Religiously Motivated Investing

Religiously Motivated Investing and the Socially Responsible Investment Community

Religiously motivated investing (RMI) is a rapidly evolving core component of the larger socially responsible investment community. Understanding the contextual nuances of RMI and its placement within this community requires a brief overview of socially responsible investing itself. The term socially responsible investing (SRI) encompasses an investment strategy whereby financial contributions are placed into investment vehicles designed to combine the traditional investment philosophy favoring profit maximization with values-based component-seeking nonfinancial benefits. Such nonfinancial benefits are often referred to as social returns. These social returns vary in scope but may be broadly defined as corporate policies and actions that enhance a socially responsible investor's specific environmental, religious, or social values. It is important to note that such enhancements ...