Brighton Jones Expands Offering With Launch of Impact Investing Solution
June 9, 2016 – Wealth management firm announces Impact Portfolios which align investment strategies with client’s personal values.
Brighton Jones, a unique wealth management firm that positions itself as a Personal CFO for its clients, recently announced the launch of Impact Portfolios, a solution designed for clients and investors seeking an impact-oriented investment strategy.
Developed to pursue outcomes that are good for People (social responsibility), Planet (environmental responsibility) and Profit (the economic strength of the business), Brighton Jones’ impact investment offering was created in partnership with investment managers who incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings in their portfolio construction process. A typical ESG portfolio will overweight companies that score favorably on ESG issues relative to industry peers, while underweighting or excluding companies with lower scores.
“After careful study and months of due diligence, we have created an impact investment framework that we feel really good about,” said Matt Camrud, CFP®, Lead Advisor at Brighton Jones. “There is now a set of investment vehicles in the marketplace that will allow us to offer our clients a portfolio that aligns with their personal values, while still adhering to the firm’s academically-grounded view of diversified, low-cost, and tax-efficient portfolio management.”
The firm’s selection criteria seeks managers proactively targeting investment opportunities in areas such as affordable housing, community and economic development, renewable energy, climate change and natural resources, among others. More importantly, Brighton Jones has specifically selected managers with a commitment to shareholder engagement in the areas of environmental sustainability, human rights, corporate governance and other important ESG categories.
“The selection criteria of our investment managers goes beyond having a standard mandate to incorporate ESG ratings in the portfolio construction process,” said Brian C. Tall, Director of Investments at Brighton Jones. “The real power of public securities investing, in our view, is the engagement shareholders can have directly with the companies they are invested in. By investing with engaged managers, a Brighton Jones impact investor joins forces with other like-minded investors, and the billions of dollars these investors wield can have great power to effect change.”
Impact investing is a growing trend in the investment space that is based on the core philosophy of making a positive impact in the world while still earning market rates of return. Also known as socially responsible investing (SRI), sustainable investing and mission-based investing, impact investing gives shareholders the ability to harness the power of the capital markets and embrace a common mission, ultimately investing for a societal impact.
Brighton Jones’ Impact Portfolios come at a time when there is increasing demand from investors for this type of solution, particularly in West Coast markets such as Seattle, San Francisco and Portland, where the firm has offices. The firm has provided impact investing strategies to interested clients in the past, but now has a formal offering for all clients of the Brighton Jones community.