VALUES BASED INVESTING
Being socially responsible has become more and more important in today’s world. We are now hyper aware of what we buy, where we eat, and how we invest. When it comes to food, we are looking for fair trade and organic labels. With clothing, we are researching that it is ethically created. We are more mindful than ever about what our money is actually supporting. And now with finances, we are able to align investment portfolios with our Christian values in something called values based investing.
What Is Values Based Investing and How Did it Get Started?
Values based investing has actually been around since the 90’s, but it has recently made a huge surge in popularity as information has become more readily accessible via the internet. Christians saw the values based investing movement in the secular arena and wanted something that they could embrace as their own, thus the biblically based, values based investing movement began.
Christian Financial Advisors® has actually been in on this movement since we first began, and our priority has always been to provide Christians with God-honoring investment choices. This trend has continued to rise and has truly become a popular, niche market for Christian investors, especially over the past decade.
How Is It Different?
With these recent technological advances, Christian Financial Advisors® has the ability to create a portfolio that allows you to invest in companies that are making a positive impact on the world through giving, supporting the poor, ending trafficking, building wells in third world countries, and so much more! Not only can you create a values based investment portfolio around these positive investments that make the world a better place, you can also avoid companies in your portfolio that go against Christian values and beliefs and are actually making a negative impact on society through alcohol, gambling, pornography, and anti family agendas.
Values based investing allows you to have a voice, even in your investment portfolios. If there is something that is specifically important for you to support through your investment choices, let us know, and we will try and find a portfolio that lines up with your specific preferences.
Where Can You Find Values Based Investments?
Online scanning tools that provide moral screens have made values based investing easier since investors now have the ability to easily invest in a company that lines up with their values (at Christian Financial Advisors®, one of the moral screening tools that we use for values based investing is called eVALUEator that you can learn more about here).
If a company traded on an exchange is publicly known to violate ethical standards, we steer clear of buying them directly or indirectly through a separate managed account, mutual fund, or ETF. Unfortunately, not all investments and investment platforms can be screened, but we strive to do the best we can given the available investment options and platform limitations.
Learn About The Various Types of Values Based Investing
How Can You Get Started?
Our financial advisors will be with you every step of the way to help you make informed investment decisions when it comes to building a complete, values based investment portfolio. First, we will look at your current portfolio to check for any anti Christian agendas that you may be unknowingly supporting. We believe that it is extremely important to be informed, and you have a right to know which agendas public traded companies are supporting and therefore, you are also supporting.
When you invest in a company, you are financially backing what they support, whether you agree with it or not. Stay informed and on top of where your money goes by allowing Christian Financial Advisors® to scan your current investments and/or create a complete investment portfolio that lines up with your Christian values. It’s time to start making your investments work for you in a way that is ethical and aligns with your faith.
Show companies that you agree or disagree with them by how you invest, and become part of the values based movement today.