Correcting Bad Financial Advice I've Given | Aja Dang 

i care a lot about the environment (majored in env sci) but if ur gonna invest in the stock market i think its best to invest in what makes you money and not buy the product on a consumer level. its consumers who determine supply-demand ex: Coca-Cola. awful company for the environment - the amount of plastic they put out is crazy. you might think to invest in their company bc they might make u a lot of money and what if they use the money for R&D (alt to plastic bottles). ur on a misssion to go as close as to zero waste as possible idea.. dont buy coca-cola in the stores! now maybe dont go in and invest in oil (what is used to make plastic bottles) but rather solar. but if you dont care about a return keep investing in renewable energy and all other ethical not too well known brands

I’ve learned through the years that it’s okay to say “I don’t know”. It’s uncomfortable saying it but I think that it’s better to say that than giving bad answers/advice/etc

I appreciate that you’re willing to hop on such a public platform and correct yourself. It’s so difficult to put the pride down and say “hm I could have done better” which is something I personally struggle with so it’s inspiring to see you seize it with such grace and humility.

Aja, just a word of encouragement: the fact that your responses from a month ago continue to bother you speaks strongly to your drive to better yourself and to become a better woman. Complacency is the enemy of progress. I know that I don't speak just for myself when I say that I love your financial content and your willingness to be transparent. Keep up the great work and always maintain that inner momentum to learn and improve.

Thinking on your feet is definitely a practiced skill, so that makes total sense! I think the most important thing is that you're so honest and upfront and that's why we keep coming back to you.💃💯

GIRL this top is hot. You did great during the Big Reset! I loved seeing you live!! Also wanted to comment on one of your videos to share that, like you, I ordered a cake yesterday to celebrate paying off my private student loans!! I still have ~$41,000 to go with federal loans, but it feels good that I am more than half of the way through paying off my debts. I don't know if I would be here without your inspiration. Thank you for sharing your successes, your shortcomings, and being vulnerable. You are very much appreciated.

Hey Aja - I attended the TFD Big Reset Summit and I loved your presentation. Unfortunately I was not able to get onto the live Q&A's as they all sold out/spaces filled really quickly. I watched the replay and you did better than you think you did however I really admire how you are reflecting upon your performance and creating a solution (i.e. doing this video to add more value to your audience) in a constructive and healthy way. Owning ourselves and being compassionate while being constructively critical allows us to grow from our experiences rather than feeling embarrassed or ashamed by them. Live interactions whether it is a speech, Q&A, presentation, 1-2-1 conversation etc while can be improved is our true selves in that given moment. We do the best that we can in that given moment, this includes us overcoming our nerves, apprehension, etc in the same moment. Practice is progress. :-) We don't have to answer straight away, we can stop and take a moment but that is easier said then done I know, especially if we are actually unsure of the answer. Even if we don't know the answer there is a way to add value to the person asking the question. Keep doing things that scare you but are also the things that are right for you and your journey x P.S. I hope you are feeling a lot better x x

Regarding the question on investing in more ethical companies, I find that I just have to adjust my interpretation on what a return actually means. You probably won’t see as high of a return in the form of money. However, a return can take on different forms: a reduced impact on the environment, increased wages for employees, higher quality products, etc. When putting together a portfolio, it’s up to you to determine if those potential outcomes are valuable enough to earn your investment. And like you said, investments aren't permanent, so you always have to opportunity to switch up your portfolio to align with your needs.

I love love your transparency. Most people wouldn’t make this video or be humble enough to acknowledge a past mistake. You’re the best 💓

It's super cool that you actually took the time to correct your answers. We all mess up (especially when we don't have enough time to think), but only few of us go out of our way to make things right. I really like your answer to the investment question, that person doesn't have to go all in with sustainable companies, they can split it and get the best of both world.

The question about the person who was interested in investing in companies that align with her ethics, she can always check out the dow Jones sustainability index they come out with a yearly report on elite companies that are leaders in sustainability as well as creating value creation and long term growth with social,economic and environmental impact in mind. Also she can check out if the business is a benefit corporation. B-Corps are businesses that put their corporate social responsibility up at the top in line with making profits as well.

ooo sounds like this vid is the tea ;) excited to watch only 20 secs in leggo

i also have a problem with thinking on my feet!! I need a moment to think about things and I can't answer things right on the spot! I quite literally freeze and go mute

Hey love - It would be great to see a video about advice you followed at the BEGINNING of you debt free journey vs NOW. What has changed and what hasn't. - Thanks! :D

I saw your speech at the TFD summit and absolutely loved it. And to see you address something that has been bugging you instead of brushing it off really makes me respect you more. Well done!

Doing this video "correcting yourself" takes courage! Thank you for that ❤️

Thank u for being transparent and honest. It makes you even more beautiful inside and out 🤩🙏🥰

Girl you did so good at the Big Reset!!! Also overall the Q&A still went very well. I'm glad I got to attend. 🙂

Love the title of this video cuz it acknowledges that no one is perfect even so called "financial gurus" change their stances on certain issues. Love the self awareness Aja!💖👑

oh Aja! Not to worry about these things! It's great to see that you want to give the right advice to people, but when you are on a live the pressure is really high and you cannot think clearly! Definitely once you start doing more of them you will performing up to your expectations! Don't stop the lives, but rather do more of them! ;) xx

Aja Dang! Your amazing... love your videos so inspiring 🥰😍 thanks for sharing with all of us

Honestly you have inspired me to be organized, how to save, and to think about and generate streams of income. And that's enough. And then i know enough to manage my 401k and maybe think of investing a little. And that has helped me so much. And im no longer ignoring those student loans i am actively trying to get rid of it and pay it off. Thank you for that.

This is such an important video! Re: Investments - I would like to highly caution people against putting all of their money into specific companies- especially avoid a concentration in a single industry. From a risk balance perspective: money for basic living expenses in retirement (ex 401k) should be mostly money market funds, several different funds that don’t overlap much is ideal. The closer you are to retirement, the safer the fund should be. After that: pick some of your favorite industries/causes (ex solar power) and invest in a couple industry specific funds. This is also a good place for currency funds or international funds. After that, should specific stocks and companies be chosen and prioritized. Play it safe as you build your safety net, and you can survive a short recession or changing politics. Good luck!💸

What an honest video for your viewers in correcting yourself! Some influencers don't even think of the advice they give whether it's right or wrong, if they do they would just put it in an ig story/post let alone a video! so ty for that OT: your hair, outfit and makeup in this video is gorgeous lol

I am also SO conflicted about the investing thing! I am about to start making my first investments and i want to find the right balance between high returns and sustainable companies that align with my values

Kudos for you to admitting to being human (we all make mistakes)! I appreciate that you care so much and gave these updated answers a lot of thought on how the they could be more helpful. In terms of the second question, I do the best that I can. I think there is an effort everyone can make, and a lot of people making a little effort can result in big changes. It’s not up to one person to make all the change, or I don’t think it should be. We also are complex, multidimensional people. I’m vegan but also do a lot of convenience shopping on Amazon and don’t always have the $$ to purchase the most sustainable products. But I’m proud of the efforts I do make and I’m aware of what I can do better in the future.

You are always so well spoken in your videos, and it makes me like you even more for admitting that you hate live video! I'm the same, I get so nervous and I hate doing them, but it seems like it's what professionals do, right? It makes me feel so much better that I'm not the only one out there who enjoys video but not necessarily the live setting. 💜

Oh girl I’m the same way when I’m speaking love 😂 but I have more of a “value investing” strategy. I try to do my research beforehand just to see who owns the company, their mission, how they treat employees, etc since I am basically supporting them with my money.

Your videos and mindset on life is so inspiring!

i attended the TFD summit and you had a great talk! i was at another Q&A so i didn't catch yours but i think it's great you're addressing things you wish you would have said differently, i think we've all gone through that before. also- u look AMAZING in this vid, you're glowing, make-up and hair on point, and that top is WORKING for you

I'm with you, I PREFER to have a little time to think things through 😅 though, this is really cool that you're expounding on those answers now. I like your aspect of investing based on ethical principles 🤔👍🏽

Props to you for being real and taking responsibility for your words!

I mean I don’t think being a politician in the States really requires being a great public speaker. Most are absolutely not + teleprompters are a thing ☺️

Voting during shareholder meetings. When you buy a stock, you’re essentially one of many shareholders, so you can vote for specific resolutions that align with your values. It’s a way of directly engaging with the company and letting the company board know how you’d like to see the company governed. Also.. Generally companies with a higher ESG rating have higher returns!!

Love it! Can you do a video on finance + couples please? My boyfriend and I have been together almost 10 years. We’ve had 2 joint savings accounts for almost 1 year now. It’s been great, one for miscellaneous long term saving and another for vacations. We just bought a car together and cashed out our long term savings account. We have auto deposits, no weekly going in there. It’s been great. This is a method we came up with, but what are others doing? Please share best practices. Maybe we can incorporate something else? xx

What people don’t realize about Amazon is that so many people own their own businesses through Amazon so very often when buying from Amazon u r actually supporting small business. (I personally know a few people who feed their families fully on this concept)

Hey girl, appreciated this video! I know the feeling of speaking live and thinking on your feet, I’m not great at it either. I will say, the more you do it the more I feel like you’ll start to hear similar questions repeatedly and you’ll be able to have a better formulated/scripted response on hand to certain questions. Idk if you already do ig lives to answer spontaneous questions but that might help too! Xoxo

For advice #1: Would probably atleast add a fix amount for long term investment, then rest in to short term goals. If you always focus short term stuff, will you ever save for retirement? Nope, cause there's always another new shiny object.

Please link what you're wearing cuz I want that TOP 😍

you're a real one Aja 😎 love your videos!!

i always appreciate how she dresses up for every video

Thank you for that. Business can be challenging.

I’m not good on thinking on my feet either. I need to process the question or situation and go over all the options in my head. I feel like I almost have a processing delay lol

I would love to see a video on bad financial advice you received!

I feel you! Like I could write a killer essay on how I feel about something but if you asked me on the spot to explain, I just end up freezing and looking dumb lmao

I loved this video bit also Jeez you look beautiful 😻

This is my take on investing in companies that my might not align with your ethics (as a financial professional). First of, if you don't agree with me, you don't have to! Invest however you want to because at the end of the day it is your choice. Make take: If it's not an IPO, the money you invest is NOT going to the company. Therefore, you should invest in a fully diversified portfolio. Historically we can see that socially responsible portolfios underperform (lower returns) fully diversified portfolios which include these "sin stocks". It's just unfortunate that those who are trying to be socially responsible are getting lower returns. I just want to emphasize that if you are not investing in an IPO and sequential public offerings, your money is NOT going directly to a company. If you are OK with the trade off of supporting "better companies" with a lower return that is also OK!!

Can you make a video on how to get started in investing in stocks? Like do I have to pay someone to do it? Or do I have to go to a certain website to start buying/ selling stocks? Help! I want to start ASAP.

I did listen to your video, but damn, you really rock in that top😎👌

"Dying and taxes. Is that the saying?" 😂🤣

Well first, in response to your question about investing in things you don't align with morally.... my answer is I don't know. I've struggled a lot with morals/ethics and if businesses should even take part in those discussions? Like yes, it's good to be socially conscious, but ultimately in the end, the job of a business is to MAKE MONEY for shareholders, so is it really fair to hold businesses on a moral high ground? Businesses do respond to current events and social issues, and can make it sound like fluffy when they do, but ultimately it comes down to the business and the money. And with investing as well, I think as a new investor (or really just anyone who isn't a billionaire) sometimes you don't have the financial luxury to invest only in companies that are moral and ethical, and you need to think about your own self-interests... after all being in the US, we live in a capitalist society lol. Anyway, I guess my answer is that idk and it depends, and sometimes financial priviledge plays a part into what you are able to consider or not consider.

as to the second question, i suggest the person invest through other means. the person of investing is to make a return. if you are putting in money to a place that is not making returns its basically a donation that youre making. maybe the person should try investing via real estate instead

I think the key to buying stocks is buying shares of companies you would spend your own money on. For example, I would buy shares of Delta airlines but probably not Spirit airlines because they are not my favorite!

Don’t be too hard on yourself hun, live answers are SO hard

Hi Aja, I kind of want to start on this debt-free journey and was wondering if you had any recommendations on where I should start?

i also think managing investments yourself can be quite difficult. when i get to the point where i have to invest i’m happy to put it in an all in one ETF like XRGO/VEQT where the MER is extremely low. depending on the size of your portfolio you could save hundreds of thousands, which you can use to support small, eco-friendly, ethical businesses more directly.

The book Broke Millennial Takes on Investing has a chapter on Impact Investing (ch. 10!) that goes over indexes that are “more ethical”. It’s definitely not perfect but it gave me some options to think about that I feel a bit happier about than the norm. The whole book is worth the read!

Where is your top from??? Link please!! :)))) thank you!

Love 💘, so much and hope everything is going well for you and God bless you and stay safe and healthy. Love 💘, 💘

I can't help but comment... I was immediately overwhelmed by how beautiful you are. I watch so many of your videos and you are so clearly beautiful inside and out but WOW.

Money dosnt care about ethics, if you want to be well off and financially independent you should invest in the best and not worry about the ethics. And when you are financially fit you can GIVE to what you see as ethical.

“I told her to make that money.” 😂. Woman to woman you told her correct.

Such a cute shirt - where’d you get it?

Hello aja! Any updates on first aid beauty student loan relief?

Off topic. You're absolutely beautiful! ☺

Lovin’ that black outfit. ❤️❤️❤️

Hi Aja! I’d love to know what your approach is to buying luxury items for yourself, and putting money towards things that aren’t necessarily savings or investments. I have no debt or loans, and I have a decent amount of savings and money in retirement/investment accounts. However, I can’t seem to ever justify pulling the trigger on something like a luxury bag, even though I would love to have one/gift myself something for a big accomplishment. I don’t believe in considering luxury items as “investments” so to speak because they aren’t really - especially if you don’t plan to resell. But I do think it’s better to spend on one long lasting item rather than a bunch of fast fashion. What do you think? How do you think about budgeting for luxury bags or similar items?

I'm just curious, not trying to be critical here. What makes you qualified to speak about finance, especially at a live event? How does one become qualified to do that?

i love her long hair, such a look

Is that a top or a dress? Anybody have a link to where I can check it out?

there is always such a moral conflict with buying stocks

Aja what’s your thought on the Biden administration potentially forgiving certain amounts of student loans for some people?

❤

Did you dye your hair darker or is it a lighting change?

FIRST!😍💖

Your honestly so beautiful

I think investing ethically can be strategic, over time, and will eventually align with your life state. For example, I am super hopeful that one day I will be able to invest with an ethical, women owned firm (that has a $50,000 min investment) which I'm currently not able to afford. Until then, I will continue investing to get me to that point where my money can truly make an impactful difference 🙏🏽 Like Aja said, nothing is permanent.

😻😻😻

Why don’t you like amazon

Investing in the stock market and in corporations is unethical.

I wished there was more active online support for ethical investing, ESPECIALLY from somebody like yourself... Your investments have a much bigger impact than buying from small business and I truly believe that if somebody with your social media clout could get behind doing the right thing and divesting from coal, oil, etc (not only with your investments, but also with whatever financial institutions holds your assets), the world would have a fighting chance. I've been watching your channel for years and am really disheartened by this video, please please please use your privilege for good and educate your following on why divestment is crucial :(

Forget the finance advice Why don´t you just work as an adult entertainer ? You certainly are showing alot of skin in this video...