esg investing

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    #272: Ask Paula – I’m Three Years from Retirement. How Should I Invest?

    ByPaula Pant
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    Kelsey doesn’t feel comfortable investing in total stock market index funds and would rather invest in ESG funds. How can she tell if she has the necessary $2,000 invested in a company to submit a proposal to participate in a proxy voting? Also, Vanguard has a poor history of supporting shareholder resolutions. What can we do about this?

    An anonymous listener, nicknamed “Jack from Belgrave,” wants to buy and househack one duplex every year to achieve financial independence and leave his office job within the next three to four years. Is his plan realistic?

    Dylan and his wife rolled her 401k into a rollover IRA with pre-tax contributions. They’ve continued contributing to this IRA with post-tax contributions. Should they separate the accounts, or can they worry about this when they’re ready to retire?

    “Alyssa from Belgrave” (another anonymous listener) and her partner earn $150,000 per year after taxes. They’re currently saving 80 percent by living with family. What should they do with their savings?

    Leigh and her husband are three years away from retirement. They have an extra $50,000 in income this year and plenty of options for where to invest this money. Which one is the best?

    Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these questions on today’s episode. Enjoy!

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

    ByErin @ Team Afford Anything
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    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?”

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    #167: Ask Paula – Should I Pay Off Student Loans While in School?

    ByPaula Pant
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    Angelisa is a college senior with $30,000 in student loans. She has a part-time job, from which she’s saved $2,500. Should she keep saving money, or should she get a headstart on paying down her student loans while she’s in school?

    Mackenzie is also a college senior with some student loans. She recently received a settlement from a car accident. Should she invest this money? If so, how?

    Franchesca is 35 and is carrying $212,000 in debt, mostly student loans. Could she reach financial independence, even with a late start?

    Erica wants to make environmentally-friendly investments. How should she approach this?

    Caroline is 42 and has started making after-tax (non-Roth) 401k contributions. Is this a good idea?

    An anonymous listener is curious about podcasting. How did I get started?

    I answer these six questions on today’s podcast episode, alongside former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy. Enjoy!

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    #68: Ask Paula – How to Invest Your Tax Refund, Save for College, and Avoid Massive Pitfalls

    ByPaula Pant

    My buddy Joe Saul-Sehy, host of the Stacking Benjamins podcast, joins me this week for another episode of “Ask Paula (and Joe!)” — in which we workshop through questions that came from you, the Afford Anything community. This week, Joe and I answer questions such as:

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    #29: Ask Paula: Should You Invest in Companies You Don’t Believe In?

    ByPaula Pant

    Today I release the first “Ask Paula” episode. I’m rockin’ the mic solo, answering your questions about index funds, credit card debt and socially responsible investing. One listener has “crapton” of credit card debt. He’s thinking about hanging onto his debt, though, and using his savings to make a downpayment on a house. Is this…