MAY NEWSLETTER | Spring Blossoms + Team Milestones đ¸
Hi there,
We hope the sunshine and blossoms are bringing joy to you, too! Weâve been loving getting outside for the Wednesday Farmerâs Market, jumbo jenga in Directorâs Park, and some downtown cleanup. Meanwhile, weâre reviewing Investment structures and starting the 2024 Tax Planning cycle with clients.
Our 2024 Modernist calendar reminds us that this is a season of revival. đą It also poses the question: Consider the times youâve received wealth* from outside your family system, what comes to mind? (When we say wealth, we mean time, money, relationships, skills, and wellbeing.)
Let us know what you discover!
Georgia + Team Modernist
investment insights
At Modernist weâre keeping a long term view as 2024 moves from Q1 into Q2 with mixed economic signals & market movements. ⥠On the blog we share top risks, sources of stability, and key economic indicators to keep an eye on. đ
As part of our ongoing Election Year dispatches weâre also sharing thoughts on How To Protect Your Portfolio in an Election Year, and what to think when a stock feels âexcitingâ.
Structure Your Wealth Around Your Values
We Believe in Portland! Our team gathered with 100+ other businesses on a beautiful spring Friday to help clean up downtown. Says Katia: âI had way too much fun. I appreciate what Portland stands for, and this helped me re-bond with the city.â
FROM THE TEAM
Itâs been an exciting month of milestones for our team! Alejandra, Bernard, and Katia took their Series 65 exams and everyone passed with flying colors. đđ Josh celebrated his second work anniversary, and we celebrated all these milestones as we usually do, by supporting a local restaurant for a team feast of oysters and a tense game of giant jenga. đ
modernist TAKES it outside
Georgia contributed to PBJâs 2024 Estate and Charitable Planning Guide! In a great conversation with Rob Smith, she shared the mantras we use with our clients:
đŁ Give the gift of estate planning to your parents
đŁ Believe in Plenty. Believe in Enough.
đŁ Name a community foundation in your will
đŁ Donât believe the Death Tax propaganda
đŁ Avoid being a Jane Austen novel: talk legacy across generations
Georgia recently chatted with The Washington Postâs Alana Benson for a Nerdwallet article exploring fear, investing, and the money stories that drive our behavior:
âOne of my favorites from the Great Recession is, âIâm not going to invest in a 401(k) because my uncle lost all of his money in his 401(k),ââ says Hussey. âIt wasnât the 401(k) that was the problem. It was your uncle, who in the middle of the night got freaked out and sold everything in his 401(k) at the bottom of the market. Thatâs actually what was wrong. It was the human making an emotional decision. The 401(k) itself is just a tax wrapper. It has no personality. It doesnât do things to anybody. So letâs unpack what that story is actually about.â
FUND YOUR HEROES
Weâre inspired by the work Real Estate Professionals Against Institutional Racism is doing to guide white folks in real estate to start or continue their anti-racism work, and creating a space for BIPOC individuals to get involved in the real estate industry. They also raise funds for the BIPOC communityâs building and retaining of generational wealth through homeownership.
Good News
Dear Stranger is a recurring letter-exchange project that connects Oregonians through the mail to share experiences, beliefs, and ideas. Over 1,000 letters have been exchanged since its launch in 2014.
Learn how to participate (with a lovely writing prompt) then send in your letter by June 30! đ
A SONG THATâS REALLY ABOUT COMMUNITY
I'm checking them out / I got it figured out
There's good points and bad points
Find a city / Find myself a city to live in
Weâre listening to this iconic song from Talking Heads and thinking about how each of us holds the responsibility to craft a sense of place and belonging where we are. Weâre certainly feeling that energy shift in Portland, weâre moving from national negative press to remembering that weâre city of people committed to moving forward together.
Check out just one of the fab orgs doing this work: