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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine Hardin | Columbia River Financial Group | Vancouver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Katherine Letsos | Joyce Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kathleen Campbell | Campbell Financial Partners | Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Kathleen Cefalu | Downtown Wealth Studios | Ipswich | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kathryn Lester | Vandalia Wealth | Indianapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kathryn Putek | 1 North Wealth Services | Annapolis | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Keaton Schnell | Schnell Financial Group | Sedalia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Keegan Denn | FIDELIS iM | Medford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kelly Snider | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kenneth Auman | Mariner Financial Group | Palm Beach Gardens | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kenneth Gillespie | Hermosa Wealth Management | Hermosa Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kerry Pennington | The Financial Resource Center | Carmel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Blocker | Linkside Financial | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kevin Caldwell | Islands East Advisors | Chester | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Kevin Deans | KFA Private Wealth Group | Tyson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Dodgson | Shetland Financial | Center Valley | CFA | Flat fee or retainer |
| Kevin Hoyle | Kaiyo Wealth | Couer D Alene | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kevin Lindley | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kevin Londergan | BayRock Financial | Friendswood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin McCutcheon | BlueDoor Private Wealth | Beverly | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Painter | LeConte Wealth | Maryville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kevin Pummill | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bremerton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Khristopher Torres | RiversEdge Advisors | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kilburn Sherman | Maclendon Wealth Management | Jensen Beach | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kim Berger | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kimberly Ball | Ball Wealth Management | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kimberly Basenback | FSA Wealth Partners | Rockville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kimberly Overby | Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kloe' Schnell | Schnell Financial Group | Sedalia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kody Williams | Saling Wealth Advisors | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kraishylea Agboaye | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kristen Euretig | Brooklyn Plans | Beacon | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Kristin Rasmussen | KMR Wealth Advisory | San Luis Obispo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kristine Pattison | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kurt Gunter | Lake Hills Wealth Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyle Abrahamovich | Poulos Advisors | South Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyle Long | Long Planning | Geneva | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kyle Roney | Troika Capital Advisors | Athens | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kyle Whittington | Brookstone Wealth Management | Birmingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyler Stephens | Brown | Miller Wealth Management | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Laird Hepburn | BSG Advisers | Apex | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Larry Bell | Trinity Legacy Partners | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Laura Brown | Addington Financial Group | Cypress Springs Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Laura Martin | Richard P. Slaughter Associates | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Laura Redfern | Shadowridge Asset Management | Austin | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Lauren Simpson | Rebalance | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lauren Truer | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lawrence Barnard | Paul Winkler | Franklin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lawrence Kiely | Prostatis Group | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lee Jones | Tangent Retirement | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
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.