Empowering People Through Financial Planning At its core, financial planning is about helping people use their resources to get the most from their time. Our financial planning process is designed to help you clarify what's most important and ensure your money is best aligned to support that vision. Knowing our goal is the compass that guides your financial path, but no direction is favorable until we know where we’re going. We operate a virtual office, providing a wealth management experience that emphasizes convenience, effectiveness, and flexibility for our clients. We'll help you feel more connected with your money and confident in your financial position. Let True North help guide you on life’s journey.

Welcome! I'm Cynthia Meyer, CFA®, CFP®, ChFC®, a real estate investor, financial planner, and real estate business coach. I founded Real Life Planning to mentor a new generation of real estate investors. We help real estate investors take practical steps to build financial freedom, create multiple sources of income, and make working for someone else optional. At Real Life Planning, we speak both real estate and financial planning. Whether you're adding to your properties, contemplating a 1031 exchange, listing your place on Airbnb, getting started as a landlord, or looking to buy a home overseas, we'll help you create a realistic plan for your financial life goals. As you build your investment property portfolio, we will help you plan to optimize taxes and diversify risks, manage total cash flow, and prepare for new opportunities. Our clients are - Rental property investors looking for a comprehensive financial plan - Professionals considering a real estate side hustle to create an additional source of income - People with inherited rental property - Homeowners maximizing opportunities for income - Americans looking to buy property overseas - Expats buying homes in the U.S. We're a Fee-Only fiduciary firm, so we work for you, not for Wall Street. That's why our fees are inclusive and transparent. My husband Steve and I have three kids and live in central NJ, in the NYC metro area. We are both first-generation real estate investors with small multifamily properties, single-family homes, and a small apartment complex. We invest out of state and use a property manager. A financial advisor since 1997, I founded Real Life Planning and co-founded the Real Estate Financial Coach Course, Real Estate For Generations, and the You Unlimited coaching program. Real Life Planning works with clients virtually from anywhere and in-person in the NYC area. Interested in the real (estate) life? Book a discovery call today.

Scott Cox is a Senior Financial Advisor based in Princeton, NJ, and serves as the business manager for the Barry Team at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He joined the Barry Team in 2008, bringing with him a decade of experience from Merrill’s Retirement Services group. Scott’s expertise includes servicing 401(k), pension, and stock option plans, providing a focused perspective on retirement and equity compensation strategies. Scott holds a Bachelor's degree and an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University, where he graduated cum laude. He holds the professional designations of Certified Equity Professional (CEP) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Fluent in English and Spanish, Scott works with a variety of clients, including senior corporate executives, founders, business owners, and entrepreneurs across the United States. Residing in Whitehouse Station, NJ, Scott lives with his wife, Rishita, and their two daughters, Jiyana and Anaya. Outside of his professional role, he enjoys exercising, traveling, learning about different cultures, and is a fan of the New York Giants, Rangers, and Yankees.

Preksha Vijaywargi is a Financial Consultant currently working at Fidelity Investments since 2020. She has experience in developing customized financial strategies tailored to individual client goals, emphasizing personalized conversations to understand client situations and provide transparency in decision-making. Her professional background includes roles as a Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch in 2019, Senior Advance Wealth Manager at HSBC India from 2014 to 2018, and Premier Wealth Manager at HSBC India from 2012 to 2014. She holds a California Insurance License. Outside of her professional work, Preksha has interests in cooking and baking, social events with friends, movies, outdoor adventures, traveling, and yoga.

John Guyet is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He leads an advisory team focused on helping high net worth families and individuals manage their wealth and achieve their long-term financial objectives. John brings over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, beginning his career in 1997 with asset management firms including Lord Abbett, Nuveen Investments, and Lazard Asset Management. He joined Merrill in 2021, transitioning to wealth management. His expertise encompasses a wide range of client focus areas such as college education planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, philanthropic planning, retirement income, and services tailored for endowments, foundations, and non-profits. John holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a bachelor's degree from Stockton University. John is engaged in community service and volunteers with the Our House Foundation. Outside of work, he enjoys fishing, golfing, hiking, reading, skiing, traveling, and spending time with his family. His approach involves working one-on-one with clients to develop personalized financial strategies aligned with their long-term goals.

Lisa Morrison is a Wealth Management Advisor with more than 38 years of experience at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She is known for building relationships that span two and three generations of client families across more than 25 states. Lisa’s approach emphasizes proactive financial planning, addressing clients’ likely challenges in advance to support their financial health and emotional wellbeing. Her areas of expertise include executive compensation, equity compensation services, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, retirement income, and socially responsible investing. Lisa holds multiple professional certifications, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® (CPFA®), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Centenary College. Lisa serves as Immediate Past President and current Trustee of the Greater Middlesex-Somerset Estate Planning Council, leveraging a nationwide network of subject matter experts to benefit her clients. She is active in her community through volunteer coordination for Girls on the Run and membership in the Glen Gardner Women’s Club. Lisa resides in Glen Gardner with her husband and has two adult sons. Her personal interests include biking, boating, gardening, hiking, reading, traveling, and yoga.

Gerald Dowling is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in family wealth management strategies, personal retirement planning, and retirement income. With a career spanning over 45 years, he works primarily with self-employed business owners and professionals to help them achieve their investment goals through retirement. Gerald’s expertise includes the selection of individual equities, municipal bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. He entered the securities industry in 1979 and joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2005 following the acquisition of his previous firm. He holds multiple FINRA registrations, including Series 3, 7, 8, 63, and 65, as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He earned a bachelor's degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an MBA from Seton Hall University. Gerald resides in Madison, NJ with his wife, Dori, and they have three grown children. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, watching movies, and writing.

Sean McGee is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in managing client wealth by developing a deep understanding of each individual’s financial picture through a personalized planning process. Mr. McGee structures accounts and allocates investments to align with clients' risk levels, objectives, time horizons, and liquidity needs, and actively manages portfolios through dynamic decision making in changing markets. As one of a limited group of Senior Portfolio Managers, Mr. McGee is qualified to manage investments directly without delegation, offering discretionary management using his own Personalized and Defined Strategies, which often include individual stocks and exchange traded funds. His client focus areas include executive compensation, family wealth management, liquidity management, retirement planning, tax minimization, and retirement income. He also assists clients with home financing, securities-based lending, and banking needs through Bank of America, N.A. Mr. McGee holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. He holds several professional designations including Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). His community involvement includes past leadership roles such as Chair of the Reunion Committee at Lehigh University, Board Member at Raritan Valley Community College Foundation, and Vice President of the Board of Trustees for the Hunterdon Art Museum. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys biking, photography, swimming, and traveling.