabeth Schneider | WHealthy Empowerment Network | Kildeer | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ellen Johnson | Thistle Wealth | Corvallis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Emily Bushong | Kaizen Financial Advisors | Canyon Lake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Dyer-Wolfe | Rigden Capital Strategies | Englewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Maretsky | Educated Financial Planning | Astoria | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Emily Noyes | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Foster | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Gardner | All Star Financial | Minneapolis | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Hallman | Westview Investment Advisors | Burlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Johnson | Roth Financial Partners | Kingwood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Larson | Sigma Investment Counselors | Northville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Eric OBrien | Nadler Financial Group | Deerfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Eric Showalter | Arbor Private Wealth | Ashburn | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Sigdestad | SimpliFi | San Diego | CFP | Hourly |
| Eric Story | Cooper Norman Wealth | Idaho Falls | PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Erica Lyall | Strategic Advisory Partners | Greensboro | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erica Nortman | Capitol Family Office | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erik Miller | Interactive Wealth Advisors | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Erika Safran | Safran Wealth Advisors | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erin Preston | Patterson Advisors | Waterford | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Erin Zylka | WHealthy Empowerment Network | Kildeer | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ernest Moosherr | 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.