My name is Mark Brandon, and I am the founder of First Sustainable, a socially responsible investment adviser, and the author of the Sustainable Log newsletter and blog. Founded in 2005, First Sustainable advises individuals and institutions on how to invest their money in a manner that makes sense from a financial standpoint while not conflicting with their social values. Social criteria might be Green values, political values, religious values, or focus on human rights, gay rights, labor rights, animal rights, board diversity, or corporate governance.
My other financial services experience includes stints with Fidelity Investments, Piper Jaffray, and Instinet. In the late 1990's, I led Daylight Online Brokerage, an internet broker and clearing agent for active institutional investors, until its acquisition in 1999.
I acquired an MS in Science and Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA in History from the same institution. I hold a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) and Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) designation.
Like many other entrepreneurs, I always have multiple irons in the fire. Besides First Sustainable, I do commercialization consulting with a University of Texas think tank, and head up the Collaborative Law Network, which promotes peacemaking through the practice of Collaborative Family Law. I also create link building tools for search optimization. You may have seen my "Headlines" super-widgets, which aggregate content from various blogospheres, such as the Green, Progressive, Peak Oil, Clean Tech, Impeach Bush, and Feminist communities.
I reside in Austin, TX with my wife, Renee, and 3 year old daughter, Sophia. We are currently expecting another child, due in May 2007.
Whether with a social slant or not, the 401(k) is the most popular vehicle for investing. And it should be. For most people, I advise that before you contribute to any other savings account, you should max out your 401(k) contributions. No other vehicle offers you tax deduction, tax deferral, and a possible match. However, if you wish to invest responsibly, your plan may not have any SRI (socially responsible investing) [...]
Regular readers of this column might conclude that I am obsessed with the Gates Foundation (see previous posts, More On Gates Foundation and Social Investing and An Open Letter to Bill Gates). The controversy has raised the level of dialogue about socially responsible investing such that it is still worthwhile. Nonetheless, this will be my last post on the topic.
Last week in this forum, I wrote an open letter to Bill Gates, exhorting him to reassess his foundation's investment methodology so that the investment profits from the foundation do not work against the stated mission of the foundation.
For years, socially responsible investing (SRI) meant buying an indexed mutual fund with the alcohol, tobacco, and gaming stocks weeded out. Today, an explosion of research around corporate governance and an increased public awareness, has contributed to an evolution in the term. The definition has evolved to include environmental performance, human rights, labor rights, gay rights, animal rights, abortion rights, board diversity, community investing, and more. In fact, the first order of business for me, as a [...]
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