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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kory Lackey | Cloud Capital Management | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kristian Fisher | Kachkovsky & Fisher | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kristy Groth | Precedent Wealth Partners | Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kyle McGrath | Riverpoint Wealth Management | Chicago | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Rash | Champion Financial Planning | Anacortes | ChFC | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Kyle Smith | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Larry Denson | MDT Financial Advisors | Webster | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lauren Mance | RiversEdge Advisors | Wilmington | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Laurie Klein | Kaizen Financial Advisors | Kirkland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Li-Wei Chang | 7Summit Advisors | Los Angeles | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lily Beitel-Horton | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Linda Smith | William Mack & Associates | Treasure Island | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Lindsey Splendorio | CWS Financial Advisors | Kalamazoo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lindy Yoshida | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Brummett | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Locke Bielefeldt | Willamette Wealth Partners | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Logan Richard | Denver Private Wealth Management | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Louis Harris | G&S Capital | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lucas Kuchenberg | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lucy Valandra | Copper Beech Wealth Management | Mansfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Luke Eberly | Drost Financial | Golden Valley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lynda Gregory | Boulder Canyon Financial | Lafayette | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lyndsey Monahan | Precision Wealth Strategies | Frisco | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Madeline Williams | California Financial Advisors | San Ramon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Malek Hage Hassan | RJ Patterson Group | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Manuel Apolonio | Hanke & Apolonio Wealth Advisors | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Manuel Ortiz Aquino | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Margaret Swanson | Modus Advisors | Excelsior | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maria Quintana-Pilling | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Mariah Champness | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Marianne Inforzato | Fairman Financial | Berwyn | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mario Payne | TOAMS Financial | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Marisol Andreoni | Utopia Wealth Management | Coconut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Andraos | Regency Wealth Management | Ramsey | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Burka | Mendel Money Management | Northbrook | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Foster | Kirr, Marbach & Company | Columbus | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Hull | Mission Hills Financial | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Martel | Martel Wealth Advisors | Vancouver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Nortman | Capitol Family Office | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Pitre | California Financial Advisors | San Ramon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mark Reitsma | Regency Wealth Management | Ramsey | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Tracy | KM Capital Management | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Vanderlinden | Professional Financial Management | Appleton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Witaschek | Aurelius Family Office | Bedford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Marvin Taylor | Taylor Financial Group | Roanoke | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mary Dal Nogare | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Jo Staniszewski | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mary Van Nostrand | Van Nostrand Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Matt Morizio We help high capacity families align money with purpose so it fuels their mission.” | Reconstructing Wealth | Daniel Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Matthew Brunelle | Buckley Wealth | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.