Greg Bortkiewicz invests with care. While others may seek the maximum financial return they can, this Brighton-based 39-year old is firmly committed to matching his money with his morals.
‘I knew when I first started to invest my money that I wanted to focus on ethical companies contributing to society not harming our future,’ says Greg, an account director at a communications firm focused on social and environmental change.
‘I’m aware that the big tech and oil companies might pay better returns or offer more financial value, but I would much rather get a lower return and know that my money is invested in good projects.
‘And besides, putting money into ethical funds doesn’t have to be at the expense of getting good returns.’
For most of his 30s Greg’s approach to managing his savings had always been at the lower end of the risk curve.
Most of his money was in cash and premium bonds – a government-backed cash savings account that pays no interest but runs monthly prize draws to win tax-free payouts from £25 to £1million.
But in April last year, he decided to take the plunge and opened a stocks and shares Isa with ethical and impact investing platform The Big Exchange.
‘I was sort of aware that investing should grow your money more over the long term keeping it in cash savings,’ says Greg.
‘But I didn’t really have any knowledge of where to start. What I did know was that I was absolutely sure I didn’t want to have my money in big tech companies or other shares like that.
‘Tech companies are not very ethical and they are so dominant in the market, it’s impossible to function in everyday life without using at least one of their services.
‘I feel those companies have enough money, they have enough investors. I try to limit my use or involvement with them. I guess I see them as the big Bogeyman, along with fossil fuel companies. It’s just an industry that I’d rather not have my money in.’
Greg did some research online and came across The Big Exchange, a platform dedicated to offering funds that are directly committed to helping address some of the world’s biggest problems.
Opting to invest in funds rather than individual shares was also a conscious decision Greg made.
‘I’m not an expert in investing so I’d rather trust fund managers to find good investments for me,’ he says. ‘With The Big Exchange, choosing which ones is pretty straightforward as they’re rated gold, silver or bronze.’
These ratings are assigned by an independent research firm and graded mainly against their revenue contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Each of the 17 goals aims to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity in one way or another.
Over the past 18 months, Greg has saved £11,000 into his Isa and has it spread evenly over 10 funds.
‘You can filter the funds to show which are entirely fossil free and I really just choose based on the gold or silver rating – I’ve got some in clean water, there’s an ecology fund, a biodiversity fund and a renewable energy one,’ he says.
While they may not deliver returns quite as high as some on offer, his investments have outperformed what he’s earned on the money he holds in a cash savings account.
‘There have been some big swings in the value of my investments but on average I’ve got about 5% back – I’ve made about £400 to £500 on top of the money I’ve put in.
‘And I’m much happier knowing my money is invested in projects that are doing social and environmental good,’ he says.
The drastic effect that US President Donald Trump’s international trade tariffs had on global stock markets sent Greg’s investments down by 15%.
‘That was pretty nerve-wracking but I just reminded myself that I’m not saving this money so I can get it back out any time soon.
‘This is for the long term and I was pretty confident that over time, it would recover. And it has.’
