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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Keenan | Fiducia Wealth Management | Upper Arlington | CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Tyson Ray | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Valerie Lasher-Adelman | William Howard & Co. Financial Advisors | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Vanessa Alanis | Black Dog Wealth | Manassas | CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee, Hourly |
| Victoria Ward | Financial Lifestyle Management | Greenville | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Viktoria Kamin | Financial Asset Management | Chappaqua | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Vincent Barbera | Newbridge Wealth Management | Bryn Mawr | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Virajith Wijeweera | FPL Capital Management | Metairie | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Volodymyr Stasenko | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Wanda Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Wesley English | Vault Private Wealth | Lawrenceville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Wesley Shifrin | NorthFork Advisors | Bozeman | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Doepker | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Hardaway | WebsterRogers Financial Advisors | Florence | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Henley | Larsen Wealth Management | El Dorado Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Howard | William Howard & Co. Financial Advisors | Memphis | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Lauderdale | FORM Wealth Advisors | Middleton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Lee | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Mack | William Mack & Associates | Troy | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| William Martinez | ENZI Wealth | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William McDonald | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Roberts | CWS Financial Advisors | Kalamazoo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Shriver | Gilpin Wealth Management | Golden | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Smith | Wealthway Financial Advisors | Norfolk | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Stordahl | Stordahl Capital Management | Greenwood Village | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zachary Cole | Arrowstone Wealth | Malaga | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Zachary Guffy | Blue Anchor Wealth Advisors | Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zachary Potter | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Zachary Tekamp | Heritage Wealth Management Group | Norfolk | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Zachary Welz | DKM Wealth Management | Stockton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Aaron Bly | Amicus Financial Advisors | Lubbock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Randak | Golden Acre Wealth Management | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Abbigail Kuna | Highland Investment Advisors | Brookfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Larkin | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Adam Lee | Castlepoint Wealth Advisors | Oklahoma City | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Spiegelman | Spiegelman Wealth Management | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Adam Vaal | Vaal Financial | Indianapolis | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Alec Schrock | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alek Johnson | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Alex Kozlowski | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alex LaRosa | Blue Bell Private Wealth Management | Blue Bell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alexander Braun | Financial Planning Navigators | Maple Grove | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alexis Hongamen | Total Financial Planning | Orlando | CFP | Hourly |
| Alison McFadden | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Amanda Phillips | Hudock Capital | Williamsport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Amber Pennycoff | Hudock Capital | Williamsport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Amy Shepard | Sensible Money | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anastasiya Kolodiy | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrea Cloutier | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Basinger | Live Oak Private Wealth | Wilmington | CFP | 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.