When it comes to investment programs, Ameriprise Financial can help you not only plan for the future, but help you do so in a socially responsible way that may ease your environmental conscience. For more guidance on shareholding, community investments, and choosing the best financial adviser for your needs, read this article by Zachary Withers.

Advice on Socially Responsible Invesment programs from Ameriprise Financial

Ameriprise  Financial

Socially Responsible Investment Programs

Someone once told me that people do the right thing [environmentally] for one of three reasons—or a combination of any of the three—either their personal conscience has driven them to do so, the society around them has socially motivated them, or they posses excess wealth and can afford to invest and purchase with concern for more than just price. When it comes to investment programs, Ameriprise Financial can help you not only plan for the future—they can also help you do so in a socially responsible way that may ease your environmental conscience.

Suzanne Johannsen’s office is located in SE Bend less than a block away from the Red Carpet Car Wash on south Hwy. 97. Johannsen is a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. I met with her with high hopes that she could really help explain the concepts behind “socially responsible investment programs”. Being just short of graduating from college and having never made one investment in my life the ideas behind investing for my financial future are just that—ideas and concepts.

So, what is a socially responsible investment (SRI) program? Since the 1970’s these programs have become increasingly popular. The idea is to implement a financially beneficial investment strategy that pays close attention to the general practices of the companies involved in your portfolio. These general practices include fair and equitable business practices which focus on human rights, environmental responsibility, increased product safety and quality, and a financial return.

Currently about one in every ten dollars held in an investment program of some type is involved in an SRI. Although the social investments performance history is limited there is still evidence of solid investment returns over the past few years. Additionally, as these programs grow in popularity and move to more global forums the ability for SRI’s to produce financial gains and promote specific business practices that are beneficial to the investor and the world we live in has grown significantly. 

So where does Johannsen and Ameriprise Financial fit into all of this? Their investment advisory services provide you, the client, with research and opinions about the securities market—you know, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The essential goal for Ameriprise Financial is for you to reach your long-term goals in life. They help you invest in a solid disciplined form of money management that suits your goals and your social responsibilities.

Johannsen, and her team, offer financial planning that incorporates your goals with long term “stay the course” investment strategies. She referred to clients as having “puzzle pieces with choices for how and where to invest. How important are social programs to your goals financially? There are options. What is your puzzle picture going to look like?” 

The answer to these questions varies from client to client but when a client has a personal motivation to be a socially responsible investor the options are available—as Johannsen put it: “ to put their money where their mouth is.”

Screening, Shareholder Advocacy, Community Investment

So what are these options? When you begin to discuss an investment strategy your financial manager will begin by screening. Do you want to invest in small, medium, or large company? Do you want to invest in value companies like Coke or Pepsi—these companies represent steady payments with dividends and slow growth returns—or are you more interested in the direction of growth companies like Apple and their newer products?

After answering those initial questions your financial manager has information and research focused on further screening questions about whether the company is involved in alcohol, tobacco, animal testing, human rights, environment, community investment projects and more.

Essentially you design a puzzle picture for your investments that meets your life goals, social and environmental concerns.

In addition to screening your investment window, you as an investor may become a shareholder in a company—as a shareholder you become part owner and can bring up issues at stockholder meetings. Johannsen pointed out that the shareholders of Microsoft pushed forward a living wage ballot for it’s own production facilities in and out of the US.  
As investors, we have the ability to choose the types of companies we invest in keeping both our financial goals and our social and environmental concerns in mind

Choosing A Financial Advisor

Ameriprise Financial is here to provide advice based on research and analysis of the securities investment market. Many consumers look for a financial advisor to help them make the right decisions for their financial future. Assessing the importance of each of your personal dreams and the vision of your life in the years to come. The financial planning offered by Johannsen and her team is focused on how to advise you based on your best interests and give you a ‘big picture’ idea of where you are financially.

With the SRI programs—and advice available from Johannsen and Ameriprise Financial—you can “do good, while making money”. So whether you are motivated by your conscience, social pressure, or an abundance of wealth go down and see which of the over 200 mutual funds that offer an SRI strategy is right for you.

Zachary Withers
zacwithers@gmail.com