This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Century Investments. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have focused much of my time and energy in my 20s towards building a solid financial foundation.
One of the reasons I would like to build wealth is so that I can contribute money towards causes like medical research. There are many problems in this world and they will all require money to fix them.
It’s no secret there is a huge consumer and student loan debt problem in the United States today and I typically advocate for people to dig deep and increase their income whenever possible, as this is usually the most effective way to pay down debt faster. Besides being simply motivated by personal financial freedom, I think there is something to be said about being motivated by the prospect of “giving back” as well.
While giving back even a little bit through monthly or weekly contributions to a nonprofit can make a much bigger impact than most people think, it can be tough to give when you aren’t in a good place financially. However, working with companies that do have the resources is one way to make an impact.
Unless you live under a rock you likely have heard of Tom’s Shoes. Tom’s Shoes sets themselves apart from other for-profit retailers because with each shoe purchase they provide a shoe for someone in need.
Tom’s Shoes goes above and beyond by truly doing good with each and every sale.
There’s a chance you haven’t heard of the company American Century Investments but they have a unique story and through that story they set themselves apart from their competition.
In this case, you can make a difference by simply choosing to work with an investment firm like American Century Investments that will use its own profits to make an impact.
What Sets Apart American Century Investments
American Century Investments is a privately controlled and independent investment management firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, with offices worldwide. ACI is a big player in the investment management space, but the size of the company isn’t what sets them apart.
American Century Investments’ founder Jim Stowers and his wife, Virginia, are both cancer survivors. They created a $2 billion endowment for the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which included a 40 percent equity stake in the company. More than 40 percent of American Century Investments profits have been distributed to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a non-profit basic bio-medical research organization. The Institute is the controlling owner of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments totaling over $1 billion since 2000.
Fulfilling a higher purpose, namely funding medical research, sets American Century Investments apart from its competitors. I personally am more likely to utilize a business that is fulfilling a higher purpose than one that does not give back to the world in some way. I mentioned Tom’s Shoes earlier and I can tell you my wife has bought countless pairs of Toms because we really love their mission.
American Century Investments’ mission to fund medical research is one that I personally think is extremely important today. Whether it’s true or not, I believe that medicine and treatment plans can be adopted within our lifetime that can cure diseases like cancer and make survival rates close to 100%. The problem is that this will require a historic amount of money to get the research completed and drugs developed.
There are many ways to join American Century Investments and their mission through using them for investing accounts. Some of these options include:
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- Rollover IRA
- Brokerage Account
- 529 Plan
- Various Retirement Accounts for Business Owners & Self-Employed
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It’s always great to see a company with a higher purpose/mission. Cancer is such a terrible disease that can wreak havoc on families. Almost everyone has been affected one way or another. I wish the Stowers all the best in their endeavors to further medical research in hopes of eradicating cancer one day.
FinanciallyALRT I agree, cancer has impacted everyone one way or another. It’s always great to see organizations that help in the battle to end cancer forever.
Great post DC! :)
You probably know however this is a big part of why I’m looking to build wealth too, to then hopefully give most of it away!
Who knows maybe we could collaborate with this one of these days
Cheers and keeping an eye out for that book ;)