about real wealth planning

Building and maintaining wealth requires a values-driven plan you can commit to for the long haul. Plans can adapt and change over time. 
We use a collaborative approach that guides you in discovering clarity around the ultimate driver of your financial plan—the passions and relationships that bring you joy.

Who We Work With

We partner with individuals looking for a real bond with their financial advisor. They want someone who respects their values, gets their decision-making process, and champions their unique life goals. Our clients are:

INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES

People planning for their family’s future or facing a life transition (such as retirement, relationship shift or a career change).

SOLO REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL

Top-producing agents, brokers and teams who want more “life” in their lives and a plan for 
their future.

BROKERAGES & TEAMS

Brokerages and teams looking to maximize their profit, be more efficient, and increase their owner’s compensation.

COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations, businesses & conferences looking for investment management, financial training and keynote presentations.

Our Financial Planning Process

We believe in diving deep into understanding the financial vision you have for you and your family. Through an exploratory process, we help you understand your money habits, pinpointing what ultimately matters to you the most. We also take the time to demystify economics that genuinely impact your life, making investments relatable and unraveling the 'why' behind your financial decisions.

Our straightforward approach empowers you to implement a plan that creates a fulfilling life for you and your loved ones.

Real Wealth Planning Vector 1

PHASE 1

Comprehensive Financial Plan & Initial Onboarding

To create a financial plan that actually works for you, we first learn how you want to live now and in the future. Our goal is to align your time and treasure with your vision and values.
During this initial set of meetings, which we proudly call “Life Planning,” we craft your comprehensive financial life plan based on onboarding assignments and deep discussions. If you decide to have our firm oversee your investment, retirement, and brokerage accounts, the onboarding with our custodian, Altruist, takes place at the end of this process.
Real Wealth Planning Vector 2

PHASE 2

Topical Meetings (for Ongoing Partnership Clients)

For ongoing partnership clients, we hold meetings every 2-4 months after onboarding. 
We schedule these meetings to discuss a variety of financial topics depending on what is 
most relevant to you. During this time, we educate you, answer your questions, and begin implementing the tactical portions of your financial plan.
Real Wealth Planning Vector 3

PHASE 3

Ongoing Partnership Client Meetings

Once clients have been with us for 18 months-2 years, we will enter a normalized meeting cadence of approximately 3-4 meetings per year. In Q1, we focus on your prior year investments, getting ready for tax season and reviewing your goals. Mid-year, we will review cash flow and topics that are of importance to your household, and in Q4 we will focus on end of year cash flow and tax planning. On an ongoing basis, we perform investment management tasks, including asset allocation, periodic rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, investment strategy & research, and cash management.
Throughout the year, we can do analysis on topics that arise in your life, such as private/
rental investments, career changes, life changes (birth/death/divorce), debt analysis, employee/fringe benefits, and business consulting.

About Sarah Ponder

I founded Real Wealth Planning in order to help individuals & families find true financial freedom through comprehensive financial life planning. I believe all people deserve access to fair, unbiased information about their finances, which is why I am a fee-only fiduciary financial planner.

Prior to launching Real Wealth Planning, I served as a Regional Director at Dimensional Fund Advisors, a low-cost investment manager, where I prioritized managing client assets in a manner that provided peace of mind. My clientele were high net-worth individuals and organizations, including endowments and foundations, an experience that prepared me for 
the work I do today.

Before entering the financial services industry, I dedicated nine years to the education sector, initially teaching mathematics to sixth-graders and later supporting educators and schools in financial literacy.

I am a two-time graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, holding a BA in Sociology and, ten years later, an MBA.

"Throughout my professional journey, I have helped families, business owners and teams make meaning of their finances. My goal is to help people feel empowered by and build meaningful lives with the resources we each have."

Our Team

Ross Ponder

Co-Founder, Real Estate Specialist

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Carrie Tracey

Client Service Associate

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Marie Clubine

Bookkeeping &
Finance Operations

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Bailee Beauchamp

Investment Specialist & Paraplanner

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Becca Whites

Investment Specialist & Paraplanner

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