#444 - 🌿 Nature > Debt

TOGETHER WITH

We recently finished uploading the last episode of our joint podcast with Reuters Events called Amplify. The conversations we got to have on ground in Las Vegas last month with some really cool industry leaders had us pumped and we are sure you would love them too!

Take a listen to the 22 episodes on your favorite podcast platform or catch the video versions on our YouTube channel!

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

DEALERS

MINI Cars, Big Animal-Loving Hearts

Bill Jacobs MINI, a prominent dealership in Naperville, IL, is proud to announce their upcoming event "Dog Days of Summer" in partnership with the West Suburban Humane Society. 🐶

Scheduled for this weekend at the dealership, the event’s primary goal is to find adopters for their furry friends and raise awareness about animal welfare throughout the community. 🧠

“We are thrilled to partner with the West Suburban Humane Society for the ‘Dog Days of Summer’ event,” said Hanna Marshall, Marketing Director at Bill Jacobs Motorsport. “Our dealership is committed to making a positive impact in our community, and we believe in the power of pet adoption to change lives.” ✨

Attendees can expect to chop it up with plenty of adorable pups seeking a fur-ever home, participate in raffles supporting the humane society, and gain valuable information on responsible pet ownership. 💗

Telling it like it is — If one were to buy a MINI, how many dogs could one theoretically adopt and still be able to take home in one trip? At least like 10, right? Asking for a friend…

AUTOMOTIVE

Mid-June Check-Up with Cox Auto

According to Cox Automotive’s June Auto Market Report, consumer spending continues to show growth (albeit at a slower pace compared to last year) with an 11% year-over-year increase.

Certain sectors remain strong, such as vehicle sales and service, but there are signs of stress in regions like CA, NJ, MA, OR, and NY, which have seen more unemployment claims relative to their job base.

The consumer sentiment index has experienced fluctuations but is overall up 17% YOY. Gas prices have declined, contributing to an increase in sentiment.

New retail sales have seen a 20% year-over-year growth, while the used market has been relatively stable in June, with sales down 10% compared to last year.

Interest rates for new auto loans have decreased to 2.8% for 0% APR deals. The volume-weighted average interest rate is 8.99% for new auto loans and 13.63% for used auto loans.

Inventory remains tight, with new inventory down 49% compared to 2019, and wholesale prices have declined by 3.4% over the last four weeks.

Overall, retail sales stabilized in June, with new sales showing substantial year-over-year growth and the used market no longer deteriorating compared to last year.

Supply remains constrained, and demand rates for used vehicles are still slightly below peak levels for the year.

Telling it like it is – Supply and demand are a little down, but the auto industry is still lookin’ strong. 💪

TOGETHER WITH HELLO FRESH

Get Less Hungry Faster

Is there anything worse than heading home from a solid day of troublemaking only to hear the question, "What's for dinner?"

🎶*dun dun duuuun*🎶

What if everything was already waiting in your kitchen? Stress-free, healthy, pre-portioned ingredients and preparation instructions the whole fam can follow together for a good meal and even a little fun.

This is the reality of Hello Fresh. Their absolutely delicious meal kits can be delivered to your door faster than you can say, "I don’t know, what do you want to have for dinner?" Freshen up today!

AUTOMOTIVE

Motor Morsels: Rivian and Opel

📍🗺️⚡️

EV maker Rivian has officially acquired the route-planning app, Iternio, in a strategic move to outfit its electric vehicles with more advanced navigation tech and leverage that data to help expand its charging network.

This merge follows reports that Rivian also plans to adopt Tesla's charging standard and develop its own fast-charging network, providing customers access to the largest U.S. charging network and generating a good chunk of change from Tesla users too.

✍️🚗🤘

Opel has embraced the challenge of bringing to life the independently created concept car by design student Lukas Wenzhöfer called the Rocks e-Xtreme.

Wenzhöfer introduced this lil’ guy online just one week after the debut of Opel’s quadricycle in September 2021, and Opel held true to their promise of building a real-life model and getting all the craziness of the original renderings spot-on.

Telling it like it is — We love a good partnership and these are both top-notch. 👌

CULTURE

Trading Debt for Conservation

Ecuador made waves in both the environmental and financial sectors last month with the largest to date "debt-for-nature" exchange. 🔀

The innovative maneuver involved selling $1.6B in bonds to Credit Suisse, which subsequently released funds for the protection of the biodiverse treasure trove that is the Galapagos Islands. 🐢🏝️🐟

Debt-for-nature transactions have been going on since the 80s with more than a dozen countries having participated in similar deals (akin to refinancing a mortgage).

They present a win-win proposition — struggling countries get to restructure their debt while simultaneously freeing up resources to safeguard precious ecosystems.

The US Department of Agriculture offers a national variation of the deal known as the Debt Cancellation Conservation Contract Program, allowing eligible landowners to cancel a portion of their loans in exchange for entering into a conservation contract. 🇺🇸

With loan repayments going to nature preservation instead of creditors, countries and people in debt not only improve their own financial futures, they improve the environment’s future for us all. 🌏

Telling it like it is – If you sign your land over in a conservation contract, that means you never have to mow it again, right? Asking for a friend…

Quick Hits

• Apple takes on apples. 🍏

• Epic heat waves are putting major stress on power grids across the country. 🥵

• Warner Bros. Discovery is negotiating a $500M deal to sell film and TV music publishing assets. 🎞️

History

• 1888: Frederick Douglass is the first African-American to be nominated for US Vice President. 🥇

• 1938: The very first aquarium, Marineland, is opened in Florida. 🐡

• 1979: Charlie Daniels Band releases "The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” 🎻 

  ☝️ BTW, if you didn’t get to see our special rendition during Live Tonight in Atlanta, you have to check it out at the 6:50 mark here! 🤭