First Major Broker to Allow Investors to Easily Align their Portfolio with their Values
Interactive Brokers Group (Nasdaq: IBKR), a global brokerage firm, today unveiled an innovative, interactive Impact Dashboard designed to help clients evaluate and invest in companies that align with their values. The dashboard, which is free for all clients to use, sets a new standard for tools that can be used for sustainable, socially responsible, and values-based investing. The launch comes as interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing is soaring. ESG assets are expected to top $53 trillion by 2022, according to research released in September by Celent.
“The future of sustainable investing begins with the Impact Dashboard, which allows investors to align their portfolios with their values,” said Will Peterffy, ESG Director at Interactive Brokers. “In a world lacking transparency, the dashboard quickly analyzes and grades your stock portfolio based on your values and presents your holdings through a personalized ‘impact lens’. You can then decide whether to keep your investments or move your capital to companies which better align with what matters most to you. The Impact Dashboard ushers in a new era where moral, ethical, and responsible behavior can begin to be valued in the marketplace.”
The Impact Dashboard allows investors to select their personal investment criteria from 13 impact values and principles including Clean Air, Pure Water, Ocean Life, Land Health, Consumer Safety, Ethical Leadership, Gender Equality, Racial Equality, LGBTQ Inclusion, Company Transparency, Sustainable Product Lifecycle, Mindful Business Models and Fair Labor & Thriving Communities. Clients can also exclude investments based on 10 categories: animal testing, business ethics controversies, corporate political spending and lobbying, energy-intensive, fossil fuels, greenhouse emissions, hazardous waste, high water usage, tobacco, alcohol and gambling and weapons and gun manufacturers.
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The Impact Dashboard is currently available in Beta on the professional-grade Trader Workstation, easy-to-use Client Portal and IBKR Mobile app. The new Impact Dashboard solidifies Interactive Brokers’ leadership role in the realm of sustainable investing. In 2018, the company rolled out Refinitiv Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance metrics to help clients make investment decisions based on ESG ratings. This year, the company added Truvalue Labs™ scores based on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) framework. The ratings functionality has been expanded to help people identify companies engaging in controversial business practices that do not align with their values.
The company’s robo advisor, Interactive Advisors, which was named “Best for Socially Responsible Investing” in 2020 by Investopedia, launched Socially Responsible Investment portfolios in 2019 and now offers 18 ready-made portfolios. Interactive Advisors also lets clients select from exclusion groups to avoid companies that do not align with their values and micro-customize their portfolios with single stock exclusions.
Interactive Brokers has long been recognized around the globe for its advanced technology, transparent and superior pricing, and breadth of product. In 1983 the company developed the first hand-held computer used for trading. In 2019, Interactive Brokers shook up the industry by becoming the first major broker to announce commission-free trading, and to introduce fractional shares. With the Impact Dashboard, Interactive Brokers is expanding its suite of sustainable investing solutions.
