One For Your Money

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Happy Thursday!

This week marks one year since we launched For What It’s Worth, and we’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming to celebrate.

Since the beginning, our goal has been to help readers like you understand the basics of investing and give you the resources, news, and trends you need to confidently align your investments with your values — in short, how to make your heads and hearts happy when investing.

Over the past year, we hope you’ve learned a lot (we certainly did!) all while the financial picture changed pretty dramatically. We hope that FWIW has been helpful in navigating these occasionally choppy waters while also opening your eyes to options and opportunities to use your capital to make an impact and invest in the world you want.

Thank you for joining us and giving us a little of your time every week to help you on your financial journey. To get a sense of what you’ve learned — and what you might want to learn more about — check out our Second (Not Annual) Quiz a bit farther down in this issue.

While we cut ourselves a slice (or two) of cake, we are also recommitting to continue to expand FWIW and would love to hear from you, whether it’s about what you’ve enjoyed, what you think we’re missing, or even puns you wish we had been able to resist.

Top hits of year one

We’re always looking to answer your biggest finance questions and bring you actionable advice and analysis. So when we notice a page gets more eyeballs than average, it makes our day. Here’s your FWIW Wrapped for the past year:

“Siri, What is a Recession?” — Experts are saying it’s going to be a bumpy ride for the economy, so we break down all you need to know in advance.

The Way to a Sustainable Investor’s Heart… — Some of the biggest challenges we face today, like climate change or inflation, are linked to our food system. Here are ways to help.

Spelling out E-S-G — It’s used synonymously with sustainability or socially responsible investing, but what does it stand for?

The Fund-amentals of Investing — ETFs and mutual funds are the building blocks of many portfolios. But what are they and how are they different?

We’re also happy to report many of you clicked on these resources:

How to Research ESG Stocks and Funds — Websites and online tools to look up ESG ratings

Investing in Women: A Gender Lens Guide — Support gender diversity and equality with your portfolio

How to Practice Faith-Based Investing — Your investments can align with your religious values

Glossary of Common Terms — All the words that make you go “huh?” in one place

Have you been paying attention?

For one whole trip around the sun, we’ve been sharing the latest resources, news, and trends to help our readers stay on top of the world of ESG and sustainable investing. Whether you’ve been reading for 2 weeks or 52, take this short, no-judgment quiz to see how much intel you’ve absorbed through our newsletter.

And if you miss a few answers? No sweat. You will see links to relevant content, so you can catch up on any stories you missed.

Good luck!

Podcasts that caught our ears

It’s the time for frisbees, ice cream, baseball, and…a little side learning! While many are recommending summer reading books, we can’t turn down a good podcast. They come in handy when driving (to our favorite goat yoga farm!?!), walking the dog, or just unplugging. Here is a list of podcasts that we consistently find both entertaining and useful when we are looking to use some downtime to get better with money or to dig deeper into key questions around investing in line with your values.

NPR’s Planet Money — Breaking down what’s going on in the economy at the moment and how it affects you. Bonus: Listener questions.

Dollars and Change — A podcast from Wharton’s Social Impact Initiative with lots of inspirational and educational interviews with CEOs and leaders who prioritize profits and purpose. We are particularly fond of the latest edition, featuring FWIW founder Jean Case.

MSCI’s ESG Now — Tune in weekly for analysis on all the biggest news in sustainable business practices and investing. A must-listen for the FWIW team.

ESG Insider from S&P Global — A podcast from S&P that provides in-depth analysis of key environmental, social and governance issues, often with the help of interviews with leaders in these areas.

Inside the ICE House — Hear directly from company leaders and financial experts on this podcast produced by the owner and operator of the New York Stock Exchange.

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky — The award-winning personal finance journalist talks to expert guests about everything money with a special focus on women.

Interested in more reading, listening and video suggestions? Check out our Nerd Out With Us — What We’re Reading and Watching list where you will find lots of cool and informative options to consider for your headphones, eyes or bedside table. We keep updating this resource as we find new content so remember to check back often.

Before you go -

When it is hot out, finding the right ice cream cone can really hit the spot. Well, getting you that ice cream is serious business — the frozen treat supports nearly 30,000 American jobs and contributes $13.1 billion to the economy each year.