Socially Responsible Investing
Sponsored by AdvisorMax
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Christian Fund Screens Out Video Games
The Timothy Plan, a Christian mutual fund family that shuns video games, has published an extensive and descriptive list of video games that promote violence and sex.
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Cox's Legacy Seen as Tarnished
The likely legacy of SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, when he steps down this year after taking on the position in 2005, is likely to be that of ineffectiveness during the worst economic period since the Great Depression.
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Managers Foresee Promising Growth in Green Mutual Funds
Everywhere you look these days, people are talking about green cars, green energy, greenhouse gases and even green mutual funds. This new demand for all things green is enough to make some money managers green with envy.
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Thrivent Gives $24M to Habitat for Humanity
Thrivent Financial is continuing its four-year-old partnership with Habitat for Humanity, pledging $24 million this year, which will help build 314 homes.
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The Volatility of the Energy Sector
The volatility of the energy sector has turned the industry upside down. Top players in the space discuss what this means for investors and how dealmakers can capitalize.
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Climate Change Prompts Strategic Thinking
Even given the daily fluctuations of ongoing and systemic world financial woes, climate change remains a front-burner issue—and a new political administration means that Washington's stance toward that issue will change, too
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5 Questions with Sister Susan Mika
The director of the Socially Responsible Investment Coalition discusses her role as an activist investor.
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Obama Tax Policy Will Promote Clean Energy
President-elect Barack Obama plans to shift tax incentives to encourage more use of renewable energy sources, predicted one tax expert.
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Faith-Based Funds Win Investor, Advisor Converts
In 1997 there were a handful of faith-based mutual funds, worth nearly $500 million, in the U.S. Now there are about 40 and they are worth $17.5 billion, according to a report.
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Midwest Gets Set to Go Green
Despite a moribund manufacturing base and stagnant economy, the Midwest remains in a position to become a center of the U.S. renewable energy industry while also attracting other large-scale industrial redevelopment projects.
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19th Annual SRI in the Rockies Conference
The air was brisk and the environment friendly as 720 members of the financial services industry traveled from several countries to gather in the high mountains of Whistler, B.C., to discuss the future of the socially responsible investing industry.
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Wells: Wachovia Deal Will Not Affect Wealth Rollouts
Wells Fargo & Co.'s deal to acquire Wachovia Corp. has not stopped Wells from launching new investment products, including a new socially responsible fund.
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Tenaska Capital Raises $2.4B Energy Fund
Private equity affiliate of Nebraska's Tenaska secures more than $2.4 billion for its second private equity fund.
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Data Centers Lack Tools, Commitment to be Green
A survey by the Aperture Research Institute (ARI) of more than 100 data center professionals has shown that organizations are unable or unwilling to meet the expectations set by their adoption of green initiatives for the data center.
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Avista Makes Natural Gas Bet
Firm refuels Laredo Energy with a $55 million infusion for acquisitions and development.
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The Pickens Plan
Oil-and-gas tycoon sets sights on alternatives, trying to sell the merits of wind and natural gas.
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In Alternative Fuel Lending, the Boom Seems to Be Over
When a law enacted in 2005 required fuel producers to substantially increase their use of ethanol, bankers in the Heartland were set for a boon.
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Project Green
Video coverage of financial industry experts discussing their efforts and responses to the green movement.
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In San Francisco, a Clean Energy Fight
San Francisco voters will decide a public power ballot measure next month that could make California's fourth-largest city the first in the nation to require that all of its electricity come from renewable energy.
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Rangel Introduces New Tax Bill, Seeks Incentives for Green Energy
House Ways and Means Committee chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., yesterday introduced another bill containing tax incentives for renewable energy and extensions of expiring tax breaks.
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Hedge Funds Open Wallets to Charities
Shifting sands on Wall Street could cut into philanthropic giving, but so far charities are holding their own.
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OWS Book Club: A Get-Green Scheme
A review of Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich Trying) by David Bach.
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Not So Green
Most people still cling to receiving paper statements, even those who consider themselves green. What's more, they want compensation for going paperless.
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Going Green
Growing awareness of environmental issues, combined with skyrocketing oil prices, has spurred Investors' interest in Green investing—and they're profiting from it. Are you ready to answer clients' questions about this blossoming trend?
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Green Investing—The Gold Rush
As the stock market gyrates, there's one sector that's enjoying a flood of investor interest: alternative energy and sustainable technology. It's not just for tree huggers anymore.
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Philly Start-Up's Model Is as Friend to Environment
A bank focused on protecting the environment plans to open in Philadelphia early next year after raising $2 million in initial capital from 35 investors.
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Asian Development Bank Launches New Environmental Fund
The Asian Development Bank has launched a new environmentally based mutual fund.
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Two Wind Energy ETFs Debut
Wind energy is the latest resource to be tapped by the ETF market as two products in this sector debuted..
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Going 'Green' Can Save Firms Millions
The SEC proposed a rule to decrease the prospectuses of mutual fund firms to summaries of around three pages that could be accessed online.
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Barclays Launches Global Carbon ETN
Barclays Bank PLC has introduced its iPath Global Carbon Exchange Traded Note on the NYSE Arca stock exchange.
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Philanthropic Fund to Provide Aid in Latin America
Latin America's first social venture capital fund, IGNIA Fund I has now raised $20.6 million in capital commitments.
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Fidelity on Sudan: We Don't Offer SRI Funds
A shareholder measure failed to capture enough votes to pass a non-binding resolution aimed at divesting from investments in Sudan.
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'Green' Marketing Pushes Seen Working Selectively
Banks are finding that environmentally themed marketing campaigns can persuade customers to change their habits and even buy new products but that the message's appeal does not apply across all product lines.
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Green Winds of Change Point to a Sustainable Future
The White Creek Wind Project was the first major renewable energy project in the Northwest to be developed by public entities, and now other PUDs and electric cooperatives are looking to it as a model for future renewable energy development financings.
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ETF Spotlights Chinese Solar Stocks
TheStreet.com: Almost a third of the companies in the new 'TAN' solar exchange-traded fund are based in China. Christian Magoon, president of Claymore Securities, explains why China and Solar technologies are a moneymaking combination.
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Craton Closes Debut Cleantech Fund
Los Angeles-based private equity firm Craton Equity Partners closed its debut Clean Tech fund, corralling $191.5 million for the vehicle. The fund aims to invest in environmentally friendly companies focused on green technology.
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JPMorgan Issues Corporate Statement on Human Rights
Issuing its first corporate statement on the issue, JPMorgan Chase & Co. pledged to support the principles of human rights "across all our lines of business and in each region of the world in which we operate."
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Rangel Introduces Tax Extension Bill
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has introduced a bill to extend tax credits and deductions that expired last year or would expire at the end of this year, including tax incentives for renewable energy.
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Podcast
Green Investing
Being green has gone from fringe to fashionable, and investors want a piece of this revolution too. But are these new green investors finding their way to the best opportunities? -
New Opportunities for Socially Responsible Investing
The Green Revolution in SRI Investing: Leading indexers have introduced several new "green" benchmarks over the past year, while asset managers have continued to launch new green funds and ETFs.
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Green Attitude
Your clients are focused on the environment. Are you?
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Keeping the Faith
Faith-based mutual funds represent nearly $16 billion in U.S. assets, making them an important subset of socially conscious funds. For advisors, choosing a faith-based investment strategy for a client begins like any other investment decision understanding your clients' values, goals and objectives.
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Community Investing
Over the past decade, community investing has become one of the fastest growing and most compelling segments of socially responsible investing.
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Socially Responsible Mutual Funds
SRI Chart: A Screening and Advocacy Guide from the Social Investment Forum. Use this chart to determine what social screens including restrictions and positive investments a mutual fund uses.
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It's So Easy Being Green
SeekingAlpha: An analysis of the stocks that were discussed in Jim Cramer's Mad Money TV program that aired on Monday April 21st.
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God And Mammon
The ethical investing niche contains the conflicting goals of maximizing profit and maintaining a moral agenda. In the past the majority of investors have struggled to put ethics first, but this could change for investors focusing on the sub-niche of finance complying with Sharia (Islamic law).
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Principles and Principal
Socially Responsible Investing has evolved in recent years, and it is now easier to use SRI to build a profitable portfolio.
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Fund Times: Vanguard Plans Global Stock Index Fund
Fund changes announced by Vanguard, TIAA-CREF, Turner and RiverSource.
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Custodians Enhance Socially Aware Vetting
Major custody banks are increasingly adding socially responsible investment factors into their monitoring services.
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Sustainability: Social Investing's Hot Idea
These days, the concept of sustainability is a hot ticket into the world of socially responsible investing. Last week, three investment management companies announced plans to incorporate the elements of sustainability investing in their product offerings.
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How More Companies Are Embracing Social Responsibility as Good Business
WSJ.com: Ninety percent of companies say they are doing more to make corporate responsibility a core strategy, according to a recent survey from McKinsey & Co. What's behind this trend?
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Social Investing Soars Amid More Options
WSJ.com: Socially responsible investment assets in the U.S. surged 18% to $2.71 trillion in 2005 and 2006, according to a new report.
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Nearly One in Every $9 Under Management in U.S. Is Green
SRI growth surpasses overall investment asset growth by 15%.
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Wall Street Banks Go Greener with Principles on Power Sector
Three of the world's top financial institutions have released The Carbon Principles: climate-change guidelines for advisors and lenders to U.S. coal and other greenhouse gas-intensive industries.
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Conscience Stocks Can Pay in Sinner's World
Bloomberg: Investment advisers rant that SRI portfolios can't earn as much as Wall Street's standard, diversified fare. But they are mistaken about SRI-managed money, which can earn competitive, long-term returns. Commentary by Jane Bryant Quinn.
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Valence Technology: Green Stock with Potential to Bloom
Seeking Alpha: Valence (VLNC) will be a key player in reducing carbon footprints thought to cause global warming.
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Young Millionaires Are More Diversified than Old
WSJ.com: From The Wealth Report. A new study from Northern Trust shows millionaires in their 30s are better diversified across all asset classes than millionaires in their 50s and 60s are. There is also a generation gap when it comes to socially responsible investing.
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9 out of 10 Emerging Market Companies Offer Sustainability Disclosure
From Social Investment Forum: Global Study: Nine Out Of Ten Emerging Market Companies Now Offer Some Sustainability Disclosure. A study of emerging market companies indicates nearly nine out of ten firms (87 percent) now offer at least some sustainability disclosure, according to a major new report released by the Social Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN).
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Google Ramps up Philanthropy
WSJ.com: Google: From 'Don't Be Evil' to How to Do Good. In one of the most widely watched efforts in corporate giving in years, Google Inc. unveiled yesterday nearly $30 million in new grants and investments, outlining how it will focus a massive philanthropic endeavor that erases the usual boundaries between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds.
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Fund Manager Profile: Naughty or Nice
Charles Norton steers his "defensive growth" vice fund toward all things destructive.
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How Social Conscience Hooks Hedge Funds
WSJ.com: The growing appetite for "socially conscious" investing options is starting to grab the attention of hedge funds.
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Sentinel to Acquire SRI Funds Business
Sentinel comes to an acquisition agreement with Clients Funds.
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Planning to the People
The emerging trend in financial planning: stripped-down service models that can deliver fiduciary planning to millions of middle-class consumers—at a profit.
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Zuck of AHA Socially Responsible Fund on Technology Stocks
Bloomberg: Matt Zuck, portfolio manager of the AHA Socially Responsible Equity Fund, discusses his fund's philosophy and why he likes technology stocks such as Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. The fund, with $60 million in assets, has gained 5.9 percent this year. It doesn't invest in companies involved in nuclear power, weaponry, gambling, alcohol and tobacco.
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The Coming of Age of Socially Responsible Investing
As socially responsible investing continues to pick up momentum in corporate America, planners must educate themselves and their clients to capitalize on this new business potential.
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Green Investing Takes Root
Forward-thinking investors, along with consumers, are starting to go green—although no one is completely sure what that means. Alternative energy? No more plastic? Here's how to talk to your clients about this emerging sector.
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Green Real Estate
Interest in green real estate investment products is building. Here's how to get in on the ground level.
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Warming Up to SRI
Socially responsible investing has gone mainstream, with clients large and small clamoring for new products and services. Here's the best of what's new.
