Month: October 2026

How Do I Decide Whether Private Markets Fit My Portfolio? (Ep. 14)

How Do I Decide Whether Private Markets Fit My Portfolio? (Ep. 14)

“How do I decide if private markets are the right fit for my portfolio?” If you’re considering private investments, tying up money can feel like a big trade-off when you’re unsure what you’ll gain. An attractive investment idea alone doesn’t explain how it fits your cash needs or the rest of your portfolio. For some investors, the added complexity may make no private-market allocation a reasonable choice.

In this episode, Jon Meyer speaks with Michael Sustarsic, CFA®, Managing Director and Head of Private Markets at Wealthspire Advisors, about portfolio fit, liquidity, and diversification on Mastering the 360 Mindset. Michael explains how private investment funds work, how commitments can be planned across years, and how his team examines the ways managers create value.

Meyer and Sustarsic break this down into the following discussion points:

  • Are Private Investments Worth the Risks, Costs, and Complexity?
  • What’s the Difference Between Drawdown Funds and Evergreen Funds?
  • How Can I Plan My Private Investment Commitments Over Time?
  • How Do You Evaluate a Private Investment Manager’s Performance?
  • Why Is Diversification Important in Private Market Investing?
  • And more!

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About the Guest:

Michael Sustarsic, CFA® is the Managing Director and Head of Private Markets for Wealthspire. Michael leads Wealthspire’s Private Markets group. Within this group, he is responsible for sourcing and performing due diligence on investment opportunities across private equity, private credit and private real assets. Michael is a member of the firm’s Global Private Markets Group and Research Forum.

Prior to joining the firm in 2015, he was a Financial Analyst at General Growth Properties and a Research Analyst with Caldera Investment Group. Michael graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA in Economics and was a star point guard on the basketball team. Michael is a CFA® Charterholder.

When Saving More Starts Working Against Your Retirement (Ep. 13)

When Saving More Starts Working Against Your Retirement (Ep. 13)

You spent decades learning how to save. Retirement may require learning something much harder: when to spend, give, connect, and use your money while you still have the time.

In this episode of Mastering the 360 Mindset, Jon Meyer explores five questions he frequently hears from people approaching or living in retirement. He examines when continued saving can work against the life you’ve built, why spending can feel uncomfortable even when the numbers support it, and how money can be used to buy back time, health, experiences, purpose, and relationships. Jon also covers portfolio income, giving money to children, fair versus equal inheritances, and the role financial planning can play in making these decisions with greater clarity. 

Key points:

  • Knowing when continued saving may be costing you valuable retirement years and experiences
  • Using money intentionally to buy back time, support your health, and maintain meaningful relationships
  • Moving beyond the idea that retirement spending should come only from portfolio income
  • Giving money to adult children while you’re alive and communicating the purpose behind your gifts
  • Understanding why a fair inheritance doesn’t always require dividing every asset equally among children
  • And more!

Resources:

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