"Indexing has distanced us from what we own": Kristin Hull weighs in on the indexing debate
I spent the first part of 2019 interviewing different industry leaders about whether indexing and impact investing can coexist. Kristin Hull, CEO of Nia Impact Capital read the series and shared her thoughts with me. I asked her if I could interview her for my readers. Enjoy!
"Indexing is absolutely compatible with impact. Index funds are not." An interview with Josh Levin of OpenInvest
When I first heard about OpenInvest a few years ago, I was intrigued by their combination of a digital platform for customizing portfolios to investors’ unique ESG desires while also letting those investors vote their shares via their smartphones. Since they are based in San Francisco, I went to meet them in person. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Josh Levin, Co-Founder of OpenInvest over the past few years. Just as fun has been watching them open up their platform to RIAs so that advisors could take advantage of the values customization technology. Though we agree on almost all of the big picture items, we don’t always agree on the details. I hope you enjoy this spirited conversation as much as I did.
Money as a Lever to Change the World: Geeta Aiyer on Active Management & Investing for Impact
I sat down to chat with Geeta Aiyer, President & Founder of Boston Common, a recognized leader in the impact investing space (rated A+ for governance and strategy by PRI), and one of my personal impact investing heroes. This interview is part of an ongoing series on the topic of whether index investing in public equities can be impactful.
“You can’t serve two masters.” Garvin Jabusch, CIO of Green Alpha, on Why Benchmark Tracking is Broken
This year, I’ve been exploring the intersection of indexing and impactful investing in public equities. Can we have our cake and eat it too? I wrote my thoughts here and interviewed Jon Streur, Calvert CEO. After I saw that Garvin Jabusch, CIO of Green Alpha, wrote about a similar topic in this Financial Times piece, I sat down to get his thoughts to share with my Connected Investing readers.
Can Indexing have Impact? My interview with Calvert's CEO
Can an Index have Impact? John Streur, CEO of Calvert says it absolutely can.
Has Indexing Caused Us to Lose Sight of What Investing Really Is?
One of the benefits of using impact investing and ESG strategies with clients is that it allows clients to connect with their investments on more than just financial considerations. I wonder though, if the appreciation of knowing what you own is reflective of a larger trend. Has the move toward indexing led us to lose sight of what investing really is?
I started blogging in 2017 to stay in touch with clients and prospects. The practice has since turned into a newsletter, several series’, including the widely shared Do Better series, conference write ups, and impact investing leader interviews. I am a contributing writer at Morningstar and Financial Planning, and have also written articles for CNBC, and FA Magazine. Most of my writing falls into the categories of ESG & Impact Investing, or Race & Gender in Finance.