“We’re a Responsible Investing leader that individuals, advisors, and institutions rely on for competitive returns and measurable impact.”
What is responsible investing?
Interest in Responsible Investing (“RI”) is growing at a compounding rate. Once thought to be a strategy limited to investors concerned with corporate responsibility, RI now encompasses a variety of investment approaches, which offer investors
the opportunity to pursue a variety of potential outcomes. These range from values-driven strategies to those focused on financial outcomes, such as income generation, wealth creation and/or capital preservation. While the categories highlighted below are not mutually exclusive, they do provide a useful framework for understanding the spectrum of RI solutions.
Spectrum Of Responsible Investing Solutions
Impact Only
Investing to intentionally generate a measurable positive social and/ or environmental outcome
Exclusion/Inclusion
Approaches that seek to exclude companies with poor ESG ratings or overweight those with positive ratings without consideration of other factors
Thematic
Strategies that address sustainable investing trends such as clean energy, water, agriculture or community
Integrated
Approaches that seamlessly blend ESG considerations with other fundamental insights to gain a more complete perspective on a company's business prospects
What is ESG?
Often used to describe a particular form of responsible investing, "ESG" represents an acronym for Environmental, Social and Governance factors. Essentially, ESG factors are data points or considerations that can provide valuable insights into a company's environmental challenges, reputational and regulatory risks, as well as potential problems with governance or management. ESG is not in and of itself an investment approach. Rather, ESG factors, either separately or in combination, inform or drive investment decisions within the various strategies outlined above.
Environmental
Climate Change Carbon Emission Waste and Pollution Energy Efficiency Water Conservation
Social
Human Rights Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Safety Labor Relations Privacy & Data Security
Governance
Shareholder Rights Anti-Corruption Measures Board Accountability Compensation Structures Business Ethics
What are the key drivers of this unprecendented growth in RI?
Demand for sustainable investments is being driven in part by millennials who prefer to invest in alignment with personal values. The majority believe that a company's ESG track record is an important investment consideration.
- Over 67% of millennials believe investments are a way to express social, political and environmental value (compared to baby boomers at 36%)1
- More than 90 million millennials, who stand to inherit $30 trillion over the next few decades, are especially interested in sustainable investing
- Women now possess 50% of the wealth in the US, and 80% of them favor socially responsible investing'
The rise of ESG investing can be an indicator of how markets and societies are changing, and how concepts of valuation are adjusting to these changes. The challenge for most corporations is how to adapt to this new market environment.'
- 80% of high-net-worth investors expect companies to make a profit but, also take responsibility for their impact on the environment and society'
- In 2018, 80% of the world's largest corporations followed Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)* standards'
- Commitment to climate change-related investing remains a dominant focus among investors, corporations and other key influencers.4 Climate change is the #1 ESG concern for investors in 2019s
One of the common misconceptions about ESG is that it is not possible to both invest sustainably and seek attractive returns over time. However, there is growing evidence that ESG principles can have a positive impact on potential long-term returns.
- Some of the first published studies, documenting the long-term performance of investing consistent with ESG principles, show that being a good steward of corporate sustainability has been associated with good financial results'
- In their 2018 report, Morningstar illustrated that funds deploying sustainable investment approaches generated competitive performance within their respective universes'
- The idea that investors who integrate corporate ESG risks can potentially improve returns is now rapidly spreading across capital markets on all continents'
We believe that most corporations deliver benefits to society, through their products and services, creation of jobs, payment of taxes, and the sum of their behaviors. As a responsible partner, Partfield seeks to invest in companies and other issuers that provide positive leadership in the areas of their business operations and overall activities that are material to improving long-term shareholder value and societal outcomes.
It makes sense that some investors try to align their investments with the values and social ideals that shape their worldview. The way you live, the career you choose, and the people you care about align with your personal values; shouldn’t your investments do the same? Socially responsible investing (SRI) is an approach to investing that reduces exposure to companies that are deemed to have a negative social impact—e.g., companies that profit from poor labor standards or environmental devastation—while increasing exposure to companies that are deemed to have a positive social impact—e.g., companies that foster inclusive workplaces or commit to environmentally sustainable practices.
Partfield SRI portfolio strategy aims to maintain the diversified, low-fee approach of Partfield’s Core portfolio while increasing investments in companies that meet SRI criteria. Partfield has constructed three SRI portfolios, each with a different focus within the realm of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing. Partfield’s Broad Impact portfolio offers increased exposure to companies that rank highly on all ESG criteria equally, while Partfield’s Climate and Social Impact portfolios focus on increasing exposure to companies with a positive impact on a specific subset of ESG criteria. Diversification and controlled costs are investing fundamentals that all investors—SRI or not—deserve. They’re principles that live at the heart of fiduciary advice. The only reason other SRI solutions settle for higher costs and less diversification is because the industry isn’t challenged to offer something better. We at Partfield believe we can create a future that does not ask SRI investors to choose. We are committed to achieving more socially responsible investing through our research over time and are tracking the availability of better vehicles for these purposes.
WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU INVEST WITH US
Strategy built on Nobel Prize-winning research to help you earn better returns.
Investments diversified across the globe to benefit from multiple markets.
Low cost with no additional fees, and expense ratios well below industry average.
Personalized digital advice on how to invest based on your goal.
We’ll help you set an investing strategy for every goal.
Step #01
Let us know how much you want to save and by when.
Step #02
We’ll recommend a stock-and-bond allocation based on your goal.
Step #03
As you near your goal’s due date, we’ll adjust your allocation to reduce risk.
Step #04
Easily adjust your allocation yourself, or even build a custom portfolio.
Our portfolios are designed to help you build wealth.
Our strategies diversify your investments across the globe to optimize returns. You can review any investment strategy’s historical performance before you select it, and you’ll always be able to see your goal’s performance in your account.
Invest in the entire market— not just a single stock.
A portfolio is how you choose to invest. For every goal you set with Partfield, we’ll help you customize your portfolio based on your time horizon, risk tolerance, and more.
Asset manager rights and responsibilities differ across asset classes, but the central goal remains the same as we execute across our portfolios: We seek to enhance value for our clients and instill resilience across our investments.
Our approach to exercising our rights and responsibilities
Ownership rights vary significantly across asset classes: Equities carry perhaps the most prominent of investment rights in proxy voting, for example, but voting rights can also accrue to fixed-income investments as debt is converted to equity through a bankruptcy. Indeed, with fixed-income rights, influence and leverage change significantly depending on timing in the investment cycle. In private markets, our influence runs a spectrum from the right to sit on a board to the responsibility to operate assets sustainably.
Here's What Easy Looks Like:
1. Tell us a little about you.
How much you want to invest, why you're investing, and your preferred timing.
2. Set up your account in minutes.
Get started with an investing goal or general investing account and make your first deposit.
3. Let us handle the hard stuff.
This is where we shine. From portfolio recommended to fractional share investing to tax-efficient withdrawals.
Three-Stage Process Allows for Proactive, Systematic ESG Integration
Our in-house ESG resource comprises two teams: Responsible Investing (RI), which covers environmental and social factors, and Governance. Together, these teams help our investors identify, analyze, and integrate the ESG factors most likely to have a material impact on the long-term performance of an investment.
1
Identification
Proprietary research tools signal companies with ESG issues
- Responsible Investing Indicator Model (RIIM)
- Customized Proxy Voting Guidelines
2
Analysis
ESG specialists apply further analysis to companies flagged by our ESG tools
- Companies flagged by RIIM subject to further analysis, including engagement and proxy voting recommendations
- Companies divergent from proxy guidelines subject to further analysis, including engagement and proxy voting recommendations
3
Integration
ESG analysis delivered AOM aor Cuiloal ae Uae UN eo) and portfolio managers
- Investment thesis
- Company ratings
- Price targets
- Engagements
- Position sizing
- Proxy voting decisions