Socially responsible investing

The Nike Foundation and Liberty Mutual recently took top honors at The World Business Academy's EthicMark Awards, which recognize advertising that "uplifts the human spirit and society." The winning companies have hit the pulse of a modern necessity -- that people (including corporate management) be about something more than just the latest trend.

Americans may soon get the opportunity to invest more conscientiously in their workplace retirement accounts: A new survey shows that more and more employers are adding socially responsible investment choices to their plans, screening companies based on social and environmental impact.

When it comes to money, it can be hard to choose between "doing good" -- say, by donating to charity -- and "doing well" -- deploying it to earn more money, say, by buying stock. But there are ways to combine both ideals, and one is by putting your money where your town is.

Investors choose socially responsible ETFs because they want their portfolios to support their values. But do all of these funds really justify their label? For example, some include stocks like Transocean and Haliburton, of Gulf oil spill fame.

A growing number of exchange-traded funds are popping up to support socially responsible businesses, and experts expect to see a boom in these funds soon. But are ETFs the best way to spur change, while earning solid returns at the same time?

More people are putting their money where their values are -- a sentiment that isn't lost on money managers. Just this week, the first of three exchange-traded funds targeted at Christian investors hit the market. Two more will launch next week.

An article in The Wall Street Journal looks at the changing face of socially responsible investing.Socially responsible investment funds generally use screens to avoid stocks that they perceive as being objectionable: alcohol and tobacco companies, along with weapons manufacturers are generally...