Nothing stands still for long in the world of Financial Planning. As global markets fluctuate, funds rise and fall, and new investment options come into view, our job at Citywide is to keep abreast of the changes and evaluate what they mean for our clients. Our investment philosophy is built on evidence-based investing, supported by world-leading economic research. Right now, there are some interesting opportunities that we believe will enhance our current portfolios – and ultimately, be of real benefit to our clients. We are therefore making some small changes.

Enhancing our portfolios

In brief, we’ve taken the decision to remove two funds from our portfolios, replacing them with a single alternative fund. We’re also amending allocations within the growth assets of our portfolios. By taking these measures, we’ll reduce our clients’ exposure to UK equity markets, and increase their exposure to non-UK developed markets and emerging markets therefore more accurately capturing the global market return. Our portfolios remain diversified and the balance of growth and defensive assets won’t change

If you’re a Citywide client, all of these changes will be outlined in a letter to you in the coming weeks. As you know, our relationship is an open and honest one, so you’re always the first to know of any changes we’re about to make. If you’re not yet a client and would like to know more about how our portfolios are put together and managed, why not give us a call?

Investing with a conscience

We know that for many of our clients, priorities are shifting and it’s no longer just economic factors that are important when investing. Maybe for you, issues like climate change or world resources are front of mind, or maybe a company’s working conditions are a big concern. That’s why we’re really excited to be introducing a brand new set of portfolios that conform to stronger Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria.

Although it’s been around for a while, ESG investing (sometimes referred to as responsible investing or green investing) is becoming much more mainstream. Not just for eco-warriors, ESG portfolios are for people who want to invest in companies that share their own values. Those values might be environmental, such as climate change, pollution, water scarcity or land use, or perhaps social and more concerned with working conditions, health and safety or human rights. Or, they may be linked to how a company is governed, so focused on executive compensation, board independence or shareholder rights. Maybe, they might encompass all three.

Of course, as with any type of investing, there’s not a ‘one size fits all’ ESG portfolio. The right one for you will depend on your attitude to investing and your level of risk. But the good thing is that there are now more options than ever before – and having a conscience no longer means having to accept a compromise of poor performance or high volatility.

We are proud to be able to offer ESG portfolios to our clients. If you’re interested in investing in these, please get in touch with one of the Citywide team to find out more.

Finger on the pulse

At Citywide, we work hard to stay up to date with the most interesting and innovative ways to invest – and our focus is always on ensuring your wealth keeps on working hard for you. If there’s anything you want to know about any aspect of investing or financial planning, all you have to do is pick up the phone and speak to us. Call 01372 365950

Risk warnings

This article is distributed for educational purposes only and must not be considered to be investment advice or an offer of any security for sale. The reference to any products is made only to make educational points and must, in no circumstances, be deemed to be any form of product recommendation.

This article contains the opinions of the author but not necessarily the Firm and does not represent a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product.

Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed.

Past performance is not indicative of future results and no representation is made that the stated results will be replicated.

Errors and omissions excepted.