OCTOBER NEWSLETTER | On Remaking A City for The Future 🪄

Hi friends,

We’ve loved our few rainy days in Portland and are welcoming the shift in seasons.

This month we have positive change + politics on the brain, and are delighted to amplify the voices of a few of our badass friends who are taking action to redefine Portland (and the possibilities in all cities post-pandemic).

Make sure to read to the bottom for one of my New Wave faves.

Georgia + Team Modernist


investment insights

📣 Don’t let talk of a recession faze you! 📣 As evidence-based investors, we look to history for solace. Positive average performance of 8.8% in the two years following a recession? Sounds good to us!

So, remember the big picture, when “Cash is Queen” she’ll carry you through down markets... when we remind ourselves of the market-evidence and vision embedded in our financial plans.

 

STRUCTURE YOUR WEALTH AROUND YOUR VALUES

Thanks to our friends at Perennial Strategy for inspiring us to revisit Rukaiyah’s TEDx talk!

We’re thrilled to see the narrative around downtown Portland shifting and business leaders stepping up to take action! This reminds us of Rukaiyah Adam’s incredible 2022 TEDxPortland talk (a must-watch, truly, no matter where you live). In A Love Letter to Portland, she asked:

❤️ How do we express collective empathy?

❤️ How do we define evolving community standards?

❤️ How do we communicate those standards?

Her questions reminded us that what we're experiencing in Portland is a remaking, so “Pick an issue and do something about it!”

 

modernist TAKES it outside

Farnoosh and Georgia tackle listener questions on the latest episode of So Money, all with the common thread of how we experience 〰️ fear 〰️ when we make money moves. We’ve all been there!

Tune in to hear about:

🖤 Navigating the sense that there are too many things to save for—how to overcome the overwhelm?

🖤 Balancing saving for short terms needs, real estate dreams, and retirement.

🖤 Weighing which tax efficient accounts your future self needs: SEP IRAs, Solo 401Ks, and Roth IRAs, oh my! As Georgia reminds us: don’t expect logic from the US tax code. 😜

 

📈 More accolades from PBJ! 🏆

We’re #84 on Portland Business Journal’s list of Fastest Growing Companies! With the busy year we’ve had, we’re proud of keeping our growth aligned with our values.


FUND YOUR HEROES

With so much on the ballot next year (civil rights, reproductive freedom, democracy, equitable tax policy...) we could all use a reminder that women and people of color are underrepresented at all levels of government. So! Now is a great time to fund orgs that are working to change representation:

🗳 Run for Something

🗳 She Should Run

🗳 NAACP’s A Vote for Democracy

🗳 Emily’s List

 

good news: progressive policy in action!

Paid Leave Oregon shows how progressive policy can shape collective benefit. Oregon's new program offers qualifying folks up to 12 weeks paid leave for life events such as parental or medical leave.

This is a huge win for small businesses like Modernist, who now have have governmental support in making more paid leave possible and affordable; supporting community well-being and economic stability across the state.

We hope you’ll join us in spreading the word and celebrating government solving for our collective needs! 📣👏


ART BREAK: SLAYING RIGHT WING HATE WITH SEQUINS

Friends of the firm Eden Dawn and Emma McIlroy shattered records with this summer’s Drag-A-Thon (simultaneously winning a Guinness World Record and raising over a quarter of a million dollars for the Trevor Project!).

Now we’re getting a peek behind the curtain with a new podcast co-hosted with local reporting legend Fiona McCann sharing hot interviews with fabulous queens/kings, celebs, and backstage hi-jinks.

Give it a listen!


A Song That is Really About Dreams & Goals

The Human League “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of”

Envisioning our financial goals is an essential step in making the behavioral and structural changes that will get us there. This New Wave gem from The Human League reminds us what dreams are made of.

Everybody needs love and adventure

Everybody needs cash to spend

Everybody needs love and affection

Everybody needs 2 or 3 friends

These are the things

These are the things

The things that dreams are made of

 
 

INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS LETTER IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. TO DISCUSS ANYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER OR YOUR ACCOUNT, PLEASE CONTACT US AT HELLO@MODERNISTFINANCIAL.COM.

VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME BASED ON MARKET AND OTHER CONDITIONS. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED DOES NOT CONSTITUTE INVESTMENT ADVICE AND IT SHOULD NOT BE RELIED ON AS SUCH. IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR AN OFFER TO SELL A SECURITY. IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY INVESTOR'S PARTICULAR INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES, TAX STATUS OR INVESTMENT HORIZON. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR TAX AND FINANCIAL ADVISOR. ALL MATERIAL HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE. THERE IS NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION AND MODERNIST FINANCIAL, LLC SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DECISIONS BASED ON SUCH INFORMATION. RISK ASSOCIATED WITH EQUITY INVESTING INCLUDE STOCK VALUES WHICH MAY FLUCTUATE IN RESPONSE TO THE ACTIVITIES OF INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES AND GENERAL MARKET AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS.

MODERNIST FINANCIAL, LLC ("MODERNIST") IS A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR WITH THE STATE OF OREGON FOUNDED BY GEORGIA LEE HUSSEY, CFP®, IN LOVELY PORTLAND, OREGON. MODERNIST PROVIDES INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND RELATED SERVICES FOR CLIENTS NATIONALLY. MODERNIST WILL MAINTAIN ALL APPLICABLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSES.

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