Individuals
& Families

At Real Wealth Planning, we help individuals and families comprehensively prepare for life's ongoing opportunities and challenges. We provide guidance during life transitions and ongoing financial management in support of your personal and professional goals.

ONGOING FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Personal CFO

We work closely with business owners and busy families, particularly those experiencing sudden wealth events such as receiving an inheritance, selling a business or engaging in a significant real estate transaction.

On the surface, our primary role is to streamline your financial record keeping and closely manage your investments, cash flow, tax liabilities, estate planning and more.

Throughout our partnership with each family, we facilitate critical financial and behavioral conversations among family members in order to foster a cooperative approach to your wealth management.

Requirements:

Personal CFO services are for families and business owners with ongoing household income of $400k+ or net worth of $2M+, and for individuals who are aligned with our client engagement standards.

What to expect:

Upon completion of your  your initial financial plan and onboarding, we conduct meetings every 2-4 months covering a variety of financial planning topics aligned with your goals. In advance of these meetings, we provide you with information to review, and during the meetings, we focus on educating you and your family, addressing your questions, and initiating the tactical implementation of your financial plan.

  • Streamline business & personal finances
  • Coordinate with tax & legal professionals
  • Ongoing Investment Management
  • Ongoing Financial Planning
  • Streamline business & personal finances
  • Coordinate with tax & legal professionals
  • Ongoing Investment Management
  • Ongoing Financial Planning

How it’s Priced:

Every client receives a custom fee schedule based on complexity and scope of services. Fee ranges can be found in our ADV in Part 2A, item 5.

ONBOARDING

Initial Comprehensive Financial Life Plan

Building a future aligned with your values is essential to living a fulfilling life surrounded by the people and things you love. At Real Wealth Planning, we have designed a collaborative life planning process centered on your passions, serving as the foundation for a robust financial plan that propels you and your family toward achieving your dreams.

Requirements:

Individuals & Families with annual income over $300K and/or investment portfolio over $500K and are aligned with our client engagement standards.

What to expect:

We will conduct  a series of meetings aimed at uncovering your vision for you and your family’s life, while also identifying potential obstacles along the way. In between these meetings, we provide exercises to foster clarity, equipping you with a personalized financial plan that empowers you to lead your best life.

You will receive a personalized financial plan covering retirement, estate planning, tax strategies, investments, debt management, and education for you and future generations. This plan can either serve as the basis for an Ongoing Partnership with us or be utilized for independent implementation.

  • Goal Setting
  • Identifying your personal values & long-term vision
  • Net worth analysis
  • Liquidity review
  • Savings & spending review
  • Debt review
  • Insurance review
  • Goal Setting
  • Identifying your personal values & long-term vision
  • Net worth analysis
  • Liquidity review
  • Savings & spending review
  • Debt review
  • Insurance review
  • Tax rate review
  • Investment analysis & recommendations
  • Future asset simulation
  • Professional services review & recommendations
  • Ongoing access to Right Capital
  • Behavioral Coaching

How It's Priced:

Your initial comprehensive financial life plan is a one-time flat fee that starts at $3250 - $8750+.

ONGOING SERVICE

Financial Planning

At Real Wealth Planning, we specialize in creating personalized financial plans that considers important elements such as cash flow analysis, retirement strategies, investment analysis, estate planning, tax strategies, debt management, and more. Once we've identified the options that best support you, we assist in crafting a plan that evolves over time, updated annually – or whenever life throws a curveball your way.

Requirements:

Our Financial Planning services are for families with ongoing household income of $400k+ or net worth of $2M+, and for individuals who are aligned with our client engagement standards.

What to expect:

Upon completion of phase one onboarding, we conduct meetings every 2-4 months, covering various financial planning topics aligned with your goals. We provide you with information to review in advance and utilize the meetings to educate you, address your questions, and initiate the tactical implementation of your financial plan. For a more detailed understanding of our process, schedule a discovery call below.

As a Financial Planning client, you will receive ongoing accountability, task management, education, and advice on all financial planning topics, ensuring your financial plan remains aligned with the life you envision.

Financial Planning Services Include:

  • Investments
  • Estate Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Risk Management
  • Budget & Cash Flow
  • Real Estate
  • Tax Planning
  • Education Planning

Financial Planning Services Include:

  • Investments
  • Estate Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Risk Management
  • Budget & Cash Flow
  • Real Estate
  • Tax Planning
  • Education Planning

How It's Priced:

We offer customized flat fees based on net worth and complexity. Our Financial Planning offerings 
start at $625/mo+.

ONGOING SERVICE

Investment management

Our ongoing investment Management service is designed to provide individuals and families with the convenience of having accounts at our custodian while we take charge of managing the trading and transactions related to their accounts. We believe that the plan informs the investments, not the other way around. Our investment management services offer more than just portfolio oversight. By entrusting us with your investment management needs, you gain access to tailored, low-cost, and sustainable portfolios, as well as comprehensive financial planning.

  • How will you know if your investments are successful?
  • Will it be if you achieve a certain rate of return?
  • Or will it be if you can meet your goals and live the life you want to have?

We think the best way to get a good night’s sleep is to thoroughly evaluate your goals, then commit to and execute a simple, well-thought-out investment plan that you can understand. We’ll be with you every step of the way.

Requirements:

Our Investment Management offering is for clients who have completed the Onboarding process.

What to expect:

We design, implement and manage the trading and money movements to and from your accounts, ensuring the seamless execution of your  investment plan based on your risk tolerance and goals.

  • Diversified investment portfolios
  • Tax-efficient savings & cash flow
  • Low cost investment strategies
  • Risk management, performance monitoring and rebalancing

Investment Management Services Include:

  • Ongoing access to Altruist
  • Required minimum distribution planning & execution
  • Qualified charitable distribution planning & execution
  • Investment Advice
  • Cash flow management
  • Portfolio Management
  • Asset Allocation
  • Cash flow management
  • Diversified investment portfolios
  • Tax-efficient savings & cash flow
  • Low cost investment strategies
  • Risk management, performance monitoring and rebalancing

Investment Management Services Include:

  • Ongoing access to Altruist
  • Required minimum distribution planning & execution
  • Qualified charitable distribution planning & execution
  • Investment Advice
  • Cash flow management
  • Portfolio Management
  • Asset Allocation
  • Cash flow management
  • Risk Management
  • Research & Analysis
  • Performance Monitoring & Reporting
  • Tax Efficiency
  • Rebalancing
  • Client Communication & Education
  • Compliance & Regulatory Adherence

How It's Priced:

We offer customized flat fees based on net worth and complexity. Fee ranges can be found 
in our ADV in Part 2A, item 5.

RUN YOUR BUSINESS EFFICIENTLY

Tax Planning, Bookkeeping & Payroll

Many real estate professionals don’t know if their business is set up and running efficiently. We offer specialized bookkeeping, tax planning, and payroll services designed for real estate professionals seeking efficient business management assistance. Whether it's setting up LLCs or S-Corps, managing payroll, or ensuring clean and compliant bookkeeping, our services are customized to support your real estate business.

Requirements:

Bookkeeping, Payroll & Business Tax Planning is for clients with new or established businesses.

What to expect:

Our service model is designed to optimize cost savings for real estate professionals. First, we evaluate your current business structure and as needed, create an LLC, s-corporation, and/or establish payroll services. Then, our team provides continuous bookkeeping and payroll upkeep, offering essential business profitability insights for informed decision-making. Lastly, we simplify the tax preparation journey by coordinating directly with your tax preparer for your business and personal taxes, guaranteeing a hassle-free experience during tax season.

You receive ongoing management of payroll & bookkeeping, aiming to boost your profitability and maximize owner compensation, while avoiding unnecessary tax payments.

  • Increase business profitability
  • Maximize your owner’s compensation
  • Avoid unnecessary tax payments
  • Increase business profitability
  • Maximize your owner’s compensation
  • Avoid unnecessary tax payments

How It's Priced:

Ongoing bookkeeping and payroll is based on scope and complexity. Financial planning partnership clients receive reduced bookkeeping & payroll service fees. Additional a la carte services are listed below:

  • LLC Formation
  • S-Corporation Setup
  • Payroll Setup
  • Annual Tax Report
  • Bookkeeping Setup
  • Coordinated Tax Preparation
  • Ongoing Tax Planning

Facts & Questions

What if we just need investment help but don't need a full financial plan?

Great question. On a case-by-case-basis, we do take on clients that have an investment issue we can really help with, even if the investments don't meet our typical minimums ($500,000-$1,000,000). Most commonly, we get referrals from existing clients to people in their network that have either excess cash or an investment portfolio that they do not understand or which does not match their goals. For example, many Gen X/Millenial families are beginning to deal with the death of one or both parents, and the messiness of medical decisions and cash flow around the last years of their parent's lives. Perhaps the adult child has power of attorney with a investment situation they need solved, but does not themselves need financial planning right now. In this case, we would evaluate the portfolio, provide recommendations and a shortened onboarding/transition plan that more aligned with your needs. Onboarding would typically be completed hourly at $350/hour for up to 5 hours, after which the portfolio would be billed according to the Account Value fee schedule found in our ADV Part 2A. Another common scenario is a Gen X / Baby Boomer client of ours has children that are either adults or transitioning to adulthood. In this case, we will open accounts for the children under their own names, invest the portfolio according to the family's goals, and most likely also bill based on our account value schedule in ADV Part 2A.

Our initial plan is complete. What value does a financial planner still have for us?

Financial life planning is an ongoing, iterative process involving: goal setting, personal & business cash flow, debt assessment, risk management (insurance), employee benefits, tax planning, retirement planning, investments & estate planning. We will make a guess about the future, take a step forward, incorporate new information and repeat, over and over. When we create an initial financial plan, we are projecting our best guesses about what the future will hold and what you should do now to prepare. But life happens! People move, relationships change, careers evolve, health issues come up, investment opportunities arise... and so much more. Our primary function is to be the "quarterback" of your financial life, which impacts virtually every other aspect of your life. So when life happens, we have the information about your money and family dynamics to help you make informed decisions.

What are some examples of the value of financial planning?

Every client has to decide for themselves what they value and whether the services they hire professionals for are worth it to them or not. In some cases, value is very tangible - such as in tax savings or investment returns. However, for many people, value is intangible. For example, we have countless stories of how we have saved our clients tens of thousands of dollars... but not for what you'd think! It's usually by consistently coaching clients to re-think their spending in relation to their goals. We have gotten clients to avoid unnecessary remodels ($100K+), avoided 1031 exchanges that would have destroyed more cash than they saved in taxes, helped them get adult children "off the payroll", optimized (upsized or downsized!) their life insurance premiums to more appropriately match their true needs, helped clients review college tuition and scholarships to choose the best situation for their family, reviewed competing mortgage offers and found $10K+ differences between the two, and just simply helped clients reorganize banks & credit cards so the money didn't just get overspent every month without much thought... we could go on for a while.

What are Real Wealth Planning's core values?

Real Wealth Planning is guided by these Core Values: Do the right thing Be accountable Be lifelong learners Be authentic “Just figure it out” None of us are perfect, but we strive to embody these values in our relationships with clients, staff, and with anyone that engages in communication with us. If any of our staff do something that positively embodies these values, please let us know so we can recognize them! Alternatively, if any of our staff do something that feels misaligned with these values, please reach out directly and privately to Sarah Ponder (firm owner) so that we can resolve the issue quickly and privately. Real Wealth Planning defines "wealth" as the ability to wake up each morning and live a meaningful, joy-filled life. We believe wealth is not a number. We also encourage staff and clients to give a portion of their income or assets (10%+ if feasible) to organizations aligned with their personal values or our firm's core values.

What is “Real Wealth”?

Real Wealth is best defined as the freedom to choose how to spend your time, granting you the ability to wake up and pursue your dreams. Our life planning process serves as the key to unlocking this concept of Real Wealth, empowering individuals to live life on their own terms.

What is the most valuable benefit that clients get from financial planning?

The most significant benefit our clients derive from financial planning is the peace of mind that comes with trusting their financial management to a professional. Additionally, life planning can be transformative, aligning individuals' time and resources with their vision and values. This holistic approach serves as a foundation for discovering the life they aspire to lead. The resulting outcomes often exceed expectations, creating a sense of fulfillment and achievement for many individuals and families.

How do you help your clients in leaving a real legacy behind?

Incorporating robust estate planning into every financial strategy, we provide personalized advice to clients based on their resources and preferences. Additionally, we can establish a "donor advised fund," allowing individuals to pre-fund charitable giving and reduce taxable income. We collaborate with clients' attorneys or refer them to trusted local estate planning firms with whom we have strong partnerships, ensuring comprehensive support in leaving behind a meaningful legacy.

What is the key challenge faced by retiree clients?

One common challenge we observe among retirees is the transition from a mindset of saving to one of spending without guilt. Retirement necessitates a significant cognitive shift, particularly for individuals who have been diligent savers for an extended period. It's crucial to navigate this shift and embrace the new financial landscape in retirement with confidence and purpose.