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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn Pacanowski | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Shengde Liu | Access Wealth Group | Powell | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sheree Bollinger | Legacy Financial Independent Advisors | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sherif Othman | Poise Investment Advisors | Germantown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sidney King | Retirement Planning Blueprint | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sierra Merrick | Acorn Creek Capital | Fort Collins | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Siria Terry | Blue Barn Wealth | Orem | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Spencer Henderson | Aequitas Investment Advisors | Hingham | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Spencer Lawson | BCR Wealth Strategies | Vestavia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Stacey Young | Means Wealth Management | Bangor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Stelianos Elenis | High Pass Asset Management | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephanie Nehmens | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Chambers | Linch Financial | Southlake | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Chang | Acts Financial Advisors | Mclean | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Dreiling | Capital Investment Counsel | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Engel | Palumbo Wealth Management | Great Neck | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephen Erken | Maxele Advisors | Webster Groves | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Hyde | HFM Investment Advisors | Newark | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Islander | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Jimenez | Peerless Wealth | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Kriha | Tenere Financial | Sammamish | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Palmer | Pennsylvania Capital Management | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Ross | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Brandt | Acorn Financial Services | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Campeas | HCR Wealth Advisors | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Dumstorff | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | St. Louis | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Fox-Middleton | SFM Financial Advisors | Vancouver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Hooyman | Copper Harbor Investment Advisors | Appleton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Hutchison | RiversEdge Advisors | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Wilkes | Hutchinson Capital Management | San Rafael | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Zangmeister | Aspire Growth Partners | Medina | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stuart Herzog | Beaird Harris | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stuart Quint | Ambassador Wealth Management | Vancouver | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sunandan Clerk | Dhamma Capital | Walnut Creek | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Suzue Sato | MoneyCafe Advisors | Denver | Not listed | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Svetlana Kot | Rebalance | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sydney Kovacs | Burton Enright Welch | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sydney Peatrowsky | Virtue Wealth Counsel | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tami McDonald | Brookstone Wealth Management | Birmingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tanis Kelly | Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tanya Nichols | Retire Agile | Hermantown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Taylor Bennett | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Taylor Moody | Regimen Wealth | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Temiloluwa Adesodun | Bellars Harris Wealth Management | Virginia Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Teofilo Ferreira | Wingate Wealth Advisors | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Theodore Hughes | Hughes Warren | Edmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Theodore Parrish | Parrish Capital | Kennesaw | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Theron Weimer | KFA Private Wealth Group | Tyson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Bailey | Broadview Wealth Management | Kirkland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Thomas Bruce | Tanglewood Total Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.