Larry Sprung at Mitlin Financial keeps a simple but powerful philosophy at the center of his practice: align investments with clients’ goals, risk tolerance, and what actually brings them joy. “It’s really not about the money,” he says. “It’s really about what the money brings to them.”

That perspective was shaped by personal loss. His mother died at 47 after a battle with breast cancer. Seeing his parents save for a retirement she never reached taught him a lasting lesson. They did take their bucket-list trip to Hawaii, and Sprung now urges families to balance long-term planning with living well today. “You gotta balance those retirement goals as well as having joy along the way,” he notes.

Current market volatility driven by the Middle East conflict adds emotional pressure. Sprung urges clients to avoid knee-jerk reactions based on headlines. History shows that missing the ten best trading days since 1990 turns solid returns into losses. “You do not wanna make a decision, panic, get out, and miss one of those ten best days,” he warns.

Instead, he keeps families focused on their personal plan and path to joy. Even if markets are off a few percent, the key question is whether they remain on track for their goals. “Don’t focus on the here and now,” Sprung advises. “Focus on what the end goal is.”

He starts every conversation with a simple question: “What did you do today that brought you joy?” From there, the plan is built around real life, not just a target retirement number that some clients may never reach.

In volatile times, joy-centered planning helps clients stay the course and weather uncertainty with perspective.

Source: Video - Client-Centered Investing in Volatile Markets