SAN DIEGO, Nov. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rowling & Associates, a leading independent wealth management firm announced today the result of new ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investment management research and implications for advisors and their clients as part of R&A's InStrategy outsourced investment committee offering for independent RIAs.
The research found that funds with ESG factors considered, performed equally as well as benchmark funds, however, those funds with an ESG tilt had lower volatility, resulting in superior, long-term risk-adjusted returns.
"When we first began researching ESG investing, we were responding to client objectives that their investments were aligned with their values," said Sheryl Rowling, CEO and founder of Rowling & Associates. "As part of that process, we realized that integrating ESG analysis into investing also gives fund managers a powerful data source to determine whether a holding is a good investment or not; and as a result, our research has shown that considering ESG factors when investing can lead to better long-term risk-adjusted performance."
According to R&A's investment management research, ESG stock mutual funds had similar returns to non-ESG focused funds, however with a lower standard deviation and higher Sharpe ratio. These ESG factors are available to be considered by mutual fund managers as part of their investment holdings, creating a powerful new screen for R&A portfolio strategists to consider when selecting funds for client portfolios as part of InStrategy.
"Using mutual funds with managers that incorporate ESG factors into security analysis makes sense at a very basic finance level," said Lorenzo Sanchez, CFP®, Director of Wealth Management for R & A. "We expect that incorporating ESG factors will, over the long-term, provide better investment results by eliminating unsystematic risks."
InStrategy is a turnkey, tax-efficient investment strategy and research service that provides quantitative and qualitative methods used for identifying preferred mutual funds and portfolio models for independent advisors, based on Modern Portfolio Theory. The research service is offered to advisors at a low fixed fee of $6,000, a very disruptive price point.
InStrategy includes asset allocation models, preferred mutual fund buy lists, tax loss harvesting fund buy lists, rebalancing software settings, building block models, detailed fund analyses, ESG preferred funds, and 529 plan analysis all under a white labeled platform that advisors can leverage for presentations, quarterly letters, and timely client emails.
"The outcome of this research is an exclusive list of very high-quality, ESG-oriented mutual funds," said Rowling. "We are excited to begin implementing these funds into our recommended models, providing advisors using InStrategy with yet another client benefit and added value for portfolio construction."
To learn more about InStrategy, please log onto http://www.Rowling.com.
About Sheryl Rowling
Sheryl Rowling has been providing fee-only tax and financial planning advice since 1979. She is the founder and principal of Rowling & Associates with professional credentials including Certified Public Accountant and Personal Financial Specialist. Active in her field, Sheryl has been named one of the nation's top 250 financial advisors by Worth magazine and has been included as one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting, and most recently recognized as one of the industry's "Icons and Innovators" by Investment News. Previously, Sheryl managed tax departments at Arthur Young & Company and two multi-million dollar corporations. She holds an MBA in finance and a BS in accounting from San Diego State University.
About Rowling & Associates
Rowling & Associates provides fee-only, tax-efficient financial planning and investment advice. The firm doesn't earn commissions on any recommendations and adheres to strict fiduciary standards. Prestigious designations held at the firm include Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). To learn more, log onto http://www.rowling.com.
SOURCE Rowling & Associates
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