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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Smith | Bonner & Smith | Lubbock | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Susan Winchester | Mascoma Wealth Management | Hanover | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Suzanne Antonelli | Antonelli Financial Advisors | Grosse Pointe | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tad Weiss | Modus Advisors | Excelsior | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tafiti Uso | Pacific Wealth Partners | Honolulu | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tahlia Micoley | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tameem Qasem | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tami Carroll | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tarif Homsi | NoorVest | Leesburg | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tatum Duffie | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Taylor Bell | Aequitas Financial | Santa Ana | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Taylor Hart | Steadmont Advisors | Birmingham | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Taylor Welz | DKM Wealth Management | Stockton | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Teresa Joelson | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Terry Robinette | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Theodore Bugenski | William Mack & Associates | Troy | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Theodore Fischer | Fischer Investment Strategies | Westlake Village | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Thomas Anzivino | Longitude Financial Planning | Manor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Thomas Bonvissuto | Intero Financial Planning | Parkton | CFP, ChFC, CFA | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Thomas Brady | Brady Family Wealth | Saint Louis | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Flavin | Flavin, Nooney & Person | Melbourne | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Mott | Analog Capital Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Owens | Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Post | Diversified Portfolios | Bloomfield Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Powers | California Financial Advisors | San Ramon | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Thomas Reynolds | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Sanders | KingsMark Private Financial Advisors | Albany | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Ellis | RBG Wealth Advisors | Memphis | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Hartzell | Sequent Asset Management | Houston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Lee | Bluestem Financial Advisors | Savoy | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Timothy Ozanne | Firethorn Capital | Westport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Timothy Perryman | Mirretti Perryman Wealth Strategies | Skokie | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Reyna | Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors | San Luis Obispo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Wojtalik | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tina Babicz | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Todd Gomes | Sonoma Allocations | Santa Rosa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Todd Hadley | True Wave Financial Planners | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Hubbell | Hubbell Strickland Wealth Management | New Orleans | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Todd Moerman | Integrity Investment Advisors | Fort Collins | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tom Chun | Honu Wealth | Sunnyvale | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tracey Baker | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tracey Gordineer | Blossom Balance | Gainesville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Travis Wurz | Wurz Financial Services | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trent Hinton | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Trigg Williamson | Advisor.com | Charlotte | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Tristen Sheffler | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Troy Stovern | TrueNorth Wealth & Impact | Joplin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Baker | Baker Wealth Group | Lagrange | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tyler Chacon | Chacon Diaz & Di Virgilio Wealth Management | Gainesville | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Tyler Heckman | Flavin, Nooney & Person | Melbourne | 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.