Author: James Cox

James Cox is a financial advisor with Park Avenue Securities. He focuses on wealth and risk management for clients of the firm. He has served on the board of several organizations. James joined PAS in January of 2012. He has a BA in History and Political Science from St Mary’s College of Maryland, as well as 20+ years’ experience in the financial services industry. Many of Mr. Cox’s clients are entrepreneurs and business owners. His practice helps individuals manage risk within their finances, even as they are striving toward creating successful companies. In addition, Mr. Cox is also extremely familiar with the challenges faced by special needs families, such as those with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Working with such families he focuses on ensuring that their financial house is structured and fortified to withstand the financial challenges that ASD poses. According to Mr. Cox, “It is critical to look at long term planning on multiple levels. As a result there is much less room for error. Proper planning is key.” In addition to his work in the financial world, Mr. Cox also focuses on building dialogues around the issues of Climate Change and Human Trafficking. Both issues pose risks to business enterprises, as well as investors. Mr. Cox states, “The world is changing before our very eyes. We must be prepared to adapt.” His firm, Park Avenue Securities, is the broker dealer of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America®. PAS was founded on the principles of integrity, financial skill and commitment to uncompromising client service. We help our clients achieve optimal financial balance by addressing the underlying risk in their current financial plans. PAS has brought together specialists from leading regional firms to address the unique needs of our clientele. Guardian® is a 155-year-old mutual company, which means it is owned by its policyholders. As owners, policyholders share in Guardian’s actual financial results through annual dividends. Guardian has paid dividends to policyholders every year since 1868. Being a mutual company allows Guardian to invest for the future with the collective interests of all of our stakeholders in mind. The company’s focus is always on its customers and building a strong financial foundation that will serve them well today and into the future. Guardian Life is rated A++ by A.M. Guardian has received exemplary ratings from the major rating organizations. Contact information: PAS 150 South Warner Rd. Ste. 120 King of Prussia, PA 19406 Office: 610-293-8309 Cell: 267-323-6936 Fax: 610-293-8399 James.cox@glic.com Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). OSJ: 11350 McCormick Road, Executive Plaza III, Suite 202, Hunt Valley, MD 21031, (667) 318-0801. Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. Important Disclosures Material discussed is meant for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as tax, legal, or investment advice. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice. This material contains the current opinions of the presenter but not necessarily those of Guardian or its subsidiaries and such opinions are subject to change without notice. Dividends are not guaranteed. They are declared annually by Guardian’s Board of Directors. Financial information concerning The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America as of December 31, 2014 on a statutory basis: Admitted Assets = $45.3 Billion; Liabilities = $39.6 Billion (including $34.9 Billion of Reserves); and Surplus = $5.7 Billion. 2019-81451 Exp 6/21
Climate change, environment, Veganism

How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

James Cox

People are becoming increasingly aware of the consequences of climate change. In October of 2018 the UN Panel on Climate Change stated we have 12 years to halt the growth of CO2 if we hope to avoid the worst possible consequences of global warming. (1) Yet following the shutdown of the global economy in 2020, the release of CO2 has accelerated. “In 2021 global energy-related CO2 emissions are projected to rebound and grow by 4.8% as demand for coal, oil and gas rebounds with the economy. The increase of over 1 500 Mt CO2 would be the largest single increase since the carbon-intensive economic recovery from the global financial crisis more than a decade ago, it leaves global emissions in 2021 around 400 Mt CO2, or 1.2%, below the 2019 peak.” (2)

The concentration of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and methane are heating the atmosphere. Atmospheric CO2 in June 2023 stands at 424/ppm… In June 2021 it stood at 418/ppm. In June 2020 the figure stood at 416/ppm. Ten years ago, in June 2011, the measure stood at 390/ppm. (3) The rate of change is accelerating…

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Climate change, environment, risk management, Socially Responsible Investing, SRI

Greta Thunberg, David Hume, “State of Nature” and Climate Change

James Cox

The climate crisis is worsening…

June 2024 was the hottest month globally in recorded history. (6)

In a speech to the Austrian World Summit in June 2021, Greta Thunberg called out global leaders for their inaction. (1)

“During this time, more and more people around the world have woken up to the climate and ecological crisis, putting more and more pressure on you, the people in power. Eventually, the public pressure was too much and you had the world’s eyes on you. So you started to act…

Not acting as in taking climate action, but acting as in role playing, playing politics, playing with words and playing with our future, pretending to take responsibility, acting as saviors as you try to convince us that things are being taken care of.

Meanwhile the gap between your rhetoric and reality keeps growing wider and wider, and since the level of awareness is so low, you almost get away with it.”

Greta Thunberg raises a crucial issue that needs to be addressed for humanity to overcome the climate crisis…

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entrepreneurship, key man insurance, protection, risk management

Protecting your business, and your legacy

James Cox

Most business owners, CEOs and executives are laser focused on driving their business or enterprise towards success. They are responsible for preserving and expanding sales and revenue. They are responsible for hiring and firing. They are responsible to investors and stakeholders to manage risk and ensure success. They handle client relationships, research and development, marketing and IT… As leaders they wear many hats and carry a lot of weight on their shoulders.

But what happens when a CEO or leader within a company passes away? What is the impact on the business and the employees who depend on that business for their livelihood?

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Climate change, entrepreneurship, new economy

‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world’: A Speech to Cooperative Impact 2015, Princeton 5/14/2015

James Cox

Several years ago, I was asked to give an opening keynote speech to a gathering of social innovation entrepreneurs. The message I think is one that continues to be relevant…

We are on the edge of the greatest entrepreneurial revolution in the history of mankind.

The internet, the “cloud”, on-demand shipping, social media, Linked In… All are changing how we relate to each other economically and socially.

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inflation, interest rates, risk management

2023 Inflation and Parallels to the Seventies

James Cox

My most vivid memory of the Seventies is sitting in the car with my siblings and parents in a mall parking lot the week before Christmas and my mother crying because they couldn’t afford presents and had to file bankruptcy. For a 12-year-old it made the challenges of real life… real.

The seventies were a traumatic time for many Americans… the end of the Vietnam war, the political chaos of Watergate and Nixon, the oil embargo, gas rationing throughout the decade, the suffocation of unions, the loss of jobs and industries as Japan and South Korea became exporters. Economic instability was an ever-present cloud.

Moving in waves through the decade, the economy suffered from bouts of inflation and deflation. It made policy decision-making challenging at best… boost the economy to keep it from slowing down, or is the economy running too hot?

When you drill down one sees many similarities between conditions that led to the “stagflation of the 1970s” and the situation we find ourselves in today.

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charitable giving, Climate change, disability, entrepreneurship, life insurance, new economy, protection, Socially Responsible Investing, SRI

Embracing the Future: An Interview with Charlotte Markward

James Cox

I met Charlotte and her Husband Randy years ago at a Green Drinks in Philadelphia. It was before the days of Tesla, widespread solar power and organic food sections at the grocery store. People got together to share a beer and dream about a future that would be more sustainable. Things have changed a great deal in the past few years.

Charlotte is a graphic designer based in Philadelphia. She has agreed to share some of her experiences and insights so that we all might have an easier path to financial security.

Charlotte has been interested in supporting socially responsible investing for many years. I asked her what it means to her. Charlotte said, “For one thing it’s smart. We have a finite amount of resources and we are running out of them. To continue doing things in the old ways is to set yourself up for failure. Green investment is where the growth will be.”

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inflation, interest rates, risk management

Inflation and Jobs, May 2023

James Cox

On Weds. May 10th Core inflation held steady at 5.5% y/y. (2) Core inflation excludes the volatile food and energy components.

“It’s a head fake,” said Vincent Reinhart at Dreyfus & Mellon. (1)

From the Fed’s vantage point, “You better be sure when you stop, you’re not going to look back and regret it just a couple months later,” Reinhart said. The Fed really needs to be confident that inflation “is headed back to 2%. This is just another drop in the ocean.”

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Climate change, ESG, risk management, Socially Responsible Investing, SRI

A Unique Investment Approach

James Cox

For the past 15 years I have developed my investment practice around a core thesis…

“Do your investments match your values?”

While this question can pull people in many varied directions, the underlying truth is that investors are interested in reducing their risks, and thereby improving their performance. Many people recognize that investment markets tend to underappreciate the impacts companies have on society and the environment.

While the planet is undergoing profound challenges due to climate change, investment professionals tend to not appreciate the connections to fossil fuel companies and their role in the crisis. Meanwhile, many investors of all age brackets do see the connection and are demanding better options for their investments. (1)

My work focuses on helping clients divest from fossil fuel companies, and the companies that support climate destruction. In doing so my goal is 3-fold; 1) to avoid the risks associated with sunken assets in the fossil fuel industry, 2) invest in companies that benefit from the economy becoming “decarbonized”, and 3) managing macroeconomic risk that is generated by the transition. This approach has typically outperformed comparable indexes over the past 10 years.

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AI, new economy, risk management

AI and the New Labor Economy

James Cox

I have been writing for years about the impact the AI will have on the economy, and especially on workers. Recent advances have led to many commentators remark that…

“The death of big tech as a leader of growth and earnings has been grossly exaggerated. That was the message from Surveillance guests today ahead of results from Alphabet Inc. and Microsoft Corp., especially given the pace and scope of recent technological advancements. (1)

Neuberger Berman’s Charles Kantor says artificial intelligence hasn’t been fully priced into the valuations of tech companies.

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