OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TD Ameritrade Investment Management, LLC (“TD Ameritrade”)1 today announced Socially Aware options for robo-advisor clients, helping investors to align their portfolios with their values by considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when they invest.
“There is a growing appetite from investors of all generations, particularly millennials, for investments that provide additional value beyond the financial returns. We are pleased to offer them a low-cost, automated investing option in ESG-centric portfolios,” said Lule Demmissie, managing director of investment products and guidance, TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Ameritrade now offers five Socially Aware portfolios that provide exposure to ESG investing through well-diversified exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are designed to suit different risk preferences and investing goals. The portfolios are available through Essential Portfolios, TD Ameritrade’s fully digital robo-advisor platform.
ESG investing assesses companies using a scoring system created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), a leading provider of market indices. If a company earns a higher score than its industry peers across the three ESG categories (environmental, social, governance), it’s assigned a higher ESG rating, a growing factor in the investment decision-making process.
“We carefully reviewed the current ESG investment offerings available for investors today,” said Joe Correnti, director of guidance portfolio construction and management, TD Ameritrade Inc. “We then considered the investment vehicles that we believe best captured the essence of ESG investing, and would be appropriate for inclusion in our client portfolios,” Correnti explained.
In addition to launching Socially Aware for Essential Portfolios clients, TD Ameritrade is releasing insights from a new “Socially Responsible Investing Survey”:
Socially Responsible Investing Deemed Important, Especially by Women and Millennials
- Almost one in three (30 percent) investors surveyed have considered making socially responsible investments, with women (34 percent) favoring the approach more than men (26 percent).
- Forty-five percent of investors of all ages and 60 percent of millennials consider socially responsible investing important.
- Nearly a third (30 percent) of investors would move their account to a different firm to gain broader access to socially responsible investment offerings, with almost half (47 percent) of millennials willing to switch.
ESG Investors Favor Environmental, Social Factors Over Financials
- For those who consider socially responsible investments, social and environmental factors (67 percent) matter more than financials (30 percent). Rate of return is a top priority only for 17 percent of investors who considered socially responsible investments.
- More than half (51 percent) of those who’ve considered socially responsible investments claim to have at least 21 percent of their total holdings dedicated to socially responsible investments.
- Human rights is the most important value for investors who consider social values, closely followed by environmental impact, and diversity. Boomers tend to care the most about human rights, while millennials focus on environmental impact.
“With companies providing more extensive data about their ESG practices, in addition to ESG research and analysis methods becoming more advanced than ever before, investors can feel more empowered to address their desires for social and environmental change through their investments,” continued Demmissie. “By investing in Socially Aware portfolios, they can now further align investments with their values.”
To learn more about the Socially Aware feature available for TD Ameritrade Essential Portfolios clients, visit https://www.tdameritrade.com/investment-guidance/investment-management-services/essential-portfolios/esg-investing.page.
Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. A prospectus, obtained by calling 800-669-3900, contains this and other important information about an investment company. Read carefully before investing.
ETFs can entail risks similar to direct stock ownership, including market, sector, or industry risks. Some ETFs may involve international risk, currency risk, commodity risk, leverage risk, credit risk and interest rate risk. Trading prices may not reflect the net asset value of the underlying securities. Commission fees typically apply.
Morgan Stanley Capital International and TD Ameritrade are separate and unaffiliated and not responsible for each other’s services or policies.
About TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
TD Ameritrade
provides investing services and education to more than 11 million client
accounts totaling more than $1.2 trillion in assets, and custodial
services to more than 6,000 registered investment advisors. We are a
leader in U.S. retail trading, executing an average of more than 780,000
trades per day for our clients, more than a quarter of which come from
mobile devices. We have a proud history of innovation, dating back to
our start in 1975, and today our team of nearly 10,000-strong is
committed to carrying it forward. Together, we are leveraging the latest
in cutting edge technologies and one-on-one client care to transform
lives, and investing, for the better. Learn more by visiting TD
Ameritrade’s newsroom at www.amtd.com,
or read our stories at Fresh Accounts.
Brokerage services provided by TD Ameritrade, Inc., member FINRA (www.FINRA.org)/SIPC (www.SIPC.org).
Prior to enrolling in the Socially Aware portfolios, please read TDAIM’s whitepaper and see the TDAIM Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A) http://www.tdameritrade.com/forms/TDA4855.pdf
Advisory services are provided by TD Ameritrade Investment Management, LLC (“TD Ameritrade Investment Management”), a registered investment advisor. Brokerage services provided by TD Ameritrade, Inc. TD Ameritrade Investment Management provides discretionary advisory services for a fee. Risks applicable to any portfolio are those associated with its underlying securities. For more information, please see the Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A) http://www.tdameritrade.com/forms/TDA4855.pdf
About the TD Ameritrade Socially Responsible Investing Survey
A
10-minute online survey was conducted with 1,056 American adult
investors with at least $250,000 in investable assets by True North
Market Insights, between March 16, 2018 and March 19, 2018, on behalf of
TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation. The statistical margin of error for
the total sample of 1,056 American adults within the target group is +/-
2.6 percent. TD Ameritrade and True North Market Insights are separate
and unaffiliated firms and are not responsible for each other’s services
or policies.
Source: TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
1Socially aware portfolios and other advisory services are offered through TD Ameritrade Investment Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor affiliate of TD Ameritrade, Inc. (“TD Ameritrade”) and a subsidiary of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation.
