Financial advisors for retirement planning in San Diego, California
Which financial advisor should I talk to about retirement planning in San Diego?
For retirement planning in San Diego, talk to a fee-only planner who builds a withdrawal plan, not only an investment portfolio. Look for someone who works out where your income comes from each year, in what order, and what tax it triggers. Records to start with include Jose Armenta of Create Your Path, Steven Fox of AdviceOnly and David Lyon of Lyon Wealth Advisory.
Where to start
Chosen from what each record shows: credentials that fit this work and fees on file, one advisor per firm.
- Jose Armenta Create Your Path, San Diego City Holds the CFP and EA. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, ongoing planning fee.
- Steven Fox AdviceOnly, San Diego City Holds the CFP and EA. Fees on file: subscription, one-time planning fee.
- David Lyon Lyon Wealth Advisory, San Deigo Holds the CFP and EA. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, ongoing planning fee.
- Mark Young Clearview Financial, Inc., San Diego City Holds the CFP and CPA. Fees on file: percentage of assets, ongoing planning fee.
- Leslie Merrithew Merrithew & Thorsten, San Diego City Holds the CFP and EA. Fees on file: ongoing planning fee.
- Matthew Showley Creative Capital Management Investments LLC, San Diego City Holds the CFP and CPA. Fees on file: percentage of assets, hourly.
How many fee-only financial advisors in San Diego work on retirement planning?
The Wellspent public graph lists 104 fee-only advisors for retirement planning in San Diego, at 51 firms. We counted every advisor record that lists this work, as of November 2026.
How do fee-only advisors for retirement planning in San Diego charge?
The most common fee among fee-only advisors for retirement planning in San Diego is a percentage of assets, used by 78% of the 104 with fees on file. Many use more than one: 40% charge fixed fees and 39% charge by the hour.
How much do fee-only financial advisors charge in San Diego?
Fee-only financial advisors in San Diego charge a median of $5,500 a year for ongoing planning. We found this across the published prices of 14 San Diego firms.
How much does a one-time financial plan cost in San Diego?
A one-time financial plan from a fee-only firm in San Diego has a median price of $1,950. We found this across the published prices of 11 San Diego firms.
What credentials should a financial advisor for retirement planning have?
For retirement planning, look for the RICP, CFP and EA. In San Diego, 55% of the 104 advisors listed hold the CFP.
- RICP1% in San Diego
- The RICP is built around retirement income specifically.
- CFP55% in San Diego
- The CFP covers income, tax, insurance, and estate decisions together.
- EA6% in San Diego
- Enrolled agents help with Roth conversions and withdrawal order.
- CPA2% in San Diego
- CPAs help with the tax side of withdrawals.
How do San Diego advisors for retirement planning compare with the rest of the US?
55% of fee-only advisors for retirement planning in San Diego hold the CFP, compared with 46% of the 7,304 listed across the US. That's the largest difference in the Wellspent public graph between the two groups.
Dark bars are San Diego. Light bars are all US advisors for retirement planning.
Does California tax Social Security?
No. California doesn't tax Social Security. Its treatment of IRA withdrawals and pensions has its own rules, so ask to see them in your plan.
What should I ask a financial advisor about retirement planning in San Diego?
- How do you decide which accounts I draw from first?
- When would you have me claim Social Security, and why?
- How do you handle a bad market in my first years of retirement?
- Will you run Roth conversion scenarios for me each year?
- How does California tax each source of my retirement income?
How current is this list of fee-only advisors for retirement planning in San Diego?
Wellspent last checked these records against SEC records in October 2026 and firm websites in October 2026. Each advisor's page shows the date for that record.
All 104 advisors
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Nilsson Hourly, project or ongoing planning that centers the person, helping clients build a healthier, more personal relationship with money. | Brava Financial, LLC | San Diego | CDFA, CFP, JD | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Shannon Fleener Bilingual, values-based planning for first-generation wealth builders and progressive clients who want their money to do good too. | Sage Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| David Lyon | Lyon Wealth Advisory | San Deigo | CFP, EA, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Showley | Creative Capital Management Investments LLC | San Diego | CFP, MBA, BFA, CeFT | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Niergarth | Retirement Roadmap Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP, RICP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Nate Nieri | Modern Money Management | San Diego | CFP, MSBA, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Shannon Grey | InvestEdge Planning | San Diego | CFP, CRPC | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jacob Greenberg | Pure Financial Advisors, LLC | San Diego | AIF, CFP, ChFC, MPH | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jake Taylor | Astra Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jose Armenta | Create Your Path | San Diego | CFP, ChFC, EA, MSBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Fox Next Gen founder now building AdviceOnly to help advisors give advice instead of sales pitches; takes occasional small hourly projects. | AdviceOnly | San Diego | CFP, EA, BFA, MS | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Mark Young | Clearview Financial, Inc. | San Diego | CFP, CPA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Randall | Oak Summit Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, CFA, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Mike Farrow | FlightPath Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Danny Michael | Satori Wealth Management Inc. | San Diego | CFP, RLP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jon Luskin Hourly, advice-only planning for do-it-yourself investors from a fiduciary and longtime advocate of simple, low-cost index investing. | JonLuskin.com | San Diego | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Leslie Merrithew | Merrithew & Thorsten | San Diego | CFP, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jack O'Donnell | JRO Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Taylor Schulte Tax-smart retirement planning for investors with a $2MM+ nest egg. | Define Financial | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Christine Skoczek | Vistica Wealth Advisors | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Victor Gersten | Cross Border Wealth Advisors | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Cadena | Cadena Financial Planning & Tax Services | San Diego | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| David Chenet | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Giovanna Leyva | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Jeremy Kovacevich | Kaiyo Wealth | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jodi Vleck | Beta Wealth Group | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Cobas | Kaiyo Wealth | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Rielle Sanidad | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stone Churby | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stuart Schiffman | Compound Wealth Advisors | San Diego | CFP, ChFC | One-time planning fee |
| Tyler Abney | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Russell | Dean Roland Russell Family Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Chaz Fahrner | Sierra Wealth Strategies | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Andrews | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jordan Gibbs | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marc Roland | Dean Roland Russell Family Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Philip Maravilla | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Gibbs | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Wesley Read | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Allen Trim | Blue Summit Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bradley Johnston | Fiduciary Benefits Group | San Diego | CFP, ChFC | Flat fee or retainer |
| Eric Sigdestad | SimpliFi | San Diego | CFP | Hourly |
| Jackson Miller | Fiduciary Benefits Group | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Kameron Barzegar | RJ Patterson Group | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Kneale | Arcadian Financial Services | San Diego | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Malek Hage Hassan | RJ Patterson Group | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Hull | Mission Hills Financial | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Van Nostrand | Van Nostrand Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Minka Hull | Mission Hills Financial | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brandon Hobson | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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