Running a successful financial planning practice for over 20 years taught me an important lesson: most clients want to invest with their values if they don’t have to sacrifice performance. In fact, the number of investors interested in learning more about Sustainable and Impact investing is growing ...more

Running a successful financial planning practice for over 20 years taught me an important lesson: most clients want to invest with their values if they don’t have to sacrifice performance. In fact, the number of investors interested in learning more about Sustainable and Impact investing is growing dramatically every year, driving a 68% increase in AUM since 2014 to professionally managed strategies that integrate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics into their analysis of portfolio holdings. In 2019 the professional managers of over $30 trillion in assets incorporate ESG metrics into investment analysis, a fourfold increase since 2004. Most advisors don’t have time to learn enough about ESG strategies to feel confident discussing them with clients. And the less confident advisors are, the greater the risk they take on as fiduciaries of client investment assets. This is where coaching comes in. I work with advisors who are interested in integrating sustainable investing into their existing mainstream practices because of their personal values or because they have clients asking: “How can I invest my money to meet my retirement income needs and create a safer planet for my children and grandchildren?” I help advisors gain confidence by understanding the risks and opportunities of Sustainable and Impact investing. I work with them to learn about the products and how to integrate them into their existing portfolio allocation process, meet key people in the industry, and incorporate sustainable investing into their marketing plans. I have interviewed leaders in the field of Sustainable and ESG investing weekly since May 2018, posting the 80+ episodes of the Sustainable Finance Podcast (SFP), available at http://www.paulellisconsulting.com/sustainable-finance-podcast/. I've been a Featured Columnist in FA Magazine and Investments & Wealth Monitor, publishing articles on integrating sustainable investing into advisor practices. I regularly moderate panels on Practice Management, including at the 2019 Sustainable Investing Conference at the United Nations on Dec. 10th. My communications with the CEO’s and senior analysts of the largest ESG investment firms ensures that my knowledge of the industry is both cutting edge and personal. In March of 2019 I was honored to join the Research Advisory Committee of Ethical Markets Media, fulfilling my desire over the past 18 years to contribute to Hazel Henderson's cutting edge leadership of the Sustainable and Impact investment industry since the 1970s.less