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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Bloom | MB Generational Wealth | Spokane | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Buzan | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Castleberry | truFP | Cumming | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Molnar | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Shoemaker | Hurley Capital | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Woodard | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andri Buckley | Paragon Advisors | College Station | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Carr | Carr Wealth Management | Pleasanton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Erzen | Legacy Wealth Planning | Bethalto | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Arynton Hardy I work with tech employees, founders, and high-performers navigating equity, liquidity events, and non-traditional income. | Savvy | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Audrey Petrash | Stegent Equity Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Austen Auger | Shira Ridge Wealth Management | Vacouver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Austin Rowland | truFP | Cumming | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Barton Brewer | Global Business Management | Valencia | CFP, ChFC, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bernadette Mashas | The Investment Counsel Company of Nevada | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Betsy Mays | Coffman Wealth Advisors | Poplar Bluff | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Billy Williams | Williams Financial Group | Mobile | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Blake Flanders | Momentum Wealth Planning | Estero | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Blake Headley | Renaissance Advisors | Ridgeland | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bradley Bondurant | TrueLine Wealth Group | Hattiesburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brady Johnson | Curry Webb Wealth Management | Indianapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brandon Hobson | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brandon Morton | Financial Designs | Claremont | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brenda Stein | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Grant Pass | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brendan Moody | Watershed Private Wealth | Oak Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brent Dunn | SchlegelDunn | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brett Kidd | Kidd Financial Planning | Livonia | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brewster Smith | The Financial Planning Company | Royal Oak | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Ferrin | MA Private Wealth | San Carlos | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Rosso | Elevate Wealth Advisory | Athens | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Wang | Capital Advantage | Walnut Creek | CFA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brianna Shealey Helping clients find clarity of their financial future while humanizing the financial planning experience. | Buena Vista Financial Planning LLC | Decatur | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Brooke Gaither | Integral Wealth Management | Turlock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bryan Sauceda | Amicus Financial Advisors | Lubbock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Burnett Townsend, Jr | Townsend Wealth Management | Columbus | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Caleb Hopkins | Navigate Wealth Management | Birmingham | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Caleb Regan | Mattern Wealth Management | Lawrence | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caley Miller | Sensible Money | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Calisto Reghi | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cameron Kaska | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cameron Rahbar | Howland Capital | Boston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Candace Duecker | Seneschal Family Office | Tacoma | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carey Blakley | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carey Tafelsky | Old Mission Investment | Traverse City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carissa Steffler | Paragon Advisors | College Station | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Carlie Campuzano | Millennial Wealth Management | Broomfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Carly Purtill | Purtill Financial | Willoughby | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Casey Rench | Relevance Capital Management | Denton | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chad Glover | Seneschal Family Office | Tacoma | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Charles Dunn | Intergy Private Wealth | Colorado Springs | 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.