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Ethical Investing: What is it? And who’s doing it?

06/11/2018

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When it comes to buzzwords, “ethical investing” is certainly up there in the industry at the moment. But it’s a tricky topic. While many people get the general gist of what ethical investing means, there’s a lot of confusion about the detail.

That is why the Boring Money team decided to dig a little deeper in our latest industry report, launched in October. Our question was this: Is ethical investing a fad? Or the future?

Given the infancy of the sector, it’s difficult to come down definitively on one side or the other just yet. But certainly the market is growing, with £17 billion of ethical funds currently under management, according to the Investment Association – up from £14 billion last year.

Who’s doing it?

Our research suggests that women are leading the charge when it comes to interest – and actual investment – in this area. More than twice as many women (32% compared with just 14% of men) said it is very or extremely important to them, and robo advisers that offer ethical portfolios tell us that a higher proportion of women choose their ethical portfolios than their standard offerings.

The future of the sector looks bright, with the robo advisers also telling us that customers of the ethical portfolios are likely to be younger – a finding that tallied with age-related interest levels in our survey.

What actually is it?

Drilling into the detail, though, is where the sector becomes more complex. Not only is there much confusion about what actually counts as (or is even understood by) ‘ethical’ among consumers, there is also a legitimate concern that one person’s ethics are not always in line with another’s.

According to our study of 2,055 Brits, only 36% of the public have heard of ethical investing – and there is understandable confusion when it comes to defining the practicalities of how ethical investing actually works.

The majority of respondents understood the term to mean blacklisting – i.e. excluding certain types of companies or industries from a portfolio. Unsurprisingly, arms, tobacco, gambling and pornography are the areas consumers say they most want to avoid.

‘Impact investing’ – where money is actively funnelled towards certain projects to support positive change – was a less recognised part of the ethical investing process. But when people were introduced to the idea, it was a more popular approach than blacklisting, with survey respondents naming healthcare, green energy and sustainable agriculture as the areas where they would most like to see their money put to positive use.

Which companies offer it?

There are a growing number of outfits that are offering ethical funds and filters within their selection processes. Big players such as LGIM, Vanguard and Barclays Smart Investor, as well as newer players such as Wealthify, Wealthsimple, PensionBee and Moola all offer ethical options.

However, many reservations evidently remain when it comes to investors actually putting their money where their mouths are. Our YouGov survey respondents, as well as information additionally gathered from 1,112 readers of The Times, expressed scepticism that ethical funds could generate the same returns that ‘normal’ funds could.

What next?

So – it seems that although the sector is clearly showing growing interest and engagement, there is still a job to be done on properly explaining it to would-be investors. What’s more, it seems people need reassurance that their money will still be working hard for them – as well as the causes close to their hearts.

So back to the original question: is ethical investing a fad, or the future? It certainly doesn’t feel like the former. But we’re a long way from the latter just yet!

 

What do you think? Would you like to blacklist certain types of company from your investment baskets? Or would you rather take the impact investing route, and actively choose to do good with your money? Have you already done one of these with your current portfolio?

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Here Come the Ethical Robos (Ethbos?!)

Have you cut back on plastic since David Attenborough showed us pictures of turtles chewing on plastic bags? Or contemplated your carbon footprint since seeing pictures of the ice shelves melting? Chances are, it’s a yes. But have you contemplated making the ethical choices when it comes to investments?

Here Come the Ethical Robos (Ethbos?!)

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Learn the Tribal Way

What are other people doing? Learn from their experiences.

Are you a woman in your 40s and 50s? Do you feel like you're old enough to 'know better'... but not old enough to have it all figured out? And you wonder just why there's 'so much flipping jargon'?

You might be a Wary Woman.

 

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  • We have four grandchildren (2 English living in UK, and 2 Irish living in Eire). We have decided to start savings plans for their futures. Their ages are 18yrs, 11yrs, 8yrs and 4yrs respectively. My age is 75yrs, and my wife is a little older. What should we do, please?

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  • I am already receiving a pension from a final salary scheme and I am retired. I have a sum of money I want to invest. Can I start another pension as a saver and, if so, how much can I put in every year?

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  • How do I start investing, buy stocks, bitcoins, etc with £100.00?

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  • I am a 59 yr old retired lady with no income but I have reasonable equity..is it worth starting a pension or is it too late?

    LL | NFK | 10/11/2017 | 2

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    • Shares
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    • Junior ISA
    • Shares
    • Cash
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  • I am confused about index funds, e.g. Vanguard Equity fund. Do they track an index or include the yield? In the case of Vanguard, their low cost is attractive but their portfolio is made up of other Vanguard funds. I assume these probably each carry a fee structure - is this correct?

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  • Is it worth using a financial adviser when it comes to switching pensions funds, or should I do the research and pick the funds myself? I am no expert in stocks and shares.

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  • I've got £20,000 from an endowment policy (astonishing, I know), and I'm looking into how best to invest to get a reasonable return without excessive risk. Any thoughts much appreciated!!

    Penny | Peterborough | 09/08/2018 | 1

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
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    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Life Insurance
    Danny Cox's Response

  • I am looking for a fund for myself (54 yrs old) but also my son (19 yrs old). Is this fund suitable for either of us with an investment strategy of 10 years +.

    | 29/05/2018 | 3

    • Robo Adviser
    • Funds
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I use H&L and although they are a bit 'plumy' on the phone I quite like their website and the costs are OK. So I was thinking of H&L for [my son]. I would be telling him to open these two funds and regularly invest and forget about them for 10 years!

    R | Greater London | 29/05/2018 | 1

    • Lifetime ISA
    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I have a bit of excess money to play around with and I have been looking at Investment funds. What is the typical % growth rate of an investment fund?

    David | Greater London | 07/09/2017 | 7

    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    Cherry Reynard's Response

  • Should I be even thinking about the stock market?

    Lysa | Greater London | 06/09/2017 | 0

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Shares
    Holly Mackay's Response