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 Stout | Theory Financial | Fort Collins | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Vance | Pendulum Partners | Itasca | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sally Kennedy | Real Financial Planning | Guilford | CFP | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Samantha Vicchiarelli | Alexis Advisors | Richmond | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samuel Heveroh | Stonebridge Financial Group | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samuel Nordquist | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sarah Green | Farm Girl Capital | Albany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sarah Lane | CLS Financial Advisors | Portland | PFS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sarah Pierce | Watershed Private Wealth | Oak Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sasha Childers | Three Arch Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Heath | Heath Capital Management | Bloomfield Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Marx | SMP Financial Planning | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Muhlestein | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Schlegel | SchlegelDunn | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Whytock | August Wealth Management | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sean Gilsenan | Whitener Capital Management | Cary | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Seann Dougherty | Dougherty Investment Advisors | Spring Hill | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sergio De La Torre | Pandora Wealth | Roswell | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Seth Deal | LifeFocus Financial Advisors | Walla Walla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sevak Khachatoorian | Up&Up Capital | Glendale | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Shane Riley | Pittenger & Anderson | Lincoln | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Shawn Hudspeth | Tilia Fiduciary Partners | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Sheldon Goldman | Goldman Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephanie Kelly | Renaissance Advisors | Ridgeland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephanie Schultz | Sensible Money | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephen Adell | Adell, Harriman, & Carpenter | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Forrest | Forrest Financial Services | Des Moines | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Greco | Pandora Wealth | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen McCarthy | McCarthy Asset Management | Redwood Shores | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Bokoff | Thames Financial Management | Norwich | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Lind | Navigate Wealth Management | Birmingham | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Longa | Emissary Wealth | Hackensack | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Schlegel | SchlegelDunn | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Underriter | Freedom Financial Planning Solutions | Grand Rapids | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Stoyan Panayotov | Babylon Wealth Management | Walnut Creek | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stuart Caplan | Members' Wealth | Media | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sunni Allen | Three Arch Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Suresh Raghavan | MBR Financial | Houston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Susan Wipperman | Old Mission Investment | Traverse City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tabitha Daly | Sensible Money | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Taj Pereira | Aspen Capital Management | Boise | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Taunya Abaya | Abaya Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Taylor Sohns | LifeGoal Investments | Saratoga Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Taylor Thompson Putting the clients goals and objectives first and foremost. | Thompson Family Office | Gilbert | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Subscription |
| Taylor Turner Niche, comprehensive financial planning for high-achieving real estate professionals and other specialists. | Taylor Turner Wealth Management LLC | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Terrie Austin | Milestone Wealth Strategies | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Theodore Spinardi | Integrated Wealth Solutions | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Theodore Winders | Yarger Wealth Strategies | Westerville | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Theodore Zamerski | Prosperity Path Advisers | Vero Beach | PFS, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Braun | Theory Financial | Fort Collins | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
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.