Clean Yield Insights

Finance and Money concept, Money coin stack growing graph with sunlight

Q2 2020 Market Update: Follow the Money

July 15, 2020
These are troubling and confounding times. In a recent poll, the vast majority of Americans said the country is going in the wrong direction. Amid a global pandemic, the Trump administration bungled its response, shirked any responsibility, declared victory, and… Read More >
hand with watering can over 4 climbing stacks of coins

Patient Capital in a Pandemic

June 12, 2020
In this environment, where gap between the market and the real economy is vast and growing, we believe that patient, local capital is key to sustaining communities. Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) play an important role in making sure that… Read More >
word cloud of words relating to the Black Lives Matter movement

We Cannot Be Silent

June 3, 2020
The murder of George Floyd is the latest in a string of brutal killings of black people by police that have shaken the Clean Yield team. We have felt a range of emotions, from anger to deep sadness to helplessness.… Read More >
close up of a $100 bill with a face mask on Ben

Night School: Modern Monetary Theory

May 7, 2020
Why, you might ask, is Clean Yield writing about an arcane economic theory in the midst of a pandemic and economic implosion? We were already planning to write about it due to its emergence as part of the progressive agenda… Read More >
night school handout open on a desk

Q1 2020 Market Update: Wrestling with the bear

April 21, 2020
Whew, what a quarter! As of our last full market commentary in January, the main stock market indexes were near record highs after more than a decade of gains. The conventional wisdom was that even though global manufacturing was in… Read More >
night school handout open on a desk

Night School: Bond Basics

February 18, 2020
At Clean Yield, we manage many “balanced” portfolios, which own stocks and bonds. Though stocks usually grab the headlines, bonds also have a critical role as the ballast in many portfolios. What Is a bond? A bond is a debt… Read More >
night school handout open on a desk

Q4 2019 Market Update: Is it different this time?

January 14, 2020
We enter the new year—and new decade—with more questions than usual. What has happened to democracy and the rule of law in the U.S.? Is the global alliance of liberal democracies kaput? Do truth and evidence still matter? Are historical… Read More >
night school handout open on a desk

Q3 2019 Market Update: Cracks in the Foundation

October 16, 2019
We see cracks developing in the foundation of the bull market in stocks. As we know from the bizarre reality of 2019 life in America, most people believe what they want to believe – and make their own “facts” if… Read More >
blurred magnifying glass with "Unilever" logo in focus in the lens

Get in the Loop!

October 16, 2019
At Clean Yield, we love hearing about new sustainability initiatives at companies in our client portfolios. But it’s even more exciting when we see companies collaborating for something bigger. In this case, Unilever, UPS, and Suez are all involved in… Read More >
night school handout open on a desk

Night School: Asset Allocation

October 2, 2019
What Is It? Asset allocation is the mix of different types of investments in a portfolio. It provides risk reduction through diversification and requires initial and ongoing decisions based on an investor’s goals, circumstances, and changing market conditions. It’s the… Read More >
brown paper packages tied with string on a wooden surface and an autumn background

Fall into Charitable Gifting Season

September 30, 2019
As portfolio managers, we have slightly different seasonal associations than most people. Spring is not just about crocuses and maple syrup; it’s also about getting out tax reports, raising cash for tax payments, and rebalancing portfolios. Summer lends itself to… Read More >
night school handout open on a desk

Q2 2019 Market Update: Beware of the Exhausted Market

August 13, 2019
It’s unavoidable to discuss world events without mentioning the occupant of the Oval Office, the autocrat wannabe. He reportedly is obsessed with the stock market as a measure of his success as president. As such, his media manipulation extends to… Read More >