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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnie Courtney | Cambridge Financial Group | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bradford Yeakle | MY Wealth Management | Germantown | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bradley Hartman | Hartman Financial Planning | Santa Clarita | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Bradley Ortego | SOW Advisors | Youngsville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brailyn Robertson | The Aranda Group | Jenkintown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brendan King | Wavvest | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Bret Hoffman | Green Peaks Planning | Surprise | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Quintana Guzman | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brian Sawyer | Larchmont Wealth Advisors | Lunenburg | Not listed | Hourly |
| Brian Sigler | Westshore Wealth | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bridgette Hodge | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bruce Beckett | My Financial Coach | Midland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bruce Mason | Harvest Financial Advisors | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bryan Courchesne | DAiM | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bryan Kocen | Kocen Financial Group | Rancho Mirage | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bryce Anderson | Intermountain Wealth Management | Idaho Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Caleb Rich | PracticeCFO | Swansboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Camden Newton | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cameron Lease | Lease Investment Advisors | Toms River | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cameron Simonds | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cameron Smith | PracticeCFO | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carl Bader | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Carl Grahs | Navigate Wealth Management | Birmingham | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Cassidy Fisher | Castle Coast Wealth | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cathleen Phelps | Monument Wealth Management | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Chad Burger | Reserve Wealth Planning | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Chad Nolte | Model Wealth | Wheaton | Not listed | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Chad Onufrechuk | Cascade Wealth Planning | Belmont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chad Seegers | Insight Wealth Strategies | San Ramon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chad Young | Young Financial Planning | Lafayette | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Charles Brinkman | Integrity Investing | Daleville | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Clapp | Howland Capital | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Copeland | Elevage Partners | Marsing | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Evangelakos | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Gillespie | Castle Coast Wealth | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Powell | Powell Wealth | Cornelius | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Von Stackelberg | Radius Wealth Management | Boston | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Womack | Womack Wealth and Business Management | Manhattan Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charlotte Bell | Trio Wealth Management® | Great Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cheung Chan | Chemistry Wealth Management, LLC. | New York | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Christina Hudson | Invenio Wealth Partners | Coral Gables | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christine Book | Barlow Wealth Partners | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christine Fusare | Kickstand Wealth Advisors | Pittsford | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Harrington | Waterfront | Advisors | Overland Park | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Jones | Sparrow Wealth Management | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher McIntosh | Barlow Wealth Partners | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Packard | Womack Wealth and Business Management | Manhattan Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Stooksbury | Beacon Hill Wealth Management | Victoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Vasquez | Lucien, Stirling & Gray Advisory Group | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clarke Holt | Elevate Wealth Advisory | Athens | 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.