I have retirement savings in a few different accounts which include 401k, IRA and a few pension accounts from previous employers. I would like to find someone in front of whom I could put all my information and understand how those accounts, along with Social Security benefits, can be managed for retirement income. I anticipate retirement within 10 years. My question is: how to find someone to help with this? Fee only, I assume, since I'm not interested in investment growth opportunities right now.
I was in that situation a few years ago. I asked friends and co- workers for a financial planner if they were happy with theirs, and one gave me an excellent recommendation. (Strebel Planning Group, in Ithaca NY, in case you're interested.) If no one you trust has a recommendation, you'll have to look at CFPs yourself, but you will be able to eliminate many with a quick phone call (see two paragraphs down).
The one I chose had a free get-acquainted session, which I imagine most would. During that time she laid out their process, and we agreed on what goals I wanted to accomplish for my thousand bucks. They sound similar to yours: to put my finances in good order and learn enough that I could successfully manage them myself, and to plan a retirement strategy that had my best shot at financial security.
One question you definitely want to ask, and ask first to save your time and theirs: "Are you a fiduciary?" They should have no problem putting a "yes" answer in writing; in fact, it should already be in writing in their promotional materials. A financial planner -- even, I think, a CFP -- is not necessarily a fiduciary, someone who is ethically and legally bound to put your interests first. But in my opinion that's the only kind you should work with.
And even if you were, fee only is still the way to go, in my opinion. Someone who makes a commission on sales that they recommend to you _may_ have your best interests at heart, but your odds aren't as good.
BTW, while professional help can jump-start your process, and (very valuably) call your attention to things you might not have thought about, you'll also want to do some self education.
Jane Bryant Quinn's book "How to Make Your Money Last" offers useful and specific advice about how to put things in order before retirement and then how to, well, make your money last after you retire.
Burton Malkiel's "A Random Walk down Wall Street" is your indispensable guide to what to invest in. It's long and it's heavy going at points, but all of the statistical stuff with market history is so that you need not take his recommendations on faith. Spoiler alert: index funds, and as little trading as possible. Even fund managers who are paid to invest can't do better than index funds over the long run, and because of fees the great majority perform worse than if you just threw darts to determine yiour investments.
Finally, regarding Social Security in particular: If you are currently receiving benefits, you almost certainly want to suspend them until you reach age 70. Otherwise you lock in a lower- than-necessary benefit for life. Your financial planner can help you explore this, or there's a recent thread in this newsgroup, maintained by Google at
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