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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Goldberg | Professional Advisory Services | Vero Beach | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Jeremy Johnson | Veracity Wealth Management | Oakbrook Terrace | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jerod Brockelman | Eubank, Hutson & Associates | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jerry Firebaugh | Wayne Firebaugh | Roanoke | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jesse Coffee | Integrity Wealth Management | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jesse Schrock | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jessica Morris | CMA Financial Services | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jessica Ness | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jessica Rusnock | Verity Investment Partners | Beaufort | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jesus Marquez | EZ Financial Group | Pearland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeyamariappan Ganapathy | Samatva Wealth Management | Clarksburg | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joe Enzler | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joel Bonnema | Bonnema Wealth Management | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Cavaliere | Blue Heron Capital | Englewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Hamilton | Glass Lakes Capital Management | Overland Park | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Blair | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Buckley | Buckley Wealth | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Burkhardt | Goepper Burkhardt | Greenville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Cunningham | William Mack & Associates | Troy | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Ellis | Forthright Wealth Management | Alpharetta | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Glasman | Gilpin Wealth Management | Golden | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Griffin | Mainsail Financial Group | Bellevue | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| John Harrington | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Herbert | Bowline Financial | Grosse Pointe Woods | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Hughes | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Jackson | Stewards Advisory Services | Yonkers | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Levangie | Darrow Wealth Management | Needham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Lienert | OLIO Financial Planning | Mclean | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| John Posey | Plains Advisory | Grand Island | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Rudi | Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group | Minneapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Schmidt | Faith Investor Services | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Smith | Ten Talents Asset Management | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Taylor | Taylor Financial Group | Roanoke | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Wilbourne | Occidental Asset Management | Bellevue | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Johnathan Frerichs | Bluestem Financial Advisors | Savoy | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jon Green | Encompass Advisors | Brevard | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jon Matlock | American Financial Planning | Roanoke | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Jon Reppert | Spectrum Advisors | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonas Lowery | BCM Advisors | Lafayette | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Crantz | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Fecko | Elevate Wealth Management | Littleton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan George | Absher Wealth Management | Chapel Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Gillett | Wilco Financial | College Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Inzero | Innova Wealth Partners | Newtown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan White | Analog Capital Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jordan Bromley | Prosperity Wealth Planning | Frisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jordan Kahn | HCR Wealth Advisors | Los Angeles | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jose Barbosa | Singer Wealth Management | Seattle | ChFC | Hourly |
| Joseph Abboud | Rinzler Capital | Atlanta | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joseph Darpel | Smart Steps Wealth Management | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.