Ellen Kennedy
Ellen writes and edits personal finance stories, especially on consumer products like credit cards. She also covers the nexus between sustainability and personal finance. Ellen was a manager and sustainability analyst at Calvert Investments for 15 years, focusing on climate change, water, and consumer staples. She served on the sustainability councils of several Fortune 500 companies, led corporate engagements, and filed shareholder proposals. She also alerted investors to emerging issues at the time, such as the use of toxic chemicals in consumer products. Before that, Ellen was a program officer for Winrock International, managing loans to alternative energy projects in Latin America. Ellen also directed a program that provided scholarships in agricultural science to women in Angola. Ellen earned a master’s from the University of California at Berkeley in international relations and Latin American Studies. Her research focused on the role of migrants’ remittances on local economic development in rural Mexico. Ellen earned a B.A. in Philosophy and Spanish from Haverford College.
Latest articles by Ellen Kennedy
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How To Get a Credit Card with Bad Credit
Got bad credit? You can still qualify for some credit cards; just be sure you do your research first.
By Ellen Kennedy Last updated
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This New Sustainable ETF’s Pitch? Give Back Profits.
investing Newday’s ETF partners with UNICEF and other groups.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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The White House Touts A Digital Dollar: What Does That Mean?
cryptocurrency A CBDC, or Central Bank Digital Currency, is a step closer in the U.S., but going digital will take years.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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What Ethereum's 'Merge’ Means for You, the Market, and the Climate
cryptocurrency The "Merge" seems to have worked. What you need to know about crypto's biggest story of 2022.
By Rodrigo Sermeño Published
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How to Invest $1,000: Loan to Kiva
Smart Buying What could be better than donating to a good cause? Making that donation a loan and recycling it, re-investing after each repayment.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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The ESG Investing Backlash
ESG Is sustainable investing helping investors avoid ESG risk, or is it designed to advance a “woke” agenda?
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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3 Sustainable Fashion Stocks to Buy Now
investing The apparel industry has a rough record on environmental, social and governance issues, but these firms are trying harder.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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How Senate Breakthrough on Climate Could Benefit ESG Investors
ESG Portions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 have the promise of more revenue and tax credits for companies making products that help fight climate change.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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Do You Have Guns in Your Funds?
ESG Investors looking to make changes amid gun violence can easily divest from gun stocks ... though it's trickier if they own them through funds.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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New ESG Fund from Engine No. 1 Leans on Activism
ESG The Engine No. 1 Transform Climate ETF (NETZ) offers an approach to sustainable investing that includes – wait for it – oil and gas companies.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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McDonald's (MCD) Stock: Tasty, Empty Calories
Investing for Income For some, ESG challenges such as climate change and animal welfare offset the durability and dividends of MCD shares.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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5 ESG Stocks to Buy for Earth Day 2022
ESG We explore five highly rated ESG-friendly stocks that act as standouts in five key environmental areas.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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3 Ways Climate Change Disclosures Would Benefit Investors
ESG Publicly traded companies might soon have to report how they manage climate risk – and their own greenhouse gas emissions.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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Double Your ESG Impact With Funds Tied to Charities
Financial Planning A growing number of funds donate directly to causes you might care about. Are they good investments?
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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ESG Gives Russia the Cold Shoulder, Too
ESG MSCI jumped on the Russia dogpile this week, reducing the country's ESG government rating to the lowest possible level.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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Amy Domini on the Secrets of Sustainable Investing
ESG An ESG pioneer says finding good corporate citizens is the best way to make money.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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BlackRock’s Fink: Decarbonizing Economy ‘Greatest Investment Opportunity of Our Lifetime’
ESG BlackRock letter asks corporations to lead on greening the economy, employee mental health and fair pay, and announces creation of the BlackRock Center for Stakeholder Capitalism.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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ESG Disclosure Standards Go Global With ISSB Launch
ESG The International Sustainability Standards Board will attempt to deliver ESG reporting standards that also focus on investor needs and building company value.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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What Are Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs)?
ESG PBCs focus not just on profits, but other stakeholders such as people and the planet. And their numbers are growing.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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General Mills (GIS) Is Wholesome … On Several Counts
ESG Strong ESG performance, stability and dependable dividends build a compelling case for keeping General Mills on your watch list.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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Natural Asset Companies (NACs): A New Type of ESG Investment
ESG The NYSE is launching natural asset companies (NACs) - a new asset class that will assign value to natural services such as clean water.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
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