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In this episode of the Planned Solutions Incorporated Podcast, Investment strategies focused on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues have become a topic of conversation in investment circles. However, this movement has often raised more questions than it has answered as there is no accepted criteria to determine if a company meets an ESG screen and once a criteria is determined it can be difficult to apply when rating companies. However, there are some new tools, that while imperfect, investors can use to assess the ESG rating of their investments. More information can be found at https://www.msci.com/esg-investing Also, The IRS has strict guidelines as to what charitable contributions qualify for a tax deduction. The donation must be made directly to a qualified charity, the value of any goods or services received by the donor must be subtracted from the amount donated, and the donor must receive a letter or statement detailing the date and amount of the donation. And,The US labor market continues to recover from the job losses in 2020, although the pace of the recovery has slowed. The US economy added 379,000 jobs in February causing the un-employment rate to decline by 0.1% to 6.2%. However, the total number of jobs lost during the pandemic still stands at nearly 8.5 million despite the 16 million jobs recovered in the last 10 months. One positive is the increase in average hourly earnings of 5.3% over the past 12 months. Plus a look at the Planned Solutions Incorporated Office Bulletin Board-As the most recent stimulus bill makes it way through Congress there has been a great deal of debate about what benefits should be included and in what amounts. The most contentious issues seem to be who will be eligible for the third round of stimulus payments and the amount and duration of supplemental unemployment benefits. Sone Senators are pushing for the eligibility for the stimulus to phase out at lower income levels which could exclude some middle-income households. In addition, it appears that the amount and duration of supplemental unemployment benefits may be reduced from what was proposed in the bill passed by the House of Representatives. Another interesting development could impact the filing of 2020 income tax returns. There is now a proposal that would allow taxpayers to exclude up to $10,200 in unemployment income from their federal taxable income. If this provision is made retroactive to 2020 it could force many taxpayers to amend their 2020 tax returns to claim a tax refund. Meanwhile, those with unemployment income reported on their return who have not yet filed may benefit from delaying their filing until the terms of the final bill are known. Chase Armer's book- Financial Planning Insights is now available at: store.bookbaby.com/book/financial-…anning-insights www.amazon.com/Financial-Plannin…1586894022&sr=8-1 To subscribe to the Personal Finance Review (the written form of all the content we discuss on the podcast) please e-mail Katie@PlannedSolutions.com The Personal Finance Review is published and distributed on a biweekly basis by Planned Solutions, Inc. for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of a qualified financial planner before taking any action. Planned Solutions, Inc. ADDRESS: PHONE: 1130 Iron Point Road, Suite 170 (916) 361-0100 Folsom, CA 95630 (800) 750-2111 E-MAIL: FAX: Shannon@PlannedSolutions.com (916) 361-0191 WEB SITE: www.PlannedSolutions.com #finance #invest #investment #stocks #inflation #deflation #bonds