3 THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT:

Success!
              
Confession time. I love seeing what all my friends and colleagues are up to on social media. But it exhausts me. 

In fact, I take month long breaks where I hardly look at it. Why? Because I struggle with Envy. Bad. 
             
I know in my head that social media represents the “highlight reels” from peoples’ lives. I know that my business associates are far more likely to paint a picture of success than the anxiety that I know they also feel.\
 
I also try to count my blessings. I have so much to be thankful for. My family is growing and changing in amazing ways. Our team here has achieved so much over the last 2 years. Despite the challenges of the first year of owning a business, we are on track to build fantastic new services for our clients.

On paper, I’m successful. But all I see are the mistakes I’ve made, the things I still need to fix, and everything that could go wrong. Both stories are true! I can decide which one to focus on, which picture to paint.
Maybe it’s this simple: Success might never feel like success. If that’s true, what do I need to change?   

Elder Abuse
              
Elder Abuse is a huge problem that hides in plain sight! Long-time readers probably notice we bring this up regularly: here’s why it matters to our clients:

1.     Prevalence: Elder abuse is a significant and underreported problem. About 1 in 6 elderly individuals worldwide experienced some form of abuse in the past year.
2.     Perpetrators: Most elder abuse is perpetrated by family members, particularly adult children and spouses. Caregivers, both family and professional, are also known to be involved in cases of elder abuse.
3.     Elderly women are more likely to experience abuse.
4.     Age and Vulnerability: The risk of elder abuse increases with age, and those with physical or cognitive impairments are more vulnerable.
5.     Financial abuse is one of the most prevalent forms of elder abuse.
6.     It’s often hidden by the victims. Victims often feel shame, and sometimes they are unwilling to see that they have been taken advantage by people they trust. 

Elder Abuse can be super obvious. Think Nigerian prince email scheme, or a child caregiver buying new cars with mom’s retirement accounts. But more often, it’s quite subtle. For example, an older person selling an investment property at thousands below fair market value. Or a family member who manages rental property and skims rent that should go to the elder. 

The best time to address potential elder abuse is before it happens. Honest, open conversations and good financial planning for potential problems help prevent future abuse. 
 
New Retirement Account Contribution Limits

If you save money into a workplace retirement account or a personal IRA, your contribution limits have increased in 2023. Talk with your advisor if you want to maximize your contributions. 

Here’s a summary:
·       Elective deferrals to 401(k) or 403(b):    $22,500, with a $7,500 catch-up if you’re
over 50
·       SIMPLE IRA:  $15,500, $3,500 catch-up.
·       IRA or Roth IRA: $6,500, $1000 catch-up.
2 NOTEWORTHY VOICES:
The End of the World is Just the Beginning, by PeterZiehan

What if the order of the world changes, and globalization begins receding? This book argues it will and explores how the world might change.
 
The TLDR version? Forever growth is not a guarantee, and a less-ordered world is on the horizon. With changes in demographics, climate, and secure global transportation, the United States is at an advantage. China, Europe, and Southeast Asia will be at a disadvantage. 
I doubt very much the predictions for the aftermath, but that isn’t the point. History is complicated, and this book offers new insights into why the world developed into what it is today. 
American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon, by Steven Rinella

This book covers the history of bison in North America and interweaves an account of the author’s own buffalo hunt in Alaska. 

It’s well written and gets into the interesting historical details of bison pre-European contact, their decline and disappearance from their native range, and their recovery. 

History is full of colorful characters and the author pulls them out from the background, blows off the dust and shares them with us in this great book.  
   
1 SNAPSHOT FROM MY LIFE:

My boys hamming it up at the beach.
Investing for Values Alignment from a Biblical Perspective

By incorporating faith-based and values alignment principles into investment decisions, investors can create a positive impact while pursuing their
financial goals.

By: John Mullett, CIMA®, Advisor

Investment vehicles like mutual funds and ETFs are key tools that give the average investor easy access to diversified and safer portfolios. They make it easier to “not have all your eggs in one basket,” since funds like these can hold the stocks/bonds of more than a thousand companies. From a values alignment perspective, one potential drawback of these tools is that it can be more difficult to know what my money is invested in and profiting from.

Investors are increasingly seeking ways to align investment choices with personal values. This can be done through many approaches, including ESG (environmental, social, and governance). However, ESG represents a broad set of factors that lack a uniform set of standards to define what it represents. A given ESG investment may only be focusing on one of the three (E, S, or G) categories. One company’s interpretation (values) may differ significantly from that of another. These interpretations are subject to the worldview of a company’s leadership, fund managers, or the views of their primary investors, making it challenging or confusing for investors. Nevertheless, with some homework and intentionality, there are a growing number of options that allow investors to choose portfolios that align with their values, including from a biblical values perspective. It’s feasible to integrate financial goals with ethical and faith-based considerations.
Exclusionary screens help screen out investments that conflict with an investor’s held beliefs, to avoid profiting from industries like gambling, pornography, abortion, etc. Excluding certain investments reduces the number of available options to choose from; this can potentially reduce diversification, access to lowest costs or best performing managers. But by choosing managers who target themes of human flourishing, emphasizing value creation, we can take a proactive approach.

When we honor God-given principles, considering the Golden Rule[1] and seeking first the kingdom[2], we relegate profits to their proper place of importance. Investing in companies who value people (employees, customers, and neighbors), treating them with dignity, while providing products and services that make our world a better place, can offer ways to better align investing with closely held values. With an increasing number of options to choose from, values aligned investors have more choices than ever before.
If you would like to visit with one of our advisors, please schedule a call or appointment here https://pleasantwealth.com/schedule-financial-advisor/.

[1] See Matthew 7:12
[2] See Matthew 6:33
Pleasant Wealth 25th Anniversary Celebration
We were delighted to celebrate Pleasant Wealth's 25th year in business last month with an open house reception at the Canton Garden Center.

It was a lovely setting for great fun, food, music, and pleasant conversation with clients and friends.

Here's to another 25 years!
SUMMER OFFICE HOURS

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, our office hours are adjusted to:
  • Canton: Monday - Thursday, 8:30am - 4:30pm; Friday - 8:30am - 3:00pm.
  • Mt. Hope: Monday - Thursday, 8:30am - 4:30pm; closed Friday.
720 McKinley Ave. NW Canton, OH 44703 Phone 330.893.0113 Fax 330.800.9207

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC, (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC, (Kestra AS) an affiliate of Kestra IS. Pleasant Wealth is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS.