array(1) { [0]=> &object(stdClass)#5346 (52) { ["id"]=> string(5) "15670" ["title"]=> string(37) "Capitalising on the COVID-19 pandemic" ["alias"]=> string(37) "capitalising-on-the-covid-19-pandemic" ["introtext"]=> string(208) "

More time at home means many Australians now have the opportunity to re-assess their lifestyle and spending habits and set some serious saving goals. So how can you actually go about it?

" ["fulltext"]=> string(1236) "

In this episode of The nestegg Podcast, host Grace Ormsby is joined by Melbourne-based Reventon’s Billie Christofi to talk all things finance and the impact of isolation on our hip pockets.

In stage 4 lockdown, Billie shares the importance of going back to basics when it comes to budgeting, methods to re-assess spending habits, and some of the less conventional ways people can boost their wealth at this time.

Thanks Billie, for sharing your insights with the nestegg podcast team!

Have an investment story to share? Get in touch at [email protected] and you might get featured on an upcoming episode!

" ["checked_out"]=> string(1) "0" ["checked_out_time"]=> string(19) "0000-00-00 00:00:00" ["catid"]=> string(3) "302" ["created"]=> string(19) "2020-09-01 07:00:26" ["created_by"]=> string(4) "2386" ["created_by_alias"]=> string(0) "" ["state"]=> string(1) "1" ["modified"]=> string(19) "2020-09-02 02:50:12" ["modified_by"]=> string(4) "2386" ["modified_by_name"]=> string(12) "Grace Ormsby" ["publish_up"]=> string(19) "2020-09-02 02:50:12" ["publish_down"]=> string(19) "0000-00-00 00:00:00" ["images"]=> string(218) "{"image_intro":"images\/podcasts\/Billie_Christofi_WEB_ne.jpg","float_intro":"","image_intro_alt":"","image_intro_caption":"","image_fulltext":"","float_fulltext":"","image_fulltext_alt":"","image_fulltext_caption":""}" ["urls"]=> string(121) "{"urla":false,"urlatext":"","targeta":"","urlb":false,"urlbtext":"","targetb":"","urlc":false,"urlctext":"","targetc":""}" ["attribs"]=> string(782) "{"article_layout":"","show_title":"","link_titles":"","show_tags":"","show_intro":"","info_block_position":"","info_block_show_title":"","show_category":"","link_category":"","show_parent_category":"","link_parent_category":"","show_associations":"","show_author":"","link_author":"","show_create_date":"","show_modify_date":"","show_publish_date":"","show_item_navigation":"","show_icons":"","show_print_icon":"","show_email_icon":"","show_vote":"","show_hits":"","show_noauth":"","urls_position":"","alternative_readmore":"","article_page_title":"","video_url":"","channel_id":"UCLBR-2LtTtui_WiRuEfW3qA","show_publishing_options":"","show_article_options":"","show_urls_images_backend":"","show_urls_images_frontend":"","send":"0","test":"0","readingDiff":"3","canonical_link":""}" ["metadata"]=> string(68) "{"robots":"","author":"","rights":"","xreference":"","metatitle":""}" ["metakey"]=> string(105) "podcast, savings, financial goals, financial freedom, lockdown, pandemic, wealth, wealth creation, saving" ["metadesc"]=> string(186) "More time at home means many Australians now have the opportunity to re-assess their lifestyle and spending habits and set some serious saving goals. So how can you actually go about it?" ["access"]=> string(1) "1" ["hits"]=> string(4) "1917" ["xreference"]=> string(0) "" ["featured"]=> string(1) "0" ["language"]=> string(1) "*" ["readmore"]=> string(4) "1236" ["ordering"]=> string(1) "0" ["category_title"]=> string(7) "Podcast" ["category_route"]=> string(17) "resources/podcast" ["category_access"]=> string(1) "1" ["category_alias"]=> string(7) "podcast" ["published"]=> string(1) "1" ["parents_published"]=> string(1) "1" ["lft"]=> string(2) "82" ["author"]=> string(12) "Grace Ormsby" ["author_email"]=> string(33) "[email protected]" ["parent_title"]=> string(9) "Resources" ["parent_id"]=> string(3) "300" ["parent_route"]=> string(9) "resources" ["parent_alias"]=> string(9) "resources" ["alternative_readmore"]=> NULL ["layout"]=> NULL ["params"]=> object(Joomla\Registry\Registry)#5343 (3) { ["data":protected]=> object(stdClass)#5345 (95) { ["article_layout"]=> string(14) "momentum:newne" ["show_title"]=> string(1) "1" ["link_titles"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_intro"]=> string(1) "0" ["info_block_position"]=> string(1) "0" ["info_block_show_title"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_category"]=> string(1) "1" ["link_category"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_parent_category"]=> string(1) "0" ["link_parent_category"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_associations"]=> string(1) "0" ["flags"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_author"]=> string(1) "1" ["link_author"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_create_date"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_modify_date"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_publish_date"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_item_navigation"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_vote"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_readmore"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_readmore_title"]=> string(1) "1" ["readmore_limit"]=> string(3) "100" ["show_tags"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_icons"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_print_icon"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_email_icon"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_hits"]=> string(1) "1" ["record_hits"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_noauth"]=> string(1) "0" ["urls_position"]=> string(1) "0" ["captcha"]=> string(0) "" ["show_publishing_options"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_article_options"]=> string(1) "1" ["save_history"]=> string(1) "1" ["history_limit"]=> int(10) ["show_urls_images_frontend"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_urls_images_backend"]=> string(1) "1" ["targeta"]=> int(0) ["targetb"]=> int(0) ["targetc"]=> int(0) ["float_intro"]=> string(4) "left" ["float_fulltext"]=> string(5) "right" ["category_layout"]=> string(14) "momentum:newne" ["show_category_heading_title_text"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_category_title"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_description"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_description_image"]=> string(1) "0" ["maxLevel"]=> string(2) "-1" ["show_empty_categories"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_no_articles"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_subcat_desc"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_cat_num_articles"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_cat_tags"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_base_description"]=> string(1) "1" ["maxLevelcat"]=> string(2) "-1" ["show_empty_categories_cat"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_subcat_desc_cat"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_cat_num_articles_cat"]=> string(1) "1" ["num_leading_articles"]=> string(2) "14" ["num_intro_articles"]=> string(1) "0" ["num_columns"]=> string(1) "0" ["num_links"]=> string(1) "0" ["multi_column_order"]=> string(1) "0" ["show_subcategory_content"]=> string(2) "-1" ["show_pagination_limit"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter_field"]=> string(4) "hide" ["show_headings"]=> string(1) "1" ["list_show_date"]=> string(9) "published" ["date_format"]=> string(0) "" ["list_show_hits"]=> string(1) "0" ["list_show_author"]=> string(1) "1" ["orderby_pri"]=> string(4) "none" ["orderby_sec"]=> string(5) "rdate" ["order_date"]=> string(9) "published" ["show_pagination"]=> string(1) "2" ["show_pagination_results"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_featured"]=> string(4) "show" ["show_feed_link"]=> string(1) "1" ["feed_summary"]=> string(1) "0" ["feed_show_readmore"]=> string(1) "0" ["sef_advanced"]=> int(1) ["sef_ids"]=> int(1) ["custom_fields_enable"]=> string(1) "1" ["show_page_heading"]=> NULL ["layout_type"]=> string(4) "blog" ["menu_text"]=> int(1) ["menu_show"]=> int(1) ["page_title"]=> string(71) "Invest Money - Strategies and Tools for your Investment Goals | nestegg" ["menu-meta_description"]=> string(180) "Let us help you decide how you want to invest your money on. Learn the best strategies in investing and options like cryptocurrency, bonds, mutual funds, property and stock market." ["secure"]=> int(0) ["page_description"]=> string(7) "nestegg" ["page_rights"]=> NULL ["robots"]=> NULL ["page_heading"]=> string(71) "Invest Money - Strategies and Tools for your Investment Goals | nestegg" ["access-view"]=> bool(true) } ["initialized":protected]=> bool(true) ["separator"]=> string(1) "." } ["displayDate"]=> string(19) "2020-09-02 02:50:12" ["slug"]=> string(43) "15670:capitalising-on-the-covid-19-pandemic" ["catslug"]=> string(11) "302:podcast" ["link"]=> string(56) "/resources/podcast/capitalising-on-the-covid-19-pandemic" ["image"]=> string(43) "images/podcasts/Billie_Christofi_WEB_ne.jpg" ["image_alt"]=> string(0) "" } }

Latest Podcast

Capitalising on the COVID-19 pandemic...

Resources

There is $17.5 billion in lost and unclaimed super across ...

Invest

Do you know your ESG from your SRI?

By Matthew Picone

June 03 2020
Share

Invest

Do you know your ESG from your SRI?

By Matthew Picone
June 03 2020

Both socially responsible investments (SRI) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments have seen significant investor interest recently, as global, local and social media coverage of issues such as COVID-19, climate change, modern slavery and plastics pollution has increased, writes Matthew Picone.

Do you know your ESG from your SRI?

By Matthew Picone

June 03 2020
Share

Events such as the Australian bushfires and widespread criticism of corporate culture of various firms have highlighted the need for deeper understanding of the companies in which we all invest.

Consider the numbers: in 2017, ESG investments grew by 25 per cent from 2015 to $US23 trillion, accounting for about one-quarter of all professionally managed investments globally.

In a recent study by KPMG International, more than one-third (36 per cent) of C-suite and board members surveyed indicated that investor pressure had increased the company’s focus on ESG.

Selecting the ‘right’ investment

When considering which investments most closely align with their views and values, it is important for investors to understand that responsible investment is a very broad term, encompassing a range of investment styles.

SRI typically refers to the divestment of companies whose business activities focus on socially objectionable industries. Examples include tobacco or gambling, but definitions can vary widely based on investors’ own social views and beliefs.

We view ESG, on the other hand, as having a greater focus on company fundamentals and, subsequently, investment outcomes. It is broader in the range of issues covered (i.e. it also considers environmental and governance themes) and also in the way it can be integrated, whether it is a negative screen, portfolio constraint or factors within the investment decision-making process itself.

When considering the ESG style of an investment manager, there are a number of areas for investors to consider. For example, does the manager integrate ESG issues into its core investment process? The reason for this is that investment managers who consider ESG issues material to the performance of a company generally have a better chance of maximising risk-adjusted returns for investors.

Investors should also consider how active the manager is in engaging with the companies in which it invests. Active owners communicate with companies they invest in and vote on important company issues to help determine the future direction of the company.

The best ESG managers also issue extensive reporting on their practices — whether that is portfolio composition, risk exposures or engagement practices — and clearly display this information for investors to digest.

Most thorough and sophisticated investment managers should be incorporating some level of ESG assessment into their traditional strategies. However, sustainability parameters vary by investment manager depending on their style, process and level of ESG integration.

ESG is a term that is overused by many in the wealth management industry. It requires more than a tick-the-box approach, more than an ESG overlay. ESG elements provide myriad factors that can make a difference to your investments. ESG can be a proxy for management quality; it can be a warning indicator for companies carrying greater risk.

At Acadian, we incorporate a range of material ESG factors when assessing investment targets. Many of these apply across our entire investment universe, while others vary by region and industry. We make these considerations on a consistent and ongoing basis, not just a few times a year.

Investors need to do the same. ESG can help them improve their returns.

Matthew Picone is vice-president and portfolio manager at Acadian Asset Management and a member of the advisory committee of the Australian chapter of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

Forward this article to a friend. Follow us on Linkedin. Join us on Facebook. Find us on Twitter for the latest updates

Rate the article

Investment insights

Retailers report strong HY21, with Super Retail set to refund JobKeeper

Certain Australian retailers are flourishing despite the government-mandated temporary store closures in 2020, with JB Hi-Fi reporting good sales growth and Super Retail Group pledging to hand back $1...Read more

Investment insights

Yes, working from home is risky. Here’s how to counter that

Before COVID, 26 million Americans worked from home part-time or full-time, and now that number has tripled. ...Read more

Investment insights

ESG is becoming popular but ‘greenwashing’ is a problem

Sustainable investing is back on the radar as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but experts warn that better standards around ESG products are needed to mitigate “greenwashing”. ...Read more

Investment insights

Federal Court case lodged to stop Qantas from outsourcing 2,000 jobs

Qantas is being dragged to court over its decision to outsource 2,000 jobs across 10 airports in Australia as part of a company-wide restructure. ...Read more

Investment insights

Where should you invest when interest rates are so low?

With the cash rate close to zero, this will have big implications for how you should invest your money to generate the best return. So, what are the options and which asset classes will best enable yo...Read more

Investment insights

Dividends in Australian shares – is the COVID lockdown lifting?

What happened during reporting season? Andrew Zenonos asks. ...Read more

Investment insights

How will falling Chinese foreign investment affect the Australian property market?

Foreign investment from China in Australian real estate has been quietly on the decline for several years. It peaked in 2015-16 at $31.9 billion and dropped significantly to $6.1 billion in 2018-19, ...Read more