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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Conway | Conway Partners | Incline Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Elliott | Jeff Elliott CFP® | The Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Emrich | Vantus Wealth | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Harwood | Ventura Advisors | Woodland Hills | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk | TriState Wealth Advisors | Newark | CFA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Laughlin | Fidelis Financial Planning | Saint Charles | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Lehmann | Ballast | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Martin | RPO Wealth Partners | Charlotte | Not listed | Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Nielson | Avenues Wealth | Winter Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Nowell | Mascoma Wealth Management | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Shiffra | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey St. Claire | Blume Capital Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Venables | Garritt Financial Solutions | Baltimore | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey White | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jennifer Collins | River Wealth Advisors | Camp Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer McElderry | Paller Financial Services | Centennial | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Walenter | Keystone Financial Services | Loveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jered Skousen | Harvard Avenue | Gilbert | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeremiah Harston | Lockshield Partners | Glasgow | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jerry Linebaugh | Prostatis Group | Baton Rouge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jesse Nelson | Copper Harbor Investment Advisors | Appleton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Champion | Jessica Champion Investment Services | Chittenango | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jessica Grande | TFC Financial | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jill Schum | Third Eye Associates | Red Hook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jillian Gisoni | Kapusta Financial Group | Pittsburgh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Atkins | Integrity Capital Management | Kingsport | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Bell | Thryve Wealth Management | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Cooke | Cooke Wealth Management | Irvine | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Cordano | California Financial Advisors | San Ramon | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Dudley | Means Wealth Management | Bangor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| John Dunham | Focused Capital Investment | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Giovannetti | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Hollie | Avion Wealth | Shenandoah | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Jones | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Joyce | Joyce Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Klein | Lockshield Partners | Glasgow | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Lauer | Lauer Wealth Management | Valparaiso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Lorenz | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Malone | Apex Investment Group | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John McGuire | MSM Financial Strategies | Bronxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Merrill | Tanglewood Total Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Milchling | 1 North Wealth Services | Annapolis | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Scherer | Trinity Financial Planning | Middleton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Slupski | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Vanderburgh | LifeWise Wealth Advisors | Champaign | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Jon Duane | Brock Hill Wealth Management | Newton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonas Rees | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Carter | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Cottrell | Mascoma Wealth Management | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Cox | Acorn Financial Services | Reston | 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.