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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Williams | G&S Capital | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sam Evans | Evans Wealth Management | Duluth | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samantha Swiderski | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Samuel Tenney | Fidelis Wealth Advisors | Castle Rock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Samuel Wesley | Bluestem Financial Advisors | Savoy | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Sandria Calio | Providence Financial Services | Rocky River | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sarah Nix | Keller Wealth Advisors | Victoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sarah Racek | OLIO Financial Planning | Blacksburg | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Sarah Stymus | Whitney & Company | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sarah Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Abrahamson | SpringSource Wealth Advisors | Hillsboro | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Beasley | Liberty Atlantic Advisors | Valencia, Spain | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Burg | TFC Financial | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Dunlap | Human Capital Wealth Management | Fishers | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Evans | Liberty Atlantic Advisors | Princeton | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Kahan | Financial Asset Management | Chappaqua | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Lasky | Lionshead Wealth Management | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott McClintic | Early McClintic & McMillan | Stafford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Sanders | Integrity Wealth Management | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Wallace | Thrifty Scotty Financial | Round Rock | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Sean Cooper | Fit Financial Consulting | Morton | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sean O'Brien | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sean Sevey | Sevey Wealth Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sean Sternbach | Cloud Capital Management | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Shaun Eddy | Oxford Planning Group | Woodstock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shawn Hirsch | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shawn Kindt | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shawn Peters | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sloane Bennett | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sophia Berglund | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Spencer Turkal | Sierra Hotel Financial | Temecula | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Spencer Werres | OLIO Financial Planning | Mclean | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Sprague Kolp | Opal Advisors | Bellevue | CFP | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Stacey Liu | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephanie Bunn | Capstone Global Advisors | Wedowee | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephanie Lee | East Rock Financial Services | Burlingame | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Amason | Forthright Wealth Management | Alpharetta | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Cote | Cote Financial Management | Wenham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Crifasi | Westover Capital Advisors | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Miller | Forward Wealth Management | Charlotte | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Troutman | Troutman Wealth Management | Malvern | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Cliadakis | Altum Wealth Advisors | Chico | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Drost | Drost Financial | Ham Lake | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Economopoulos | Econ Wealth Management | Harrisburg | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Erickson | Erickson Financial Solutions | Jefferson City | CFP | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Hengehold | HCM Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Jamison | Jamison Hanson | Salem | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven O'Connor | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Szafranski | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stuart Crandall | Hutchinson Capital Management | San Rafael | CFP | 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.