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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Whitley | Acorn Financial Services | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ronald Yolles | Diversified Portfolios | Bloomfield Hills | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Ruby Weidler | McClarren Financial Advisors | State College | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Rush Imhotep Financial Planning practice servicing founders and investment professionals located in Atlanta GA. | Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC | ATLANTA | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Russell Carlson | ARIA Wealth Management | Dunwoody | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Russell Thamm | Teamwork Financial Group | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Bowman | Maxele Advisors | Webster Groves | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Gelrod | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Hammond | Hammond Wealth Partners | Gastonia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan Herbert | Prostatis Group | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Hill | Brock Hill Wealth Management | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Horak | Wealth Management | Tallahassee | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Kilkenny | Atomic Planning | Gardner | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Kolstad | AP Investment Management | Mountain View | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ryan Kotys | Kotys Wealth Professionals | Valparaiso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Redmond | Stone Pillars Wealth Management | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Robertson | Factor Wealth Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Suess | Kapusta Financial Group | Pittsburgh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Sullivan | Off the Beaten Path Financial | Wilsall | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Ryan Tyler | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Samaya Patel | Blume Capital Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samuel Baynes | Baynes Investment Counsel | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samuel Liebman | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samuel Starks | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sandra Cleveland | BCR Wealth Strategies | Vestavia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Sandra Maynard | Stage 2 Planning Partners | S Burlington | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sandra Thomas | S.C. Thomas & Associates, CPA | Medina | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sanjiv Jhaveri | SJ Capital Management | Monmouth Junction | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sara Reals | Feeney Financial | Leawood | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Sara Turner | Aurdan Capital Management | Wayne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sarah Brandon | Rebalance | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sarah Contino | CAM Investor Solutions | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sarah McIvor | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Bramwell | Eiger Wealth Management | San Diego | PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Lanigan | EID Capital | Dallas | CFA | One-time planning fee |
| Scott Leise | Sanders Retirement Planning | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Scott Miller | Linch Financial | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Nasca | Generation Capital Management | Pittsford | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Puritz | Rebalance | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sean Green | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sean Kearney | Amvoy Wealth | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sean McGuirk | Lincoln Capital | Uxbridge | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sean Mullaney | Mullaney Financial & Tax | Woodland Hills | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Sean Paddock | Wealth Dimensions Group | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sean Tyll | Acorn Financial Services | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Seongsoo Lee | New Insight Wealth Advisors | San Ramon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Seth Bittner | Stillwater Private Wealth | Allentown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Shannon Schulz | S. Harris Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shannon Ware | Acorn Financial Services | Harrisonburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shanon Tate | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | 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.