Does ethical investing pay?
Informed Choice chartered financial planner Martin Bamford was quoted in the Telegraph today, in an article exploring the pros and cons of ethical investing:
One adviser who is sceptical about the usefulness of ethical funds is Martin Bamford, from the family firm of financial advisers, Informed Choice.
He argues that the investment remit of such funds is too narrow to offer investors a properly diversified portfolio, making them too risky to recommend to clients. “We do get requests from people looking for ethical funds,” says Bamford.
“But once the reality of the lack of choice in investments and the added costs hit home, most lose interest fairly quickly.”
Bamford acknowleges that environmental and socially-resposible themes are likely to have a large impact on companies’ performance in the years to come, but believes that any good global fund will do a better job of harnessing these themes without the constraints that ethical funds suffer.
I would have to disagree.
People who buy fairtrade tea or coffee know that in most cases it will cost a bit more.
it’s the same with ethical finance. You know that sometimes that the prefromance might not be as good as funds which exploit limited natural resources or invest in countries which have poor human rights and/or where workers’ hours are long and salary and benefits are poor are records.
The ethical investor makes that choice.
The article was featured in the Telegraph, which might be a clue!
Thank you for your comments, Sean.
You are quite right that investors who have a particular desire to invest in ethical or socially responsible funds make choices and should understand the impact of their choices.
To expand a little on my quotes in the Telegraph today; what I meant by narrow focus of SRI funds was the general lack of coverage across all asset classes. UK and global equities are quite well catered for, but it is more challenging to find ‘green’ fixed interest and property investments.
The other quotes were from our experience of working with clients who might express an interest in SRI initially, only to lose interest when they start to understand the mechanics, limitations, costs and risks.
We recently put together a more comprehensive article on this subject at http://www.brilliantwithmoney.co.uk/2009/11/09/easy-green-socially-responsible-investing/.
The article you linked to is quite comprehensive.
There are some green fixed interest offerings eg from Aegon.
Property? No idea
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There’s always been an Ethical element to UK finance.
Most of the life insurance companies started in the 19th Century as Mutual organistations.
The Quakers also help set up Friends Provident and there is Ecclesiastical & Wesleyian too.
I suppose the biggest ethical organisation still independent is Co-op Financial Financial Services.
One of their funds topped the best performance tables in 2006.
Then there’s the Building Societies, although not ethical as such, have some history of social responsibility.
It’s quite a pity about the demise of many Societies in recent years.
They used to usually offer competitive deals on mortgages for first time buyers and people liked the mutual aspect.