ESG Accord is encouraging all finance professionals “to have a good read” of the Consumer Investments Selected Findings of the FCA Financial Lives Survey, released on 16 May.
A clear finding of the survey is that clients still value responsible investment options, “even if they don’t say so!”, Elly Dowding, director, ESG Accord, says.
“The Consumer Investments Selected Findings document is 103 pages, but it is categorised clearly and on page 70 you will find Section 6 ‘Attitudes towards, and experiences of, responsible investments,” Dowding says.
Highlighting elements of the findings, Dowding says the survey shows that responsible investing remains an important consideration for clients – even as overt interest appears to plateau.
Importantly, 76% of adults with any investments or a DC pension said it is important to be asked whether they want to invest responsibly when selecting a pension or receiving advice.
“This matters. Clients expect their financial advisers to offer options that align not only with their financial goals, but with broader concerns about sustainability, governance, and social impact. While only 58% of this group say they are explicitly aware of responsible investing, the expectation that these considerations are part of the advice process is clear.
“And, we have to point out, what may look like waning or plateauing enthusiasm in the survey results could in fact be a sign of success. As climate risk and clean technology become embedded in mainstream finance, responsible investment is increasingly seen not as a values-driven “add-on”, but as a default expectation. In other words, many clients no longer distinguish between “investing” and “investing responsibly” – they assume the latter is baked in.
“Advisers should continue to raise the topic proactively. Asking about responsible investment preferences isn’t just a compliance tick-box. It’s about offering more relevant, differentiated advice — and leading the shift toward a more resilient model… Via this Survey, clients are telling us they want to be asked.”
ESG Accord provides a free-to-access suitability toolkit giving advice firms a process to ensure that clients are asked and have made an informed choice, which can be obtained via the Accord Initiative website.
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