I Need to Hire a Retirement Advisor… AI recommendations | Parse
I need to hire a retirement advisor. How do I find a fee-only fiduciary near me?
Data as of Sep 26, 2026 · Based on 337 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
To find a fee-only, fiduciary retirement advisor, use industry-standard directories like NAPFA, Fee-Only Network, or FPA's PlannerSearch. These platforms allow you to filter by location and expertise. For a guided approach, services like Wealthramp match you with vetted professionals based on your specific requirements.
Best for accessing a comprehensive, vetted directory of advisors strictly bound by fee-only and fiduciary standards. It is a leading source widely recognized for high professional planning criteria.
Best for localized searches focused solely on independent, fiduciary advisors who do not earn commissions. It is highly effective for filtering by advisor specialties like retirement planning.
How To Find and Hire a Fee Only Financial Advisor — Morrissey Wealth Managementhttps://www.morrisseywealthmanagement.com/blog/how-to-find-and-hire-a-fee-only-financial-advisor
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How to Find a Fiduciary Financial Advisor | Modera Wealth Managementhttps://moderawealth.com/how-to-find-a-fiduciary-financial-advisor/
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How to find a financial advisor or financial planner | Fidelityhttps://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/smart-money/how-to-find-a-financial-advisor
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Question: I need to hire a retirement advisor. How do I find a fee-only fiduciary near me?
Finding a true fee-only fiduciary retirement advisor ensures that the professional is legally bound to put your best interests first and doesn't make money off commissions or hidden product sales.
Here are the top directories and steps to find a qualified fiduciary near you:
NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) : This is the largest professional association dedicated exclusively to fee-only fiduciary financial planners. Use the NAPFA Find an Advisor Search to filter for planners in your geographic area who specialize in retirement.
XY Planning Network (XYPN) : While popular with younger demographics, XYPN features comprehensive, fee-only, fiduciary advisors who often specialize in retirement transitions and financial planning. You can search their directory via the XY Planning Network Find an Advisor.
: If you want an advisor who offers hourly, as-needed, or project-based financial advice without asset minimums, search the .
Fee-Only Network : This platform aggregates verified fee-only professionals from multiple top associations. Search local options via Fee-Only Network.
CFP Board Verification : Always cross-reference any candidate using the CFP Board Find a CFP Professional tool to ensure their credential is active and clean.
SEC/FINRA Check : Read their Form ADV Part 2A brochure via the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website to explicitly confirm they operate under a fiduciary standard at all times and to review their exact fee schedule.
To help me narrow down the best approach or resources for you, could you share:
Your approximate location (city/state) or if you prefer virtual/remote meetings?
Your preferred fee arrangement (e.g., hourly/project-based vs. a percentage of assets under management)?
Deller Wealth Management - 418 N Main St Suite 200, Royal Oak, MI 48067, United States
Pathworks Financial, Inc. - 43155 Main St Ste. 212, Novi, MI 48375, United States
VisionQuest Financial Planning LLC - 200 E Big Beaver Rd, Troy, MI 48083, United States
The Mather Group - 19 Clifford St, Detroit, MI 48226, United States
The Financial Planning Company - 220 S Main St, Royal Oak, MI 48067, United States
Bespoke Financial Planning LLC - 32674 Woodbrook Dr, Wayne, MI 48184, United States
OnTrack Wealth Management - 8540 N Canton Center Rd, Canton Township, MI 48187, United States
Harbor Light Planning - Royal Oak, MI 48067
If you’re in the Detroit/Metro Detroit area, you have several fee-only fiduciary options to investigate. I’d start with NAPFA, whose members operate under a fee-only fiduciary model, and then interview 3–4 advisors rather than choosing based on a directory ranking.
Local options to investigate
Thrive Retirement Specialists — Dearborn; specifically focused on retirement income planning, investments, and tax-optimized retirement strategies. Their directory listing describes them as fee-only.
Deller Wealth Management — Royal Oak; fee-only planning with retirement-income, investment, and tax planning.
Gunder Wealth Management, LLC — Birmingham; fee-only planning and investment management, including retirement-income analysis.
— Novi; fee-only fiduciary planning with retirement-focused guidance.
How I'd screen them
When you call, ask these five questions:
“Are you a fiduciary 100% of the time, including when recommending investments or insurance?”
“Are you truly fee-only—do you receive any commissions, referral fees, or compensation from financial products?”
“How are you paid: hourly, flat fee, percentage of assets, or a combination?”
“Do you specialize in retirement-income planning, including Social Security, Medicare, taxes, Roth conversions, and required minimum distributions?”
“What is your minimum account size or minimum annual fee?”
Also check the advisor's registration and disciplinary history through the SEC or FINRA's BrokerCheck. Michigan's Office of Retirement Services specifically recommends checking credentials, licenses, experience, and disciplinary history before hiring an advisor.
A useful distinction: “fee-only” doesn't necessarily mean inexpensive. An advisor charging 1% of assets can still be fee-only, while another may charge a flat fee for a retirement plan without managing your investments.
You can also search napfa.org and feeonlynetwork.com. NAPFA currently says it has about 4,500 fee-only fiduciary planners.
If you tell me roughly how much you have invested (e.g. <$500k, $500k–$1M, $1M+) and whether you're already retired or within 5–10 years of retirement, I can narrow the local options by fee structure, retirement specialization, and minimums without ranking them.
Finding a fee-only fiduciary retirement advisor who is legally bound to put your best interests first is the gold standard for objective financial guidance.
Here are the top directories and steps to find a qualified professional near you:
Use dedicated fee-only advisor directories to search by your zip code or preference for virtual meetings:
Search the NAPFA Find an Advisor Directory — The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) strictly represents fee-only, comprehensive fiduciary planners.
Check the XY Planning Network Find an Advisor — Great if you are looking for advisors who specialize in modern financial planning, often with no asset minimums.
Explore the Garrett Planning Network Directory — Ideal if you want hourly, as-needed, or project-based financial advice without long-term commitments or asset minimums.
Verify their fiduciary status and credentials:
Look for designations like CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) , which inherently carries a fiduciary duty for financial planning.
Check the advisor's background using the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure tool or FINRA BrokerCheck to ensure they are registered and check for any disciplinary history.
Interview candidates and ask the critical questions:
"Are you a fiduciary 100% of the time, for all accounts and recommendations?"
"Do you receive any commissions, referral fees, or compensation from third-party product sales?" (A true fee-only advisor will say no.)
If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:
Do you prefer an in-person advisor near your zip code or are you open to virtual/remote meetings?
Do you want ongoing management of your retirement assets, or just a one-time/hourly plan?
Finding a true fee-only fiduciary retirement advisor means looking for professionals who are legally bound to put your best interests first and who do not earn commissions from selling financial products, insurance, or mutual funds.
Here are the best, most trusted directories and steps to find a qualified advisor near you:
Use Specialized Fee-Only Directories
Search the NAPFA Find an Advisor Tool : The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors represents strictly fee-only, comprehensive fiduciary planners.
Explore the XY Planning Network Search Portal : Great for finding fee-only, fiduciary advisors who specialize in financial planning (many offer monthly subscriptions or hourly/project work without high asset minimums).
Try the Garrett Planning Network Directory : Ideal if you are looking for hourly, as-needed, or project-based financial advice with no asset minimums.
Browse the Fee-Only Network to cross-reference independent fiduciary planners registered across multiple reputable associations.
Verify Their Fiduciary Status
Always ask point-blank: "Are you acting as a fiduciary 100% of the time, for all accounts and recommendations?"
Check their regulatory status using BrokerCheck by FINRA or the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database to review their Form ADV (Part 2A), which outlines their fee structure and disciplinary history.
Confirm Their Retirement Specialization
Look for designations like CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) or RICP® (Retirement Income Certified Professional), which show advanced training in Social Security optimization, tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, and healthcare planning.
If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:
Do you prefer an advisor local to your area for in-person meetings, or are you open to virtual/remote planning?
Are you looking for ongoing asset management , or hourly/project-based advice?
Crawford Financial Planning - 3501 Coffee Rd #6, Modesto, CA 95355, United States
Oliveira Wealth - 810 Standiford Ave Ste 1, Modesto, CA 95350, United States
Parkshore Wealth Management - 5940 Granite Lake Dr, Granite Bay, CA 95746, United States
ProsperPlan Wealth Fiduciary Financial Advisors - 2377 Gold Meadow Way #100, Gold River, CA 95670, United States
BlueSky Wealth Advisors - Fee-Only- NAPFA Members - 1811 Santa Rita Rd Ste 214, Pleasanton, CA 94566, United States
Rossi Financial Group - 1212 Suncast Ln #1, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, United States
Graystone Advisor - 48 Port Royal Ave, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
California Asset Management - 2937 Veneman Ave # B100, Modesto, CA 95356, United States
Falcon Wealth Planning - 2570 N First St #200, San Jose, CA 95131, United States
Fiduciary Financial Group - 1101 Fifth Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901, United States
Aspire Planning Associates - 1990 N California Blvd 8th floor floor, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, United States
Aegis Financial Advisory, LLC - 10080 N. Wolfe Road, 200 Suite SW3, Cupertino, CA 95014, United States
Towerpoint Wealth - 500 Capitol Mall #2060, Sacramento, CA 95814, United States
Hendershott Wealth Management - 2570 N First St Second Floor, San Jose, CA 95131, United States
The Wealth Conservatory - 2300 First St #336k, Livermore, CA 94550, United States
Yes. Since you’re looking for retirement advice, I’d specifically seek a fee-only fiduciary CFP® professional, rather than simply someone who calls themselves a “financial advisor.”
NAPFA is a particularly useful place to start: its registered advisors must operate Fee-Only, act as fiduciaries, and disclose compensation and conflicts.
A few local possibilities
I found several firms around Modesto that are worth screening:
Crawford Financial Planning — Modesto; the firm is described as fee-only and focused on financial planning and investment management.
Oliveira Wealth — Modesto; fiduciary RIA serving individuals and families, including retirees.
Parkshore Wealth Management — Granite Bay; fee-only RIA with retirement, investment, tax and cash-flow planning.
One important caution: “fee-based” is not the same as “fee-only.” Fee-based advisors can receive commissions in addition to fees; NAPFA's Fee-Only standard excludes commissions and product-based compensation.
What I'd ask before hiring anyone
Call 3–4 candidates and ask:
“Are you a fiduciary at all times, not just when providing certain services?”
“Are you 100% fee-only, with no commissions or referral compensation?”
“Do you have a CFP® professional designation?”
“Do you specialize in retirement-income planning?”
“How do you charge—AUM percentage, hourly, flat fee, or a combination?”
“Will you help with Social Security, Medicare, taxes, Roth conversions and required minimum distributions?”
“What is the minimum portfolio or annual fee required to become a client?”
For someone already approaching retirement, I'd put retirement-income strategy and tax planning ahead of simply finding someone to manage investments.
You can also use napfa.org to search specifically for Fee-Only fiduciaries.
If you tell me roughly how much you have saved for retirement (e.g. $500k, $1M, $2M+) and whether you're already retired or within 5 years of retiring, I can narrow this to 3–5 advisors worth interviewing and compare their fee structures and retirement-planning specialties.
Covenant Wealth Advisors - 8001 Franklin Farms Dr RM 208, Richmond, VA 23229, United States
Spark Financial Advisors - 7130 Glen Forest Dr #110, Richmond, VA 23226, United States
Manuka Financial - Richmond, VA 23221
Noble Hill Planning LLC - 1806 Summit Ave Ste 300, Richmond, VA 23230, United States
Financial Freedom Planners - 4801 Cox Rd Ste 201, Glen Allen, VA 23060, United States
Verus Financial Partners - 9030 Stony Point Pkwy #160, Richmond, VA 23235, United States
Impact Financial - Short Pump, VA 23233
EvoAdvisors - 2917 W Leigh St, Richmond, VA 23230, United States
Canal Capital Management - 9 S 5th St, Richmond, VA 23219, United States
Simplicity Wealth Management - 2400 Old Brick Rd Ste C35, Glen Allen, VA 23060, United States
Alexis Advisors, LLC - 213 Roseneath Rd, Richmond, VA 23221, United States
Yes. Since you're in the Richmond area, there are several promising options.
Start with NAPFA
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is probably the best place to start. Its members are required to operate on a Fee-Only basis and commit to a fiduciary standard. NAPFA also lets you filter specifically for retirement planning & distribution rules, tax planning, estate planning, and different fee structures.
For retirement advice, I'd look for someone who can help with more than investment selection—particularly Social Security, Medicare, tax-efficient withdrawals, Roth conversions, RMDs, pensions, estate planning, and creating sustainable retirement income.
Some Richmond-area firms worth interviewing
Based on current local listings, these stand out as fee-only/fiduciary practices:
Covenant Wealth Advisors — Richmond; particularly retirement-oriented, with retirement-income and tax planning.
Manuka Financial — Richmond; specifically emphasizes flat-fee retirement advice, which could be attractive if you don't want traditional assets-under-management pricing.
Noble Hill Planning LLC — Richmond; fee-only, flat-fee planning with CFP/CFA/EA credentials.
— Richmond; fee-only retirement-focused planning, though its stated client profile may be better suited to households with substantial investable assets.
I would not choose based on reviews or location alone. Treat these as candidates to interview, not endorsements.
The questions I'd ask every advisor
Before hiring anyone, ask these directly:
"Are you fee-only, with absolutely no commissions or referral compensation?"
"Will you be a fiduciary for me at all times, in writing?"
"How exactly are you compensated—AUM, hourly, flat fee, retainer, or something else?"
"Do you provide retirement-income planning, not just investment management?"
"Will you advise on Social Security claiming, Medicare, Roth conversions, RMDs, and tax-efficient withdrawals?"
"Do you manage investments, or can I hire you for planning without turning over my portfolio?"
"What is the minimum portfolio size or minimum annual fee?"
"Can I see your Form ADV and fee schedule before deciding?"
One particularly important distinction: "fee-based" is not the same thing as "fee-only." NAPFA's definition of Fee-Only excludes compensation contingent on financial-product sales.
My suggestion
Interview 3 advisors, preferably with different pricing models—one AUM-based, one flat-fee, and one hourly/retainer if available. Ask each to explain how they would approach your first five years of retirement rather than giving them your entire financial life immediately.
If you tell me roughly your age, whether you're already retired, your investable assets (e.g. $500k–$1M, $1M–$2M, etc.), and whether you want ongoing investment management or just retirement planning, I can narrow the Richmond list to 3–5 advisors that appear to fit you best and compare their fees, specialties, minimums, and fiduciary credentials.
Finding a true fee-only fiduciary —an advisor who is legally bound to put your best interests first and only gets paid by you (not through commissions or product sales)—is the gold standard for retirement planning.
The most reliable way to find one is through specialized, vetted professional directories that require members to sign a fiduciary oath and maintain a strict fee-only model:
NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) : The largest professional association dedicated exclusively to fee-only comprehensive financial planners. You can search the NAPFA Find an Advisor Directory to filter by location and retirement specialty.
Garrett Planning Network : Ideal if you want advice on an hourly, as-needed, or project basis without hefty assets-under-management (AUM) minimums. Search via the Garrett Planning Network Find an Advisor tool.
XY Planning Network : Focuses on fee-only advisors who often work on a monthly subscription or project fee, great if you want flexible planning options. Search their directory at XY Planning Network Find an Advisor.
CFP Board : Use the official Certified Financial Planner directory and filter your search specifically for "fee-only" compensation types.
How to Verify Their Fiduciary Status
Directories are a great start, but you should always double-check:
Check Form ADV : Search the advisor or firm on the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) Database . Look at Part 2A, Item 10 , which discloses any other business activities or potential conflicts of interest.
Ask the Direct Question : During an initial interview, ask point-blank: "Are you a fiduciary 100% of the time, for all of my accounts and financial decisions, and do you sign a fiduciary oath?" (Beware of "fee-based" advisors, which sounds similar but means they can still earn commissions on products like insurance or certain mutual funds).
If you share your city or ZIP code and whether you prefer in-person or virtual meetings , I can help point you toward specific directories or local search parameters tailored to your area.
Benchmark Financial - 2 Righter Pkwy #100, Wilmington, DE 19803, United States
Yes. Since you're in coastal Delaware, there are several fee-only, fiduciary advisors nearby worth screening.
A good place to start
napfa-prod.azurewebsites.net is probably the best starting point. NAPFA-registered advisors commit to being fee-only and fiduciaries, meaning they don't receive commissions for selling financial products and agree to put clients' interests first.
NAPFA's Delaware listings also identify Foundation Wealth Management in Wilmington/Rehoboth as specializing in retirement planning and tax-efficient distribution strategies.
How I'd choose among them
Don't just ask, "Are you a fiduciary?" Ask these five questions:
Are you fee-only, with no commissions or referral compensation whatsoever?
Are you a fiduciary at all times—not just when providing investment advice?
Do you specialize in retirement-income planning?
Can you advise on Social Security, Medicare, taxes, Roth conversions and required minimum distributions?
What will I pay you, in dollars, under my particular situation?
For retirement, I'd strongly favor someone who does comprehensive retirement planning, rather than someone whose primary business is managing your investment portfolio. Retirement planning should look at withdrawals, taxes, Social Security, healthcare, longevity, estate planning and investment risk together.
If you tell me roughly how much you have saved, whether you're already retired or within 5 years, and whether you want ongoing investment management or just a one-time retirement plan, I can narrow this to 2–3 advisors near you that look like the best fit, including their fee structures.
Finding a retirement advisor who is both a fee-only fiduciary ensures they are legally obligated to put your best interests first and aren't making money off hidden commissions, product sales, or kickbacks.
Trusted Directories to Find a Fee-Only Fiduciary
Instead of searching blindly, use dedicated professional registries that strictly vet advisors for these exact standards:
XY Planning Network: Great for finding fee-only fiduciary advisors who specialize in working with clients on a monthly retainer, hourly, or project basis (many specialize heavily in retirement transition).
Garrett Planning Network: A nationwide network of fee-only, hourly, as-needed financial advisors—ideal if you want professional guidance on specific retirement milestones without committing to ongoing asset-management fees.
CFP Board Find a Planner: Lets you filter specifically for professionals who hold the Certified Financial Planner™ designation and explicitly state they operate on a fee-only, fiduciary basis.
Crucial Questions to Ask During Your Search
Once you narrow down a few local or virtual candidates, interview them to confirm their model:
Are you a fiduciary 100% of the time, for all financial accounts and recommendations? (Get a signed fiduciary oath if possible).
Are you strictly fee-only? (Confirm they do not accept commissions on insurance, annuities, or mutual funds).
How do you charge? (Hourly, flat project fee, or a percentage of Assets Under Management / AUM).
If you can share your general location (city/state) or whether you prefer in-person vs. virtual meetings , I can give you more tailored directory filtering tips.
XY Planning Network (XYPN) : While popular with younger demographics, XYPN features comprehensive, fee-only, fiduciary advisors who often specialize in retirement transitions and financial planning. You can search their directory via the XY Planning Network Find an Advisor.
: If you want an advisor who offers hourly, as-needed, or project-based financial advice without asset minimums, search the .
