SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER | Good Vibes + Supporting Our Community 🌞

Hi friends,

Here in late summer, we sense autumn burgeoning as the light lengthens across our lovely city. We’re balancing the busy tax planning phase of our client cycle with our commitment to be active community supporters and responsible corporate citizens (more on that below).

Lastly, did you know that last month brought two full moons? The second was a once-in-a-Blue-Moon on August 30th. 🌝

In community,

Georgia + Team Modernist


investment insights

In our newly formatted Market Commentary we take a look back at Q2 2023 and what it could mean as we look forward, too.

On our finance-fun-filled blog, we also shared thoughts on some hot topics in the news (aka financial noisiness):  the state of commercial real estate and a recent question we've been hearing: Is the dollar’s global status at risk?

 

STRUCTURE YOUR WEALTH AROUND YOUR VALUES

Modernist’s own Josh & Bernard attended Reframing Racism, a workshop from the Center for Equity & Inclusion (CEI)!  Here’s their shared reflection:

“It was an enlightening experience (and a privilege) to learn with a racially and professionally diverse cohort. 

As corporate citizens, it’s our responsibility to create a path towards a more inclusive and equitable society. We encourage more organizations to use this course to gain a common language and framework to normalize complex conversations about race.
 

 

As individuals, engaging in challenging and civil conversations about racism, and holding space to learn and unlearn, is a necessary step to address racism.  

We learned that equality is the pathway to equity, and building a common language to communicate is vital. 

Some of the questions we’re still considering:

  • How can we extend understanding and patience to individuals unaware of their biases?

  • What’s our responsibility to engage in new complex topics and unlearn our misconceptions?"

A Tool You Can Use 📍

Native Land is a tool for identifying and acknowledging the Indigenous people of the land you stand on.

Katia learned about this tool when she took Reframing Racism back in 2020!


modernist’s friends take it outside

Friend of the firm Manisha Thakor’s book MoneyZen is out now! It explores the idea of finding your “enough”—a concept we clearly love!

Manisha interviewed Georgia as she was writing it, and she contributed this bit of wisdom: “When I'm able to take a little bit of space to reflect on what plenty and enough mean for me, I just show up with much more integrity and kindness and clarity.”

Order your copy of MoneyZen from Bookshop.org or your fave local bookstore!

 

Have you given Weird Finance a listen? We love this podcast from Hell Yeah Group founder Paco Leon because it tackles finance topics through conversations with folks with non-traditional industry perspectives.

Bernard recommends this recent episode with Molly White on the limitations and false promises of crypto and web3, and a stock picking competition between a dog, a cat, and a human baby (!) with Amanda Holden. Tune in to the episode here.


FUND YOUR PORTLAND HEROES

Please show your support for our Chinese community and heritage, and be part of the solution to turn around our downtown.

As a proud downtown business, we’re grateful for the Lan Su Chinese Garden offering a peaceful space of beauty and calm in our city, and were deeply saddened to hear of recent hateful vandalism.

Please join Modernist as a Chinese Garden member, so you too can meet for a business meeting in the gorgeous teahouse, take your team for a summertime lunch, go there for a morning walk, or attend the Moonlight Market.
 

Show up for Portland and our AAPI community. You can make a difference.

 

Help keep the music alive at The 1905! This North Portland jazz bar and restaurant needs our help. Hit hard by the pandemic, this beloved institution is fundraising to help keep its doors open.

You can donate to their GoFundMe or purchase tickets to an upcoming show (you might just run into Georgia!).


We’re thrilled to collect good news about downtown Portland! The longtime food cart pod at SW 5th & Oak reopened this month as the Midtown Beer Garden, giving a refreshed space to longtime tenants and welcoming 10 new businesses.

This family and dog-friendly space has ample seating, restrooms, and heaters and tents for the colder months. We can’t wait to have a team lunch there!


A Song That is Really About ANTI-RACIST HOMEOWNERSHIP

The Highwomen “Crowded Table”

Homeownership is a huge theme in America’s dominant money stories and our client’s financial lives and goals. Of course, we know that home ownership is an advantage often distributed based on race and class

The Highwomen sing this gorgeous song, “Crowded Table” about the deep desire to gather our people together in love and care:

I want a house with a crowded table / and a place by the fire for everyone...
The door is always open / Your picture's on my wall
Everyone's a little broken / And everyone belongs

Those of us with crowded tables can help less resourced folks on their way to homeownership via donations to these anti-racist homeownership organizations: 

🔑  African American Alliance for Homeownership

🔑  South Carolina's Center for Heirs Property—read up on this org here!

🔑  Native American Youth & Adult Family Center’s Homeownership Resources

🔑  Taking Ownership PDX

 
 

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, CFPÂŽ, 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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