The evolution of ethical investing in advice

In March 2021, my fellow Director and AAN Investment Committee Member, Marshall Brentnall was interviewed by IFA Magazine about the evolution of ethical investing in advice.
Ethical investing is riding a big green wave at the moment, and for good reason: we all want to do the right things by the place we call home – planet Earth. Having said that when there is so much demand, it’s very easy for large fund managers, banks, and superannuation funds to put together products (managed funds, ETFs etc) that present as green, ethical and sustainable, but when you probe what is actually inside them the underlying investments don’t stack up, are unproven and you might be paying much more than necessary in fees. Why? Because often you will find that if it is popular and in demand, it will be more expensive. It’s the whole supply and demand relationship.
With that in mind, for the last 12 months Marshall and his colleagues on the Investment Committee at AAN have been researching, stress testing and modelling all manner of investments promoted as ethical, sustainable and ESG friendly. When they couldn’t find a portfolio that suited their requirements, it led to them to building a portfolio for AAN clients.
On the back of this, Sarah Kendell, Editor Wealth at Momentum Media and Host of The IFA Show reached out for a chat. As a result of Facebook banning all manner of news sources, we decided to put the podcast here for those that wanted to tune in.
Please note this podcast was originally shared on the ifa.com.au website.
For more information on sustainable and ethical investing speak to your adviser.