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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Robinett | Amicus Financial Advisors | Midland | PFS, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derek Wulff | Navista Wealth Management | Minnetonka | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derrick Smith | Privatus Wealth | Roseville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dillon Quintana | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Donald Button | Button & Button Wealth Management | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Donald Drummond | Financial Independence Advisors | Jacksonville | PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Donald McLaughlin | McLaughlin Asset Management | Danville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Donna McConnell | HeadInvest | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Douglas Bartolf | Atticus Wealth Management | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Drew Phillips | PracticeCFO | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dushyant Pandit | Dorchester Advisors | Short Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Eddy Park | Rose Capital Advisors | Coral Gables | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eduardo Ciuffo | Ariston Services Group | San Diego | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Edward Parolisi | Ironwood Wealth Management | Rye | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Edward Zywien | Caveness Wealth Advisory | Abingdon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edwin Ashton | Arete Financial and Legal Solutions | Goodyear | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edwin Bennett | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elaine Biersack | Round Rock Advisors | Wilton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eleanor Quarles | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Elizabeth Alamillo | Wela Financial Advisory | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Elizabeth Stroup | Verus Capital Partners | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Sydzyik | Pittenger & Anderson | Lincoln | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Elsa Allmendinger | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emma Shaw | CoCreate Financial | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emmett Gustafson | HighMark Wealth Management | St. Paul | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Cortez | Verus Capital Partners | Hermosa Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Greenberg | ESG Wealth Advisors | Lansdale | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Erik Boehm | Stone Bridge Asset Management | Chattanooga | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erik Cooper Low cost wealth management firm | Arcvest, LLC | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erin Maynard | Shuttleworth & Company | Powell | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Evan Barnes | Traction Financial Partners | Encampment | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Evan Carey | Beacon Hill Wealth Management | Victoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Evan McMordie | Golden Spread Wealth | Canadian | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Evan Teeple | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eve Gaiser | Pinnacle Wealth Management | Brighton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Fadi Issa | Boardwalk Wealth Management | Ann Arbor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Fadoua Arif | Lynx Investment Advisory | Washington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Fetzer Crockett | 4-C Wealth | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Forrest Knopps | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Francis Jackson | Howland Capital | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frank Barlow | Barlow Wealth Partners | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frank Jolley | Live Oak Private Wealth | Rocky Mount | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frank Montes | Torrey Pines Financial | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Franklin Parker | WholeHuman Wealth Management | Lewisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Fred Goodman | Verus Capital Partners | Chandler | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gabriel Trasatti | Trasatti Wealth Planning | Baltimore | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Garrett Edson | Clarus Group | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Garrett Thompson | Sky Vision Wealth | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Garry Bishop | ProFocus | Phoenix | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gary Aiken | Caveness Wealth Advisory | Rockville | 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.