S3:E3 Need to get clear on ESG - what you offer and how to analyse funds?

There are so many different terms surrounding ESG that understanding them all and thinking through how they impact the type of service you offer your financial planning clients can be tricky. I saw three fund manager presentations recently, each fund manager said only one aspect E, S or G was the most important.  Funnily though, they each said something different to the others! In this week's episode we talk to Sam Adams, CEO and Co-Founder of Vert Asset Management and we delve deep into the practical aspects that need to be considered when making changes to your financial planning business offering to clients.  We talk through the practical differences of ESG, Socially Responsible and Impact investing and what you need to do to overlay these any of these areas in your investment advice process for clients. We look at the technical aspects and, for those firms who offer evidence-based investment solutions, we discuss how you can incorporate these areas too. Crucially, we discuss how to set your firms ESG agenda and how to discuss that with clients. If you are struggling with setting out your business proposition on ESG and want practical help in doing so, this is a must listen episode. Sam Adams Bio: Sam is CEO and co-founder of Vert Asset Management.  He also chairs the Investment Research Group. Sam leads the development of new products to help make sustainable investing easier for investors. He has been a featured speaker on sustainable investing at financial advisor conferences in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia. Sam is the author, with Larry Swedroe, of ‘Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing’.  He is an instructor for the College of Financial Planning’s Chartered SRI Counselor Program, and is member of the Plan Sponsor Council of America’s Investment Committee. Prior to launching Vert, Sam spent 20 years at Dimensional Fund Advisors where he led the European Advisor business and launched the Global Sustainability Core Fund.   Sam has a BA in Philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an MBA in Finance from the University of California, Davis.