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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Taylor Independent Fee-only financial coaching and solutions, by the hour or by the project | The Financial Rules Consulting | SAN ANTONIO | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Michael Wakeham | Acorn Financial Services | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Ye | New Insight Wealth Advisors | San Ramon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michele Haguewood | Jackson & Associates | Albuquerque | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Czarnecki | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michelle Moyer | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bremerton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Miles Laubinger | Potomac Wealth Management | Great Falls | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mindy Evans | Nora Wealth | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Miranda Hoffman | Copper Harbor Investment Advisors | Appleton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mitchell Tuchman | Rebalance | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mona Kuhlman | TandemGrowth Financial Advisors | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Monica Lanzilotta | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Murcy Huang | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nalby Nouh | Prestige Wealth Management Group | Flemington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Cameron | Precision Wealth Strategies | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Reagan | Handy & Company Financial Advisors | Lake Oswego | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Rydalch | Cooper Norman Wealth | Idaho Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nelson Rutherford | Multnomah Group | Portland | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nevin Kaul | Kirk Capital Advisors | Vienna | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Carman | Clear Harbor Wealth Management | Destin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Deery | Promus Advisors | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Martin | Hemsley Advisors | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Michels | Michels Family Financial | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Stancato | Rockbridge Investment Management | Syracuse | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Toman | John F. Suby Wealth Management | Madison | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicolas Drury | Baynes Investment Counsel | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nihar Shah | Shah Wealth Advisors | Chino Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noah Fenz | Investors Portfolio Services | Puyallup | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Noah Lewis | Scholar Financial Advising | Winston-Salem | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Noah Shidlofsky | Riverpoint Wealth Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Olivia Grossman | AdviceOne | Glastonbury | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Owen Lahr | Andrews Advisory Associates | Honolulu | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Panagiotis Plevritis | Brown | Miller Wealth Management | Mclean | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patricia Scott | MSM Financial Strategies | New Providence | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Kearney | Brock Hill Wealth Management | Newton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Rohe | Rockbridge Investment Management | Syracuse | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Broomell | Vantus Wealth | Lancaster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Brown | Clearstone Wealth Management | Murfreesboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Love | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Means | Means Wealth Management | Venice | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Paula Allgood | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paula Durrant | Towneley Capital Management | Laguna Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Pedro Silva | Apex Investment Group | Hudson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Baden | Crew Capital | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Boyle | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Dizdar | Palumbo Wealth Management | Great Neck | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Moulton | Twin Rivers Wealth Management | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Reidenbach | Blume Capital Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Schmitt | Schmitt Wealth Advisers | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Philip Luccock | Financially Speaking | Greenwood Village | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.