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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nina Shaw | The DBS Companies | Mendham | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nino Pavan | Financial Designs | Claremont | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Noah Damsky | Marina Wealth Advisors | Los Angeles | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nyle Bayer | Up Capital Management | Bulverde | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Omar Dinar I work with a select group of professionals and business owners to make the complexities of their financial lives easy to understand. | Riehl, Dinar & Associates | Stamford | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Oscar Vives Ortiz | Sensible Money | Riverview | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Owen Bosworth | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patricia Bailey | Bailey & Associates Investment Management and Financial Planning | Columbia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Manconi | Dougherty Investment Advisors | Spring Hill | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Paxton | truFP | Cumming | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Paul Bush | Steadfast Financial Services | Green Cove Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Paul Saunders | Riverbend Wealth Management | Myrtle Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Pedro Gomez | Brickell Financial Group | Miami | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Deacon | Forrest Financial Services | Windsor Heights | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Gaertner | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Garelick | Global Business Management | Valencia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Landini | RBP Investment Advisors | Alamo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Messina | ABG Consultants | Cottonwood Heights | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Shannon | eBIS | Phoenix | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Shenas | Ariston Services Group | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Thoms | Sierra Wealth Strategies | Coronado | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Tomassi | Tomassi Financial Planning | Derby | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Wolynski Helping people retire and save taxes. | Calculated Wealth | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Phillip Frattali | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Phillip Mitchell | Kroon & Mitchell | Grand Rapids | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Phillip Rademacher | Rademacher Financial | Lawrence | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachael Johnson | Bernard & Johnson | Pasadena | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rainier Trinidad | Parabolic Asset Management | Coronado | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Randy Garcia | The Investment Counsel Company of Nevada | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Rebecca Stapp | Stapp Financial | Olympia | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Connett | Integrity Wealth Partners | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Moldenhauer | Moldenhauer & Associates | Orchard Park | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Deal | LifeFocus Financial Advisors | Walla Walla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Fezekas | Elevate Wealth Advisory | Athens | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Helgeland | Curtis Wealth Management | Henderson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Heykoop | Traction Financial Partners | Encampment | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Hofmann | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Phialdelphia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Riegen | Roffman Miller Wealth Management | Philadelphia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Shappee | Harris Wealth Management | Meridian | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robyn Turner | Retirement Plan Fiduciaries | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roger Roble | Roble Belko & Company | Sewickley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ronald Cantlay | Financial Independence Advisors | Deland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ronald Sanders | ONE Advisory Partners | Overland Park | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Ronan Sramek | Rademacher Financial | Lawrence | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Russell Adelmann | Adelmann Financial | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Briggs | Paragon Advisors | College Station | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Cooper | Verticus Advisors | Sandy | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Genor | CLS Financial Advisors | Portland | PFS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan Key | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan McCarthy | McCarthy Asset Management | Redwood Shores | 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.