Impact Investing

From eating healthy to thinking sustainably, our daily choices are a reflection of the dynamic forces shaping global markets and economies in the world around us. Merrill Lynch’s Impact Investing platform enables you to transform these forces into investment opportunities that may mitigate risk, target global trends and align to causes and issues important to you.

Our Approach

We begin by working with you to identify the causes and issues that you care most about. Next, your private wealth advisor will help you to evaluate the different ways in which your investment portfolio may be able to reflect these topics while keeping you on track to pursue your financial goals. At Merrill Lynch, we break our impact investing strategies into four main approaches:

Socially responsible

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

Sustainable

Proactively choose entities that excel at a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors

Thematic

Investment opportunities that focus on environmental or social themes

Impact First

Investments dedicated to addressing specific social or environmental concerns using market-based strategies

Services

Mutual Funds, ETFs and Separately Managed Accounts

Drawn from our roster of high conviction investment solutions that have been selected by the Chief Investment Office

Sustainable Impact Portfolios & Core Impact Portfolios

Built by the Chief Investment Office to deliver diversified multi-asset exposure to fit a client’s portfolio objectives while also allowing them to invest for positive social and environmental impact

Direct Investment

Available for impact-selected equities, green bonds, private equity and other impact-selected opportunities

A private wealth advisor can help you learn more.

Find an advisor

Related Capabilities

Latest Thinking

Impact investments at Merrill Lynch undergo the same rigorous due diligence process as traditional strategies that we offer. As a second step, our CIO Due Diligence team analyzes impact strategies for intentionality to ensure that their stated impact resonates throughout the strategy.

All of this feeds into our goals-based wealth management process, so clients can work with their private wealth advisor to help ensure that their investment decisions are helping them pursue their goals.

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 non-financial reasons and therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.

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

Asset allocation, diversification and rebalancing do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp.

Merrill Private Wealth Management is a division of MLPF&S that offers a broad array of personalized wealth management products and services. Both brokerage and investment advisory services (including financial planning) are offered by the Private Wealth Advisors through MLPF&S. The nature and degree of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, and client rights and Merrill’s obligations will differ among these services. Investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal investment.

The banking, credit and trust services sold by Private Wealth Advisors are offered by licensed banks and trust companies, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and other affiliated banks.

Insurance and annuity products are offered through Merrill Lynch Life Agency Inc., a licensed insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

Investment products, insurance and annuity products:

Are Not FDIC Insured

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

May Lose Value

Are Not Deposits

Are Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency

Are Not a Condition to Any Banking Service or Activity

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