About Justin Horowitz, CFP® | just advising, Triangle Area North Carolina Financial Planner

The early years of my career were spent at a multi-billion-dollar traditional financial planning firm. I was helping people start retirement on the right foot. They were friendly people, just not the people I dreamt of helping. And this dream had been forming for years.

I was introduced to the world of personal finance in 2018. Through that experience, I was met with two thoughts: “wow, this is awesome!” and “why don't more people know this?” My parents fell into the category of “more people.”

My parents were juggling a lot in their 20s and 30s: buying a home for the first time, starting a family together, shifting careers, and much more. And they did all that without professional help. Not because they didn't want it, but because it was either untrustworthy, prohibitively expensive, or simply not available.

Thus, the idea for Just Advising was born. A haven for people who are juggling a lot in their 20s and 30s and want professional help they can trust and access. Here, you'll never be sold a financial product or turned away because of your net wealth. Instead, you'll finally be heard and supported towards your highest personal and financial self.

My initial investing experience was that of a typical Boglehead. I was investing in passive, broadly diversified, cheap funds. It did the job just fine and was simple enough to maintain. But it felt unpleasant seeing some of the companies I was supporting through my investments: fossil fuel giants, weapons manufacturers, social detractors, and more.

It wasn't until a few years later that I learned of a new, ethical way to invest. Back then, I referred to it as ESG investing. It's a method to analyze companies while factoring in their Environmental, Social, and Governance impact. Multiple studies have been published since then, suggesting that companies that do good do well. And I've been following that research for over five years now.

Today, I call this values-aligned investing. And it's just one way values are incorporated into my work with clients. Instead of allowing tradition to keep our money supporting environmentally and socially harmful companies, Just Advising acts as your guide to aligning your money with your values. Through intentional investing, banking, and spending, you can build a financial life that reflects what you care about.