New partnership for sustainable saving with Aspiration

In an era of increasing environmental awareness, more and more consumers are turning to sustainable shopping practices. This conscientious approach often comes with a higher price tag, leaving many to wonder why ethical products are typically more expensive. The short answer is that these companies often have to spend quite a bit more to source materials and ingredients that have a smaller footprint or ethical origin.

• Sustainable Materials: Sourcing eco-friendly materials or ingredients that have a smaller environmental footprint often comes at a premium.
• Ethical Labor Practices: Ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions throughout the supply chain increases production costs.
• Quality Over Quantity: Sustainable products are often designed to last longer, requiring higher-quality materials and craftsmanship.
• Certifications: Obtaining and maintaining various sustainability certifications can be costly for businesses (ex. B Corporation, offsetting carbon or water use)
• Smaller Scale Production: Many ethical brands produce in smaller quantities, missing out on the cost benefits of mass production.

These factors contribute to the higher prices we often see attached to sustainable products. However, it's important to remember that these costs reflect a commitment to both environmental stewardship and social responsibility. 

At Petaluma, we understand that the higher costs associated with sustainable shopping can be a barrier for some consumers. That's why we're constantly seeking partnerships that can help reward customers for making more environmentally conscious choices. We're excited to announce our partnership with Aspiration, a leader in climate-friendly personal finance. This collaboration offers extra cash back incentives when you shop from sustainable brands, making it easier and more rewarding to choose ethical products.

Aspiration has been at the forefront of sustainable banking for almost a decade, offering checking, savings*, and investment accounts with numerous benefits:

• No ACH transfer fees
• No monthly fees on standard accounts**
• No minimum balance fees
• No in-network ATM fees

But what truly sets Aspiration apart are its eco-friendly features:

1. Climate-Friendly Deposits: Unlike traditional banks, your deposits with Aspiration will never be used to fund the fossil fuel industry.***
2. Green Rewards: Earn up to 6% cash back¹ when shopping at climate-friendly brands.
3. Carbon Offset for Driving: Reduce the impact of your driving with automatic carbon offsets when you purchase gas using your Aspiration debit card.²⁺³

It's important to note that Petaluma does not receive any compensation if you choose to sign up with Aspiration. Our partnership is rooted in a shared commitment to sustainability and a desire to support eco-conscious consumers. By being part of Aspiration's Green Marketplace of climate-friendly brands, we are able to reach other climate-conscious dog owners who may be excited to learn more about our products. To learn more about Aspiration and see if it’s a good fit for you, check out their website here. 

Disclosures

*The Aspiration Spend & Save accounts are checking and savings accounts offered through Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Approved deposit accounts are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor. For balances greater than $250,000, Coastal will Sweep the excess funds to one or more FDIC-insured depository institutions in their Sweep network (each a "Bank) up to $250,000 per Bank. With five Banks available through the Coastal Community Bank Insured Bank Deposit Program, Deposits are FDIC-insured up to $1.25 million per depositor. This amount is subject to change at any time. Visit fdic.gov. Aspiration is not a bank.

**Mission Financial Partners, LLC and its affiliates are committed to "All Extra Services Provided at Cost," meaning that we'll only charge you what it costs us to provide the extra service (such as a wire transfer), and not a penny more. Besides these at-cost service charges, customers may make an optional contribution via the Pay What Is Fair (PWIF) program. Proceeds from the PWIF program are recorded monthly in aggregate and donations are made to nonprofit partners selected by Aspiration within 12 months. For a list of service charges, click here.

***The Aspiration Spend & Save accounts are checking and savings accounts offered through Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Approved deposit accounts are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor. For balances greater than $250,000, Coastal will Sweep the excess funds to one or more FDIC-insured depository institutions in their Sweep network (each a "Bank") up to $250,000 per Bank. With five Banks available through the Coastal Community Bank Insured Bank Deposit Program, Deposits are FDIC-insured up to $1.25 million per depositor. This amount is subject to change at any time. Visit fdic.gov. Aspiration's Program Banks have formally committed that customer deposits will not be used for lending to oil and gas exploration, production or transportation, or coal mining.

1 Aspiration’s Cash Back program is subject to change at any time and without notice, including reversal of rewards for abuse, fraud, and other illicit activity. Cash Back rewards are generally credited on the first day of each calendar month. For additional Cash Back details, click cashback on purchases.

2 Aspiration Debit Cards are issued by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license by Mastercard® International Incorporated. Aspiration is under separate ownership from any other named entity. Aspiration is not a bank.

3 Planet Protection offsets the estimated CO2 emissions from driving your vehicle based on purchases at gas stations. State-level gasoline price data is sourced from the AAA or EIA to determine the number of gallons of gasoline purchased before applying emissions factors from the EPA. Verified carbon offsets are purchased quarterly, in aggregate, to account for estimated emissions from all Planet Protection subscribers. Learn more about how our Carbon partner selects high-quality carbon credits here. This feature is bundled into the Aspiration Plus program and is not offered as a standalone feature that can be purchased separately.