In Episode 13, I talk to John Bernstein of Bernstein Financial Advisory about the importance of balancing the risk of your portfolio in all investment environments. Based on the institutional strategy called “risk parity,” John offers an educational overview on how portfolio construction using a risk allocation can help navigate difficult market environments. Stick around to learn how John has sustained his six-year daily exercise streak!

INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST IS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT AN OFFER OR SOLICITATION FOR THE SALE OR PURCHASE OF ANY PRODUCT, PROPERTY, OR SECURITY. ALL INVESTMENTS HAVE RISK. PLEASE CONSULT WITH A QUALIFIED FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND/OR TAX PROFESSIONAL BEFORE IMPLEMENTING ANY INVESTMENT STRATEGY.

This week on Real Life Planning Podcast, Cynthia and John will cover:

💡 John’s transition from an institutional investment manager to entrepreneurship
💡The 4 investing environments
💡 Introduction to risk parity
💡 What John thinks about the financial press
💡John’s unique approach to life & exercising - and how it’s has been working for him for 6+ years


The Real Life Planning Podcast is a 25-30 minute interview/conversation recorded in both audio and video. In each episode, our host, Cynthia Meyer, sits down with amazing people who share their real life stories of how they are realizing their financial potential.

The Real Life Planning Podcast aims to provide:

• 1-3 practical, realistic takeaways of actions the listener can try
• Encouragement to learn from different paths to creating results
• Possibility and optimism

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.

In Episode 12, Bill Kan, CFA®, CFP®, shares strategies to weather market volatility. He also discusses how being mentally prepared during a bear market can optimize returns in the long run. Listen through to hear how science helps Bill create interesting flavors with his bread-making hobby.

This week on Real Life Planning Podcast, Cynthia and Bill cover:

💡 When your investment portfolio heads in the wrong direction
💡 Understanding risk capacity
💡 How your emergency cash fund can be your unsung hero
💡 Bill’s take on today’s market volatility
💡 How you can prepare for the next 12 to 18 months
💡 Bill’s love of breadmaking (with the help of science)

The Real Life Planning Podcast is a 25-30 minute interview/conversation recorded in both audio and video. In each episode, our host, Cynthia Meyer, sits down with amazing people who share their real life stories of how they are realizing their financial potential.

The Real Life Planning Podcast aims to provide:

• 1-3 practical, realistic takeaways of actions the listener can try
• Encouragement to learn from different paths to creating results
• Possibility and optimism

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.

In Episode 11, Cynthia Meyer talks to Maddy Roche about getting sh*t done, learning as you go, and enjoying life now. Maddy tells us about her wild ride as the first employee of the XY Planning Network and how the journey has changed her. Stick around to hear how she opened up a room in her Montana home on Airbnb and marketed it as an LGBTQ+, BIPOC, sober, safe sanctuary.

This week on Real Life Planning Podcast, Cynthia and Maddy cover:

💡 Growing and scaling vs. staying small
💡 Maddy’s takeaways from hosting a TEDx event
💡 Building teams with diversity of thinking
💡 Why moving to Montana helped Maddy become more balanced
💡 Ways to stay encouraged and accountable
💡 Maddy and Cynthia’s podcast favorites
💡 How Maddy’s AirBnB hosting changed her life - and her housekeeping

The Real Life Planning Podcast is a 25-30 minute interview/conversation recorded in both audio and video. In each episode, our host, Cynthia Meyer, sits down with amazing people who share their real life stories of how they are realizing their financial potential.

The Real Life Planning Podcast aims to provide:

• 1-3 practical, realistic takeaways of actions the listener can try
• Encouragement to learn from different paths to creating results
• Possibility and optimism

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.

In Episode 10, Cynthia Meyer talks to Neil Krishnaswamy on how the process of financial planning can help clients hone in on what’s most important in a sea of information. Neil tells us how he successfully changed his career from an electrical engineer to an entrepreneur. Make sure to listen all the way through for great books that inspire focused productivity.

This week on Real Life Planning Podcast, Cynthia will cover:

💡 Why Neil changed from electrical engineering to financial planning
💡 How Neil got started in the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ program
💡 Why good financial planning is about holding space
💡 How financial media creates noisy signals
💡 What Neil is reading right now
💡 Working with STEM professionals
💡 What Neil learned about himself by starting a business
💡 How a good night’s sleep impacts your finances

The Real Life Planning Podcast is a 25-30 minute interview/conversation recorded in both audio and video. In each episode, our host, Cynthia Meyer, sits down with amazing people who share their real life stories of how they are realizing their financial potential.

The Real Life Planning Podcast aims to provide:

• 1-3 practical, realistic takeaways of actions the listener can try
• Encouragement to learn from different paths to creating results
• Possibility and optimism

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.

In Episode 9, host Cynthia Meyer, CFA®, CFP®, ChFC®, talks to Java Wealth Founder Mike Zung, CFP® about what to consider when you take a new tech job, how you can use equity compensation to make a broader impact in the world, and why he became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™

This episode of Real Life Planning Podcast covers:

💡 Mike Zung’s career change
💡 Questions to ask when you have a new tech job
💡 Why it’s important to understand the tax implications of your equity compensation
💡 How Mike coaches clients to make charitable impact
💡 Your money is an agile project
💡 Finding what you are passionate about and doing that

The Real Life Planning Podcast is a 25-30 minute interview/conversation recorded in both audio and video. In each episode, our host, Cynthia Meyer, sits down with amazing people who share their real life stories of how they are realizing their financial potential.

The Real Life Planning Podcast aims to provide:

• 1-3 practical, realistic takeaways of actions the listener can try
• Encouragement to learn from different paths to creating results
• Possibility and optimism

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.

In Episode 8, host Cynthia Meyer talks to Daniel Yerger, MBA, CFP©, ChFC©, AIF©, CDFA© of MY Wealth Planners about his new book, Getting In the Door: Starting a Financial Planning Career, his journey to becoming a financial planner, and how the career path has changed over time.

This week on Real Life Planning Podcast:
💡 Why financial planning as a process, not a document
💡 Dan’s journey from the military to tech to financial planning
💡 Cynthia’s experience as a career changer
💡 The rationale for career changers
💡 The minimum time before starting your own firm

The Real Life Planning Podcast is a 25-30 minute interview/conversation recorded in both audio and video. In each episode, our host, Cynthia Meyer, sits down with amazing people who share their real life stories of how they are realizing their financial potential.

The Real Life Planning Podcast aims to provide:

• 1-3 practical, realistic takeaways of actions the listener can try
• Encouragement to learn from different paths to creating results
• Possibility and optimism

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.

Housing prices have risen rapidly. Is it still possible to buy your own home in an expensive area?

In Episode 7 of the Real Life Planning video podcast, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Cynthia Meyer outlines how aspiring homeowners in expensive areas can reach their goals:

💡 How renting is like dating?
💡 Calculating your starting home budget using your rent?
💡 How much of your take home can you afford to spend on housing?
💡 The great homebuyer program you may not have heard of
💡 How househacking can help you buy a home?

The Real Life Planning Podcast is a 25-30 minute interview/conversation recorded in both audio and video. In each episode, our host, Cynthia Meyer, sits down with amazing people who share their real life stories of how they are realizing their financial potential.

The Real Life Planning Podcast aims to provide:

• 1-3 practical, realistic takeaways of actions the listener can try
• Encouragement to learn from different paths to creating results
• Possibility and optimism

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.

If you're contemplating sharing a household together now or at some point in the future, there is no better time than the present to discuss finances. In Episode 6 of the Real Life Planning video podcast, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Cynthia Meyer outlines a powerful format for building a strong financial foundation as a couple.

This week on Real Life Planning Podcast, Cynthia covers:
💡 When and where to have the money talk
💡 Why you shouldn’t drink when talking about money
💡 What to do if conflict happens
💡 Why you should share both successes and failures
💡 Developing a shared vision of the future
💡 What if someone gets sick or loses their job?
💡 Why the money talk is an ongoing conversation

The ReaL Life Planning Podcast is for educational purposes only. None of the information discussed is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, nor as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, real property, or other securities or non-securities offering.

Real Life Planning, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the States of New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, and California. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of, any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. Our current disclosure brochure, Form ADV Part 2, is available for your review upon request, and on our website, REALLIFEPLANNING.COM.