What is Impact Investing?

Aligning your investments
with purpose

What if your investments could provide financial return
and have a positive effect on the world?

It's possible through impact investing — investments made with the intent to generate measurable social and
environmental impact alongside a financial return.Footnote ¹

“Let's do good inside the portfolio while we're doing good outside the portfolio.”

—Chris Hyzy, chief investment officer for Bank of America Global Wealth & Investment Management

—Is impact investing right for you? (3:38) | Read the transcript (PDF)

How we define impact investing

We have identified four main approaches to impact investing:

Socially Responsible

Screen out entities based on faith-based or other personal preferences.

Avoid investments
associated with:

Environmental harm

Tobacco, firearms, alcohol

Practices that are in conflict with religious beliefs

How to get started:

Use our screeners to search for socially responsible funds:

Mutual fund screener

Exchange-traded fund (ETF) screener

Sustainable

Choose companies that excel at a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.

Seek investments
in companies that:

Promote and achieve sustainability

Encourage and measure corporate social responsibility

Are leaders in fair trade and factory worker safety

Thematic

Investment opportunities that focus on environmental or social themes.

Target areas of
growth in:

Green initiatives, such as climate change or water security

Gender equality and diversity

Healthcare and the global trend toward obesity

Learn more about thematic investing:

A Transforming World

Impact First

Investments that address specific social or environmental concerns using market-based solutions.

Pursue investments
that aim to:

Improve early childhood education

Reduce prisoner recidivism

Address homelessness

Committed to leading the charge

Our parent company, Bank of America Corporation, is a recognized leader in impact investingFootnote ²:

Catalytic Finance Initiative

Signatory to Principles for
Responsible Investment

Learn more about impact investing

"Impact investing: The performance realities"

New to impact investing? Learn more about growth and performance trends that have emerged in recent years.

Read the article

Related resources

Capitalism and the rise of responsible growth

Interested in learning more about impact investing?

Turn to us whenever you have questions or need help getting the most out of Merrill Edge.
Looking for one-on-one advice and guidance to help you get and stay on track?
Work with a licensed Merrill Edge Financial Solutions Advisor™

Call 24/7
888.637.3343

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Footnote ¹ "About Impact Investing." Global Impact Investing Network. April 2015.

Footnote ² Euromoney 2015 Awards for Excellence.

Investing involves risk. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities.

Impact investing and/or Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing has certain risks based on the fact that ESG criteria excludes securities of certain issuers for nonfinancial reasons and therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.

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