Recently, I asked other Park Piedmont team members whether they had resolutions for 2024. Since our last new year’s article on intentions for life and money, I’ve been curious about the various ways people ring in each new year, and why – despite our differences – so many of us decide that January 1 is the perfect day to plan how we …
Does ESG Investing Have the Impact We Think It Has?
I’d like to divest from oil and gas,” I said firmly. My request felt urgent. The world itself was at stake. It was 2015, and my answer wasn’t what the financial advisor was expecting when he asked how he could help. Todd, who worked at a large investment firm, was assigned to work with me. This was his introduction. Basically, “Hi, my …
6 Intentions for Life & Money in the New Year
Greetings and Happy New Year! Some 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians rang in the new year by making promises to pay debts and return borrowed farm equipment. Since then, people across the globe have rung in the new year with vows to make improvements in their lives. Like magic, the stroke of midnight sends folks scurrying toward the shiny, hopeful …
How to Invest According to ESG Principles
This week’s Life with Money is our second installment on ESG investing. Last time we discussed various definitions and reasons why people might opt to invest in this way. One key takeaway was that “sustainable investing” is a general umbrella term, whereas Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing uses data to measure the sustainability of a company (both financial and in …
A Guide to Holiday Gift-Giving: Making It Merry & Meaningful
The holiday season is here! Or rather, major retailers would have you believe it has already been here. This year, giants like Amazon, Target, and Walmart “moved Black Friday up to early October,” giving shoppers access to “highly anticipated … deals six weeks ahead of Thanksgiving.” This may be good news for some: the “most wonderful time of the year” has been …
What is Sustainable Investing?
This week’s Life with Money features PPA advisor Samantha Ngooi exploring sustainable investing. This is a substantial, important, and somewhat complex topic – so our discussion will extend across a few installments of Life with Money. In today’s part one, we provide broad definitions of various relevant terms and discuss why someone might want to invest this way. In upcoming parts, …
Joyful & Mindful: PPA’s Guide to Holiday Gift-Giving
The holiday season is here, and while it may be the “most wonderful time of the year,” holiday shopping can make the season of giving one of the most busy and stressful. Finding the perfect gift for loved ones can feel next to impossible; according to Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, “being obligated to give and worrying about how …
Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology
Last month we focused on whether Bitcoin should be considered an investment, and we agreed with those who concluded it should not be considered a traditional one. This month, we continue the conversation by making the important distinction between Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on the one hand, and the underlying technology for these currencies, known as blockchain. Note: The following …
Bitcoin & Interest Rates
Since Bitcoin has become a very popular topic of discussion in and out of the financial world, we thought it was time for Park Piedmont to add our viewpoint. As you might imagine from a firm that advocates long-term investing with asset allocations implemented using low cost index funds, even the mention of Bitcoin would be highly questionable. Nevertheless, we …