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Our Services
Wherever you are, we are.
Newground provides a fiduciary, evidence-based approach to comprehensive financial planning & ESG wealth management. We align financial outcomes with your values, purpose, and mission as an individual or institutional investor.
You receive expert, objective, and independent wealth management & financial planning that is grounded in our 30 years of experience as responsible impact advisors.
The 3 Levels of Responsible Impact Investment
Ever happen to you?
Have you ever had a financial question but not called the CPA or attorney for fear of being billed, or because it seemed “too small”?
Embracing the attitude if it’s important to you, it’s important to us, Newground serves as your family’s personal CFO to help plan for and navigate over life’s complex financial terrains.
Here is a sampling of the types of questions / situations we’ve helped clients transcend during our 30-year history:
- Better to “remodel & stay” or to sell a home?
- Social Security claiming strategies.
- Shifts into assisted living.
- Make the dream come true of living abroad.
- Think through startup money for a new business.
- Negotiate the sale of a business.
- Can we retire early, and be able to retire comfortably?
- Analyze a mortgage vs a margin loan for bridge financing.
- Philanthropy & the strategic tax use of a Donor Advised Fund (DAF).
- Discussions about the unique tax advantages of Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs).
- Be a point of contact for estate attorneys & CPAs.
- Help when your identity gets stolen.
- Kids college & education planning.
- Debt management.
- How to help aging parents, or kids in need.
- Keep an eye on tax-loss harvesting, RSUs, inheritances.
- Cash management.
- Does a Roth IRA conversion "pencil out" tax-wise?
- Fiduciary counsel (legally bound to serve your best interest).
- Scenario planning – modeling various approaches to a range of life’s challenging questions.
- Insurance evaluations – Life, Long Term Care (LTC), Disability, etc.
- Business continuity, sales.
- Estate planning & settlement.
- Divorce proceedings.
- An intermediary in intergenerational wealth transfers.
- How to think about and face a critical life-altering health event.
- Help consider whether you can quit a job or move cross-country to follow your bliss.
- Can we build a home?
- Guidance in the use of trusts.
- Getting out from under the restrictive covenants of a trust.
- 2nd set of eyes – an impartial second opinion.
- Skilled at bringing complex concepts down to an understandable level, without your feeling talked down to.
- Noted national experts on shareholder engagement & boardroom activism.
- Support for young grads trying to get into a field.
- Mentoring of local university students in fossil fuel divestment movements.
Planning
Management
Oversight
What sets Newground apart?
Listen to the NPR Newground feature:
Getting McDonald's to the Table
A sophisticated ESG* approach which includes shareholder engagement.
Nationally recognized in the field of responsible impact investing, Newground appreciates and supports a client’s values – through (a) ESG portfolio management, (b) community investment, and (c) critically important shareholder engagements.
(a) ESG Portfolio Management seeks companies with responsible environmental, social, and governance practices, while avoiding companies whose questionable practices create material portfolio risk.
(b) Community Investment changes lives on the ground by providing necessary capital and banking services to people and communities who are routinely underserved, if not excluded.
(c) Shareholder Engagement, which few advisors undertake or even understand, uses active share ownership to call on companies to embrace sustainability, transparency, equity, and inclusion – actions which can transform corporate behavior over time.
* ESG = Environmental, Social & Governance strategies
NOT
Our Process
Your advocate, guide, and partner.
We're here to help you live well while making a positive impact.
Working together, we will model and build a comprehensive plan that aligns with your values, priorities, and objectives.
Over time, we will prudently invest and consistently implement the plan toward achieving your institution's or family's most important financial goals.
Along the way, you'll feel confident and ready to meet the inevitable challenges that arise – whether from market cycles or life events.
Step 1
Introductory Consultation
We’ll discuss priorities, goals, and overall expectations while also providing an overview of Newground's approach and services. This meeting is a great way for us to learn about you, and for you to learn about working with us.
To thoroughly understand you and your needs, we may review a variety of key financial documents – including statements & reports, insurance policies, trusts, estate planning materials, and tax returns. If there are aspirations or concerns not yet discussed, this is a good time to add them into the conversation.
Step 2
Information & assessment
Step 3
Evaluation & Strategy
We will analyze your overall financial picture, assess risk tolerance, and recommend a values-aligned investment strategy designed to achieve your financial goals – including objectives around philanthropy. You can assess and make revisions prior to approval.
Upon your approval, we launch the investment plan then continue to monitor your portfolio over time for adherence to a written Investment Policy Statement (IPS). You'll receive quarterly reports and the ongoing support of a strong team of partners with whom to confer on changing life circumstances.
