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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Grossman | Factor Wealth Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bria Comer | AdviceOne | Glastonbury | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Beckman | Hermosa Wealth Management | Torrance | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Canet | Prostatis Group | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Heath | Conviction Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brian Jones | NextGen Financial Advice | Elko New Market | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Koonce | Paul Winkler | Goodlettsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Rettig | Denver Private Wealth Management | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Shepardson | James Investment | Xenia | CFA, CIC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Tumpane | Cedar Capital Advisors | Glen Ellyn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Vandenbrink | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Williams | Northshire Consulting | Southington | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Brian Yates | Asset One | Bridgeville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brianna Melahn | Prism Planning & Solutions Group | White Plains | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brianna Pradia | SSB&T Wealth | Fredericksburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brittany Anderson | Wealth Analytics | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brock Von Holt | Von Holt Financial Advisors | Palatine | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Brooks Rarden | Gilpin Wealth Management | Las Vegas | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bruce McCrea | Legacy Financial Independent Advisors | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bryan Belew | LeConte Wealth | Maryville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Bryan Foronjy | Foronjy Financial | Santa Barbara | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bryan Linn | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bryan McCrea | Legacy Financial Independent Advisors | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cade Johnson | Petros Family Wealth | Bloomington | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cagatay Koc | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Caleb Graybeal | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caleb Smoes | LifeWise Wealth Advisors | Champaign | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Callum Raymick | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cameron Jensen | Cross Financial | Fulshear | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cameron Malekuti | Covenant Wealth Advisors | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Carl Christensen | Avion Wealth | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carlo Magno Santos-Ocampo | High Net Worth Advisory Group | Naples | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carlos Henriques | AdviceOne | Glastonbury | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carlos Ortega | Towneley Capital Management | Laguna Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carol Clark | OnCenter Financial Advisors | Beachwood | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carol Khouri | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carolyn Larsen-Wieber | CLW Financial Planning | Raleigh | PFS | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Carrie Carr | ARIA Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carson Strom | WebsterRogers Financial Advisors | Florence | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Catherine Richmond | Ballast | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chace Cannon | Cannon Capital Management | Salt Lake City | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Chad Evans | Altere Financial | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chad Kunc | CPK Wealth Management | Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Chad Peterson | Columbia River Financial Group | Vancouver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Charles Gibbons | KFA Private Wealth Group | Tyson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Manih | Xpand Investment | Chula Vista | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles McAteer | ARIA Wealth Management | Saratoga | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Meeder | Sound Asset Management | Yorkville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Poe | Grand Central Investment Group | Tampa | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charlotte Anten | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | 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.