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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Challis | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Thomas DaMour | Davis Capital Management | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Favor | Tilia Fiduciary Partners | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Thomas Fenn | T. Fenn Financial Planning | Chapel Hll | CFP | Hourly |
| Thomas Knightly | American Family Legacy Group | Clearwater | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Pope | 360 Aviation Advisors | Concord | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Thomas | Members' Wealth | Media | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Todd Gambit | Gambit Asset Management | Northbrook | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tony Escobar Purpose-based financial planning for your business and personal needs. | Exponent Group | Morton | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Tor Benson | Streamline Advisory | Bellingham | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Tracy Gibbs | Howland Capital | Boston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trent Bowers | Narus Financial Partners | Salt Lake City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trey Touchstone | Lifeway Financial | Plano | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tron Welch | Welch Financial Planning | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Troy Davis | Davis Capital Management | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Troy Wirth | InGen Strategies | Irvine | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tuvshinjargal Odeh | Shira Ridge Wealth Management | San Rafael | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ty Kopke | Silver Oak Leaf Financial Services | Bluffton | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Ty Williams | Curry Webb Wealth Management | Indianapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Batts | Riverbend Wealth Management | Myrtle Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Nichols | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tyler Purcell We handle the heavy-lifting of navigating investment, tax, estate and financial planning so you can focus on the things that you love with the people you love. | Balance Wealth | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Tyler Townsend | Townsend Wealth Management | Columbus | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer |
| Vaughn Heydel | Financial Designs | Claremont | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Vijay Patel | MA Private Wealth | San Carlos | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Vincent Parrack | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Vipin Sahijwani | Lynx Investment Advisory | Washington | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Wendiguiata Ouedraogo | McIlrath | Eck | Arlington | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Adelmann | Adelmann Financial | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Barton | The Investment Counsel Company of Nevada | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Cox | Cox Capital Management | Andover | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| William Lewis | W.H. Lewis Financial | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Morrison | Inverlochy Capital | Bobcaygeon | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| William Morrison | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Sempolinski | Five Corners Financial Services | Easton | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Snider | ONE Advisory Partners | Highlands Ranch | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| William Turner | Turner Wealth Advisory | Woodstock | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Walsh | Quantum Leap Capital | South Burlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| William Walsh | Emissary Wealth | White Plain | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Zachary Swenson | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Aaron Beeson | Seek First | Ellensburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Aaron Hardy | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Knoxville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Marks | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Sams | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Terwedo | TFS Advisors | Edmonds | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Weston | FSA Wealth Partners | Rockville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Abigail Demirovic | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Corrie | Capstone Capital | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Cress | Capstone Capital | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Skousen | Harvard Avenue | Gilbert | Not listed | 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.