logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
24m 41s

In search of an ethical 401k

NHPR
About this episode

To save for retirement, common knowledge says to “diversify your portfolio.” Give your cash to a company so they can invest it into hundreds of other companies on the stock market. But unless you’ve gone out of your way to change it, your portfolio probably has little to do with your values. 

For example, there are climate activists invested in fossil fuel companies. Staunch vegans putting some of their hard-earned income into Tyson Foods. On the flip side, there are climate deniers with money in Tesla!

So is there a way to save for retirement that’s both good for your pocketbook… and good for the planet?

Featuring: Timothy Yee, Clara Vondrich, Kelly Shue

 

SUPPORT

Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In

Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!).

Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.

 

LINKS

Divestment helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the coal industry, according to this white paper from the Harvard Business School. However, divestment can also backfire, according to this study from Yale. 

Got a lot of time to kill? You can watch the recent SEC commissioner meeting where they voted to pass a weakened version of the climate disclosure rule. 

 

CREDITS

Host: Nate Hegyi

Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi

Mixed by Nate Hegyi and Taylor Quimby

Editing by Taylor Quimby

Our staff includes Justine Paradis and Felix Poon 

Executive producer: Taylor Quimby

Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio

Up next
May 22
A Righteous Gemstone
One of our listeners is in a pickle. He’s looking to buy an engagement ring but wants to make sure the diamond comes from an ethical and sustainable source. So he sent us an email asking for help. This is our latest addition of “This, That, or the Other Thing.” It's a series abou ... Show More
32m 27s
May 1
Black Sheep Metal
Lead is a study in contradictions. It’s dense enough to stop an X-ray, but soft enough to scratch with your fingernail. It’s heavier than steel and iron, but also more flexible. And, despite evidence of its toxicity, humans have been using it for all sorts of things for thousands ... Show More
32m 39s
Apr 24
The Cold War Ice Core of Greenland
In the late 1950s, engineer Herb Ueda Sr. traveled to a remote Arctic military base. His mission? To drill through nearly a mile of ice, and extract the world’s first complete ice core.To finish the job, he and his team would endure sub-zero weather, toxic chemicals, and life ins ... Show More
32m 43s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2022
TIP501: Investing During an Inflationary Environment
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 01:24 - What are the primary drivers of inflation in 2022. 08:34 - How different asset classes perform during inflationary time periods. 21:45 - Why gold and cash flowing real estate can give good inflation protection. 25:36 - Why TIPS can help inves ... Show More
52m 49s
Aug 2021
Jonathan Brill, "Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change" (McGraw-Hill Education, 2021)
Today I talked to Jonathan Brill about his new book Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change (McGraw-Hill Education, 2021)There are ten big trends that Brill identifies as disrupting business now and into the future. Each is a wave of chan ... Show More
38m 40s
Oct 2022
341: Money with Katie’s Middle-Class Myths and The Great Roth vs. 401K Debate
Katie Gatti Tassin from Money with Katie had her “financial awakening” earlier than most. She saw the middle-class wealth trap of working, spending, and repeating for what it really was. This cash-gobbling cycle is one that many Americans fall into, but once you see the light, it ... Show More
1h 4m
Mar 2023
Can investors change an oil company from within?
Some oil and gas giants are being pushed by shareholders to adopt more climate friendly strategies. An environmental law charity is suing the directors of a global oil company, arguing their climate strategy is not adequate to meet current targets, supported by other shareholders ... Show More
27m 39s
Oct 2022
Are prizes the best solution for climate change?
We know many of the obstacles in the way of a creating a cleaner planet - making cement green, decarbonising electricity or creating affordable clean transport. But how do we get the experts the funding they need to bring these solutions to the world? Many people see innovation p ... Show More
27m 43s
Nov 2022
TIP491: Macro and the Energy Market w/ Lyn Alden
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: 01:38 - Why top-line growth was more important than profits in the prior decade for US shale producers. 05:37 - Why we have a boom and bust cycle in the oil market. 15:31 - Lyn’s thoughts on Warren Buffett’s investments in Chevron and Occidental Pet ... Show More
1h 4m
Dec 2022
How to take charge of your money | Wendy De La Rosa
We hardly ever talk openly about our money. Wendy De La Rosa thinks that’s a costly mistake. She is a behavioral scientist who helps people understand and rewire their relationship with money. A former researcher at The Wharton School and a private equity investor at Goldman Sach ... Show More
38m 43s