SRI in the Rockies, the largest and longest-running sustainable and responsible investing conference in the world, will mark its 20th year and highlight growing opportunities for investors who embrace innovative investment strategies targeted on environmental, social, and governance factors. More than 650 attendees from the U.S. and around the world are expected to gather October 25–28, 2009 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona. The 20th Anniversary SRI in the Rockies Conference. From Crisis to Opportunity: Investing for a Sustainable Economy, will be presented by First Affirmative Financial Network in collaboration with the Social Investment Forum. “Sustainable and responsible investing is moving rapidly to the forefront of investment strategy,” said Steve Schueth, President of First Affirmative. “This year’s conference has a particular responsibility to highlight how we all can play a crucial role in finding real market solutions to the world’s environmental and social problems and make money in the process.” The 2009 conference list of speakers include: James K. Galbraith, PhD, the Lloyd M. Bentsen chair in Government and Business Relations and professor of Economics at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin; Mindy S. Lubber, president of Ceres, the leading U.S. coalition of investors and environmental leaders working to improve corporate environmental, social, and governance practices; Auden Schendler, executive director of Sustainability at Aspen Skiing Company; and Andy Serwer, managing editor of FORTUNE magazine. Visit SRI in the Rockies (http://www.sriintherockies.com) to access speaker photos and bios. Lisa Woll, CEO of the Social Investment Forum, said: “The 20th anniversary of SRI in the Rockies occurs in a year in which there already have been significant steps forward in the national commitment to advancing policies that support good governance, transparency, and concerted attention on environmental and social issues within businesses and financial institutions. With national attention on addressing the financial crisis and regulatory frameworks, dealing with climate change and creating a clean, green economy, and looking at broad social and governance issues including executive compensation and mortgage and credit card reform, we believe that more individual and institutional investors will become socially responsible investors.” As the premier industry event, SRI in the Rockies attracts a wide range of investment professionals—from financial advisors to institutional investors and mutual fund companies, as well as social research and proxy voting organizations. Members of religious organizations and social change non-profits, and officers from community development banks, credit unions, and related organizations also will be in attendance. “Given the growing global awareness of investing for a more sustainable future, this year’s conference is all about identifying opportunities that are presenting themselves at this important juncture in the history of investing,” said Schueth. The 2009 conference will benefit from the support of leaders in the SRI industry including Calvert, a mutual fund company that for 30 years has been offering the nation's largest array of sustainable and responsible mutual funds. Calvert is unique among sponsoring organizations in that it has been a supporter of all 20 SRI in the Rockies conferences. For a full list of sponsoring organizations, visit http://www.sriintherockies.com/sponsors.jsp.
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First Affirmative Financial Network, a leading provider of investment management and consulting services to financial advisors and their socially conscious clients, is rolling out a new regional conference series designed to help investment advisors and financial planners accelerate the move to socially responsible investing (SRI).Each BaseCamp SRI is a one-day event specifically designed for investment professionals seeking to help their clients direct investment capital in ways that are positive, healthy, and transformative.The five-city series starts in Denver on March 26, 2009 with subsequent stops in Portland (April 28), New York, (May 18), San Francisco (June 4), and Seattle (July 9). There is no charge for qualified advisors to attend a BaseCamp and lunch will be served. For more information and to register, go to http://basecampsri.firstaffirmative.com.“Like a mountaineering base camp, BaseCamp SRI is designed to help an advisor make it to the top,” said First Affirmative President Steve Schueth. “The sustainable and responsible investing landscape is an exciting one, and each BaseCamp will be packed with good, timely information presented by experts and peers.”As the producer of the annual SRI in the Rockies Conference, First Affirmative is uniquely positioned to assist in the professional growth of investment advisors who work with investor clients interested in green investing and integrating social responsibility or sustainability into the investment process. Each BaseCamp SRI will provide valuable skills and strategies investment advisors can implement immediately—practical information and tools to better serve the unique needs of socially conscious investor clients, including:• Creating an environment of trust conducive to meaningful conversations about the issues clients and prospects care deeply about.• Developing the confidence necessary to initiate conversations about combining social responsibility with investment performance.• Understanding the available resources, including investment products, social networks, discussion forums, Q&A listings, a network of local experts, and a community of peers.• Learning about critical and controversial global issues to help clients make informed choices.First Affirmative has focused on quality portfolio management for socially conscious investors since 1988. Says Schueth, “Whether you call it green, values-based, socially responsible, or sustainable investing, portfolio management should be prudent and rewarding for both investors and advisors. When it comes to investing, there’s no longer any reason to separate good fortune from good will.”MORE ABOUT FIRST AFFIRMATIVEFirst Affirmative Financial Network, LLC (www.FirstAffirmative.com) is an independent fee-only Registered Investment Advisor (SEC File #801-56587). The company manages over $500 million in client portfolios and offers consulting and asset management services through a nationwide network of investment professionals who specialize in serving socially conscious investors. First Affirmative produces the annual SRI in the Rockies Conference in collaboration with the non-profit Social Investment Forum. The 20th annual SRI in the Rockies Conference (www.SRIintheRockies.com) will be October 25–28, 2009 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona.For more information about BaseCamp SRI, go to http://basecampsri.firstaffirmative.com or contact Danielle Burns at 877-542-8583 /danielleburns@firstaffirmative.com.
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Posted by Erik Keith on December 22, 2008 at 2:30pm
It took $4 gasoline to get folks to think about their driving habits. Similarly, it looks like a meltdown of the megabanks and other financial institutions is prompting consumers to think about where they are putting their money, who they can trust and what results they should expect. And much of their hard earned cash is flowing into deposits at community banks:• According to the FDIC, banks with less than $10 billion in assets, community banks, have seen an increase in deposit growth this year from a minus 0.77% in Q1 to a positive 2.06% in Q3. Larger banks witnessed a 3.81% decline in growth of deposits for the same period.• The Federal Reserve reported that October deposits and lending at community banks outpaced the overall industry. Between October 1 and October 22, community banks saw deposits rise 1.1 percent, or nearly $27 billion, to more than $2.4 trillion. For the same period, the nation’s 30 largest U.S. chartered banks saw $44 billion, or 1.2 percent of deposits, walk out the door, leaving them with less than $3.8 trillion.• REWARDChecking, a free checking account offered by more than 450 community financial institutions across the country, reported a 96% jump in deposits in the third quarter of this year.“Through products like REWARDChecking, community financial institutions are winning back customers from the faltering megabanks and investment houses,” said Don Shafer, Chairman of BancVue, a leading provider of products and consulting to community banking institutions. “Americans are indicating that they enjoy investing their money locally, and they benefit from high yields, fiscal safety and customer service.”Higher yields on short term deposits like those found on CheckingFinder.com are certainly fueling interest in community banks. Month-to-month applications on CheckingFinder.com (https://www.checkingfinder.com/), a website that connects consumers with community financial institutions offering high-yield checking accounts, jumped 14% from July to August, 46% from August to September, and 53% from September to October. A small sampling of applicants on the site indicated nearly seven out of 10 were moving their funds to community financial institutions from large banks.Examples of the yields found at community banks compared to those higher yielding shorter term deposits at megabanks (as of December 15) includes:COMMUNITY BANKS YIELDS PRODUCTSCommunity Bank of Pleasant Hill, MO; 6.10%; High-yield CheckingFirst Robinson Bank, IL; 6.01%; High-yield CheckingLegence Bank, IL; 6.01%; High-yield CheckingCommunity Bank of Raymore, MO; 6.01%; High-yield CheckingThree Rivers FCU, IN; 6.01%; High-yield CheckingFlorida Central Credit Union, FL; 6.01%; High-yield CheckingUnion State Bank/Bank of Atchison, KS; 6.01%; High-yield CheckingBank of Granite, NC; 6.00%; High-yield CheckingMEGABANKSWAMU; 5.00%; CD (5 years)eLoan; 4.75%; CD (6 years)Schwab; 3.60%; CD (18 months)ING; 3.75%; CD (1 year)HSBC; 3.50%; CD (1 year)Countrywide (BofA); 3.10%; CD (9 months)eTRADE; 2.25%; CD (12 month)“Three years ago the issue of 'how secure is my money?' was literally not on the consumer’s radar; today, the future viability of the nation’s largest banks is,” continued Shafer. “Not so with community banking, a system that has endeared trust by its roots and not by its branches.”
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Healthy Community Banks Unfairly Impacted and Consumers Should Heed Wake-Up CallAs the economic crisis puts a spotlight on the obscure world of credit default swaps (CDS), an unregulated $62 trillion market that most people never heard of and even fewer understood, the fear of a CDS catastrophe is haunting the country’s largest banks, and the nation’s healthy community institutions and consumers are paying the price.An analysis of FDIC data as of 12/2008 conducted by BancVue (www.bancvue.com), a leading provider of products and consulting to community banking institutions, shows that commercial banks $10 billion or larger have just over $24 worth of credit derivatives for each dollar of equity. By comparison, the rest of the industry has essentially one-tenth of a penny of CDS for each dollar of equity. Those numbers translate to the big banks having roughly 23,000 times as much credit derivative exposure versus all other community financial institutions.This comes at a time when megabanks are already reeling from write-downs on mortgage-related securities. "These are the same institutions that themselves have either directly or through subsidiaries invested in the subprime market," said Don Shafer, Chairman of BancVue. “After suffering losses all over the place, the megabanks are now waiting for the next shoe to drop. In the meantime, it’s placing an undue burden on healthy small banks and should serve as a wake-up call to consumers.”Since the mortgage-backed securities that many swaps were supporting began to lose value in 2007, investors have feared that the swaps, originally meant as a hedge against risk, could suddenly become huge liabilities. While the CDS marketplace is completely unregulated and the swaps trade without a central clearinghouse, it’s known that commercial banks are among the most active participants. According to the Comptroller of the Currency, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, and Wachovia were ranked the top four most active players.In February, federal regulators facing a cascade of bank failures depleting the deposit insurance fund raised the fees paid by U.S. financial institutions. Although the FDIC intended on charging more from higher risk banks, they also suggested levying a hefty emergency premium in a bid to collect $27 billion this year. The higher premiums being assessed were originally set for 20 cents for every $100 of insured deposits levied equally on the 8,305 federally insured institutions. To put that in perspective, for a $250 million dollar community bank, the “one time tax” would constitute a $500,000 hit, which could wipe out 20% to 40% of a bank’s annual profits. At the Independent Community Banking Association Convention last week, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair predicted that the assessment will probably be lower. She went on to say that the FDIC is seeking comments on whether the agency should use total assets or some other base for the special assessment, which would have consequences for how the burden is distributed.“How about basing part of the assessment on the amount of credit derivatives a bank holds compared to their equity?” continues Shafer, referencing BancVue’s research showing the extraordinary exposure to CDSs of the megabanks versus the community financial institutions. “If you are going to unfairly burden smaller banks that played by the rules, the least the FDIC can do is base the levy on the banks that helped trigger the crisis.”Even amidst this threat and turmoil among the megabanks, consumers are still trusting more than 70% of deposits in the U.S. to these large financial institutions. “Americans appear to be paralyzed in their banking relationship leaving so much of their hard earned cash in TARP and CDS-laden megabanks. It’s time for consumers to wake up and evaluate their banking options, particularly when community banks offer a less risky deposit alternative with better products and services,” concludes Shafer.
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With the economy and investment opportunities slimming, consumers are looking for alternative, safe avenues for storing their money other than their mattress. CheckingFinder.com, home to the highest yielding free checking accounts at community banks and credit unions across the nation, has announced a limited time offer of a trial membership to Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com for every person who submits an application.In addition to the advice and tools from Dave Ramsey, a personal money management expert and best-selling author, consumers will find checking accounts yielding up to 5.15% APY and be able to open them within minutes on CheckingFinder.com."Dave Ramsey is renowned for offering life-changing financial advice on his nationally syndicated radio talk show and in his books, and we're proud to be able to offer his MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com, especially during these tough economic times," said Gabe Krajicek, Chief Executive Officer of BancVue, the company responsible for providing high-yield REWARDChecking® to community financial institutions and aggregating them with the help of marketing partner, FIRST ROI on CheckingFinder.com.CheckingFinder.com is an online search engine that helps consumers find free, high-interest checking accounts with no minimum balance from community financial institutions across the country. Consumers have the peace of mind knowing that all these accounts are insured through the FDIC, NCUA, or ASI. The advertised rates are not introductory teaser rates, there are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements associated with the accounts, and ATM fees are refunded nationwide.Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com is a subscription site helping people discover financial peace by walking them through Ramsey's 'baby step process' for dumping debt and building wealth. MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com is widely considered to be one of the best tools available to keep people motivated and accountable for their finances."Dave Ramsey has been a solid supporter of what we're doing at CheckingFinder™ and with the REWARDChecking accounts," said John Waupsh, Chief Executive Officer of FIRST ROI. "He truly understands what it means for money to work harder."For more information on these free, high-yield checking accounts at community financial institutions and the free trial offer to Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com, visit http://www.checkingfinder.com.
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Posted by Erik Keith on October 21, 2008 at 10:35am
Socially responsible investment industry leaders will focus considerable attention on the global financial crisis at the 19th annual SRI in the Rockies Conference October 26-28, 2008.A record 720 participants are expected to converge on The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, in Whistler, British Columbia. Several of the scheduled conference sessions will feature experts discussing how socially conscious investors can help to reshape the future of the global financial system around the principles of transparency, fairness, good governance, and long-term thinking, including:• A CEO Roundtable on Industry Trends;• A Banking Sector panel focused on Sustainable Global Finance;• A session on Philanthropy and Mission-Related Investing;• An expert panel on the Sub-Prime Mortgage Situation;• A roundtable discussion with International SRI Industry Leaders;• A discussion about how wise management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues can reduce risk and position companies to excel over the long term; and• A Special Session that will focus specifically on the global financial crisis.“This is a unique opportunity for SRI leaders to strategize on integrating the principles of socially and environmentally responsible investing – such as responsible corporate governance – into the nation’s financial infrastructure moving forward,” said Lisa Woll, Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Forum (SIF).SRI in the Rockies, a collaboration between First Affirmative Financial Network and the Social Investment Forum, is the premier annual conference for the sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) industry in North America.“The financial crisis has put a spotlight on some of the worst practices on Wall Street, many of which socially conscious investors have worked to remedy over the years,” said George R. Gay, CEO of First Affirmative Financial Network and a Director of the Social Investment Forum. “We believe that a more socially responsible approach to investing can—and should—play a role in helping to transform the investing world.”SRI in the Rockies takes place against the backdrop of an industry that continues to expand rapidly. According to the SIF’s “2007 Trends Report,” nearly one out of every nine dollars under professional management in the U.S. in 2007 was involved in SRI. From 2005-2007, SRI assets increased more than 18 percent while the broader universe of professionally managed assets expanded less than 3 percent.
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Investors who earmark at least one percent of their capital for community investment will be honored at the 2008 SRI in the Rockies Conference, the premier annual conference for the sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) industry in North America.“Community investing, a core SRI strategy, has successfully served the same populations currently reeling from bad loans made by predatory lenders,” said Lisa Woll, chief executive officer of the Social Investment Forum (SIF). “Continuing to expand the pool of funds available for community investing is more important now than ever before.”SRI in the Rockies is collaboration between the Social Investment Forum and First Affirmative Financial Network. More than 700 participants are expected to gather in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, October 26–28, 2008 for the 19th annual SRI in the Rockies Conference.Community investors’ direct capital to communities underserved by traditional financial services, providing access to credit, equity, capital and basic banking products that economically distressed communities and lower-income borrowers otherwise would not have.Community investing is the fastest growing component of SRI. Investment in the field has increased from $5.4 billion in 1999 to more than $25 billion in 2007. The goal of the “1% or More in Community Campaign” is for SIF members to help push community investment in the United States to $30 billion by 2010."The ‘1% or More for Community Campaign’ has the potential to impact wide-scale investor action across the investment community, positively impacting the economically disadvantaged communities of the hurricane-torn gulf coast, other low-income communities across the United States, and in developing countries around the world," said William Bynum, executive director, Enterprise Corporation of the Delta.SIF and Co-op America co-founded the “1% or More in Community Campaign” in 2001 to advance community investing among Social Investment Forum members by encouraging them to shift one percent or more of their investment dollars into community investing, thus making financing available to economically distressed communities and lower income families.SIF members who have met the campaign challenge will be honored during a breakfast at SRI in the Rockies on October 27th. More information about the Social Investment Forum along with a current list of SIF members who have achieved the “1% or More in Community Investing Campaign” goal is available at www.communityinvest.org.
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As Personal Savings Rise to 5%, Consumers Could be Making Up to 6% APRAccording to the U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday, the personal savings rate surged to 5% in January. As consumers frantically try to save their money as the economic outlook continues to look bleak throughout much of the country, they could be making up to 6% APR on their checking account.A “personal financial stimulus package” starts with the basics—your banking relationship. Community banks are still offering the best interest rates on free checking accounts:Florida Central Credit Union 6.01First Robinson Savings Bank 6.01Communications Federal Credit Union 5.25Connexus Credit Union 5.15Community Bank of Pleasant Hill 5.01Three Rivers FCU 5.01Union State Bank/Bank of Atchison 5.01Beacon Federal Credit Union 4.51In over 4000 community financial institution branches across the country, consumers are receiving from 3% to 6% interest rates on free checking with no minimum balance and reimbursed ATM fees. And these are NOT teaser rates.With a history of delivering value and customer-centric service, selected community banks and credit unions are offering free checking accounts with CD-like yields. The bank or credit union realizes operational savings when account holders accept eStatements, utilize direct deposit, access online banking, and increase their debit card usage and returns it to the consumer in the form of higher yields.To help consumers find community banks and credit unions with high-yield checking accounts, www.checkingfinder.com was created.
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Posted by Erik Keith on September 24, 2008 at 2:00pm
Award-winning veteran journalist David Brancaccio, Stephen Lewis, Former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and Barbara J. Krumsiek, Chair, CEO, and President of Calvert Group, Ltd. are among a powerful group of speakers and topics slated for the 19th annual SRI in the Rockies Conference, October 26–29, 2008.Mr. Brancaccio, host of the PBS news magazine NOW and author of Squandering Aimlessly; will moderate a roundtable on industry trends at SRI in the Rockies, which will be held at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler in the stunning Canadian Rockies in Whistler, British Columbia. This year’s meeting is expected to draw a record 700 sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) industry practitioners and professionals from related fields in the United States, Canada, and around the world—the largest gathering in the conference’s 19-year history.The 2008 conference theme is Beyond Borders: Investing & Partnering for a Sustainable World. Sessions will focus on sustainable finance and investing, ramifications of the credit crisis, business ethics and transparency, new trends in shareholder activism, climate change, various emerging issues and industries like clean tech, the latest on community investing, and a host of other topics.In addition to Mr. Brancaccio, plenary speakers include:• Doug Bauer, Senior Vice President , Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors• Melissa Brown, former Executive Director, Association of Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA)• Timothy "Scott" Case, Technologist, Entrepreneur, Inventor: Co-Founder, priceline.com• Michelle Chan, Program Manager, Green Investments Project, Friends of the Earth; President of BankTrack• Dave Chen, Venture Capitalist; Chairman of the Oregon Innovation Council• Matt Christensen, Executive Director, European Social Investment Forum• Eugene Ellmen, Executive Director, Social Investment Organization, Canada• Sarah Forrest, Executive Director, Goldman Sachs Sustain, London• Reynold Hert, President, CEO and Director, Western Forest Products Inc.• Jennifer James, Urban Cultural Anthropologist• Michael Jantzi, President and Founder, Jantzi Research• Barbara J. Krumsiek, Chair, CEO, and President of Calvert Group, Ltd.• Valerie Langer, Director, BC Coast Campaigns, ForestEthics• Kenneth G. Lay, Vice President and Treasurer, The World Bank• Stephen Lewis, Former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations• Ross McMillan, President and CEO, Tides Canada Foundation• Ken Melamed, Mayor of the Resort Municipality of Whistler, BC• Sandra Odendahl, Chair, North American Task Force, UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)• Jack Robinson, Founder, Winslow Management Company• Richard Russell, Board President, The Russell Family Foundation• Art Sterritt, Executive Director of the Coastal First Nations• Lisa Woll, CEO of the Social Investment Forum (U.S.)SRI in the Rockies is a partnership between First Affirmative Financial Network and the non-profit Social Investment Forum (SIF). The conference attracts a wide range of investment professionals—from financial advisors to institutional investors and mutual fund companies—as well as social research and proxy voting organizations. Members of religious organizations and social change non-profits, and officers from community development banks, credit unions and related organizations also will be in attendance.
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