Sustainable, responsible & ethical finance in Good Money Week

It’s Good Money Week this week; an annual campaign to help grow and raise awareness of sustainable, responsible and ethical finance.

Good Money Week brings together people from all walks of life and levels of income, financial advisers, charities, faith communities, student groups and financial institutions to help grow and raise awareness of the benefits of sustainable and ethical investment and finance.

The campaign aims to help everyone to know they have sustainable and ethical options when it comes to their finances so we can all a positive impact on the environment and society without sacrificing wealth.

I found out about Good Money Week recently when I was chatting to Lisa Stanley, co-founder of the website Good With Money, following a podcast interview for Informed Choice Radio.

In that interview, I asked Lisa whether it was possible to get good value for money and do good with your money.

She explained that the two goals are not mutually exclusive, offering examples of renewable energy suppliers who offer good value for money and also sustainable investment funds.

Something we have noticed at Informed Choice is a growing interest from our clients in doing good things with their money.

Over the past few years, a growing number of our clients have expressed an interest in making sustainable, responsible and ethical investment decisions with their money.

When this happens, we ask a lot more questions to better understand the specific areas of interest and any concerns, for example a desire to avoid investment in alcohol, tobacco, arms and pornography companies.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to sustainable, responsible and ethical investments, but we are in a strong position to carry out detailed research and make recommendations in line with these personal beliefs and overall financial goals.

You can get involved in Good Money Week by considering the following potential steps:

-Find out if your bank is using your money in positive ways

-Ask your employer whether your auto-enrolled pension is the most sustainable or responsible option available

-Get in touch with your MP to ask them to support Good Money Week

-Speak to an independent financial adviser about sustainable and ethical investment options