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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Reuer | Matt Calcagno | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Phillip Christenson | Phillip James Financial | Plymouth | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| R. Christopher Wiegand | Newbridge Wealth Management | Bryn Mawr | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachel Van Den Berg | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ralston Turner | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Randall Zaharia | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Randy Immeker | Compass Lighthouse Capital | Orange City | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Rankin Starkey | SSB&T Wealth | Fredericksburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Raul Sonza | Cabildo Capital | Washington | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Raymond Tan | California Financial Advisors | San Ramon | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Rebecca Drexler-Bleivik | Cooper Eagle | King Of Prussia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Reid Trego | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rhonda Carter | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Czechowski | WS Wealth Management | Washington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Harris | Aspire Growth Partners | Miromar Lakes | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Hughes | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Keil | William Mack & Associates | Southfield | PFS | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Richard McKean | Blue Elm Advisors | Holmes | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Richard Morgan | SSB&T Wealth | Bee Cave | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Schiller | Pavlic Investment Advisors | Delafield | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Speers | Private Wealth Management of NC | Henderson | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Alonso | Third Eye Associates | Red Hook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Auclair | Balanced Wealth Management | West Warwick | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Barron | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Basile | Basile Financial Group | Palm Harbor | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Cramer | Sherrill & Hutchins | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert DiLegge | Hemsley Advisors | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Filosa | Atlantic Edge Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Heintz | Planning Associates Wealth Management | Metairie | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Johnson | Linkside Financial | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Jung | Crew Capital | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Nistendirk | WNA Wealth Management | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Norman | Anchor Investment Management | Columbia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Pascarella | Peerless Wealth | Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Pickels | Whitney & Company | Rochester | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Polackwich | Professional Advisory Services | Vero Beach | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Rizarri | Heritage Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Whitney | Polaris Investment Advisors, LLC. | Framingham | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Wojcik | W Wealth Advisors | Gilbert | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roberta Newhouse | Alturas Wealth Management | Eagle | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robin Giles | Apex Wealth Management | Katy | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robine Van Doorn | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robyn Clarke | Towneley Capital Management | Laguna Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robyn Cohen | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roger Gewecke | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roger Whitney | Retire Agile | Mansfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Romy Brown | Beta Wealth Group | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ronald Leavitt | Capstone Capital | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ronald Peck | Fearless Wealth | Kirkland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ronald Skalberg | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.