A financial plan should be about more than accumulating assets. It should also reflect your values. Here are some areas of your plan that you may wish to examine to ensure that they reflect your values. If they need tweaking, there is no time like the present to make needed changes.
Helping Causes You Believe In
Establishing a long-term charitable plan can make giving back a heightened source of fulfillment. To make your donations more purposeful and rewarding, talk to your family about identifying important causes you wish to support.
Charitable giving can be an integral part of your estate plan. Setting aside a portion of your assets for charity can be part of your legacy and may inspire others to do likewise. You also will experience the satisfaction of knowing you are helping those who are less fortunate.
Helping Your Family
If you value education, consider helping relatives with paying for the cost of their college tuition or private elementary or secondary schools. Most people do not realize how expensive child care is today. Offering a hand with these costs can be a real stress reliever for young parents. Funding family vacations is a great way to explore the world with the people you love. To help setting your goals, use the SMART strategy. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed.
Support Local Retailers
A critical piece of your financial plan is household spending. We focus on budgeting to make sure investment and savings goals are on track, and it is an ideal place to put your values to work. Be intentional with the money you spend. Consider swapping out a few fast food meals and instead order from a local restaurant; or skip out on big box retailers to support a local store. The local option may be slightly more expensive, but as long as these purchases don’t break the bank, think of the cost as an investment in your community.
Invest In The Causes You Believe In
ESG investment funds contain companies that have progressive Environmental, Social, and Governance policies. You can feel comfortable investing in ESG companies without sacrificing performance. The funds do not just exclude the “sin” stocks (alcohol, tobacco and firearms), but also take an active role in engaging with companies. These funds can use their size (and voting power) to persuade companies to adopt policies friendly to the environment, make strides in gender equality, and promote overall good stewardship.
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