Instead of changing your investment strategy, you should focus on changing your spending habits and charitable giving to help further the social good you want in the world.
Even if you are just a tiny piece of the puzzle, all the pieces are essential.
If a morally questionable idea is a valuable money maker, then your avoidance of that fund will only give more wealth to those whose conscience is clear investing in it.
In reality, all three “myths” are cause for real concern about SRI, ESG, and other so-called impact investing.
The markets may fail the Utopian Vision, but only because our Tragic world fails the Utopian Vision.
My best case for SRI is a personal story of lace, oil paintings, tobacco, and Ray Stedman.
Advisors have helped to shift fund management toward stewardship, but many fund companies still have room for improvement.
The Principles for Responsible Investment is leveraging its network in noteworthy ways.
“What do you think of the idea of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) implemented simply by investing in something like the Domini Social Equity Fund (DSEFX)?”
You cannot help a company by buying its stock.
Investors have every right to question whether a fund company can cast an impartial vote.
Investing in mutual funds and ETFs offers an efficient solution for investors to engage in corporate governance issues. When you purchase a fund, you authorize fund managers to vote proxies on your behalf.
Q: I would like to see a portion of my investments make a difference in the world. Can you suggest an approach to socially responsible investing?
Delegating your morality to a fund’s screening process is like using a blunt instrument to do brain surgery.