The Big Picture
 Environmentally-Friendly Investing

While responsible investing has been around for some time, its recent popularity boom has more companies offering socially and eco-friendly investments. For the average investor, determining the best option for your portfolio can be challenging.

Responsible investing can be traced to religious groups trying to avoid so called sin investments. In today's world, sin stocks are shares of companies that deal in liquor, tobacco, and gambling. By eliminating sin stocks, individuals could feel morally comfortable with their investment decisions. These investors feel that they are supporting worthy causes while not providing support for sin companies. Over the past few years, responsible investing has expanded from the traditional sin screen to include screens for defense, the environment, LGBT rights, and other social concerns.

Everyone has a different approach to screening for responsible companies. The screening processes are referred to as negative and positive screens. When someone uses a negative screen, they are excluding companies with particular practices. For example, an oil and gas company might be excluded based on their use of fossil fuels.

Positive screening includes companies that meet certain criteria. With more people looking to environmentally-friendly investments, someone using a positive screen may look to firms that are leaders in reducing their carbon emissions.

Screening can become a challenge for investors. One mix may exclude companies due to their pollution levels, while another may include some of those companies due to their activism in reducing their carbon footprint. Decide if your investments should exclude companies based on your ideals or if you should include progressive companies that might be rapidly on their way to meeting your standards.

Due to its limitations, responsible investing has received the reputation of providing investors with lower returns than traditional investment styles. People who use responsible investments are thought to be putting their morals before their desire for return. While I agree that many who utilize this strategy are doing so for moral reasons, I do not believe that they are necessarily sacrificing return. Every investment style tends to yield a few solid options, a few poor options, and many in the middle.

Decide if you would like to add eco-friendly investments to your portfolio. Some clients want to have a portion of their portfolio in green investments while others want their entire portfolio to be eco- friendly. If you want to move in this direction, talk to an advisor about the best options for your portfolio.

 

 The Office
 Working Green

Not only are we helping our clients invest green, but we're taking the lead in becoming a green businesses. Since July 2007, 100% our electricity is generated by wind power. Wind power helps to reduce carbon emissions and ease our conscious when we turn on the air conditioner.

We have also taken steps to recycle and reuse. Our stationary is printed on recycled paper and is printed with soy ink. Our copy paper, client file folders, and other paper goods are also made from recycled material. As you would expect, we recycle our paper, bottles, and cans.

This winter, we applied for acceptance to several environmental associations. These groups provide a network for businesses to share ideas, they promote eco-friendly strategies locally and nationally, and provide a directory for those in search of green companies. Each of the groups to which we applied accepted us. These associations are Businesses for the Bay, the EPA's Green Power Partnership, and the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance. Visit our website for more information on these organizations.

Earlier this month, Heidi and I attended the first annual Green Gala held at the National Aquarium. This was a fantastic event, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the aquarium. The event promoted sustainable foods, businesses, and activities. We had full run of the aquarium. Getting to see all of the exhibits without the crowds was the highlight for me.

The last weekend of April was the start of Baltimore City's 5th annual Green Week. We had a booth at Saturday's Eco Fest in beautiful Druid Hill park. The festival had wonderful music and booths showcasing everything from ideas for children to architecture and design. The city did a great job of bringing together a wide array of businesses and associations.

Office Hours: You can reach us from 9AM to 6PM Monday through Friday. The office will close from 12PM to 1PM for lunch. If you call during lunch, please leave a message and someone will contact you after 1PM.

Learn More About Our Green Efforts 

 The Family
 

Our little Roxy has been growing like a weed. She's now more than twice her size back in February. While she's getting bigger, she still acts small. Roxy still sneaks under the coffee table and ducks under Fenway when he's in her way.

Roxy has made friends with the dog at the business next door to us. She and her friend Pookie can play pretty much all day long. Fenway isn't a big fan of Pookie coming into "his" territory, so they mostly play next door. From the sounds of things, they must be tearing up the office. The neighbors have been great with her. I'm just glad they play next door or I'd never get anything done.

Baseball hasn't started well. My team lost our first two games. It seems that the loss of our top pitcher is having a greater impact that we anticipated. That coupled with my team playing three days a week is wearing our pitching staff thin. At the end of the day, I remind myself that I'm in my 30's and I still get to play baseball.

Heidi recently took home MVP honors from her kickball team for a game they played last week. Evidently the other team wasn't too sportsmanlike. The girl playing 2nd base kept getting in their way, so Heidi decided to knock her down! I have no idea where that came from, but all I can say is better her than me. I think I'm going to start being a bit more careful about what I say around the house...

 

 Website Changes
 

Stay Tuned! We will be rolling out changes to our website in May.