Retirement guidance without the sales pitch.
We build free tools and clear, unbiased education to help people approach retirement with confidence, and connect them with fiduciary advisors only when they want one.
Clear answers, no strings attached
RetiPilot began with a simple frustration: most retirement advice is either too complicated to act on or too eager to sell you something. We wanted a place where people approaching retirement could get clear answers and genuinely useful tools — without handing over their email or sitting through a pitch.
So we built one. Every calculator on this site is free to use. Every article is written in clear, everyday language and reviewed for accuracy. And when you do want to talk to a professional, we connect you only with advisors held to a fiduciary standard, meaning they are obligated to put your interests first.
We are not a brokerage, an insurer, or a fund company, and we do not earn commissions on financial products. That independence is the entire point.
Principles that guide everything we build
Clarity over jargon
If a concept cannot be explained in plain language, we keep working until it can. You should never need a finance degree to understand your own money.
Independence you can trust
We have no products to sell and earn no commissions. Our only job is to help you see your options clearly and decide what fits.
Education first, always
Tools and articles come first; a conversation with an advisor is an option, never a requirement. You stay in control of every step.
Two ways to move forward
Start with the free tools to see where you stand — your readiness score, the tax impact of a Roth conversion, the best time to claim Social Security, or your likely healthcare costs. Then read the articles to understand what the numbers mean.
When you are ready for personalized advice, our short Ask an Advisor questionnaire helps you decide whether a fiduciary conversation makes sense for your situation.
What the CFP® marks require
We reference the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation throughout this site because it is one of the most demanding credentials in personal finance. Before anyone can use the marks, the CFP Board requires all four of the following:
Education
A bachelor's degree plus completion of a CFP Board-registered program covering investments, tax, insurance, estate, and retirement planning.
Examination
A comprehensive six-hour exam testing the ability to apply planning knowledge to real client situations. Historically, roughly a third of candidates do not pass on their first attempt.
Experience
6,000 hours of professional financial planning experience, or 4,000 hours through a structured apprenticeship, before the marks are granted.
Ethics
A background check, a commitment to act as a fiduciary when providing financial advice, ongoing standards enforced by the CFP Board, and 30 hours of continuing education every two years.
You can verify any individual's CFP® certification status directly with the CFP Board at cfp.net.
Are you a CFP® professional?
We are growing our library of articles and forum answers, and we welcome contributions from experienced planners. If you would like to contribute to RetiPilot, reach out to us at info@retipilot.com with a short introduction.
Requirements for contributors
- Current CFP® designation in good standing
- At least 5 years of client-facing financial planning experience
- A clean regulatory and disciplinary history (we verify through FINRA BrokerCheck and the SEC IAPD database)
- Willingness to work within our editorial and compliance review process, including sourcing for factual claims
- One or two writing samples, published or unpublished