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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Klein | Lockshield Partners | Glasgow | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Mavraides | Rebalance | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Nakahara | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Vogelpohl | Wealth Dimensions Group | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Vredeveld | Richmond Brothers | Jackson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Witherspoon | LifeWise Wealth Advisors | Champaign | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Danielle Francini | AdviceOne | Glastonbury | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Darin Robinson | Precision Wealth Strategies | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Archibald | Colmina | Redmond | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Berg | Acorn Creek Capital | Fort Collins | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Carroll | Rockbridge Investment Management | Syracuse | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Cust | Means Wealth Management | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| David Darmour | Cornerstone Investment Advisors | Boulder | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Doll | Sequent Asset Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Gourley | K-12 Planning | Kansas City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| David Jordan | Jordan Financial Services | Kenosha | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Khouri | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Klepeisz | Accruent Wealth Advisors | Winston-Salem | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Krawczyk | Rockbridge Investment Management | Syracuse | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Lin | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Linnard | Linnard Financial Management & Planning | Boxborough | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| David Means | Means Wealth Management | Greenville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| David Miller | Brown | Miller Wealth Management | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Morgan | High Net Worth Advisory Group | Naples | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Peppard | Baldwin Management | West Conshohocken | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Petersen | FSA Wealth Partners | Rockville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Shelton | Harvard Avenue | Gilbert | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Tepp | Tepp Wealth Management | Westfield | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Vigil | Vigil Wealth Management | Ponte Vedra Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Debra Ellisen | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Declan Lane | Capital Investment Counsel | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Dell Thomason | Joyce Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Denisse Arebalo | Pacific Canyon Investments | Lemon Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dennis Channer | Cornerstone Investment Advisors | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dennis O'Keefe | Successful Money Strategies | Fall River | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dennis Peatrowsky | Virtue Wealth Counsel | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dennis Voigt | DWV Advisors | Essex Junction | PFS | Ongoing planning fee |
| Derek Stross | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derrik Hubbard | Stewardship Solution | Germantown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diana Apostolova | Rochester Investments | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diana Jordan | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dianne Hively | Hivest Financial | Tampa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dimitri Sfakiyanudis | 1 North Wealth Services | Annapolis | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Domenica Stokes | JPC Wealth Management | Petaluma | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Dominick Anton | Twin Rivers Wealth Management | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Donald Hall | Hall Capital Management | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Donald Harris | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Donald Heishman | Acorn Financial Services | Harrisonburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Donald Hejna | Stantum | Los Altos | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Donald Swain | Professional Financial Management | Appleton | 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.