Just yesterday I talked about selling your mutual funds, but I’m not sure that’s an option for everyone, nor do I think it’s necessarily a good idea. It does, however, force you to think a bit about where you money is going. Another possible consideration when you’re looking to invest is where exactly is your money and how is it being used. If you follow the money trail, you could be surprised to find yourself profiting from actions or companies that you don’t particularly agree with– Others, perhaps, don’t care what’s happening or who’s getting harmed, just as long as you’re making money.
For the former group of folks interested in investing towards more socially responsible ends, there is something called SRI, or Socially Responsible Investing. The market for such investments is huge, although the lines are difficult to draw. One man’s vice is another’s passion. Broadly speaking, though, SRI is considered to be interested in business that is environmentally friendly, concerned about human rights, product safety, workplace diversity and so forth.
If this is something that interests you, it would probably be worth your time to do some research. There are certainly funds set up that specialize in SRI and there’s actually a lot of information on the subject once you start your hunt.
Thank you for offering information on SRI.
I wrote a blog about purchasing building materials in a responsible way:
Brazilian Teak, Slave Labor, and the Destruction of the Rain Forest.
You can find it at:
http://www.realestatetwincities.net/blog/
Anything that you can do to help promote awareness of this issue will be greatly
appreciated. Normally, I don’t ask for this kind of help, but the issue is that important to me.
Thank you!