Your investments may fund activities that are not sustainable and may be contrary to your ethics. Money talks, what is yours saying?

Ethical investing considers the investment's impact on society and the environment as well as its profitability. A recent study by AMP (June 2006) found that the median ethical investment manager has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index over one, two, three and five years to 31 March 2006 (Ethical Investment Association Australasia). So, you can now make money while making the world a better place!

How to do it now!

Ethical Financial Advisors

Check out the lists of financial advisers for ethical investors on the Ethical Investment Association Australasia site.

Or explore the world of ethical investing through the Ethical Investor magazine and website.

Ethics

Ethics are a statement of what we stand for and a display of how important this is to us. Ethical decisions in the investment space can often be evaluated by common sense. Some back-of-the-envelope guides may include…

• Does my action (investment) support or detract from my stated position or ethics? (am I a hypocrite?)
• Does my action (investment) add to or detract from the quality of world my children will inherit (am I a parasite)?
• Would I support what this company is doing if there were not dollars to be made by investing in it? (am I ruled by greed?)

For a more considered and rigorous exploration of ethics try

The St James Ethics centre .

Why is this action important?

Integrity, honesty and living in alignment with our values is a constant challenge.

If you believe you should help to keep the world intact for future generations, then this action is where the rubber hits the road and you either show integrity and invest ethically or cop out and bury your head in the sand.