Step 1 – Ask your current provider

If you currently invest money in a fund or ISA you might want to investigate if your provider offers an ethical alternative. This information should be available on their website, most commonly under ‘savings and investments’.

Alternatively you can contact your provider directly. If you invest/save with a high street bank, you can find its contact details in the PDF below

Before making any investment you should first seek professional financial advice. You can search for a financial adviser with expertise in ethical and green finance here.

Banks and Building Societies - Contacts

Step 2 – Express yourself

If your research reveals that your current provider does not offer a green or ethical fund or savings option, or you discover that your existing fund/savings account invests in industries and companies you don’t approve of on your behalf (e.g. fossil fuels or armaments), you could consider contacting it to express your dissatisfaction.

Investment funds publish regular reports on their performance, stating their investment strategy and top ten holdings. You could examine these to judge whether you approve of your current fund/ISA’s approach. If you are unsure you should consider writing to it to ask for more detail on its investment policies.

Investments Step 2 - Express Yourself

Step 3 – Find a green and ethical fund

If you do not currently invest or have an ISA, or if you do and your current provider does not offer an ethical option, you can use the YourEthicalMoney.org investment search tool to find funds with policy’s that match your ethical requirements.

The search allows you to choose the type of fund and product you’re looking for and then to select from a number of positive and negative screening criteria to find funds with policies that meet your ethical requirements. Some funds also have a portfolio snapshot facility, so you can get an insight into how the fund actually invests.

We recommend, however, that you fully consider your green and ethical requirements and speak to an independent financial advisor (see below) before committing to any investments.

Step 4 – Find an independent financial advisor (IFA)

If you are seeking to invest in an ethical fund, we recommend you contact an independent financial advisor (IFA) for advice. This way you’ll not only find a fund that best suits your ethical needs but that meets your financial requirements too. The YourEthicalMoney.org features a database of IFAs from around the UK with experience in ethical investing. You can search by postcode to find your nearest advisor or by name if you have a specific person or company in mind.

Step 5 - Stay informed

In addition to using YourEthicalMoney.org, current investors should check their quarterly fund reports and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports of their providers. These are usual available from each fund provider’s website.

Notes on using template letters

Templates are given as examples of what you may want to say to your fund/ISA provider. It is advisable to send copies to both your branch (if applicable) and your provider’s head office.  

Please amend templates as much as possible; financial institutions are more likely to take note of and respond to a personalised letter rather than one clearly downloaded from a template.