Understanding the roots of Islamic social activism: The Pact of Chivalry
“Even if red camels were offered to me in exchange for the Pact of Chivalry, I would not accept them.” – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Azzad has taken on a leading role in financial activism and social justice of late. This is inspired in part by an instance in the life of Prophet […]
Understanding taxes on your investment accounts
At this time of year many Americans are thinking about taxes. Even if you’ve already filed your 2016 returns, it’s a good idea to start thinking about next year. We know that figuring out taxes on your investments can be confusing, so here are some things you should know. Understand the taxes you pay […]
The cost of not tracking your IRA contributions
Do you know how much you’re allowed to contribute to your IRA each year? Are you periodically tracking your deposits? Contributing more than the permitted amount can result in costly penalties. Fortunately, there are ways to fix it. How can it happen? Let’s look at a hypothetical example. In 2016, Ahmad, age 51, set up […]
Shareholder Advocacy – How to file proxy resolutions and why it should matter to you
Do you want to be the change you seek in the world? Consider putting your money to work through shareholder advocacy. Shareholder advocacy refers to actions taken by stockholders to ask the companies they own to change their behavior for the public good. Think of asking an energy company to report on its carbon footprint […]
Azzad joins interfaith coalition asking SEC to reassess pay ratio rule
(Falls Church, Virginia, 3/22/17) — Azzad Asset Management has joined other faith-based organizations in signing a letter to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) calling for the continuation of a rule requiring companies to disclose how much CEOs make compared to their employees. The pay ratio provision is part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank […]
Private prisons: Wrong at any price
By Fatima Iqbal, CFP® In late February, Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed a Department of Justice (DOJ) plan to phase out the use of for-profit prisons. This boosted the stock prices of the two publicly traded for-profit prison companies in the U.S., Geo Group and CoreCivic (formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America), which had […]
Impact of Islamic Investment Criteria
An analysis of US and Global Portfolios
Top 5 Required Minimum Distribution Questions
1) What are required minimum distributions (RMDs)? Required minimum distributions, often referred to as RMDs, are amounts that the government requires you to withdraw annually from IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans after you reach age 70½. You can always withdraw more than the minimum amount from your IRA or plan in any year, but if […]
How halal investing can impact your bottom line
Did you know that Azzad’s portfolio managers start with a smaller investable universe than most conventional money managers? That’s because we apply halal investing or Islamic investment screens to the investable universe before each manager even begins his or her investment process. This screening eliminates nearly all financial and utilities stocks. It also eliminates companies […]
Why you should think about diversifying
Different types of investments perform better in different market conditions. Investing in a variety of assets like stocks, fixed income, and real estate can result in better diversification and help reduce the risk for your overall investment portfolio. In fact, one study found that how you diversify your portfolio can account for more than 90% […]
