Ethical Invest Podcast

In this episode, Alexandra Brown speaks with four advisers who are experts in providing ethical investment advice, as we highlight the extra value that specialist ethical investment advisers bring to their clients.

We ask each adviser the following questions:

1. Describe a couple of ways you deliver extra value to your clients as a specialist in ethical investment advice.
2. What attracts clients to you as an ethical adviser? What are they looking for, and what solutions are you delivering?
3. What's the best piece of feedback you've received as an ethical adviser?

This is episode three of a three-part series for Ethical Investment Week 2022. Ethical Investment Week is coordinated by the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op, a group of leading advisers across Australia and New Zealand who specialise in advice that aligns client values with ethical and responsible investments. This year, Ethical Investment Week is themed You and Your Ethical Adviser.

Our guests in this episode are specialist ethical investment advisers and members of the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op:

Karen McLeod | Certified Ethical Investment Adviser - Ethical Investment Advisers

Adam Carey | Financial Adviser - Ethical Investment Services

Dr Rodger Spiller | Managing Director and Financial Adviser - Money Matters

Kathryn Fitch-Daniels | Certified Financial Planner - Ethinvest

Alexandra has been privileged to work with advisers in the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op since 2015, and they are incredibly client-focused, dedicated, and purpose-driven professionals. They are the inspiration for this episode, where we shine a light on the extra value these advisers bring to their clients and businesses.

Ethical advisers are adding another component to their advice offering. They find out their clients’ ethical values, what they like to avoid and support, and this helps build a deeper understanding of their client, which they bring into their planning process. It is not just goals, risks, and assets; it is extra. Sometimes it is as simple as listening, or letting their client vent to them after seeing the latest report on climate change. Or perhaps, it is the critical protection they provide their clients against greenwash. 

We finish this episode hearing the wonderful feedback these advisers receive from their clients, and the great comfort they provide. Clients feel valued and well understood, they appreciate the personalisation, and feel peace of mind that their investments are safe, secure, and have a long-term focus. We hear how rewarding this is for advisers, and how their happy and engaged clients are lighting THEM up.

Dr Rodger Spiller mentioned his own podcast episode, featuring an interview with a new Money Matters client, Mark. Together, Rodger and Mark explore the why, what and how of the ethical investment journey. You can find out more and listen here.

Dr Spiller also suggests adding a question for clients 'what kind of ancestor do you want to be?', and this ties in with 'wayfinding', which was last year's theme for Ethical Investment Week. You can watch the webinar on wayfinding, and learn more here.

Also mentioned in this episode is the great work and resources of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). which both advisers and investors can discover here.

This is the third and final episode of this three-part series for Ethical Investment Week 2022.

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This episode is brought to you by the Ethical Advice Accelerator, the number one program for Australian financial advisers ready to up-level their knowledge and skills in ESG, sustainability, and ethical investment advice.

Ethical investment options are becoming non-negotiable in financial advice, and advisers who specialise in this are in high-demand; this program is designed to equip you with the skills and toolkit you need to add this to your services quickly.

The Accelerator is 100% adviser-focused, and brings everything you need in one spot, making it the most effective and time-efficient way to become a sought-after leader in ethical investment advice. Visit ethicalinvestgroup.com/accelerator to learn more.

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Disclaimer:
This podcast is issued by Ethical Invest Group (EIG) (ABN 29 238 432 149) for education purposes only.
The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amounts originally invested. Exchange rate changes may cause the value of any investments to rise or fall. This information is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or to adopt any investment strategy. Although EIG believes that all this information is accurate and reliable, no warranty or accuracy or reliability as to such information is given and no responsibility for loss arising in any way from or in connection with errors or omissions in any information provided (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by EIG or by any of its agents or employees or by any person providing notes or materials. Any data has been sourced by us and is provided without any warranties of any kind. It should be independently verified before further publication or use. Third-party data is owned or licenced by the data provider and may not be reproduced, extracted or used for any other purpose without the data provider’s consent. Neither we, nor the data provider, will have any liability in connection with the third-party data. Material may include links to other resources and websites. These links are provided for your convenience only and do not signify that EIG endorses, approves or makes any representation or claim regarding the accuracy, copyright, compliance, legality, or any other aspects of the resources or websites. The material is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for financial, accounting, legal or tax advice, or the rendering of consulting, or other professional services. Reliance should not be placed on any views or information in the material when taking individual investment and/or strategic decisions. No responsibility can be accepted for error of fact or opinion. Any references to securities, sectors, regions and/ or countries are for illustrative purposes only. EIG has expressed its own views and opinions in this resource and these may change. The contents of the information provided is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change at any time and without notice.

In this episode, Alexandra Brown speaks with four advisers who are experts in providing ethical investment advice, as they explain the value of engagement for their clients. Advisers give their clients a voice with fund managers, and are the integral link between product providers and companies their clients invest in.

We ask each adviser the following questions:

1. What do you feel is the value of engagement for your clients?
2. In what ways do you, as an ethical adviser, engage with product providers?
3. Do you help your clients with shareholder advocacy? If so, how?

This is episode two of a three-part series for Ethical Investment Week 2022. Ethical Investment Week is coordinated by the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op, a group of leading advisers across Australia and New Zealand who specialise in advice that aligns client values with ethical and responsible investments. This year, Ethical Investment Week is themed You and Your Ethical Adviser.

Our guests in this episode are specialist ethical investment advisers and members of the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op:

Karen McLeod | Certified Ethical Investment Adviser - Ethical Investment Advisers

Adam Carey | Financial Adviser - Ethical Investment Services

Dr Rodger Spiller | Managing Director and Financial Adviser - Money Matters

Kathryn Fitch-Daniels | Certified Financial Planner - Ethinvest

There are many examples of advisers leading the way in engagement throughout this episode. Clients appreciate having an adviser that speaks on their behalf, one who cares about some of the same issues, and is willing to participate in meaningful engagement with product providers. Fund managers generally appreciate the value advisers provide in engaging with them; they get to understand what clients are looking for without having to connect with each investor. Clients get improved products that match more closely with their values, and advisers can present personalised advice and recommend products that truly align with the issues they want to support or avoid. It’s a win-win situation.

As Dr Rodger Spiller highlights, "Engagement is a key strategy to bring about significant change. Clients look to us to add value, and demonstrate that value is being added through the funds that we're recommending, reporting back to them on engagement activities and the outcomes, and the impact. So that they can see that their money is really making a difference, that their voice is being represented."

The Ethical Advisers' Co-op Leaf Ratings are mentioned in this episode. The Co-op has developed these fund ratings to assist with the ethical and sustainability differentiation of investments and superannuation. You can find out more here: https://www.leafratings.org/

Stay tuned for episode three in the series, where we chat about the extra value that specialist ethical investment advisers deliver to their clients.

______________________________________________________

This episode is brought to you by the Ethical Advice Accelerator, the number one program for Australian financial advisers ready to up-level their knowledge and skills in ESG, sustainability, and ethical investment advice.

Ethical investment options are becoming non-negotiable in financial advice, and advisers who specialise in this are in high-demand; this program is designed to equip you with the skills and toolkit you need to add this to your services quickly.

The Accelerator is 100% adviser-focused, and brings everything you need in one spot, making it the most effective and time-efficient way to become a sought-after leader in ethical investment advice. Visit ethicalinvestgroup.com/accelerator to learn more.

______________________________________________________

Disclaimer:
This podcast is issued by Ethical Invest Group (EIG) (ABN 29 238 432 149) for education purposes only.
The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amounts originally invested. Exchange rate changes may cause the value of any investments to rise or fall. This information is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or to adopt any investment strategy. Although EIG believes that all this information is accurate and reliable, no warranty or accuracy or reliability as to such information is given and no responsibility for loss arising in any way from or in connection with errors or omissions in any information provided (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by EIG or by any of its agents or employees or by any person providing notes or materials. Any data has been sourced by us and is provided without any warranties of any kind. It should be independently verified before further publication or use. Third-party data is owned or licenced by the data provider and may not be reproduced, extracted or used for any other purpose without the data provider’s consent. Neither we, nor the data provider, will have any liability in connection with the third-party data. Material may include links to other resources and websites. These links are provided for your convenience only and do not signify that EIG endorses, approves or makes any representation or claim regarding the accuracy, copyright, compliance, legality, or any other aspects of the resources or websites. The material is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for financial, accounting, legal or tax advice, or the rendering of consulting, or other professional services. Reliance should not be placed on any views or information in the material when taking individual investment and/or strategic decisions. No responsibility can be accepted for error of fact or opinion. Any references to securities, sectors, regions and/ or countries are for illustrative purposes only. EIG has expressed its own views and opinions in this resource and these may change. The contents of the information provided is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change at any time and without notice.

In this episode, Alexandra Brown speaks with four advisers who are experts in providing ethical investment advice, as we uncover how they help their clients create positive impact through their investment portfolios.

We ask each adviser the following questions:

1. What areas of impact are lighting up your clients right now?
2. How do you demonstrate and report on impact with your clients?
3. Your top tips for discussing impact with your clients.

This is episode one of a three-part series for Ethical Investment Week 2022. Ethical Investment Week is coordinated by the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op, a group of leading advisers across Australia and New Zealand who specialise in advice that aligns client values with ethical and responsible investments. This year, Ethical Investment Week is themed You and Your Adviser.

Our guests in this episode are specialist ethical investment advisers and members of the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op:

Karen McLeod | Certified Ethical Investment Adviser - Ethical Investment Advisers

Adam Carey | Financial Adviser - Ethical Investment Services

Dr Rodger Spiller | Managing Director and Financial Adviser - Money Matters

Kathryn Fitch-Daniels | Certified Financial Planner - Ethinvest

Some excellent insights in this episode. I love Adam Carey's tip to be aware of your own biases as an adviser. Bring in self-awareness when you’re listening to your clients and as you’re trying to understand your clients’ underlying values. Pay particular attention to underlying holdings and use impact stories to strengthen engagement with clients. 

All our guests agree that impact is only going to grow. As Karen McLeod says, "Seeing where the capital goes, I think that's the real benefit of impact. Clients feel connected and therefore more engaged with where their capital goes, and empowered to do more of that good."

Stay tuned for episode two in the series, where we chat about the value of engagement in financial advice.

______________________________________________________

This episode is brought to you by the Ethical Advice Accelerator, the number one program for Australian financial advisers ready to up-level their knowledge and skills in ESG, sustainability, and ethical investment advice.

Ethical investment options are becoming non-negotiable in financial advice, and advisers who specialise in this are in high-demand; this program is designed to equip you with the skills and toolkit you need to add this to your services quickly.

The Accelerator is 100% adviser-focused, and brings everything you need in one spot, making it the most effective and time-efficient way to become a sought-after leader in ethical investment advice. Visit ethicalinvestgroup.com/accelerator to learn more.

______________________________________________________

Disclaimer:
This podcast is issued by Ethical Invest Group (EIG) (ABN 29 238 432 149) for education purposes only.
The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amounts originally invested. Exchange rate changes may cause the value of any investments to rise or fall. This information is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or to adopt any investment strategy. Although EIG believes that all this information is accurate and reliable, no warranty or accuracy or reliability as to such information is given and no responsibility for loss arising in any way from or in connection with errors or omissions in any information provided (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by EIG or by any of its agents or employees or by any person providing notes or materials. Any data has been sourced by us and is provided without any warranties of any kind. It should be independently verified before further publication or use. Third-party data is owned or licenced by the data provider and may not be reproduced, extracted or used for any other purpose without the data provider’s consent. Neither we, nor the data provider, will have any liability in connection with the third-party data. Material may include links to other resources and websites. These links are provided for your convenience only and do not signify that EIG endorses, approves or makes any representation or claim regarding the accuracy, copyright, compliance, legality, or any other aspects of the resources or websites. The material is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for financial, accounting, legal or tax advice, or the rendering of consulting, or other professional services. Reliance should not be placed on any views or information in the material when taking individual investment and/or strategic decisions. No responsibility can be accepted for error of fact or opinion. Any references to securities, sectors, regions and/ or countries are for illustrative purposes only. EIG has expressed its own views and opinions in this resource and these may change. The contents of the information provided is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change at any time and without notice.

#AMA4EIW

For the fifth and final question in the Ask Me Anything for Ethical Investment Week series, we look at different styles of questions that financial advisers can use for client conversations about ethical investment preferences.

We discuss in detail the following types of questionnaires:

1. Open-ended questions about the issues that your client may wish to avoid or preference in their portfolio.
2. Using a list of ethical preferences and determining whether your client wants to support, avoid, or analyse further.
3. Uncovering your client's ESG profile - the environmental, social, and governance issues that matter most to your client, and the materiality thresholds that make for some juicy discussions.
4. Letting your client rank the issues that matter most to them. A helpful first step in determining the ethical and responsible investment products that would best match your client's needs and values.

Get a set of four easy-to-use client questionnaire templates for only $97 AUD, and with immediate access.

The templates are delivered in MS Word format so they are completely editable and flexible.

Advisers can add their branding colours and fonts, logo, and adjust the questions to create a questionnaire that is unique to them and their clients. The templates come with easy-to-follow video instructions.

Also mentioned in this episode, is the Ethical Advice Accelerator. Now live and ready for registration, the Accelerator program is the most efficient and comprehensive way for a financial adviser to incorporate ESG and ethical investing in advice and discussions with clients.

#AMA4EIW

For question four in the Ask Me Anything for Ethical Investment Week series, we look at best practice for fund managers when communicating with ethical investment advisers.

We focus on two forms of communication:

1. Adviser briefings and presentations
2. Your website (the most significant communication tool a fund manager has with advisers)

Key takeaway for fund managers - conduct an audit of your website and see if you have the following:

1. Holdings disclosed for each unique fund
2. Voting records for each unique fund (listen out for a bonus tip!)
3. Clear policies
4. Engagement report
5. Extra helpful resources
6. Easy-to-navigate website

If you're an adviser and would like to get confident with researching ethical and responsible investment products, and avoid greenwashing, then join the Ethical Advice Accelerator. The Accelerator program is the most efficient and comprehensive way for a financial adviser to incorporate ESG and ethical investing in advice and discussions with clients.

#AMA4EIW

For question three in the Ask Me Anything for Ethical Investment Week series, we look at resources for financial advisers to combat greenwashing.

We cover Alexandra's top three resources:

Ethical Advisers' Co-op Leaf Ratings

Ethos' Impact Ratings

RIAA's Responsible Returns Tool

If you're an adviser and would like to get confident with understanding ethical and responsible investment products, and avoid greenwashing, then join the Ethical Advice Accelerator. The Accelerator program is the most efficient and comprehensive way for a financial adviser to build their ESG and ethical investment toolkit.

#AMA4EIW

For question two in the Ask Me Anything for Ethical Investment Week series, we look at how to avoid greenwashing and see if a managed fund stacks up to your ethical preferences.

We look at the four key ways you can avoid greenwashing: holdings, voting, policies, and engagement.

For Ethical Investment Week, the Ethical Advisers' Co-op is running a 7-week challenge, giving you tips and hints around ethical and responsible investing.

This is week two of the challenge, and your quest (if you choose to accept), is to: Contact your super fund or companies that you invest in and ask them what they are doing about environmental and social issues.

If you're an investor and would like to learn more about how to incorporate ethical and responsible investing in your super and investments, speak to your financial adviser about the social and environmental issues that matter most to you.

If you're an adviser and would like to provide advice that incorporates sustainability, and your client's values, then join the Ethical Advice Accelerator. The Accelerator program is the most efficient and comprehensive way for a financial adviser to build their ESG and ethical investment toolkit.

#AMA4EIW

For question one in the Ask Me Anything for Ethical Investment Week series, we look at defining ethical and responsible investment, and the different techniques that can be used.

If you want to find out a bit more about ethical and responsible investing approaches, head to the Responsible Investing Association of Australasia website and check out their RIAA spectrum.

As a financial adviser, you have the opportunity to incorporate engagement and client advocacy in your advice and service offering. To find out how, check out the annual report by the Ethical Advisers' Co-op.

If you're an investor and would like to learn more about how to incorporate ethical and responsible investing in your super and investments, speak to your financial adviser about the social and environmental issues that matter most to you.

In this episode we’ll be talking about Ethical Investment Week 2021. ​Now in its eighth year, Ethical Investment Week highlights and communicates the objectives and benefits of ethical investments. ​Ethical Investment Week is co-ordinated by the Ethical Adviser's Co-op, a group of leading financial experts and ethical advisers. Let’s find out about the great events being held across Australia and NZ.

Ethical Investment Week Events

• Seminar: Wayfinding for Ethical Investment - Integrating Professor Chellie Spiller’s wayfinding research and Dr Rodger Spiller’s ethical investment research, the seminar will be a journey of discovery for ethical investors.
• The Green Dream Podcast: Juukan Gorge, Green Capital & Hunter Gatherer Mythbusting – a discussion with Kado Muir, Aboriginal artist, anthropologist and Indigenous rights activist.
• Tree Planting with Cubberla-Witton Catchment Network - Ethical Investment Advisers, Queensland.
• Ethical Invest Podcast series: #AMA4EIW - Ask Me Anything for Ethical Investment Week - Alexandra Brown answers some interesting and exciting questions around ethical investing, sustainable finance, greenwashing, and financial advice.

An introduction into the Ethical Invest Podcast.

Subscribe to receive helpful tips, trends, research, and action steps for incorporating ESG, sustainability, and ethical preferences in investments and financial advice.

Tune in to this first episode, and meet your host Alexandra Brown.

Some of the resources mentioned in this episode:

Altiorem

Ethical Advice Accelerator

GSIA Global Sustainable Investment Review 2020

$2.5 trillion financing gap to achieve SDGs

Source for investment chain image - Altiorem summary  

Schroders Global Investor Study - Altiorem summary

RIAA consumer expectations and demand for RI in Australia