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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fawzi Jaber Hyder | Mike Adams Financial Advisors | Mooresville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frank Alvarez | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Frank Brannon | KMR Financial Advisory | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frederick Pryor | TFC Financial | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gabriel Sedora | Vantus Wealth | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gage Houser | Hutchinson Capital Management | San Rafael | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Garrett Dastrup | Opportunus Wealth Management | Gig Harbor | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Dorfman | Thryve Wealth Management | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gary Gragg | Gragg Financial | Shelby | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Harris | S. Harris Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary May | May Tree Financial Planning | Leander | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Pomerantz | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gary Steer | OxenFree Financial | Melbourne | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gene Hamstra | Lauer Wealth Management | Valparaiso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| George Boudreau | Oliver Wealth Management | Towson | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Gerald Skalsky | Clear Harbor Wealth Management | Destin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gerwin de Haan | Burton Enright Welch | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gina Reeves | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | St. Louis | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Goran Ognjenovic | Independent Investment Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gracelyn Snider | S. Harris Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Ball | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Grant Germscheid | All Star Financial | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Grant Hamstra | Lauer Wealth Management | Valparaiso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Greg Rutherford | Sound Asset Management | Yorkville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregg Auerbach | Meadowbrook Advisors | Bedminster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gregory Brown | G&S Capital | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Legorreta | Loam Advisory | Los Angeles | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Flat fee or retainer |
| Gregory Reeder | McClarren Financial Advisors | State College | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Harley Evans | Successful Portfolios | Clearwater | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Harold Sasnowitz | BCR Wealth Strategies | Clifton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Harold Sawyer | Westover Capital Advisors | Wilmington | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Harris Hanson | Texas Family Wealth | Friendswood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Harry Winston | Winston & Company | Edmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Heather Rivas | River Wealth Advisors | Camp Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Herbert Kraus | Teamwork Financial Group | Laredo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Herman Hugo | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Honna Li | KCM Investment Advisors | Greenbrae | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Hossameldin Abdelkarim | Poise Investment Advisors | Germantown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Howard Holmes | Holmes Investment Management | Brockton | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Howard Jordan | High Net Worth Advisory Group | Naples | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hoy Grimm | LeConte Wealth | Maryville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Huaiyu Chen | MEV Value | Hudson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hugh Quinn | Brown | Miller Wealth Management | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hunter Adams | Brown | Miller Wealth Management | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian McGinnis | Dental Wealth Partners | Jackson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian McIlvaine | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jack Johnson | Sierra Financial Planning & Asset Management | Roseville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jackson Mazzei | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacob Drum | Strauss Financial Group | Hoover | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Millican | 9M Investments | Grapevine | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, 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.