2. Resources: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF) is among the organizations creating a myriad of tools to help bring advisors up the learning curve. On their website, you can find “SRI basics” tutorials, online and in-person courses and guides to everything from “Investing to Advance Women” to “Investing to Curb Climate Change.” US SIF also has free links throughout their website to dozens of other resources on a wide variety of topics that could really help a financial advisor distinguish themselves as a knowledge leader.
3. Walk the talk: Learn about investments that your clients are and will increasingly be interested in. Morningstar now scores funds on ESG factors, and the information is publicly available for free. In addition, websites that tell you what’s in your mutual fund, such as Fossil Free Funds, are reliable sources for data.
4. Learn from your peers: It’s amazing what you can learn by being open to asking trusted peers what they are doing to provide clients with strong sustainable investment options. Chat up folks you meet at industry conferences, ask questions when participating in webinars and keep your ears open to hear what others are doing to adapt to ever-evolving client needs.
There is a near unlimited opportunity for financial advisors to grow their business if they take time to understand the needs of a rapidly growing segment of wealthy clients who want their investment assets to participate in the transition to a sustainable economy while meeting their personal financial goals. Those financial advisors who learn about available products, and learn how to talk to these clients about their options will undoubtedly be the advisors who sleep at night, not worrying about losing clients in the great wealth transfer.
Betsy Moszeter is partner and chief operating officer of Green Alpha Advisors, an asset manager focused on sustainable and impact investing.