ethical investing guide

Do you want to get rich, but not at the expense of the poor? You're not alone. Ethical investors in the UK are growing in number each year along with public awareness of pollution, fair trade, child labour, arms sales and similar contentious issues.

Ethical investing has gone from being a 'fringe' activity - previously seen as the practice of tree-huggers and sandal-wearers - to a going concern that offers clear-conscience alternatives for the full range of financial products including mortgages, bank accounts, utilities, investments and pensions.

Now, more than ever, it's easy being green. But just because a product is deemed 'ethical' doesn't mean it is necessarily a wise financial choice. Given the relatively small number of companies engaged in ethical activities, there are a restricted number of stocks that funds can be invested in - a situation that often caused poor performance in the past.

These days, however, UK ethical funds perform on a par with regular funds, according to Standard and Poor's. This is a far cry from 1984 when Friends Provident's Stewardship Fund had to carry a 'wealth warning' so that investors knew the rewards of ethical investment might not have stretched far beyond a clear conscience.

It is important to get advice from an independent financial advisor to help you make the right choice of ethical investment for both your financial goals and your ethical ideals.