Values Align Your Stock Portfolio

This course helps in understanding the stock market and showing you how to make sure your public equities investments are more values-aligned. Public equities play a prominent role in most of our investment portfolios. Although many of us have some familiarity with this asset class, we may not understand the breadth of options or feel confident making investment decisions. Next course starts in February!

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Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will have:

  • A good understanding of the stock market
  • Evaluated the financial and social characteristics of the stock funds you currently own
  • Identified the values and approach you want to apply to this asset class
  • Conducted research to find more values-aligned options using freely available online tools
  • Discussed the financial and impact characteristics of different investments, enabling you to make more informed decisions
  • Learned about shareholder advocacy and how you can use this tool to influence corporate behavior

Prerequisites & Level of Effort

Completion of IFB’s Core Curriculum or prior experience in values-aligned investing is recommended, though not essential.

Course Commitment: 2 to 2.5 hours every two weeks

This 3-part course will include Zoom meetings that take place every other week over a period of 5 weeks. Each meeting will be led by a finance professional and will include brief presentations, as well as guided large and small group discussions. Prior to each meeting you are expected to perform 30 to 60 minutes of self-study. The pre-work provides a foundation for all participants and greatly enhances the discussions and cross-learning during the live meetings.

Course Content

This course will walk you through the three steps to adding values-aligned stock investments to your portfolio: (1) understanding what’s in your current portfolio and your risk appetite, (2) clarifying how you want to apply values-alignment to your stock portfolio, and (3) identifying new investment opportunities and planning your next moves.

  • Module 1:

    Take a Fresh Look at Stock Investing

    The first module in the Public Equities course focuses on your current stock market portfolio. You will discuss your risk appetite, discuss your approach to the market, and analyze some of the investments you already own. During the self-study portion of this module, you will have the opportunity to take an informed, in-depth look at your current investments. This step is often a huge eye-opener. You will also learn key terms and concepts that will help you make more informed decisions about your investments in this asset class.

  • Module 2:

    Prioritize Your Values and Fighting Style

    In the second module, you will explore the key concepts related to values-aligned investing. You will learn about, and discuss, the current state of the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investment movement in the United States, and you will be introduced to the power of shareholder activism. And you will begin a discussion about the values and the approach (or fighting style) you want to bring to this asset class. You will walk away from this session with clear idea about how you want to change your approach to the stock market.

  • Module 3:

    Find Stock Investments that Match Your Style

    In this module, you will learn how to analyze your individual stocks and stock funds to determine whether they are aligned with your values or not. You will also work with your peers to conduct research on values-aligned opportunities. Your discussions will include environmental sustainability, gender diversity, social justice, and other values that you may hold. You will end this session and the course with a clear view on how to add values-aligned stock investments to your portfolio, a commitment related to your next steps, and peers to support you as you move from knowledge to action.

Course Creators

Kylelane Purcell

Kylelane Purcell has more than 30 years’ experience writing and managing communications in the investment management sphere. After working as an analyst at Morningstar and a manager at American Century Investments, Kylelane became Vice President of Investment Communications at T. Rowe Price. After almost a decade at that company, she left in 2005 to start her own firm, Purcell Communications. More recently, Kylelane partnered with Ben Vivari, a longtime colleague to co-found Till Investors, a sustainable investing educational initiative. Together they co-authored Sustainable Investing: an ESG Starter Kit for Everyday Investors, a book that she draws upon in this course. Kylelane brings a wide range of knowledge about investment products, services, and client types to her work.

Alongside Purcell Communications CEO Ben Vivari, Kyle is also the co-founder of Till Investors, a sustainable investing educational initiative, and the co-author of “Sustainable Investing: an ESG Starter Kit for Everyday Investors.”

Outside of work, you can find Kyle discussing fantasy football options with her sons, traveling with her girlfriends, or hiking wherever the skies are blue.

Janine Firpo

Janine Firpo is a seasoned values-aligned investor and social innovator, with a long history of working at the intersection of women and their money. In 2017 she left a successful 35-year career in technology and international development to focus on how women can create a more just and equitable society through their financial investments. In 2021 her book, Activate Your Money, was published by Wiley and she co-founded Invest for Better with Ellen Remmer. Janine walks her talk. She is taking action to move all her own assets into investments she feels good about and is watching them grow with market-rate returns.

Janine Firpo
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