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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Parsons | Statherós Financial Solutions | El Dorado Hills | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Sheaf | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Siani | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jaime Cutter | RiversEdge Advisors | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jake Johnson | Capital Investment Counsel | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jake Larson | Multnomah Group | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jake Mossing We provide unbiased annuity guidance with no fees, no obligations. | Annuity Answers | Toledo | CFA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jake Murphy Helping busy med professionals reduce taxes and pay off debt faster without burning out. | TrueClarity Wealth | Wayne | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Subscription |
| Jakhongir Mirtalipov | Dream Life Wealth Management | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| James Armstrong | Henry H. Armstrong Associates | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Baccarini | Aggregate Financial Services | Navarre | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Behr | Stillwater Private Wealth | Mt. Pleasant | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| James Bertram | Baynes Investment Counsel | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Blackwelder | Anchor Investment Management | Columbia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Bowie | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Carr | Keystone Global Partners | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Cornehlsen | Capstone Investment Financial Group | Webster | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Curran | JPC Wealth Management | Petaluma | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| James Dickson | Paul Winkler | Franklin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Ferrin | Asset One | Draper | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| James Franklin | Asset One | Draper | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| James Joseph | FSA Wealth Partners | Rockville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Keenan | Keenan Private Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Lawson | Heritage Financial Network | Concord | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Mills | Sara-Bay Financial | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| James Potter | Brock Hill Wealth Management | Newton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Proffitt | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Simmons | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Tarkenton | Townsend Asset Management | Raleigh | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Thomason | Matt Calcagno | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| James Vitiello | Fifth Avenue Wealth Advisors | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Werner | Snider & Talbot | Liberty | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Wood | Paul Winkler | Goodlettsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jamie Bigsby | Glassy Mountain Advisors | Bethesda | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Janice Thompson | Matt Calcagno | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jared Quereau | Baldwin Management | West Conshohocken | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jared Redfield | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Jason Abruzere | Weyhill Investment Counsel | Bethlehem | Not listed | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Jason Bruxvoort | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Gragg | Gragg Financial | Shelby | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Kooyer | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Lunsford | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Sikorski | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Strough | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bremerton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Traff | Bisonwood Investments | Austin | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Vavra | VCM Wealth | Collegeville | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeff Poole | Wealth Analytics | San Clemente | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffery Margolf | Tangent Financial | Honolulu | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Augspurger | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Borman | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | 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.