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How can I exclude companies that engage in practices I want to avoid?
Your preferences matter. Select from the various 'practices to avoid' below to exclude the stocks of companies that do not share your values or add single stock exclusions. They will apply to all your investments automatically. We have rigorous processes to manage the stocks in each of the practices to avoid and the investments that overlap with them.
Customization
One size does not fit all. Our technology ensures that your investments reflect your choices. Select practices to avoid to create customized portfolios uniquely suited to you. For example, build your own custom index by selecting your practices to avoid and investing in one of our index-like portfolios such as our Broad Market or Russell Technology portfolios.
Practices to avoid
Click on the icons to learn more.
Animal testing
Companies selling personal and household products and services that are tested on animals.
Business ethics controversies
Companies associated with the highest number of ethical, political and corruption-related controversies, as reported in the media.
Corporate political spending and lobbying
Companies that donate the most in support of political parties/candidates and spend the most on lobbying, relative to size.
Energy intensive
Companies with the highest total energy usage.
Fossil fuels
Companies that operate in the coal industry and /or are among the largest producers of oil.
Greenhouse emissions
Companies with the highest reported direct and indirect CO2 emissions.
Hazardous waste
Companies responsible for creating the largest volume of hazardous waste.
High water usage
Companies with the highest levels of water withdrawals.
Tobacco, alcohol and gambling
Companies that derive revenue from the sale of tobacco and alcohol or from gambling activities.
Weapons and gun manufacturers
Companies that derive revenue from the sale of military equipment and weapons.
Understanding the cost of your choices
- Many of our portfolios have an overlap with the stocks of companies engaging in the practices to avoid.
- Excluding stocks from your portfolio affects its performance.
- The returns for the portfolio excluding the selected practices to avoid are computed using the appropriate returns over the period.
Use the tool below to see how excluding stocks of companies engaging in selected practices to avoid impacts each portfolio's performance. Please see the Important information below to review important disclosures on the risks and limitations of relying on hypothetical returns.
What’s in a name?
In the industry, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is often used interchangeably with ESG investing, ethical investing, sustainable investing, green investing or impact investing. But it isn't always clear what this means for you or your investments.
We believe investors are catalysts for change in the behavior and the the companies they invest in. Our approach centers on investing in companies that operate businesses with socially desirable products and services as well as the incorporation of ESG factors into investment decision-making, thus incentivizing better practices from the companies.
We want to empower you to make more conscious investment decisions and we offer various easy, transparent and low cost ways for you to express your values.
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Important Information
By clicking one or more of the practices to avoid above, you acknowledge that you: (a) have read and understand this Important Information, (b) have opted to view hypothetical back-tested returns, and (c) understand the limitations and risks of relying on such hypothetical back-tested returns.
Past performance is no guarantee of future returns, and all investments involve the risk of loss, including loss of principal and a reduction in earnings.
As users actively remove specific securities from default portfolios on the platform by selecting one or more of the pre-defined practices to avoid developed by Interactive Advisors (“IA”), they should expect the performance of these modified portfolios to deviate from the default version of the portfolios in material ways.
The actual performance of the manager account displayed in the default version of the above chart is based on the performance of a third-party manager or IA account invested in the selected portfolio, calculated on a daily time-weighted basis, including cash, dividends and earnings distributions. This actual performance is presented “net of fees” and reflects the deduction of IA’s advisory fee, Interactive Brokers LLC brokerage and other commissions and expenses that a client has to pay if he invests in the portfolio. None of the performance information displayed in the above chart is based on the actual performance of any IA client account investing in a portfolio. The performance in an IA client account invested in a portfolio will differ (i.e., be lower or higher) from the Portfolio Manager’s account performance based on any trading restrictions imposed by the client (resulting in different account holdings), time of initial investment, amount of investment, frequency and size of cash flows in and out of the client account, applicable brokerage commissions, and different corporate actions. Clients investing in a portfolio may view the actual performance of their investment by logging into their Interactive Advisors account and reviewing their customized dashboard.
When a user selects one or more of the practices to avoid, the performance chart displays a plotted line representing the actual performance of an IA or third-party manager account alongside a second line representing this actual performance minus (i.e., leaving out) the performance of the stocks making up the practices to avoid chosen by the user. The hypothetical back-tested returns represented by the second plotted line are NOT actual returns based on actual trading of real client funds for any time periods. These hypothetical back-tested returns are not based on nor bear any relation to the actual performance of any IA client portfolio and are not indicative of actual past or future returns. IA does not make any representation that any client will or is likely to achieve returns similar to the hypothetical returns presented here and no client actually attained these hypothetical returns. These hypothetical back-tested returns reflect the deduction of advisory fees, brokerage or other commissions and other expenses that an IA client would have to pay if he invested in a portfolio.
The performance chart for the default portfolios or the practices to avoid modified portfolios is provided for informational and educational illustrative purposes only, and should not be used as the basis for making an investment decision.
These portfolios mainly invest in stocks and ETFs and may not be suitable for all investors.
Nothing on this page should be constructed as a solicitation or offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security or as an attempt to provide any investment advice. Investment advice is only provided to investors who become clients pursuant to an investment management agreement. Covestor Ltd is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, doing business as Interactive Advisors.
Detailed information on the risks, conflicts of interest, applicable brokerage commissions, fractional shares, and limitations on investments and divestments associated with these portfolios (along with Interactive Advisors’ full disclosures) is provided on the Forms and Agreements page. Additional information on the performance, composition and construction process for these portfolios may be found on each portfolio page.
Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Brokerage services are provided to Interactive Advisors clients by affiliate Interactive Brokers LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member NYSE, FINRA and SIPC.