purposeful retirement
What is your retirement funding?
Does your retirement account match your values and reflect your vision of the world that you want to live in?
Did you know you can direct your dollars into companies that support a sustainable future while also growing your assets to support you in your retirement?
Like many Americans, chances are you had no idea. Currently, $390 billion of retirement funds are being invested in oil and gas. Unfortunately, many of the default options for retirement funds include companies that do not align with a sustainable future.
It is also very likely that your retirement funds are being invested in “default” options that generally consider your life expectancy, some amount of risk tolerance, and a target financial return as the only factors that will help you reach your retirement goals. Yet, there is more to consider!
If you are like us at Nia, you want to ensure your investment dollars are working for positive change and staying out of destructive industries such as private prisons, fossil fuels, weapons, and war. We encourage you to look deeper into what your retirement is funding. You have more control than you may have realized. Check out our resources below and take action in aligning your retirement with your vision for the future.
Retirement Plans
How retirement accounts work
Your company offers you a retirement plan, such as a 401k, 403b, or traditional IRA, which you contribute to.
These retirement accounts are managed by asset managers, who invest your money into the stock market via mutual funds, to grow your money and invest in your future.
The funds in your retirement account are typically invested in companies that make oil, weapons, and plastic, and profit off of private prisons and forced labor.
Steps you can take
1. Identify your core value system and what you’d like to support with your investment.
2. Figure out who your retirement plan administrator is, and where your retirement account is held. If you do not know who your plan administrator is, you can start by reaching out to your Human Resources team.
3. Once you know who your retirement plan administrator is, you or your HR team can reach out to them to let them know that you’d like to see more ethical and values aligned investment options.
4. Use As You Sow’s employee action resource center to find ethical and values aligned investment options.
5. Direct your retirement plan administrator to invest your dollars aligned with your values.
