Carlos’ Gift of Perspective

Common Core Money

I asked C. Osvaldo Gomez if I could share his post with you. This is the gift of perspective. Enjoy. I did.

Are You Saving Enough Money For Making Memories With Your Kids?

I have two children, Rehani (5) and Ajani (3.5).  As someone who didn’t have the best childhood experiences with his father, I can tell you that being the best father I can be with my children is a top priority.  But like all adults with kids, I often struggle.  The biggest challenge I have with my children is being patient with them and giving them more of my time.  Does this sound familiar?

I used to believe that being a great father consisted of me providing.  If my kids have clothes, a roof over their head, care, and security, then I’m doing my job.  But this just puts me one level above a deadbeat dad.  Loving your children makes you a great parent, especially if your kids are constantly reminded of your love with your affection, concern, and understanding.

Image result for father son vacation

My kids are growing so fast.  If you have adult children, you probably wish right now you could’ve spent more “quality” time with them before they got so big.  Your concerns, however, may have focused on making sure you saved enough money for your children to go to college, as you yourself, saved for retirement.  I don’t know if saving for my kids’ college education is going to make me a better father.

I’m pretty sure my kids will appreciate having a college fund to tap into.  At the same time, I don’t want to sacrifice the time I have to spend with my children by working more to save for their college fund.  What’s the fondest memory you have of your father or mother?  Were the two of you alone, on a trip perhaps?  In my case, I remember going fishing with my dad.  He usually went with some of his buddies, and drank beer while waiting for the fish to bite, but at least we were together.

Image result for father son vacation

Are you saving money for making memories with your children?

Let me guess, the number one thing on your mind when it comes to saving money is your retirement.  Number two is the college fund.  And this leaves you just about tapped out.

Well the “Cats in the Cradle” my friend!  You need to consider saving money for epic trips with your sons or daughters.  Yes, there are inexpensive things you can do with your children, but how about a camping trip?  Or how about you fly to San Francisco or a great tourist destination with them?  Remember these are one to one adventures.  Don’t take all your kids at the same time or the moments won’t be as special.

There’s a lot of pressure to be good with our money.  I’ve allowed myself to fall for the trap that saving for retirement is paramount to any other type of saving.  Obviously saving for retirement is important.  But try to squeeze in saving for making great memories with your children if you can.  Before it’s too late.

Balance your roles my friends.  You’ll lead a happier life if you do.  Thanks for reading!  Until next time.  If you liked this post, and want to automate receiving more like them, please subscribe below.  No spam, just me providing sound advice on various topics.

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Thank you, Carlos,
enjoy today
Cara
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It Is Only Money…are you ready for 2017?

“Perhaps it is time we understand that how we choose to spend our money is an investment in ourselves, and it defines our wealth. If we waste it, we are poor. If we are responsible, we are wealthy. But what is a responsible investor?”
“Someone who invests with intent, thought, and values,” said Amal.
“And what does that say to you?” asked Catherine.
A quick online search by one of the students revealed a definition of how one person can become a responsible investor. It said that a responsible investor makes a commitment to a resource that enhances the quality of life so that it is not depleted or permanently damaged for future advantage or benefit.
David laughed. “Shouldn’t the bell be ringing soon?”
Catherine smiled. “No, we still have lots of time, so put those thinking caps on.”
Angela spoke up first. “Well, we know that money is a resource that we use for exchange.”
“And so the responsibility of that exchange comes from the principles upon which we base the exchange,” added Amal.

Socially Responsible Investing is about aligning your values with your money.

Are you frustrated with your finances? Understand the pattern and move forward in 2017.

Enjoy today

Cara

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CSR – a good investment?

CSR is sometimes seen as a marketing or strategic investment for brand. True but does it actually contribute financially to shareholder stewardship? Is CSR a good investment?

S&P released a positive outperform rating on Cameco on Dec 29, 2016.

I have added my recently published white paper that assesses Cameco on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Global Reporting Initiative. This information is not a recommendation – it is an attempt to better understand if a commitment to CSR is a contributing factor to financial performance….your thoughts?…let’s start the discussion.

Cameco : A White paper on CSR

 

Cameco is a Canadian company that has branded itself as top international uranium
mining and Nuclear Energy Production Company. After the nuclear disaster of Fukishima, the commodity price of plummeted. In May, 2007, the stock price hit a record high of $(C) 55.43. Uranium commodity prices were high as was global demand fuelled by China’s decision to build nuclear power plants. Nuclear disasters quickly changed global demand.

The price of uranium dropped from $140 to $20 per pound in second quarter 2016. (UxC, 2016).

In response, Cameco invested in becoming the sustainable uranium company. The
strategy was to drive sustainability through the entire organization, the communities it which it operated and its entire global supply chain. Cameco first defined its core values: People, Safety and Environmental Integrity and Excellence (Cameco, 2016). To demonstrate its progress, Cameco chose to self-assess for the Global Reporting Initiative standards. Its first Sustainability Report was published in 2010.

Cameco began the journey in 2008. Their first CSR award was received in 2008 when Saskatchewan recognized Cameco for their commitment and success in development and employment of our First Nations. (Cim, 2016). With this first success, they went on to commit to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and produced their first sustainability report in 2010. The report showed that Cameco was having little success on the sustainability front. The company scored high on governance and ethics. The assessment of its environmental track record was far from satisfactory. Employee safety was a highlight and it continued to improve. It recognized as a positive indicator in the 2012 Sustainability Report. Between 2010 and 2012, none of the all environmental measurements improved. Cameco’s Sustainability Report of 2014 saw continued
success in employee safety. The 2014 Report marked the first sign of improvement in its
environmental track record. Both Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and water usage dropped for the first time from the level that was reported in the 2012 Report. These improvements decreased operational costs and helped maintain Cameco’s financial position when the commodity price and demand remained low (Cameco, 2016). This significantly impacted revenues.

The Economic measurement of the Global Reporting Initiative demonstrated in all economic areas; direct and indirect, local hiring and spending and infrastructure and service investments; Cameco continued its commitment to deliver in these areas.. Yet even though the total amount of investment dropped, it did stay consistent as a percentage of total revenue. On the environmental measurements, Cameco continues to falter. Greenhouse Gases (GHG) increase as to water usage. Waste decreased slightly. The area of concern is that non-monetary injunctions increased to three incidents in 2015. These were the result of incorrect labeling but considering the hazardous nature of its product, this is an area for immediate improvement. The Labour measurement remained strong in 2015. The company continued to enjoy a low turnover rate. Collective bargaining protects the majority of their employees and injury rates remain low. Cameco is proud of their employee safety record and even in challenging financial times, they have remained committed to safety.
Cameco continues to focus its Human Rights pillar for GRI on its relations with its First Nations. Currently Cameco has no reported human rights violations and it is recognized for working in partnership with the First Nations’ people in the communities within which they operate. The major weakness with this section of the report is that there are many other communities and people of diversity within Cameco and at this time, no information is available on their work with other groups.
Society is the next grouping within the Global reporting Initiative. In the areas of land use, grievances, operations for decommissioning, community engagement, policy and
competition law compliance, all areas were positive. With respect to legal fines, though there was no fine in 2014, there was a significant ($659,646) for non-compliance in 2013. Now this issue may have pre-dated Cameco’s commitment to become a leader in sustainability but that information was not readily available.
In the second to last area, Product, Cameco had an increased number of labeling non compliance. The definition of non-compliance is:
Labeling non-compliance – The types of information that must be correctly presented on our product labels are:
radioactive category; subsidiary hazard(s) – when applicable; proper shipping name; UN number – a number issued by the United Nations which is used to quickly identify dangerous substances for emergency response, handling and storage during transport; VRI code (international vehicle registration code – when applicable); name of consignor/consignee; type and weight of package; placards
(Cameco,2016)
Although there no fines levied, there were two warnings. Again, this is radioactive material – it is nuclear energy – so an increase in non-compliance in labeling is a concern.
The final area reported by Cameco in their sustainability report, is the Cameco indicators. Radiation dose per employee increased to .83 which was similar to the levels which pre-dated Cameco’s commitment to sustainability.

The second indicator is in the area of governance. Cameco is recognized externally for its governance. Corporate Knights recognized Cameco as a global leader. It recognized Cameco in its Top 100 Global Sustainability Index. (Corporate Knights, 2016)
Cameco is a leader in the extractive segment. It mines and produces radioactive uranium
and nuclear energy. As a firm it is on track to become sustainable. It is recognized by external firms for its good governance. It has an excellent track record in safety and its relations with First Nations. It has consistently invested and developed the communities in which it operated. On the environment front, Cameco needs to improve. It has not made much progress in reducing its water or energy usage in the past four years. This needs to be a focus area for Cameco going forward.

The Global Reporting Initiative standard is a worthy goal for Cameco but it needs to have its report externally audited to ensure transparency. Many areas are confusing. It claims a stellar record with employee safety but on the other hand there was a significant increase in employees exposed to radiation in 2014. In many ways, Cameco is moving forward and that is what is important. Cameco is an industry leader within the uranium extractive sector. As it commits to sustainability, the world is better positioned for a sustainable future.
References
2016 Global 100 results | Corporate Knights. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from
http://www.corporateknights.com/magazines/2016-global-100-issue/2016-global-100-results 14533333/
CSR Awards – cim.org. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from http://www.cim.org/en/CIMSubSites/CentreForExcellence/Tools-and-resources/CSRawards.aspx
Global Reporting Initiative, (n.d) Retrieved October 20, 2016. From http://www.globalreporting.org/
Home – Cameco. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from https://www.cameco.com/
UxC: Historical Ux Price Charts. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from https://www.uxc.com/p/prices/UxCPriceChart.aspx?chart=spot-u3o8-full

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Happy 2017

I have been blessed this past week. I met a homeless man. Before you jump to conclusions, let me say simply, I learned more from Paul about gratitude than I have ever learned from family and close friends…my beloved being the only exception.

Paul at the Basilica in Montreal

It was cold…very cold. Winter had come early to Montreal not just from the abundance of snow but also from the wind chill. Paul stood outside the Basilica. It was just before the noon mass. He smiled at everyone and although his cup reminded me that his life must be hard, his smile warmed my soul. I sat down with Paul and asked if I could tell you his story. He warmly agreed.

Paul worked hard. He was proud to work in a manufacturing job. The job was gone but that is ok. He wasn’t homeless because of free trade or that stuff people say. He was homeless because his boss never agreed to his workman’s compensation. He was injured on the job. The boss had not kept the maintenance schedule on the presser. So it broke and Paul was hurt. Really hurt. He can’t work any more. But that’s ok. He is happy. 2017 is a big year for him. He turns 65 so in 2017. He will have his benefits again and be able to get a bachelor apartment and he is excited.

Yes 2017 is an exciting new start. Are you ready? Have you thought about what you hope to accomplish in 2017? Well, all I can say is best said by Paul, “Don’t feel sorry for me cuz I have hope and I have plans and I am going to have the best 2017 ever!”

Happy Healthy and Abundant New Year!

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Ten Factorial Rocks

Thank you Mr TFR! And please check out the many great ideas on his blog: 10! Ten Factorial Rocks Save money. Avoid traps. Invest well. Find meaning!

It is only money and it grows on trees, according to Cara MacMillan. I read many articles daily and quite a few books every month. Occasionally, I am also sent new book material and manuscripts for review.  I have turned down such requests largely because of time constraints.  But this one was interesting and I wanted to share with you all.

Among the many books about money,Cara MacMillan takes a rather unique route…

Book Review: It Is Only Money

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