Budgeting, Finances and Investing For The Future

I’ve talked a little bit on my blog before about finances. Specifically,  how we budget our money, how we doubled our savings in a year and how we save $550 per month. Personally, I love reading financial-based posts, because I always learn a thing or two and knowledge is power, right? Right!

Budgeting, Finances and Investing For The Future

Last year, after 7 years of prioritizing extra monthly payments when I could, and sending all my yearly bonuses to the fine folks at the financial institution, I finally paid off my student loans. My mom has always taught me that I didn’t need a super power, just the ability to understand my worth and never lose sight of my goals, so making that final payment felt pretty monumental and like her life advice was coming full circle.

When I finally paid off my student loan debt and we officially became debt free, I became a lot more interested in investing. Dane has been investing for years, but to be honest, I was confused by how all of it worked and wanted to learn more about investing for the future on my own terms.

When I finally sat down to learn about it with a financial advisor, I felt like I learned a ton, but still had more questions. When you make an investment in a company or brand, you are saying you support what they are doing, so it only makes sense to know as much as you can before putting your dollars behind it. This felt super overwhelming to me, because how could I possibly research every single company extensively? Through my research,, I also learned about a concept called impact investing.

Impact investing is a modern form of investing where you use your investment dollars to support the changes you want to see in the world. Many impact investment funds focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, specifically going to companies that are creating meaningful and positive changes in those areas.

Numbers aren’t really my forté to begin with, so my head started to spin a little, but then I learned about COIN.

“COIN is a platform that helps you invest in a custom mix of companies making an impact in the areas you care about most. Whether you’re passionate about climate action, gender equality or better health, we believe you should have the power to make a difference with your money. Backed by John Hancock, we combine 150 years of investment expertise with our passion for maximizing positive impact. We are inspired by the United Nations Global Goals, and believe that when our values and finances align, the future we want becomes possible.” – investwithcoin.com

To be honest, it seemed a little too good to be true, but I dug deeper and the more I learned, the more impressed I was with how the platform is structured. COIN was founded through a motivation to make investing more transparent and accessible, making it easier for people to understand what their money was supporting. COIN recognizes the following impact areas that have the potential to shape our future and change our world.

Right away, Gender Equality jumped off the page at me. This impact area invests your money in companies that promote empowerment and equality in the workplace, something I have advocated for since I can remember.

I think the reason gender equality in the workplace is such a pillar of my beliefs is simple: my mom and the strong values she has instilled in me since childhood.

My mom has taught me so many things, but the greatest gift has been being led by her example. As a senior vice president in a predominantly male-led profession, she consistently told me that strong women are born from the mindset that they can change the world if they dream big, know their worth and believe in themselves. She shattered glass ceilings in her career field and, as her daughter, I’m in awe of her drive and confidence. If we want to raise a generation of women who believe the sky’s the limit, we have to show them the way. It’s safe to say she inspires me in ways she probably doesn’t even realize!

With conscious investing, you’re able to take a proactive approach in investing your money, where you specifically seek companies that align with your values.

Investing for your future can be overwhelming, but learning and knowing options out there makes it easier to decide which direction you want to go. Trust me when I say – I am still learning and navigating this new territory myself!

If COIN sounds like something you might be interested in learning more about or pursuing, use promo code “COIN2019” to receive $50 when you invest your first $100 at www.investwithcoin.com.

So let’s talk – do financial posts interest you? What are your thoughts on budgeting and investing? Do you partake in impact investing?

This post is sponsored by COIN. All opinions are my own!