RIAA develops find-an-adviser service

The Responsible Investment Association of Australasia is to launch a new web tool and map to help New Zealand investors find responsibly invested funds and advisers.

Tuesday, September 8th 2015, 6:00AM

by Susan Edmunds

Chief executive Simon O’Connor said the organisation was talking to a number of fund managers, including four KiwiSaver providers, about the possibility of being certified as responsibly invested funds.

He said the association had about 1500 people visit its website every month looking for investment options. “We see this tool as a key to unlocking the latent demand for responsible investments.”

He said there had been a surge in consumer demand for responsible investment. “We want to be able to offer the information, if people have an interest in investing in line with their values there is very little excuse not to do that.”

A number of KiwiSaver providers have negative screens or exclusions on moral or ethical grounds, he said.

To qualify for the tool the fund managers will need to be members of the RIAA, pass an internal review and an external audit.

The RIAA is also offering a map to help consumers find advisers near them.

At present there are only two New Zealand advisers listed - Rodger Spiller and Jonathan Neal.

O'Connor said there had been strong growth in Australian adviser numbers. The RIAA will now focus on growing New Zealand numbers, too, where it was having conversations with advisers.

He said a lot of adviser interest was driven by their high net worth or charity clients, who wanted to invest responsibly. The map would serve as a benefit to advisers of being involved with the RIAA, he said.

“We hope within six months there will be a lot more [advisers]. It’s really a response to the fact more inquiry is coming through.”

RIAA is also offering members the chance to have their products or advisers assessed and given a trademarked logo.

Tags: responsible investing