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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lelamarie Kelly | Life UnLocked Partners | Venice | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lily Evans | Evans Wealth Management | Duluth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Linda Yu | Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lindsay La Fleur | LL Financial Services | Ossining | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lindsay Shetterly | Glassman Wealth | Vienna | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Liran Amir | SKP Wealth | Glendale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Clements | Clear Springs Wealth | Bucyrus | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Lisa Harwood | Ventura Advisors | Woodland Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Pendley | 8th Street Investments | Alexandria | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Lisa Schaefer | KFA Private Wealth Group | Chevy Chase | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Stroud | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lloyd Wong | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Logan Pettus | Sweeney Financial Advisors | Bedford | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lois Crichton | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lori Hannemann | Clear Ridge Wealth Management | Kalamazoo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lori Liffring | Cambridge Advisors | Omaha | CFA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Luke McClure | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Luke Sauter | Vidarrow Investment Advisors | Arlington Heights | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Madison Carleton | Heritage Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Madison Caswell | Brookstone Wealth Management | Birmingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Madison Moe | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Maia Babbs | Lariat Wealth Management | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Marc Bacsafra | Twin Rivers Wealth Management | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marc Roth | Elmwood Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Margaret Horsley | Glassy Mountain Advisors | Washington | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Maria Ojeda Partida | Shah Wealth Advisors | Chino Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mariah Magana Mayorga | Tower View Wealth Management | Oshkosh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marisa Facciolo | RiversEdge Advisors | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Eid | Acts Financial Advisors | Mclean | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Henry | Virtue Wealth Counsel | Tyler | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Herman | Acorn Financial Services | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Nicholas | Transform Retirement | Green Bay | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Mark Okamoto | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Sumsion | Blue Barn Wealth | Orem | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Tennenbaum | Life UnLocked Partners | Venice | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Marshall Rathmell | BCR Wealth Strategies | Vestavia | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Martin Boney | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Martin Standish | Towneley Capital Management | Laguna Hills | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mary Hughes | 1 North Wealth Services | Annapolis | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Antenucci | McCarley & Cook | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Augspurger | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bremerton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Benson | Sonmore Financial | Chandler | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Calcagno | Matt Calcagno | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Curfman | Richmond Brothers | Jackson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Dawson | Rede Wealth | Charlottesville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Dunn | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Hudson | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Dupree | Denver Private Wealth Management | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Fernandez | Morrissey Wealth Management | North Haven | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Fox | Ithaca Wealth | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Heller | HCR Wealth Advisors | Los Angeles | 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.