The easy way to sustainable: Ready-made investments

So you’ve decided that you want to use your money to support sustainable businesses, but where to start? The sustainable investing industry is bursting at the seams these days and it can be overwhelming trying to pick the right product for you. That’s where robo advisers and ready-made solutions come in!

These investment platforms serve up ready-made sustainable portfolios for a range of risk levels, so you can choose a portfolio which resonates with your values and suits however much risk you’re willing to take on. Ultra user-friendly and complete with low fees, these platforms can be a great place to start investing sustainably without having to crunch the numbers yourself.

We’ve rounded up 5 credible options which provide for ready-made sustainable funds. Scroll down to read more about each one, including who they are, their fees, and their minimum starting amounts. And if you want to learn more about what ready-made portfolios are and how they work, head over to our full guide here.

You’ll need to dig under the bonnet to see if their interpretation of sustainability does it for you. And, as always, remember that stock markets are volatile and can go down as well as up. You should typically have timeframes of 5 years + for stock market investments.

Top 5 ready-made investment providers for sustainable investing

Nutmeg

Nutmeg was acquired by US banking giant JP Morgan in the summer of 2021. Nutmeg offer 10 socially responsible portfolios across different risk levels, allowing you to get involved at a risk level you’re comfortable with.

Nutmeg also excel at providing feedback on the ‘greenness’ of your portfolio, with specific E (environmental), S (social) and G (governance) scores, that take into account a broad range of criteria including carbon emissions, labour management and board diversity.

Portfolios cost 1.1%, which equates to an annual fee of £11 on a £1,000 investment. You can get started with a £500 investment, or as low as £100 if you’re opening a LISA or JISA.

Read our full review of Nutmeg here!

Wealthify

Wealthify is owned by industry giants Aviva. It has 5 ethical plans which aim to exclude industries and activities considered harmful to society and the environment.

Both the website and app are slick and easy-to-use, and you can get invested from as little as £1. Have a play with some of the tools, which project the value of your portfolio in 10 years and change as you experiment with different investment styles and contribution figures.

The all-in charge for ethical portfolios is 1.3%, which works out at £13 a year for every £1,000 invested.

Read our full review of Wealthify here!

Moneybox

Moneybox have taken the retail investor market by storm over the past few years. With a young average customer age and rapidly growing user numbers that are expected to eclipse the 1 million mark in 2023, Moneybox are leaving their own stamp on the industry.

For those of you who like doing money things on the computer, look away, as Moneybox are app-only. Moneybox's socially responsible portfolios include less funds than competitors, which may put-off certain users. On the flip side, there are tonnes of cool features like automatic round-ups, open banking and the ability to customise your portfolio by selecting from a range of ESG investments. Best of all, it's very easy to use.

There is a £1 monthly subscription fee, alongside a 0.45% platform charge and fund costs which range between 0.12%-0.58%. This puts Moneybox on the higher side of the pricing spectrum. Expect to pay around £20 a year on a £1,000 investment. You can open an account with a minimum investment of £1.

Read our full review of Moneybox here!

Moneyfarm

Moneyfarm has a presence across Europe and has niches in their approach to wealth management that may appeal to slightly more confident or engaged investors. This includes detailed explanations of what terms mean, how things work, and the rationale behind how they manage your investment portfolio.

The app and website are super well-designed, making it easy to use and providing a streamlined user experience. You can pick between fixed-allocation and actively-managed portfolios across a range of 7 risk levels. These services also come with a dedicated investment consultant, who you can call and discuss your investment plans with.

Charges vary slightly depending on the amount invested and which investment option you pick. On a £1,000 investment, you’ll pay between 0.68% - 1.05%, which is equivalent to an annual fee of £6.80 - £10.50 per year. You can get started with an investment of £500.

Read our full review of Moneyfarm here!

The Big Exchange

Co-founded by The Big Issue, The Big Exchange is an investment platform with a sole focus on ethical investments. Its mission is to build a new financial system in the UK - one that delivers a positive impact on people, and the planet.

You can pick your own funds or buy ready-made bundles of investments. There has been a high degree of effort that has gone into selecting truly sustainable investments, which are managed by some of the world’s largest asset managers. Impact has been mapped to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and there is a wealth of information when you go digging, including transparency ratings, impact charts, and responses from fund managers on ESG related issues. The main downside is the feel of the website and the user experience, which is noticeably inferior to competitors.

Average fees come to 1.04%, which is £10.40 per year on a £1,000 investment, however this figure varies depending on the funds you select. You can begin investing with a £100 lump sum contribution.

Read our full review of The Big Exchange here!