Corporate Social Responsibility
News
1.15.2008 - 10:00am ET
Celia Mueller, CFP (R) Partners with Carbonfund.org to go CarbonFree
(CSRwire) WEST LINN, OR, January 15, 2008 - Celia Mueller, CFP(R) of Progressive Asset Management, announced today that her business has offset its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, the country's leading carbon offset organization. This commitment places Celia Mueller, CFP(R) as an environmental leader in the investment community and demonstrates proactive steps being taken in the fight against global climate change.
Celia Mueller, CFP(R)'s clients are very concerned about global warming. Considering the implications of climate change, carbon offsets through Carbonfund.org are a natural extension of the work Celia Mueller, CFP(R) does on behalf of her clients.
The mission of Celia Mueller, CFP(R) has always been to enable her clients to reach their financial goals while improving the world with their social values. By helping clients with socially responsible investing, community investing, shareholder advocacy, and estate planning, Celia maximizes their positive impact in society and increases their benefit to the world at large. "Our clients want the best when it comes to the environment, which means organizations that can provide accountability and transparency," said firm owner Celia Mueller. "Partnering with Carbonfund.org gives our clients the assurance that our company is committed to doing our part to achieve the goal of slowing and stopping climate change. We encourage our clients to join us in making donations to offset their carbon footprints as well."
"Good financial values and good environmental values go hand in hand,” said Eric Carlson, Executive Director of Carbonfund.org. "The transformation to a clean energy economy cannot move forward without partnerships with successful, forward-thinking businesses. We're thrilled to have Celia Mueller, CFP(R) join us in reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions."
About Celia Mueller, CFP(R)
Celia Mueller, CFP(R), located near Portland, Oregon, was founded to provide financial services to individuals, families and small businesses concerned about the environmental and social impact of their investments and who want personalized, friendly expertise and service. Celia Mueller, CFP(R) is a member of the Progressive Asset Management Network and First Affirmative Financial Network. She offers a full range of financial products and services, and believes financial planning should be a top priority for individuals, families and small businesses.*
About Carbonfund.org
Carbonfund.org is the country's leading carbon reduction and offset organization, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact. Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives by investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects where they are most cost effective. Carbonfund.org works with over 300 corporate and non-profit partners including Discovery, Volkswagen, Dell, Orbitz, Environmental Defense, and Lancome.
*Securities offered through Financial West Group (FWG), member FINRA/SIPC. PAM is the socially responsible investment division of FWG.
http://www.carbonfund.org/site/more/carbonfree_partner/celia_mueller_cfp.
The following article appeard in the West Linn Tidings April 14, 2004
Health is still served by Mueller
Jim Hart - 04/14/04
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Photo by Jim Hart
Financial Planner Celia Mueller believes that matching investments to a family’s core values and goals leads to greater health in body, mind and spirit. Mueller’s office is in the Willamette area of West Linn.
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Celia Mueller is into her second career, and though the careers seem worlds apart she says they are much closer than anyone can imagine.
Mueller was the pastor of a Quaker church for 18 years, and has been a certified financial planner for the past nine years, most recently in West Linn.
As pastor, she was concerned about the spiritual health of those she served, but she also cared about financial matters and started an investment club in her church. Now, as a financial planner, she is concerned about the financial health of her clients.
But the connection goes even deeper. For example, she is one of the founding mothers of the Willamette Wellness Community, a group of 16 businesses in Willamette that focus mainly on alternative methods of promoting physical, emotional and spiritual health.
“We look at the different levels of wellness,” she said. “My niche is making sure that people are financially healthy, doing it in a way that reflects their core values. And that lends to overall good health, when there’s an internal consistency.”
When she mentions that consistency, Mueller is talking about holistic living. And she asks a rhetorical question to make her point.
“If your finances are not in order,” she said, “would you say your family is healthy?”
Mueller finds great joy each day in assisting people to find ways of ensuring their future happiness.
“For me,” she said, “the excitement comes when I help people clarify their goals, identify their resources and educate them about financial tools to reach their goals and core social values.”
For example, there are more than 10,000 mutual funds, but only about 200 of them could be classified as “socially responsible.”
Investing in those types of companies is what Mueller recommends, as she matches each family’s values to the values of certain companies. But she also advises on investments in areas besides mutual funds, helping people diversify their holdings.
“If, for example, you tell me that you don’t want your children or grandchildren to ever smoke,” she said, “and you don’t want to support the tobacco industry in any way, I can help you select investments that avoid that industry.”
In her initial consultation, offered free to new clients, Mueller learns about the family’s values and suggests ways of either avoiding certain types of businesses or ways of rewarding certain types of business activity with investments.
Besides the values match, Mueller has other reasons for focusing on socially responsible investing. Studies have shown that during a recent six-year period these types of companies have grown 1½ times faster than other types of companies. Currently, she says, about $2.3 trillion is invested in socially responsible companies.
As a certified financial planner, Mueller has had extensive training, and continuing education is required to maintain CFP status.
She is offering seminars to assist people in the community with their financial concerns. Mueller has scheduled a May 17 seminar to assist women in the ministry with their financial planning.
That seminar will have specific information about tax advantages afforded ordained ministers, but much of the seminar will apply to women in any form of non-ordained ministry.
And a June seminar is being planned for the general public with the title: “Passport to Retirement.”
On her Internet Web site (www.celiamueller.com), Mueller offers a number of articles with information on finances. She also has calculators and other tools on the Web site to assist the do-it-yourselfer.
Two e-seminars also are on her Web site on the topics of long-term care and financial management.
Mueller is linked with the First Affirmative Financial Network (www.firstaffirmative.com).
For more information, contact Mueller at 503-656-1644, write to her at cmueller@fwg.com.
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