APRIL NEWSLETTER | How We’re Walking Our Talk
Hi friends,
This month we’re focused on accountability by looking closely at our numbers to ensure we’re walking our talk and considering the big picture.
With hateful and heartless attacks on our civil rights, we’re also looking to artists and activists (and lawyers!) to remind us to be resilient and keep fighting.
We won’t go back,
Georgia + Team Modernist
investment insights
The financial news sure has been noisy! While we can’t know exactly what will happen next, our evidence-driven approach to planning and investing helps us navigate uncertainty.
Evidence strongly supports the use of high-quality, short-to-intermediate-term bonds, as they are far less sensitive to rising interest rates.
These are the conservative types of bonds we build into clients’ portfolios (the opposite of what SVB owned)—so if you’re a Modernist client, you own the right kind of bonds! Read more about our response to the recent banking news over on the blog.
💰 TAX SEASON PSA 💰
Did you know that contributions to an Oregon College Savings Plan account come with a tax credit? $150 for individuals, $300 for joint filers. Some other states (hey NY!) also provide tax incentives.
Give a kid in your life a step towards college!
Structure Your Wealth Around Your Values
We’re reflecting on how the B Corp Impact Assessment shapes our work and creates measurable impact in the categories we’re measured on by B Lab:
🤝 COMMUNITY: Asked for the % of our revenue donated to charity each year, we were inspired to create structures like a Generosity Plan + we built into our monthly cash flow!
Now it is waaaaay easier to donate 3% of our gross annual revenue while centering permission and ease.
💥 What YOU Can Do: Consider creating a Generosity Plan of your own. Set a % of revenue goal to give each year. Start small, it’s amazing to watch the $$$ grow over time!
🌱 CUSTOMERS: As a B Corp, our firm is committed to considering the interests of all stakeholders as we balance profit with people and planet. We’re proud to share our year-over-year increase in sustainability investments:
2021 was 38.22% > 2022 was 46.05%
That’s a YoY increase of 20.48% thanks to fab clients and some intentional tax planning! 💚 Take that, greenhouse gas emissions!
💥 What YOU Can Do: Consider shifting a portion of your portfolio to ESG holdings. Check out our investment methodology to learn more about other considerations when investing.
❤️ WORKERS: The impact assessment highlights areas where we can enhance our social and environmental performance.
We were inspired to create a new 12-week Transitional Leave policy to better support our employees during life’s challenging times, from new babies, to caregiving, to mental health breaks. It takes work to be a balanced human; sometimes you just need some extra time!
💥 What YOU Can Do: Ask your team or community what kind of support they need, then map out a plan to implement. We love Workplace Change for all your HR needs!
Modernist takes it outside
Georgia joined (fellow SLC alum!) Adriana Baer on the Wellbeing Wellness Podcast and they had a fun, smart conversation with many takeaways:
🔸 Georgia’s path from sculptor and writer to founding Modernist—including some money mistakes that helped along her journey!
🔸 The five pillars of wealth: time, money, social capital, expertise, wellbeing
🔸 Balancing building wealth while recognizing ENOUGH
🔸 Feeling safe enough to start to be generous
We’re starting to think Fortune magazine may have a crush on Modernist!
Lucy Brewster included Georgia in a recent Fortune article (heads up: paywall!) on investing advice from wealthy families. She reminds us to take the emotion out of investing and put the financial noise within context: “Historical perspective is one of the biggest differences that I see between younger investors and investors who have a fair amount of experience”.
FUND YOUR HEROES
We’re scared for our community and our loved ones. So! We're going to need a LOT of lawyers to fight these disgusting attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.
Please consider a donation to Lambda Legal: the nation’s oldest legal defense/civil rights org fighting for our communities.
Say gay. Thank a queen.
Image Credit: Act Up NY
ART BREAK: downtown summer concert series
Enjoy music in downtown Portland all summer long! Check out this fabulous line-up of outdoor concerts at the Pioneer Courthouse Square (just a few blocks from Modernist HQ).
Make an evening of it by grabbing dinner at a nearby restaurant too—here’s a great guide! Let’s show our downtown businesses some love! ❤️
Not in Portland? Visit your closest city’s downtown to show your love!
A Song That is Really About fighting back
When vicious culture wars like we’re experiencing now are happening we love Le Tigre’s “Get off the Internet”.
Get off the internet
I'll meet you in the street
Get off the internet
Destroy the right wing
Please, please get out there and take action. Interrupt racist and transphobic talk. Donate money. Show up in a red state to fight for the more vulnerable.