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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea Weiss | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christian Johnson | Capital Investment Counsel | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Bekel | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Botamer | Botamer Financial | State College | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Brown | Brown | Miller Wealth Management | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Connett | Professional Advisory Services | Vero Beach | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Douglass | Stage 2 Planning Partners | S Burlington | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Fry | Capital Asset Management | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Gebhards | Summit Vision Financial | Rock Port | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Knight | Retirement Planning Blueprint | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Langlois | Integritas Wealth Strategies | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Nalley | CS Advisors | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Nibley | Nibley Financial | Heber | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Oland | Harmony Wealth Advisors | Edgewater | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Ragain | Sentinel Wealth & Tax | Bonita Springs | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher Reyes | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Robinson | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Sherman | Sherman Financial | Chapel Hill | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher Williamson | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Clark Forward | Forward Financial | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Clay Rogers | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Clayton Earle | Elevate Wealth Group | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Clifford Kolson | Family Wealth Leadership | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clinton Simmons | Vantus Wealth | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Coby Sullivan | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cody Ritchie | Retirement Planning Blueprint | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Colby Berg | Guardian Wealth Management | Salt Lake City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cole Deardorff | Lauer Wealth Management | Valparaiso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Collin Day | Farris Capital Management | Carrollton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Collin Toal | RCS Financial Planning | Annapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connie Biselx | All Star Financial | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connor Mykleby | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Connor Wright | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Constance Mitchell | Wealth Analytics | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cort Barrett | White Aspen Capital | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Courtney Wood | Milestone Investments Columbus | Ridgeland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Harvey Field | Alluvial Wealth Management | Matthews | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Craig Rottman | Financial Strategies Group | Fargo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Stapleton-Corcoran | Stapleton Asset Management | Franklin | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Curtis Henson | Paul Winkler | Goodlettsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Curtis Reed | Welspire | Upper Arlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dalin Jewett | Tanara Wealth Management | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Damon Bremer | Sherman Financial | Chapel Hill | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Dana Lyon | Capital Wise Advisory | Wesley Chapel | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dana Strickland | Scholar Financial Advising | Winston-Salem | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Daniel Berg | B.E.S.T. Wealth Management | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Daniel Goldberg | Diversified Portfolios | Bloomfield Hills | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Gresch | Mendota Financial Group | Madison | CFP, ChFC | One-time planning fee |
| Daniel Hill | Paul Winkler | Goodlettsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Jennings | Gross & Hartman Investments | Leola | CFA | Hourly |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.