How investing has become a way of making a positive impact

Driven by an increasing environmentally and socially conscious generation, a new way of investing is emerging. With investing now more accessible than ever, investment services must adopt innovative strategies to attract a new generation of investors. While few investors paid attention to environmental, social and governance (ESG) data before the last decade, there’s now an increased awareness that a company’s carbon footprint may have an effect on their long-term profit potential and company value. This shift has influenced more and more investors to start considering ESG factors alongside more traditional financial metrics.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s clearer now that companies with effective governance structures and positive corporate cultures are more resilient to unprecedented shocks. RBC Global Asset Management’s 2021 Responsible Investment Survey concluded that the adoption of ESG integration remains strong among global investors, and a significant number have also placed greater emphasis on ESG considerations as a result of the pandemic. RBC InvestEase®, the bank’s low-fee, low-effort, professionally managed digital investing platform, upholds these findings in their Responsible Investing Portfolios.

“A pillar of our strategy at RBC is to support our clients in the transition to a net-zero economy with our products, services and advice,” says Siân Canavan, senior director and head of RBC InvestEase. “One of our commitments has been to provide more investment options that focus on climate-related goals through curated portfolios that allow Canadians to drive positive change with their investments.” And it doesn’t stop at climate change. Anti-corruption, cybersecurity, gender equality and labour relations are just some themes of the more than a thousand data points used to determine a company’s ESG standing.
The RBC InvestEase Responsible Investing Portfolios make it easy for clients to invest while making a positive impact. “Professionals do the heavy lifting here,” says Canavan. “The ETFs in our portfolios provide transparency about how they include and exclude companies for investment so that our clients can feel more confident about where their money is being invested.” This investing-on-autopilot approach helps eliminate for clients much of the work and worry of managing their investments. Convenient features include the ability to set up auto-deposits and timely, personalized investing insights provided by NOMI, an AI-powered service that helps RBC clients manage their day-to-day finances in the RBC Mobile app.

The rise of socially responsible investing provides a younger generation of Canadians with the opportunity to invest in their futures while also practising conscious consumerism. Automated-investing platforms like RBC InvestEase are making it easier to invest without compromising the values that are important to you, and you need only $100 to get started.¹

Whether you’re a seasoned or first-time investor, now is an exciting time to plan for your future.

“Our goal at RBC InvestEase is to broaden access to professionally managed investments and to break down traditional barriers to entry,” says Canavan. “Paired with the ability to make decisions using sophisticated data, sustainable investing is also a reflection of a shared drive to make our planet healthier and encourage sustainable growth while holding companies accountable.”

To learn more about the RBC Responsible Investing Portfolios visit rbcinvestease.com. 

^{¹ Your money will not be invested until your account balance reaches $100 or more. Small balances (less than $1,500) may be allocated to a Small Balance portfolio that invests in a limited selection of RBC iShares ETFs and/or cash. Our Small Balance portfolios follow similar risk profiles to our Standard Portfolios while investing in fewer RBC iShares ETFs.} 

^{RBC InvestEase Inc. is a restricted portfolio manager providing access to model portfolios consisting of RBC iShares ETFs. Each model portfolio holds up to 100% of RBC iShares ETFs. RBC iShares ETFs are comprised of RBC ETFs managed by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. (RBC GAM) and iShares ETFs managed by BlackRock Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada). RBC GAM and BlackRock Canada entered into a strategic alliance to bring together their respective ETF products under the RBC iShares brand, and to offer a unified distribution support and service model for RBC iShares ETFs.}

^{Other products and services may be offered by one or more separate corporate entities that are affiliated to RBC InvestEase Inc., including without limitation: Royal Bank of Canada, RBC Direct Investing Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company. RBC InvestEase Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada and uses the business name RBC InvestEase.}

^{The services provided by RBC InvestEase are only available in Canada.}