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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Dockery | LeConte Wealth | Maryville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Glaser | Iowa Wealth Management | West Des Moines | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Moore | Financial Avenues, LLC. | Nixa | Not listed | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Nagy | Alpine Road Financial | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jonathan Smith | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Stambaugh | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Walker | Paul Winkler | Gallatin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joplin Wallace | Mascoma Wealth Management | Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jordan Bieber | Professional Advisory Services | Vero Beach | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Jordan Bryant | Coastline Complete Wealth | Bluffton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jordan Shaw | Hixon Zuercher Capital Management | Findlay | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Bailey | Integrity Capital Management | Kingsport | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Bakaysa | Apex Investment Group | Hudson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Cefalu | Downtown Wealth Studios | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Charles | Apex Investment Group | Hudson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Lawrence | ARIA Wealth Management | Huntsville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph McFaddin | Retirement Planning Blueprint | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Plume | Oliver Wealth Management | Towson | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Joseph Recznik | Integritas Wealth Strategies | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Schmitt | Incline Financial Planning | Mars | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joseph Van Name | Advisors Financial | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Angell | Poinciana Advisors Group | Palm Beach Gardens | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Clifford | Wealth Management | Tallahassee | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Graham | Westview Investment Advisors | Burlington | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Purdy | McClarren Financial Advisors | State College | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Joshua Stipcich | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Julia Peloso-Barnes | Prism Planning & Solutions Group | White Plains | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Julie Purcell | Wissahickon Wealth Management | Philadelphia | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Juliette Cooke | Cooke Wealth Management | Irvine | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Garritt | Garritt Financial Solutions | Baltimore | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Justin Krane | Krane Financial Solutions | Calabasas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Smallwood | The Financial Resource Center | Covington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Souder | Acorn Financial Services | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Struble | BSG Advisers | Apex | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Vargas | Cannon Capital Management | Salt Lake City | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kaitlin Jordan | Stone Pillars Wealth Management | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kaleen Anderson | Skyline Financial NW | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Kaleigh Prentice | Prentice Financial Planning | Olympia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kara Branson | Singer Wealth Management | Seattle | Not listed | Hourly |
| Karen Monborne | Advisors Financial | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kari Haanstad | Modus Advisors | Excelsior | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Karl Kohne | Matt Calcagno | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Karla Saez | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Karmi Gutman | Lifestyle Planning | Chandler | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Karrie Thomas | Nautilus Financial Group | Virginia Beach | CFP | Hourly |
| Karsten Walker | Blue Barn Wealth | Orem | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Katelyn Goepferich | Jarvis Global Investments | Loveland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Katherine Davis | RiversEdge Advisors | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katherine Fonville | Covenant Wealth Advisors | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Katherine Groce | Prostatis Group | Hanover | 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.