There are multitudes of mistakes that people make when it comes to investing, and incorporating Environmental Social and Governance funds can make it that much more complicated. Today Kate Stalter gives her top tips to help avoid the most common mistakes people make when it comes to socially responsible investing. To give yourself the best chance to achieve the financial outcome you want, tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions. Show Highlights: The necessity for wide diversification to smooth your return and reduce your risk The issues with over-concentration Approaches to avoid using when selecting investments Determining a clear investment objective and your goals Getting a fiduciary to create the roadmap for your financial plan Links: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars: Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here: Better Financial Decisions Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

Better Money Decisions

61: Biggest ESG Investing Mistakes

We all want to invest our money in funds and companies that align with our values, but that isn’t always the best metric. Often times, Stockbrokers and other financial planners who don’t have your best interest in mind will encourage you to buy “sustainable” and “ethical” funds, which sound good, but that isn’t always the case. Today Kate Stalter shares how you can evaluate these funds and determine what is and isn’t worth investing your time and money in. To learn how you can become a better investor and spend less to achieve the same goals, tune into this episode of Bette Money Decisions.  Show Highlights: Evaluating which sustainable funds will be the most beneficial to your situation How mutual funds and exchange-traded funds work Additional fees funds may cost you Why you should pay attention to fund expense ratios Putting your money to work for you instead of handing it over to a fund manager Links: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

60: Expensive Stuff Can Wreck Your Retirement

Most of us want to invest in companies that we believe in and morally support, but feeling good isn’t going to put money in your pocket. In this episode, Kate Stalter shares how you can incorporate those sustainable funds into your asset allocation without jeopardizing your portfolio. If you’re interested in maintaining an ethical portfolio and making it fit your current retirement plan, tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions. Show Highlights: Incorporating sustainable funds into your asset allocation Having diversified funds to balance each other out Picking and choosing outside of your proper allocation What to do if you’re holding too much domestic stock Links: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? We Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

59: How Do Sustainable Investments Fit into Your Retirement Plan

Saying you’re “socially responsible” sounds like a good thing to say, but what does that really mean? Putting your own values into perspective, that could mean something different for everyone. In this episode, Kate Stalter explains the metrics used to measure progress and what distinctions are made between sustainable and socially responsible investing. If you want to know more about what fund families really mean or simply how to avoid picking a good feeling over a good investment, tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions. Show Highlights: Causes that socially responsible funds tend to embrace Deciding where you want to put your money and pinpointing your values What a socially responsible portfolio looks like How different values dictate what socially responsible means How ownership stakes influence management Why you shouldn’t let a good cause take away from a good return Supporting causes that are important to you Links: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? wecanhelp@bettermoneydecisions.com For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

58: What Socially Responsible Really Means

You want to have confidence in where your investment dollars are going. It doesn’t feel good at all to find out that your money is being invested in ways that don’t align with your values. This episode continues our focus on Sustainable Investing, which began in Episode 56. In today’s show, we dive deeper into sustainable investing, what it is, and how you can be sure your investments align with your values. Show Highlights: “Sustainable” means transparent, measurable factors that can be tracked as far as whether a company is improving in areas like greenhouse gas emissions, land use and biodiversity, toxic spills, and more. For sustainability to be measurable, it has to be data-driven and factual There is a difference in sustainable and socially responsible (we’ll talk more about this in our next episode). The primary consideration is the environmental impact Why we like the dimensional approach because it reduces the exposure to stocks of companies with less sustainable business practices How it IS possible to evaluate a company based on these criteria As always, you should maintain broad diversification in companies with strong sustainability practices from different industries, companies, regions, and market capitalizations. Follow the same investment rules and don’t sacrifice return Why most people operate on the impulse to screen out the companies they don’t like How these companies are “scored” on variables, and a higher score means more progress toward the goal of cleaning up these problems areas Be sure you understand the criteria that are used in measuring what’s important to you Resources: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? We Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

57: Are Your Investments Aligned with Your Values?

We’d all like to know the money we’re investing is being used in a way that aligns with our own goals and motives, but how can you ensure that? Today Kate Stalter talks about sustainable and socially responsible investing and how to practice morally aligning investments. This episode covers how to invest in companies you support, how to measure a companies’ goals, and much more. To learn how to get your money to work by spreading positive values tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions. Show Highlights: The start and philosophy behind ethical investing ESG Investing Why the factors behind ESG are important Putting your money to work Measuring a companies’ goals How to identify what is a good investment and what isn’t Links: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? We Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions  

56: What is Socially Responsible Investing

If you’ve been investing for a long time, chances are you’ve heard the saying “Sell in May and Go Away”. But is that sound advice you should take? Today Kate Stalter dissects the trivialities of global investments and explains why going off monthly data may not be your best strategy. Tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions to better your understanding on relevant data and to help you know what you might expect in the market. Show Highlights: Understanding how seasonality works in the market Where you’re supposed to “go” Why May tends to open wealth and how to manage expectations Market data that helps you know what you might expect Why smaller gains are better long term The home country bias International diversification Why you shouldn’t sell in May Links: Stock Trader’s Almanac iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? We Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

55: Should You Sell in May and Go Away?

Have you ever wondered what your future finances will look like? Many of us have! Today Kate Stalter talks about how you can get a glimpse into your financial future with proper financial planning and execution. If you’re interested in your financial projection, this episode explains how you can get a glimpse of your future, along with managing expenses, and setting goals. To get your financial plan in order today tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions.  Show Highlights:  Factors in your finances that you have control over  How to figure out future expenses and income  Working out your financial plan  Being engaged and held accountable in your financial process  Having something to work towards no matter what the stock market looks like  Links:  Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show?  Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? We Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

54: A Glimpse Into Your Financial Future

Many companies quarterly release their sales, revenue, expenses, and other financial data, but what does that mean for you? Well, in some cases it may not be applicable to your particular case, but these earnings reports do predict market fluctuation and can impact your personal portfolio. Today Kate Stalter explains how earning reports impact individual stocks and the many factors that can contribute to stock movement. To learn more about these quarterly reports and how they affect your investments, tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions. Show Highlights: How earning season works and impacts individual stocks Companies that will publicly release data Why Wallstreet watches these companies closely year-round How quarter estimates are put into practice How institutional investors drive stock price movements What it means when a stock fluctuation meets or doesn’t meet expectations How earnings reports contribute to stocks moving up or down Links: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? We Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

53: How Earnings Make Stock Prices Go Up or Down

As a consumer, you’ve probably been solicited at least a time or two for your opinion on a product or service that you’ve purchased. Businesses like to hear the opinion of actual customers because those opinions can inform the decisions the business will make and how they can appeal to a larger audience. When it comes to investing, it’s pretty common knowledge that you don’t want to invest based on emotions. If you were asked whether men or women investors tend to be guided more by emotion, you would probably say that women are the emotional investors and men are more data-driven. And, you’d be wrong. There is lots of evidence in the marketplace that men are much more emotionally invested in their investments than women are. Today, we’re talking about your opinion of the markets and how that plays a role (or shouldn’t) in your investment strategy. Show Highlights: Your opinion of the market predictions should never guide your investing strategy. The market is non-emotional and non-personal, don’t try to make it otherwise. You don’t get emotional about buying fruit, so don’t get emotional about buying stocks. Don’t wrap emotion in logic in order to make investment decisions. Your opinion will never affect market movement. You can avoid many common investment mistakes by not letting your opinion guide you. Resources: Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show?   Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? We Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

52: Your Opinion Doesn't Matter

It’s easy to trick ourselves into thinking “it’s different this time”, but more often than not, that isn’t the case. When it comes to the stock market, cycles tend to repeat themselves and the research that’s been proven over the years is still relevant to todays market. In this episode, Kate Stalter talks why “it’s different” is a misleading mindset that will result in negative repercussions. To learn more about how to avoid this trend and to stop making decisions out of emotional biases tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions. Show Highlights: Behavior finance and cognitive biases that lead to bad decisions How recency bias misleads us Why we shouldn’t be too optimistic Markets being driven by human components Rebounds that occur after negative events Reflecting on history to avoid falling into a trap Links: Episode 13: The Behavioral Investor With Daniel Crosby US News & World Report: 7 Behavioral Biases That May Hurt Your Investments Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show? Can Help Better Money Decisions For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email We Can Help Better Money Decisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 We Can Help Better Money Decisions Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook: Better Money Decisions Twitter: ​Financial Better Instagram: ​Better Financial Decisions LinkedIn: Better Money Decisions

51: It's Different This Time

It’s common to hear words like “stocks”, “assets”, or “index funds” thrown around when it comes to finances, but what do those words really mean? When it comes to your investments, it’s important to know what the importance of every decision truly has. While you may have heard that index funds are a good investment, do you know why? Today Kate Stalter dissects these buzzwords to help you better understand the impact and purpose they have. To learn more about broad market returns in the form of index funds and how to simplify your finances, tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions. Show Highlights: Understanding basic investment terminology What an Index Fund is Fund fact sheets and where to find them The Renaissance IPO exchange-traded fund Basic index funds and what that means Examples of major and widely used index funds What would happen if every investor stopped chasing performance Exploiting mispricing Links: Episode 18: Indexes and Exchange Traded Funds with Daniel Prince US News & World Report: Should You Really Invest In That Hot IPO? Fact Sheet for SPY ETF Fact Sheet for IPO ETF Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show?   For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email: WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program Register for upcoming webinars Contact Better Money Decisions: (844) 507-0961 Extension 700 WeCanHelp@bettermoneydecisions.com Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here Kate’s Forbes articles Kate’s US News & World Report articles Visit us on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

50: What The Heck Is An Index Fund Anyway

When it comes to stocks, chances are that no matter how credible the source is, they still don’t have the answer. It’s easy to become fixated on the idea of certainty and security, but the truth is that no one person can really predict the outcome. In todays’ episode, Kate Stalter talks about putting aside desire for certainty, the common misconceptions people have about stocks and how to shift that mindset. To learn more about avoiding bad market prediction and how to determine what works best for your personal portfolio, tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions.    Show Highlights:    The common obsession with market prediction and certainty  The loss and gains sensation  What determines stock prices  Commonalities between credible people giving bad predictions Correlations between the economy and the stock market  How to avoid guessing what might cause buyers and sellers to act    Links:    The Dangers of Listening to Financial Pundits  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dangers-listening-financial-pundits-130000552.html  Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show?  WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com  For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email  WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com  Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program  www.https://bettermoneydecisions.com/financial-wellness-for-life/  Register for upcoming webinars:  BetterMoneyDecisions.com/webinar  Contact Better Money Decisions:  (844) 507-0961 Extension 700  WeCanHelp@bettermoneydecisions.com  Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here:  www.betterfinancialdecisions.com  Kate’s Forbes articles:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/katestalter/#799df653349f  Kate’s US News & World Report articles:  https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/kate_stalter  Visit us on social media:  Facebook: ​https://www.facebook.com/bettermoneydecisions/ Twitter: ​https://twitter.com/FinancialBetter Instagram: ​https://www.instagram.com/betterfinancialdecisions/ LinkedIn: ​https://www.linkedin.com/company/better-money-decisions/ 

49: Your Stock Market Forecast

We’ve all heard of, and probably occasionally use Uber for quick and easy transportation. But have you ever heard of Lyft? Lyft is a ride sharing company, like Uber, but smaller and less known. Recently, Lyft’s stocks became available to the general public for investments and trading, but just because you can, does that mean you should? Today Kate Stalter explains why trend investments aren’t always a good idea, along with why smaller companies are sometimes more promising. Tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions to learn why well-known companies, despite gaining popularity, aren’t always the safest or most profitable investment.  Show Highlights:  Why companies go public with shares  How investors are rewarded from small companies going public  Why popular companies aren’t always a good investment  What makes picking IPO's risky  Reasons why you shouldn’t jump into trading because it goes public The reality of stocks when companies settle back into real sales and earnings expectations  Better ways to get your retirement plan aligned with your goals      Links:  Got investing questions you’d like me to answer on the show?  WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com  For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email  WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com  Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program  www.https://bettermoneydecisions.com/financial-wellness-for-life/  Register for upcoming webinars:  BetterMoneyDecisions.com/webinar  Contact Better Money Decisions:  (844) 507-0961 Extension 700  WeCanHelp@bettermoneydecisions.com  Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here:  www.betterfinancialdecisions.com  Kate’s Forbes articles:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/katestalter/#799df653349f  Kate’s US News & World Report articles:  https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/kate_stalter  Visit us on social media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettermoneydecisions/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/FinancialBetter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterfinancialdecisions/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/better-money-decisions/

48: The Truth About the Uber IPO

Education is a great and powerful thing, but some things require more than reading a few articles. Naturally we turn to professionals when we’re in legal and medical crises, so why don’t we do the same with our finances? Today Kate Stalter talks why seeking professional guidance is the best thing to do for your personal and complex financial situation. Tune into this episode of Better Money Decisions to learn how you can take action and execute a program that works for you.    Show Highlights:    When you should educate yourself vs. when you should consult a professional  What education consists of  Why it’s important to have your finances calculated for your particular case  Using education to avoid taking action  Combining education with taking action  Why mass market education isn’t beneficial for your finances  Showing up and following a personal program to see results  Incorporating full-transparency and executing a personal plan      Links:  For Your Free Report, “5 Serious Mistakes You Can Avoid in Retirement”: Email  WeCanHelp@BetterMoneyDecisions.com  Our proprietary Financial Wellness For Life program  www.https://bettermoneydecisions.com/financial-wellness-for-life/  Register for upcoming webinars:  BetterMoneyDecisions.com/webinar  Contact Better Money Decisions:  (844) 507-0961 Extension 700  WeCanHelp@bettermoneydecisions.com  Want our library of financial education topics? It’s all right here:  www.betterfinancialdecisions.com  Kate’s Forbes articles:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/katestalter/#799df653349f  Kate’s US News & World Report articles:  https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/kate_stalter  Visit us on social media:  Facebook: ​https://www.facebook.com/bettermoneydecisions/ Twitter: ​https://twitter.com/FinancialBetter Instagram: ​https://www.instagram.com/betterfinancialdecisions/ LinkedIn: ​https://www.linkedin.com/company/better-money-decisions/ 

47: Why Financial Education is Worthless

You’ve probably started with great intentions, telling yourself you’ll stash away more for retirement and buy fewer lattes (because some writer said buying lattes is a bad thing). But life happens. It’s not as neat and tidy as the financial experts on TV seem to think. You’ve got a lot going on in your life, and you need more than simplistic, cookie-cutter instructions to keep you on the right financial path. Kate Stalter escorts you to the right path for your money. She talks to experts and "normal" people who have taken the right steps to make better money decisions.

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Better Money Decisions

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