Blog

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    #250: Ethical Investing 101, with Dr. Jon Hale, Head of Sustainability Research for Morningstar

    ByErin @ Team Afford Anything
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA250.mp3" title="Ethical Investing 101, with Dr. Jon Hale, Head of Sustainability Research for Morningstar" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    Should we invest in sustainable funds?

    If we choose sustainable funds, will our investment returns suffer? Will our expense ratios be sky-high? What drawbacks might we face?

    How do we know that these funds are actually ethical? And what choices are out there for people who want to invest ethically or sustainably?

    We invited Dr. Jon Hale to our show today to answer these questions.

    Dr. Jon Hale is a chartered financial analyst and the global head of sustainability research for Morningstar. He directs Morningstar’s research on sustainable investing, which launched with the Morningstar Sustainability Rating for Funds in 2016.

    We were inspired to conduct this interview on sustainability after we heard a question from one of our community members, Lily. She left a voicemail asking:

    “Why don’t we hear anything about ethical investing in the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement? I’ve had trouble locating socially responsible funds in the past, and I wonder if these funds are labeled well or if they’re essentially a scam. Is there a third-party reviewer of these funds?”

  • I’m 36 and I tested positive for coronavirus. My so-called “moderate” case is brutal.

    ByPaula Pant

    You’ve probably heard people say that if you’re young, healthy and you contract Covid-19, you’re likely to only experience mild or moderate symptoms. I’m 36, a non-smoker, in shape, fit and healthy, with no chronic conditions. No asthma, no diabetes, no cancer, no high blood pressure, no history of any type of organ disease. I’m the poster child, the ideal candidate, of someone who would only experience a “mild or moderate” case.

    My experience of coronavirus was sheer brutal hell. It was the most intense prolonged physical agony I’ve ever felt.

    Here’s what coronavirus feels like.

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    #249: How to Talk to Your Parents About Retirement and Beyond — with Cameron Huddleston

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA249.mp3" title="How to Talk to Your Parents About Retirement and Beyond -- with Cameron Huddleston" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    I’m recovering from Covid-19 at the moment, so I couldn’t put together a new episode this week. But in honor of the First Friday of the month, I wanted to re-air this interview with Cameron Huddleston, which we originally aired in August 2019.

    In this interview, we discuss how to have those important but awkward conversations with your parents and grandparents about estate planning, wills, trusts, power of attorney, and more.

  • PSA Thursday: I Tested Positive for Coronavirus. Here’s What It Feels Like.

    ByErin @ Team Afford Anything
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/248B_PSA_Thursday_April_2.mp3" title="PSA Thursday: I Tested Positive for Coronavirus. Here's What It Feels Like." artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    Paula describes the experience of having Covid-19, the illness caused by coronavirus.

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    #248: Covid-19 and the Bear Market

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA248.mp3" title="Covid-19 and the Bear Market" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    We are living in a time of extreme uncertainty.

    Many of us are questioning how we can best use the funds we have to survive it.

    “Should I sell the funds I have invested in the market, or keep contributing?”

    “Should I continue with my plans to invest in real estate?”

    “Should I hoard all of my cash in case this gets worse?!”

    My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me on today’s show to shed light on the answers and how to handle the stock market collapse.

  • OMG Monday: Welp, I Have a Fever of 102.3 Degrees

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/PSA_Thursday_March_19_2020.mp3" title="OMG Monday: Welp, I Have a Fever of 102.3 Degrees" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    It’s Quarantine Day 10, and thank goodness I’ve been staying in, because yesterday I learned that I have a 102.3 degree fever. I don’t know if it’s Covid-19 or if it’s a fever with extraordinarily bad timing.

  • PSA Thursday: Social Distancing is Social Solidarity

    ByPaula Pant

    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/PSA_Thursday_March_19_2020.mp3" title="PSA Thursday: Social Distancing is Social Solidarity" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]‪
    ‪My chief overriding mission is to use this platform to do everything in my power to help slow the spread of coronavirus. I’d also like to provide as much guidance as possible in this turbulent bear market and potential recession.

    To do that, I’m introducing a new segment to the podcast: PSA Thursdays.

    In this special weekly segment, I’ll talk about how we can:

    — Flatten the curve
    — Manage our finances in a turbulent market
    — Work from home more productively
    — Help friends and neighbors who are affected by economic stress

    Here’s today’s episode, below. Enjoy from a safe distance six feet away.  🙂

    P.S. Wash your hands! 🙂

    PSA Thursday – 3/19/20: Social Distancing is Social Solidarity

    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/PSA_Thursday_March_19_2020.mp3" title="PSA Thursday: Social Distancing is Social Solidarity" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]
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    #247: Ask Paula – Is the Stock Market Going to Crash in 2020? How Should I Invest in a Bear Market?

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA247.mp3" title="Ask Paula - Is the Stock Market Going to Crash in 2020? How Should I Invest in a Bear Market?" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    Caroline wants to buy her first home in Denver, CO. How can she calculate how much mortgage she can comfortably afford?

    Anne plans to retire later this year on rental income (woohoo!). She’s saved up a hefty emergency fund for her properties, and she wants to know 1) if she should invest a portion of this in index funds, and 2) whether she should rebalance her portfolio to account for this huge cash allocation.

    Anonymous Nurse has over $100,000 in debt, not including their mortgage. They want to invest in rental properties, but with so much debt, they’re thinking of selling their home or renting it out. Which option is best given their interest in real estate?

    Joy wants to know if she should put $50,000 towards her primary residence mortgage, or use it as a downpayment on her first rental property. What are the pros and cons of each option?

    Anonymous owns a cash-flow positive condo…on leased land. The land will revert back to the owners in 32 years. When is the best time to sell this property?

    I answer these five questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!

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    #246: Pain, Grief, and the Pursuit of Financial Independence, with Jillian Johnsrud

    ByErin @ Team Afford Anything
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA246.mp3" title="Pain, Grief, and the Pursuit of Financial Independence, with Jillian Johnsrud" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    Jillian Johnsrud grew up at the poverty line. Her mother had two children by age 19, and Jillian was raised in a town of 700 people, living in a home that struggled to afford the basics.

    She married her husband when she herself was 19 years old. During their first year of marriage, they lived in a camper and earned a combined income of $12,000.

    Her husband joined the military after graduating from college. They relocated to Washington D.C., where they earned a combined $60,000 per year. They saved half of their income and used their savings to wipe out $55,000 of debt.

    At 22 years old, Jillian and her husband adopted a son. Two years later, at age 24, the couple had accumulated their first $100,000. The following year, they gave birth to a second child.
    Jillian and her husband continued saving half of their income. Eventually, they bought a house in cash, invested in two rental properties, and built a portfolio of index funds.

    By age 32, Jillian and her husband achieved financial independence. And they built this on a modest five-figure income.

    How did Jillian and her husband live on $12,000 per year? How did they save their first $100,000 by age 24? What sacrifices did they make? And how did reaching financial independence change their relationship with money? Find out in this raw, emotional interview.