038: How Do Investors Drive Positive Social Change Through Sustainable Investing?
Release Date: 06/03/2023
050: Your Guide to an Out-of-State Retirement Relocation
A Place of Possibility
The New York Times reported that people leaving California outnumbered newcomers by more than 700,000 people between April 2020 and July 2022. A further breakdown shows that over 407,000 people left between July 2021 and 2022, plus an additional 343,000 people left California in 2022 alone. That's the highest exodus of any state in the US in history. So, why are we seeing such a mass movement? The reasons are plenty, from cheaper homes and lower cost of living to lower taxes, escaping a rise in crime, the desire for a more relaxed, family-friendly lifestyle, and even political dissatisfaction....
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049: Tips to Unlock New Financial Successes in 2024
A Place of Possibility
With the roller coaster of inflation, interest rates, and more, 2023 was a wild ride. But the real driving force seems to be the dramatically pessimistic media. If one of your goals for 2024 is to improve your financial health, then you’re in the right place. In our opinion, the first step is to ignore market predictions, no matter how scary they seem. They’re usually far from accurate! We have real-life examples and stories to prove it if you don't believe us. After all, the market has shown time and time again that it always bounces back. Along with a look back at 2023’s good, bad, and...
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048: Your Ultimate Guide to 2023 Year-End Tax and Financial Planning
A Place of Possibility
As the calendar pages flip towards the imminent 2024, it’s the perfect moment to execute those strategic financial maneuvers that will set the stage for a successful tax season and ensure you leave the year on a high note. If you’ve been tuning in regularly, you already know we’ve been through the year-end rodeo before, and for our newcomers, buckle up because we’ve meticulously crafted a hit list that’s bound to elevate your financial game. You’ll want to act quickly; many must be completed by December 31st. In this info-packed episode, we’re diving deep into the realm of tax...
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047: What's Going on in the Bay Area Housing Market?
A Place of Possibility
Discussions about the housing market are always a hot topic. Here in the Bay Area, the housing market has been interesting, to say the least! Local reports say that since August of 2023, home prices are back on the rise after a 14-month decline, the longest period since 2012. And yet demand is still high, with some homes selling within just nine days of being on the market and interest rates hitting around 7% at the time of recording this episode. Many people panic over interest rates, but if we look at it from a historical perspective, it’s still historically low. “The market supply is...
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046: Preventing and Recognizing Elder Abuse
A Place of Possibility
Elder abuse - it’s a topic often avoided because the reality of it is difficult to face. However, it’s a vital conversation and brings forward the importance of combating mistreatment through education and advocacy. Unfortunately, the elderly population is more susceptible to being taken advantage of due to physical and mental decline, and believe it or not, 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 60 will experience some form of elder abuse. It can come in various forms, from neglect and psychological abuse to physical and financial abuse. To make matters worse, only 1 in 44 cases of elder abuse...
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045: Want to Retire on a Lump Sum? Here’s How
A Place of Possibility
Retirement is a milestone we all aspire to, and for many, choosing a lump sum can be the key to financial freedom. However, it can also be daunting. While enticing, the prospect of receiving a substantial cash payout from your employer can come with a particular responsibility and the need to make critical financial decisions. This lump sum represents your life’s work, and it can be challenging to make it last throughout your retirement. The fear of not outliving your savings, the uncertainty of how to invest wisely, and the ever-present question of whether you’re making the right choices...
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044: Senior Living Options: What’s Right for Me?
A Place of Possibility
With aging comes many difficult decisions. One of those is determining the best living situation for your later years, specifically, choosing a senior living community. In fact, the US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the number of adults 65 and older who will need to move into senior living communities is expected to reach 27 million by 2050. That’s a lot of people! While many options are available, ranging from independent living and assisted living to memory care and boarding, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. So, whether you’re looking for opportunities for a...
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043: Why is Pre-Need Planning for Funeral and Cemetery Arrangements So Important?
A Place of Possibility
Contemplating what will happen to you after you die can be emotionally challenging, so it’s no wonder most of us avoid it at all costs. However, certain end-of-life choices have to be dealt with one way or another. 82% of people don’t pre-plan their funeral and cemetery details, which means their family members are left to make tough decisions at the last minute while grieving, as well as take on financial burdens. In fact, 37% of funeral overspending is due to a lack of pre-planning. In this episode of A Place of Possibility, we’re ripping off the band-aid, discussing death and how to...
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042: Could a Family Legacy Documentary Help Preserve Your History and Family’s Future?
A Place of Possibility
Have you ever heard of the adage “shirtsleeve to shirtsleeves in three generations?” It refers to the inability of children and grandchildren to manage family wealth that has been passed down. And it starts with the classic American dream story. One of the first generations hits it out of the park with success, but by the third generation, two things have happened: One, the money is all gone, and two, family relationships have been laid to waste because of the impact of the money on the family. In fact, there have been studies done on affluent families to understand the reasoning better,...
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041: Planning for Retirement? Avoid These 10 Investment Blunders
A Place of Possibility
In simple terms, retirement planning is what we do to prepare for life when we stop working – financially and via lifestyle choices. It’s about determining specific goals for this future time in our lives and how we can achieve them by identifying income sources, estimating expenses, building necessary savings plans, and much more. We all know that preparing for retirement is an important endeavor that you can never start too early. However, it can be a challenge that even the savviest individual can struggle with, making mistakes that cost them significantly in the long run - especially...
info_outlineCreating and sticking to an investment strategy that considers our personal values and the welfare of the planet and its people might seem like a relatively new concept, but it has been around for quite some time. In fact, centuries ago, the Quaker religion not only forbade its members from enslaving people but also from investing in companies that profited from slavery.
Undoubtedly, it’s also a concept that has evolved over time — and it continues to do so. As a society, we seem to be growing more and more disparate where our values are concerned, and what might seem to be socially responsible behavior to one investor could be overly permissive — or restrictive — to another.
After all, the core idea of investing is to generate profits — a return on our cash outlay. So, is it really possible to get a competitive return for our portfolios while still holding the companies that it contains responsible for their impact on the global community?
In short, yes. Our guest on this episode of A Place of Possibility™ will explain how to achieve this balance as an investor. Richard and Angela will speak with Sam Adams, CEO and Co-Founder of Vert Asset Management. Sam not only has substantial experience in the world of sustainable investing, but he also has quite an aptitude for simplifying this often-misunderstood topic.
We’ll be talking about:
- What sustainable investing really is
- The nuances of each sustainable investing methodology — Environmental, Social, and Governance investing (ESG), Socially Responsible investing (SRI), and Impact investing
- How the information that ESG fund managers must take into consideration differs from their more conventional counterparts
- The most common mistakes that investors make when trying to build a sustainable portfolio and why some of this confusion centers not on hard data but rather their personal values
- Why a seismic change in corporate values that occurred decades ago has now created a far more pressing need for sustainable investing than ever before
And more!
Many of us tend to think that “doing good” for our planet and its inhabitants while “doing well” in our investing pursuits is difficult, if not impossible. But, as Sam will show you, with honest consideration of your own principles and some diligent research, these two values can peacefully — and profitably — coexist.