Impact investing, while not yet mainstream in this country is growing rapidly and is very much a global phenomenon. The financial times recently reported that “about 95% of the 250 largest global companies now report on their corporate responsibility activities, a jump of more than 14% from 2008. The Financial Times notes that two-thirds of those that do not report are based in the U.S. and the picture is more mixed among smaller companies. However increasing numbers of investors in the U.S. are paying attention to environmental, social and governance issues, or ESG as they are known in the trade. According to a report by the Social Investment Forum Foundation on socially responsible investing trends in the U.S.,“sustainable and socially responsible investing (SRI) in the United States has continued to grow at a faster pace than the broader universe of conventional investment assets under professional management.”
RECENT PROGRAMS
Mary Jane McQuillen & Bill Paul
We are kicking off a new season of WEALTHTRACK with the first of a two part series devoted to what’s being called “impact investing,” the practice of aligning financial goals with personal values. Impact investing goes beyond what used to be called socially responsible investing, which was designed to avoid certain businesses such as gambling, alcohol and tobacco. It is now pro-active as well, investing in companies that are making a positive impact in a wide range of areas including environmental, societal and governance (ESG).
MARY BETH FRANKLIN: INCREASING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
MARY BETH FRANKLIN: INCREASING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
They say that timing is everything and there is one area of retirement planning where getting it right can make a huge difference in your retirement income and security. This week we are devoting our entire program to helping you maximize your and your loved ones’ social security benefits with the help of one of the acknowledged experts in the field, personal finance journalist, Mary Beth Franklin. More on her in a moment.
CHARLES ROYCE
An exclusive interview with legendary “Great Investor” Charles “Chuck” Royce. Royce pioneered investing in small company stocks with his Royce Pennsylvania Mutual Fund forty years ago this year. He’ll explain why high quality small cap stocks are undervalued compared to large cap stocks right now and the advantages they offer to investors from the vantage points of portfolio diversity, international exposure and income, three characteristics normally not associated with the small cap universe.
Don Yacktman – January 27, 2012
Great Investor Don Yacktman, founder and co-manager of the Yacktman Fund tells us how he continues to beat the overall stock market landing in the top one percent of all large cap mutual funds over the past one, three, five and ten year periods. Such outstanding performance was recently recognized by Morningstar, the mutual fund rating firm, that nominated Yacktman for Domestic Manager of 2011.