CORE VALUES
Modernist Financial is built around our core values:
INVITE & INCLUDE
INVEST IN PEOPLE
INNOVATE & ITERATE
DO GOOD WORK & DO IT WELL
We help progressive people structure their wealth around their values. Our clients are people with a vision for shared prosperity and continued social progress. They are, inheritors, post-sale entrepreneurs, and retirees, among others.
We offer: values-driven Investment Management, financial life planning, and business financial planning. For folks who may not be a fit as a client, we also have a robust Referrals & Resources directory, and a library of accessible financial tools and investment insights at Modernist University.
ACCOUNTABILITY
From the beginning, we designed our legal structure to minimize conflicts of interest. We are compensated only by our clients (we receive no commissions, kick-backs, or referral fees) and adhere to the fiduciary standard.
“Fiduciary duty” is a legal requirement to act only in another party’s interests i.e. our clients’ interests have to come before our own. Learn more.
As a member of BBPDX, we are proud to join fellow businesses, community members, and civic leaders who all share a goal of ensuring greater shared prosperity for Portland. We are a progressive business organization working to build a city with safe and efficient transportation, abundant affordable housing, and equitable economic opportunities.
A certified financial planner (CFP®) is a financial advisor with one of the most rigorous certifications for financial planning knowledge. They must have several years of experience in the industry, pass the CFP exam, and adhere to a strict ethical standard as set by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.
Unlike other types of financial advisors, CFP®s are held to a fiduciary standard, meaning they are obligated to act in their client's best interests.
B CORP® certification
In 2017 we became a certified B Corporation® and officially joined the global movement of people using business as a force for good. This certification reflects our commitment to higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. As a B Corp® we are legally required to consider the impact of our work on all stakeholders: employees, vendors, clients, community, and the environment.
We demonstrate these commitments through robust employee benefits, comprehensive financial life planning for our clients, regular pro-bono work, ongoing giving via our Generosity Plan, and more.
Learn more about B Corporations and take the assessment for your business!
IMPACT
read our 2022 impact report
As a B Corp, we are due for certification re-assessment every three years. This allows us to reflect on the impact of policy and business practice changes since the last certification, while providing a framework to assess opportunities for improvement. It’s also a very time intensive process, a challenge for small businesses managing capacity constraints.
We’re thrilled to announce that in 2023 Modernist was recertified with a score of 131.1, our highest score yet, and a 43.6 point jump from 2020! This was due to improvements in the Customer and Community categories—more specifically, since our last assessment we’ve:
Implemented a purchasing program that supports suppliers with diverse ownership
Added a process for tracking workforce diversity
Conducted a pay equity analysis
Updated our Investment Methodology to include practices to evaluate social and environmental criteria—helping us increase the % of ESG screened assets under management from 1-25% to 25-49%!
Huge high fives to Josh and Alejandra on our team for leading the 2023 recertification effort!
That’s like listening to David Bowie’s “Changes” 275+ times.
Take Action: Choose a pillar of wealth that you can share with others: time, social capital, money, or knowledge.
That’s like 2,500+ orders of our team’s favorite dumplings from Master Kong.
Take Action: Decide on a % of your take-home pay to give, then set up recurring donations to your fave org.
That’s like 3,000+ one-way car trips from PDX to NYC to visit MoMA and eat delicious bagels.
Take Action: Consider shifting some of your portfolio to sustainability holdings.
That’s like buying 9,475+ bags of coffee from Exilior, team fave and local, Black-owned B Corp.
Take Action: Start a recurring monthly purchase from a local company. Look for B Corps to support when shopping.