US SIF Foundation Releases Updated Roadmap for Financial Advisors

    WASHINGTON, DC, October 26, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The US SIF Foundation has released Incorporating Sustainable Investing into Your Practice: A Roadmap for Financial Advisors, which details the steps financial advisors can take to begin offering sustainable investment services to clients as well as to enhance their practice. Financial advisors and other industry professionals contributed their insights to this guide.

In recent years, sustainable investing in the United States has grown rapidly. Professionally managed assets taking ESG factors into account increased from $12 trillion to $17.1 trillion between 2018 and 2020. This represents one out of every three dollars under professional management.

The comprehensive roadmap covers the basics of sustainable investing, including ESG incorporation and investor engagement strategies. It also explains the business case for sustainable investing with a review of current research on financial performance and risk reduction, fiduciary duty considerations, and data on the growing demand for sustainable investment products and services. The guide also details six steps advisors can take to get started or strengthen their sustainable investment practice:

1. Adding relevant products
2. Discussing sustainable investment with clients
3. Updating clients' Investment Policy Statements
4. Identifying asset allocation and investment options
5. Measuring and managing impact
6. Communicating expertise

"The growing urgency of the climate crisis, movement for racial justice and continued reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic have put ESG issues at the top of many investors' agendas," said Lisa Woll, CEO of US SIF and the US SIF Foundation. "As a result, financial advisors have an enormous business opportunity if they can introduce clients to sustainable investing options and follow up when clients express interest."

To access a free copy of the guide, click here.

About US SIF and the US SIF Foundation
US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable investing across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts. US SIF members include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, research firms, financial planners and advisors, community investing organizations and non-profit associations.

US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational and research activities to advance the mission of US SIF.

Learn more at ussif.org.

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