Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Invested Interests?
- What socially responsible screens does Invested Interests offer?
- What happens to the information that I give you? Does it stay private?
- Won't divesting from BP bankrupt the company?
- Isn't divestment something that pension funds and large institutions do?
- How does your widget work?
What is Invested Interests?
Invested Interests is a company that believes everyone should have a right to know whether their money is being used in a way that undermines their values. Our website and tools give you the ability see how your investments perform against various social screens. For instance, you could type in that you hold $10,000 of XYZ Blue Chip Growth fund and see whether that fund passes or fails an environment screen, the fund's environmental "score" and how much of your money is invested in companies that don't reflect your values. The company was previously featured in the WSJ, LA Times and other places.
We aggregate our information from multiple investment research houses that research social responsibility and sell their findings to professional investors. We've decided to buy that information and use it to build a tool that we give to you free-of-charge.
Our revenue comes from advertising and connecting you with socially responsible financial advisory services. Keep visiting the site. We'll be adding additional information and functionality soon.
What socially responsible screens does Invested Interests offer?
We have 18 social responsibility screens: environment, abortion, adult entertainment, alcohol, animal testing, BP, corporate governance, defense, gambling, human rights practices, labor relations, minority diversity, involvement in nuclear power, discriminatory sexual orientation practices, have business ties to the Sudan, ties to terrorism, tobacco and weapons. If you think a large number of users would be interested in a new screen, email us with your suggestion. We will consider building it in the future.
Please visit our scoring page to see the criteria that we use to build these screens.
What happens to the information that I give you? Does it stay private?
The short answer is YES, it stays private. The longer answer is that your information stays private unless you specifically ask us to connect you with a financial advisor who can help you make profitable and socially responsible investments. We've worked hard to create a clear and simple statement of how we protect your privacy. Please see our Privacy and Security Policy to learn more about it.
Won't divesting from BP bankrupt the company?
Divesting from BP, if done by large numbers of individuals, will impact the share price. This, in turn, puts pressure on the executive management team and sends a message to other oil companies that BP's reckless behavior is unacceptable and needs to change. That's the goal. It does not, however, impact BP's cash reserves, day-to-day operations or ability to repay Americans for the damage it has done.
Isn't divestment something that pension funds and large institutions do?
In the past, divestment was an act in which only large institutions could engage. We're democratizing divestment and giving individuals the ability to have their investments reflect their values. You worked hard for your money. It shouldn't be used to support companies that are antithetical to your values.
How does your widget work?
Our widget is like a miniature version of the website. It's a small box that can be placed on the corner of any website or blog, essentially by cutting and pasting a small bit of code. You choose an issue, say BP divestment, and someone can visit your blog, go to the widget, input his/her mutual fund and immediately learn whether it holds BP or its subsidiaries. The widget is free and gives visitors to your site a way to take action. We can also customize the widget for larger blogs and sites in such a way as to help you build your membership and earn revenue. To see and use our widget, go to the Widget Builder.