Ethical Pensions and Investments

Many of us already make choices in our lives to be more ethical, sustainable and green. From recycling to using less energy to walking instead of driving.

However, many of us are missing out on the biggest impact we can have on the world – through our investments and pensions. Many people’s pensions and investments and invested in a wide range of companies, including some of the biggest oil, gas, arms, tobacco and banking.

But you can take back control of your pensions and investments and make them work for a better world.

Leaf Financial Advisers Ltd. - Independent Financial Advisers

What is Ethical Investing?

The value of an investment is no longer about how much money it can make you – but also about the positive impact it can have on the planet and society. And that’s where ethical investing comes in.

Ethical Investing is a catch all term for a range of different types of investing which can all have a positive impact on the world. Whilst there is no widely accepted definition of ethical investing, it basically involves setting your investment strategy to focus on ethical goals as well as a monetary return.

Under the broad term “ethical investment” there are more focused types which include:

Environmental / Green
Sustainable
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Responsible
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Blue Investing

Now that Auto Enrolment and NEST pensions have been introduced, the chances are we are all investing in some way or another through our pensions, and you may be surprised to find out what your money is supporting. Most default pension funds tend to invest significantly in Oil, Mining, Banking and Arms companies, which means if you want to invest ethically, to support companies that align with your values, you have to make an active choice.

Ethical Investing is no longer a niche activity and can help you align your investments and your pension pot with your values and help drive change for better in the world.

Can I Invest Ethically?

The short answer is, yes you can! The good news is that everyone is able to get involved in ethical investment and start unlocking the benefits for the world and society, whether this be through your pension pot or your investment portfolio.

Investing ethically has become more mainstream recently and including ethical investing into your investment strategy could be easier, and a lot more beneficial, than you think with many pension pots also allowing ethical investment with your fund choices. If you have a pension plan it is likely you are already investing in a range of companies, which may not all align with your values.

Not only is it joining the mainstream in terms of ease of access and availability, but it could boost your investment returns whilst helping to align your investments with your personal outlook and morals. It is likely to be easier than you think, and with huge potential impacts on the world, it’s something every investor should consider.

You’ve made the important first step in ethical investing – trying to find out more!

You can If you have any further questions or would like to speak to an ethical financial advisor then please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.

What can we do to help?

We are Independent Financial Advisers and we offer financial advice on a range of areas including pensions, investments and financial planning.

We want to give everyone the opportunity to invest ethically, whether it is a small part or all of their funds. We don’t restrict ourselves to ethical investments or pensions (as we believe that everyone should be free to have their own views) but offer the option of learning more about ethical investing and to give the opportunity to weave your ethical views into our advice process.

Please get in touch to see how we can help you understand and benefit from ethical and sustainable pension & investing.