It became a core issue in 1994, when investors grew more interested this area. The Women's Equity Mutual Fund includes screens for career development and training programs that benefit women employees and for company advertising, promotion, and marketing that present positive images of women. Like firms in Japan, she says, U.S. companies can significantly improve employee loyalty and strengthen productivity by treating all workers fairly. If the investment objectives meet your needs, and the long-term performance beats the average for its peers, take a look at the fund's prospectus. In the section on investment policies, you'll find a list of the fund's social screens.
Some funds give more detailed descriptions in separate brochures.
You can also check the fund's web site or, in the case of smaller funds, speak with the portfolio manager. By reading the latest shareholder report, you can see what the fund actually owns. Some companies can be weak on one issue and strong on several others. You have to weigh many factors. All rights reserved.