Ethical Investing: Put your money where your morals are

As the church’s treasure and a member of the Investment Panel, where we invest our congregation’s money is very important to me. But you don’t have to have a lot of money to invest in ethical funds. Personally, I have $500 invested in CNote, a bond fund that invests in CDFI’s that funnel money into low-income neighborhoods and still pays 2% interest.

Have you ever thought about doing good while earning money on your savings? It’s a win-win opportunity. Another name for this is ESG, which stands for Environment, Social action and Governance. Companies and funds which use ESG criteria care about the environment and global warming, care about marginalized people getting ahead, and care that the management and board of companies are diverse and transparent with stakeholders. Companies that use ESG, are likely to be earning money, as well.

For a 3-minute introduction to ESG, check out this segment from NPR’s Morning Edition on 4/6/22: https://www.npr.org/2022/04/06/1091199395/ethical-investing-put-your-money-where-your-morals-are.

If this intro leaves you wanting more, try this link to a 16-minute NPR Life Kit segment.

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/11/1072207126/ethical-investing-with-esg-funds.

And if you have an advisor managing your assets, ask them about ESG at your next meeting.

Submitted by Teresa Wilmot