Best Fiduciary Advisors in Florida for Retirement Income

Retiring in Florida sounds simple—no state income tax, year-round sun. But turning a nest egg into a 30-year paycheck is hotter than any heat index. Regulators tripled Reg BI enforcement actions in 2023, and retirees funneled a record $308 billion into fixed annuities in 2024 to lock in bigger yields. We sifted through 1,984 SEC-registered advisory firms to spotlight the fiduciary financial advisors who turn those trends into tax-friendly, hurricane-proof income. The eight that follow earned top marks for expertise, transparency, and Florida know-how—so you can stay on the beach, not on spreadsheets.

How we built the rankings

A well-structured fiduciary plan lets Florida retirees enjoy the beach while their advisors handle the storms and spreadsheets

Great advice starts with thorough due diligence, especially when every withdrawal must last for decades. We reviewed all 1,984 advisory firms registered with the SEC or the State of Florida according to the 2025 NASAA census, as reported by an InvestmentNews analysis.

Any firm that still collects product commissions or posts an outdated Form ADV was removed, leaving a field of true fiduciaries.

The rankings are built on five weighted pillars, strict fiduciary filters, and Florida-specific realities like property insurance and hurricane risk

Each remaining firm earned a composite score across five weighted pillars:

When two firms tied, we checked (1) the freshness of their most recent regulatory filing and (2) the breadth of their Florida footprint.

Why the heavy tilt toward fiduciary status? Florida’s tax perks attract retirees and aggressive sales pitches in equal measure. Regulators took notice: FINRA enforcement actions under Reg BI tripled in 2023.

We verified every data point against each firm’s latest Form ADV, scanned Google and BBB reviews, and noted any awards or disciplinary flags.

For the retirement-income pillar, we favored firms that show their process in plain language and give savers tools to test-drive it. Signature Financial Solutions’ retirement page, for example, explains a NextPhase program built around a single upfront investment that provides inflation-adjusted income for roughly 20 to 30 years and then returns the original principal at the end, alongside a calculator that helps you see whether your current savings pace can support that paycheck.

Even if you never call a firm on this list, you can borrow that standard and look for advisors who publish a clear income blueprint plus simple calculators you can run yourself before you sign anything.

Mergers, rebrands, or new branch openings after the 2024 filings were added before scoring.

We also double-checked recommendations against Florida realities. The state spares your investment interest from income tax, but retirees still face rising property-insurance and hurricane costs. Advisors who ignored those costs lost points under “local know-how.”

The result is a conflict-free, Florida-savvy shortlist focused on turning your nest egg into a dependable paycheck. Next, you’ll see the firms that cleared the bar and why.

1. Signature Financial Solutions: the all-in-one retirement-income partner

Walk into Signature Financial Solutions (SFS) and the first question isn’t “How much do you have?” but “What do you want your money to do when work stops?” That purpose-first mindset is carried out by the firm’s fiduciary financial advisors. They describe their process as a 360° approach delivered from the Tampa headquarters and 12 additional Florida offices.

SFS operates as an independent RIA and an Osaic-affiliated broker-dealer, so the team can pair fee-based investment advice with insurance when the math works. New clients receive the Form ADV and fee schedule in the welcome packet, so costs and potential conflicts are clear.

Why that matters now: retirees directed a record $308 billion into fixed annuities in 2024, 71 percent of all annuity sales. SFS can source those contracts only when they improve your cash-flow model, with no product quotas and no flavor-of-the-month pitch.

The planning process starts with a month-by-month cash-flow map. Social Security timing, Medicare premiums, required minimum distributions, and a hurricane-size emergency reserve flow into one stress-tested budget. If a gap appears, the team adjusts asset buckets or adds a guaranteed-income sleeve rather than chasing yield.

Local savvy shows up everywhere. New transplants learn how Florida’s homestead rules shield equity, while long-time residents get tactics to blunt rising property-insurance costs. Both leave knowing Florida won’t tax their investment interest—a perk that drew many south in the first place.

Accessibility is another plus. There’s no million-dollar minimum; most clients arrive with mid-six-figure portfolios and meet a lead CFP® plus in-house insurance specialists who collaborate with outside attorneys and CPAs.

Potential drawback: SFS is fee-based, so insurance recommendations can generate commissions. The firm discloses that conflict, signs a fiduciary oath, and reminds clients it still acts as a fiduciary financial advisor, but fee-only purists may prefer another name on this list.

Bottom line: If you want one team that can integrate investments, insurance, and Florida-specific paperwork into a single retirement-paycheck plan, Signature Financial Solutions delivers a transparent, purpose-driven package.

2. Certified Financial Group: Orlando’s classroom for confident retirees

Certified Financial Group (CFG) has guided Central Floridians since 1976 and today fields 12 Certified Financial Planner™ professionals, every planner on the roster. Their secret weapon is education: the team hosts the weekly “On the Money” radio show and free Social Security workshops where no one leaves until each slide’s question is answered.

That teacher’s mindset continues in client meetings. Advisors translate required minimum distributions into monthly paychecks, pair them with pensions, annuities, and bond ladders, and label each bucket so you know which one covers groceries if markets dip.

The structure is fee-only and fiduciary, with no commissions or insurance side hustle. You see the asset-based fee or flat-planning quote on page one and the fiduciary oath on page two, so trust starts early.

Florida nuance is baked in. Planners walk Disney and Lockheed retirees through FRS DROP options, flag rising property-insurance premiums, and remind newcomers to file the homestead exemption as soon as the moving van unloads. Snowbirds even get a checklist for spending just enough days up north to avoid another state tax bill.

Drawbacks? CFG’s Altamonte Springs location means an in-person visit requires a drive if you live outside Central Florida, and very small accounts may be routed to a one-time planning engagement.

For retirees who learn best by asking “why” before “how,” CFG feels less like an advisory factory and more like a master class in lifelong financial security. You’ll leave clearer, calmer, and armed with an action list instead of a product brochure.

3. FirsTrust: boutique advice that travels the length of Florida

FirsTrust combines big-city polish with neighborhood access. The fee-only firm keeps offices in Daytona Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, and Boca Raton, so most Floridians are within an hour’s drive of a fiduciary financial advisor.

Every planner brings 20-plus years of experience, battle-tested through rate spikes, tech crashes, and the 2008 free-fall. Engagements start with a forensic spending review that covers housing, Medicare, and grandkids’ 529 plans, then layer in tax-smart withdrawals and a cash reserve sized to your comfort zone.

Because FirsTrust is strictly fee-only, no insurance commission hides behind a recommendation. The firm’s Form ADV lists a transparent, tiered AUM schedule and zero revenue-sharing. When an annuity or long-term-care policy fits, advisors shop outside carriers and bill no override.

Florida quirks get full attention. Snowbirds learn how to claim domicile without triggering northern taxes, and long-time residents see strategies to blunt soaring homeowners’ premiums and safeguard homestead equity. The goal is simple: keep more income in your pocket and less in someone else’s.

Trade-offs to weigh: Technology tools feel solid but not as glossy as mega-firm portals, and ongoing management typically starts around $500,000.

If you want veteran guidance, clear fiduciary service, and the comfort of meeting your planner in almost any major Florida market, FirsTrust delivers a sturdy statewide solution.

4. Resource Consulting Group: discipline for portfolios built to last

Resource Consulting Group (RCG) has felt more like a research lab than a wealth salon since it opened in 1988. Today the Orlando-based, fee-only fiduciary manages about $2.5 billion for 500 households.

Meet the team once and you’ll spot the pattern. Every engagement starts with a written investment policy that locks in stock, bond, and cash targets before markets test your nerve. Advisors then run thousands of Monte Carlo simulations to see whether a four, five, or smaller percent draw keeps you solvent to age 95. If inflation pops or equities slip, they tweak spending rates and tax lots instead of scrapping the blueprint.

The service covers portfolio management, tax planning, estate coordination, and quarterly “chart-to-next-step” coaching sessions. Fees are asset-based: 0.90 percent on the first $1 million, 0.50 percent on the next $9 million, and 0.25 percent above that. Most relationships begin near the seven-figure mark.

Local insight matters, too. Many clients arrive with Florida pensions, Disney stock, or lump sums from Orlando’s medical corridor. RCG digs into those concentrated positions, quarterbacks Roth conversions during low-bracket years, and folds Florida’s zero income tax into every withdrawal schedule.

Trade-offs? RCG’s index-centric philosophy feels calm if you crave private-equity adventures, and its single Orlando office means coastal retirees rely on video calls or an occasional drive.

For investors who see retirement as a marathon, not a sprint, RCG’s disciplined, academically grounded playbook delivers one priceless benefit: the confidence to ignore the Dow at breakfast.

5. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo: fee-only guidance that feels personal

Some advisory firms feel like boardrooms. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo (MFT) feels more like a kitchen-table chat backed by Ivy-League rigor. The fee-only RIA manages about $920 million for 2,900 clients and staffs seven CFP® professionals across Orlando, Tampa, and Melbourne.

The first meeting is pure listening. Advisors map dreams, worries, and must-haves into a retirement-income timeline that blends today’s cash flow with tomorrow’s flexibility. Social Security timing, Roth conversion windows, and long-term-care choices land on the same page, so you see the whole picture instead of piecemeal advice.

Because MFT earns revenue only from planning and asset-management fees, incentives stay clean. Average client assets hover near $300,000, proof you don’t need a seven-figure nest egg for white-glove service.

Local insight seals the deal. Planners help newcomers file Florida’s homestead exemption, compare coastal insurance quotes, and decide whether The Villages or a beach condo fits the budget. Along the Space Coast, ex-military and NASA retirees get pension guidance many generalist advisors miss.

Trade-offs? MFT doesn’t manage private real-estate syndicates or crypto portfolios, and high demand can mean waiting a few weeks for onboarding.

For retirees who value approachable experts, crystal-clear fees, and a plan built around life rather than markets, MFT delivers warmth and precision in equal measure.

6. Evensky & Katz / Foldes: retirement strategy from the pioneers who wrote the playbook

In the 1980s, Harold Evensky created the two-bucket cash-reserve system: keep two to three years of living expenses in cash and bonds, invest the rest for growth. That framework still guides Evensky & Katz / Foldes (EKF) from its Coral Gables headquarters.

The fee-only fiduciary manages several billion dollars for clients using global diversification and institutional-class funds. Annual reviews fine-tune withdrawal rates, donor-advised gifts, and Roth conversions, keeping the bill-pay bucket full while the growth bucket recovers at its own pace.

Most clients arrive with seven-figure portfolios. Each household works with a lead and a support advisor, so service never stalls during busy seasons or vacations. Relationship minimums start around $1 million, and Miami traffic often makes virtual meetings the easiest option for anyone outside South Florida.

If you want retirement guidance grounded in decades of research and delivered by a deep bench of credentialed pros, EKF sets a standard many others try to match.

7. Cathy Pareto & Associates: boutique care for life’s big transitions

Retirement planning feels different when your advisor remembers your grand-kid’s name. That personal touch defines Cathy Pareto & Associates, a woman-owned, fee-only firm in Coral Gables that caps its roster at roughly 120 households to keep every client front of mind.

Founder Cathy Pareto, CFP®, MBA, built the practice around people in transition: widows settling estates, physicians selling practices, couples entering their first year without paychecks. Her team maps income, taxes, and health-care costs on a single page you can stick to the fridge, then checks in quarterly to adjust for market moves or new goals.

Size is a feature, not a flaw. Fewer clients mean calls get returned the same day and review meetings last until each question is answered. Minimums start near $500,000, but one-time planning packages keep the door open for smaller, complex cases. Fees are transparent and free of commissions.

Local savvy matters, too. Advisors help newcomers file Florida’s homestead exemption, vet coastal insurance quotes, and weigh the cost of staying put versus downsizing inland—practical details big firms often gloss over.

If you want advice delivered with empathy, clarity, and zero corporate buzzwords, Cathy Pareto & Associates offers a boutique lane to long-term financial confidence.

8. Summit Wealth Partners: four decades of client-first income stewardship

Summit Wealth Partners opened its Orlando doors in 1985, when CDs paid double-digit rates and 401(k)s were brand new. Four decades later, the fee-based fiduciary manages about $560 million for retirees who want everyday cash flow rather than Wall Street flash.

Advisors start by charting spending goals in today’s dollars, then stress-test those costs against longevity, inflation, and hurricane-level market shocks. The resulting income plan blends a dividend-tilted portfolio with laddered bonds or CDs, so paychecks keep coming even when stocks wobble.

Dual registration is a feature, not a flaw. Summit charges transparent asset-based fees and also holds insurance licenses to source long-term-care or income annuities when the math works. If a policy adds cost without boosting net income, they say so and move on.

Geography helps. Offices in Orlando and Naples give Central and Southwest Florida retirees easy access. Planners are fluent in The Villages’ lifestyle costs, Gulf-Coast hurricane deductibles, and the quirks of Florida’s booming 55-plus communities.

Trade-offs: Summit’s tech tools feel basic next to Silicon Valley robo dashboards, and portfolios stick to traditional stocks, bonds, and occasional annuities, with no crypto corners or exotic alternatives.

For retirees who value seasoned guidance, lifelong relationships, and a plan that flexes with each new chapter, Summit keeps steady hands on the financial wheel.

FAQ: picking your fiduciary

Bring a written checklist of questions so you can evaluate how any Florida advisor earns your trust and your business

How will you tell me when to adjust my paycheck?

A great planner builds flexibility into the withdrawal plan and explains the triggers up front. If they wave you off with “We’ll see,” keep digging.

Show me every way your firm gets paid.

Fee-only, fee-based, hourly, flat—the label matters less than clarity. Ask for a one-page schedule and have the advisor walk you through every line.

How many Florida retirees like me do you serve?

Teachers on DROP face different issues than former Wall Street snowbirds. An honest advisor will share client profiles and patterns they’ve seen.

Who covers me if you’re on a boat in the Keys?

Continuity is critical when markets lurch. Make sure there’s a named backup advisor who already knows your plan.

Conclusion

If the answers come with specifics, examples, and zero defensiveness, you’re on the right track. If not, keep interviewing; the Sunshine State has plenty of fiduciaries who will.