Have you ever taken the time to see what companies your mutual funds are invested in? And do you know what businesses those companies are involved in? According to a U.S. News & World Report article, such concerns have fueled the rapid growth of socially responsible investing (SRI). Numerous SRI mutual funds are now available which avoid investing in companies involved in a host of social, environmental, and other issues.
Not all socially responsible mutual funds are created equal, which is why Calvert’s Know What You Own online evaluator can come in handy. It enables you to check a mutual fund’s holdings based on any of 13 issues. Run Vanguard’s “FTSE Social Index Fund” through the tool, for example, and you will discover that it does not hold investments in any companies involved in the manufacture of tobacco, but it does hold the stock of two companies involved in the gambling industry.
More recently, biblically responsible investing (BRI) has generated interest among faith-based investors, with some planners affiliated Kingdom Advisors with offering guidance on investing in companies that are not involved in industries of particular concern to Christians. Gary Moore and Austin Pryor are two long-time advocates of incorporating one’s faith into their investments. Two of the newer voices on the scene are Jay Peroni and Mark Allen Minella, Jr.
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