Josh Weller on ESG in 401k Plans:
Financial advisor Josh Weller, based in Palm Beach County, FL and specializing in Sustainable-ESG Investing, discusses the important subject of offering ESG fund choices in 401(k) plans. With the backdrop of climate change, social responsibility issues, the corporate sustainability movement, and the huge asset flow into ESG, if employers don’t act now, when will they? The process is manageable, fulfilling, and in alignment with corporate sustainability and human resources missions—without sacrificing performance.
WATCH VIDEO:
Josh Weller’s comments on the DOL scrutiny and final rule of ESG Funds in 401k and other retirement programs were recently featured in INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY.
TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome to the Sustainable Investing Minute, I’m Josh Weller. Today, we have a compelling and timely subject for Episode Nine: the integration of ESG funds and Sustainable Investing into 401k plans and other retirement programs.
With the backdrop of climate change and social justice issues and the corporate sustainability movement, employees are starting to ask for sustainable, responsible ESG fund choices in their 401k plans. Offering an ESG focused investment menu makes perfect sense to allow employees to express their values and vision through their investing, especially considering the performance of many ESG funds has been competitive or incrementally better in recent history.
So naturally, the question is what goes into creating or transitioning into an ESG friendly or focused retirement program? It’s the exact same process as creating a traditional 401k plan and menu, except we have an ESG responsible, sustainable investing lens.
Of course, it’s recommended to work with an adviser with ESG expertise who will ensure that employees are investing in cost efficient ESG funds that have performed competitively or better in the recent ESG acceleration.
In our next episodes will address the specifics of ESG portfolio construction and we’ll address the ESG naysayers among us, which should be fun. Thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time.
