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Socially Responsible Investing

The ethics of stock, bond, and mutual fund ownership

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"I'm wondering how old  you have to be to start investing in stocks. Would u recomment I start with mutual funds or what?
I dunno how this works and i'm like a total beginner..."
-Simonluu 

 From Other Guides
• Money Talks
• Ethical Investing
 Elsewhere on the Web
• Moneyandvalues.com
• Greenmoney.com
 

Many people feel strongly about the political issues that confront the world today - abortion, environmental protection, and animal testing to name a few.  Ironically, millions of investors are supporting companies that partake in activities and donate money to causes that are in direct conflict with their beliefs, ideals, and philosophies.

For every type of investor there is a fund or company that holds the same beliefs.   By investing in businesses that share your moral, religious, ethical, and political views, you can be sure that your money is doing more than increasing your standard of living - it's shaping the world into the kind of place you think it should be.

Maybe you're concerned about the environment.  Light Green Advisors [website] provides investment funds and information on companies that have proven track records for earth-friendly policies.  On the same note, Greenmoney.com [website] provides a substantial list of companies that are involved in operations to reduce pollution, convert waste into usable products, and clean up the environment.

Looking for a companies that adhere to Biblical principles?  The Noah Mutual Fund [symbol: NOAHX] will not invest money into corporations that are involved in either directly or through subsidiaries, the tobacco, alcoholic beverages, pornographic material, gambling, or abortion industries.

Another great site, srinvest.com [website] provides a list of mutual funds that will meet any criteria you desire.  Better yet, moneyandvalues.com [website] allows you to specify issues that are important than you, enter a list of your investments, then will alert you to which of those investments are in conflict with your beliefs.

If you're already heavily vested, should you feel guilty about the investments you own?   Probably not.  Countless mutual funds have holdings in Philip Morris [symbol: MO] , which is one of the most powerful tobacco companies in the world.  For years, Kraft was a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, meaning every time you purchased Kraft products at the grocery store, you were putting money in the pockets of big tobacco.  If you can live with that, you probably won't have to run out and dump all of your mutual funds.

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