The first two financial advisors to earn a U.S. certification in sustainable investing have graduated from the country’s first educational institution to offer it.
Stephen M. Kerby of KMF Advisors in West Des Moines, Iowa, became the first graduate of the College for Financial Planning to earn his Chartered SRI Counselor (CSRIC) certification. Just two-and-a-half weeks after enrolling in the self-study course, he completed it to earn the singular distinction.
“It was very rewarding to get a letter from the president of the college congratulating me on being the first (to earn the CSRIC certification),” Kerby told Financial Advisor.
Kerby said that it was the magazine’s online report of the certification course being offered for the first time by an American educational institution that inspired him to immediately enroll in it. Kerby is as passionate about sustainable investing as he is about the course that certified him as a specialist in it.
“In 2016, one in five U.S. investment dollars, or $8.7 trillion, was in SRI, so its not a trend,” Kerby said.
Kerby said there is a growing clientele actively seeking to build their wealth and save the planet.
Glen Yelton of Greeneville, Tenn., became the second graduate to earn his CSRIC certification from the college. Yelton is an environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact research analyst at SNW Asset Management, which specializes in building and managing high-quality fixed-income portfolios in a customized and tax-efficient way.
Last year, OppenheimerFunds announced it had acquired SNW, expanding the company’s offering into high-quality municipal bonds and customized separately managed accounts.
In May, the College for Financial Planning announced it would begin offering a designation in sustainable investing this fall in collaboration with US SIF, the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. In October, the first group of students enrolled in the program, according to Christopher Allen, the college’s director of marketing.
“The program is designed to take between 95 and 130 hours of study time,” Allen said. “There is no prerequisite, but it is an advanced-level course requiring a certain level of education and experience in the financial advisory industry.”