Here at Upbeat Financial, we are always striving to provide our clients with top-notch advice. On our end, that looks like staying curious and always looking for ways to grow our experience and expand our education. This summer, we have done just that by pursuing a new certification to share with you: CSRIC®!
“Ok Dana, great.” I hear you saying, “But what does that even mean?” I'll happily tell you! 'CSRIC®' stands for Chartered SRI Counselor℠, meaning an individual who has completed a course and become certified in work with social, responsible, and impact (SRI) investments, alongside environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, for a variety of clients. With this new certification comes an expansion of our expertise surrounding this important area of investments, and we are excited to put our knowledge to work helping you build your investment portfolio!
Now, perhaps you are looking to dive into the world of investments or re-vamp your existing portfolio - Why would you go about integrating SRI into your portfolio?
To share a personal anecdote, I have been interested in SRI Investing for many years. There are two primary reasons for my interest in SRI. The first is that it is an area where there is a wealth of new technology and innovation. I truly believe that this is the governing force behind our Democratic-Capitalist Economy, and supporting it is critical to continued economic growth that will sustain us for generations to come. The second is that it is a rigorous lens within which to view one's investment portfolio because, not only does it maintain the importance of financial gain and diversification overtime, but it goes deeper by examining the environmental, social, and governing impact one's invested dollars will have on the long-term strength of our economy.
On this same note, something that I have found very illuminating in my studies and that has added more clarity to my own understanding of SRI Investing as distinct from ESG, is the clarification that SRI stands for "Social, Responsible, and Impact" Investing, rather than what I had thought it stood for - Which was "Sustainable and Responsible Investing." It removes the "sustainable" which tends to be a trigger word for some, and it clearly defines what we're really up to here: Gaining knowledge into how our investments can be designed for the greater social good in responsible and impactful ways that benefit the investor as well as society as a whole. Isn't that the whole point of a democracy?
ESG, on the other hand, stands for "Environment, Social, Governance," with Governance relating specifically to Corporate Governance. ESG is an overarching term that includes the many criteria and methodologies one can use to evaluate their investments. So, SRI Investing is the investment strategy, and ESG is the criteria metrics used to evaluate the efficacy of one's SRI Investment strategy. Cool, right!?!
If this sneak peek into SRI Investing has caught your attention, we would be more than happy to set up a consultation to discuss where this strategy can come into play in your investment portfolio. Head over to our contact form to schedule your first meeting today!
