Catholic Investments: Invest with Confidence

While most Americans strive to spend their money wisely, numerous studies have shown that very few take action to shore up their financial future. In a culture that seems hooked on instant gratification, it is relatively uncommon to rein in spending today in order to build long term financial security. Apart from earning more, inheriting a large sum, or winning the lottery, investing is the surest way to increase wealth and build a future that is financially secure.

Realizing a need to invest and acting upon that realization are the essential starting point. For anyone, though, the actual formulation of an effective plan can be difficult. As a member of the Catholic faith, investing while still following your core values can be substantially more challenging. Even if there is no immediately apparent conflict of interest regarding the decision to invest in a particular company, it requires a great deal of research to know the activities and policies of a giant corporation in detail. Those “details” could include ties to abortion, child labor, or other immoral activities that directly conflict with the Catholic faith. What is a faithful servant of God to do to ensure that your financial needs don’t lead you into inadvertent conflict with your social and moral responsibility?

The USCCB and Investing

To help keep the Catholic Church organized and consistent, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was established in the early 1900s. According to the USCCB, the purpose of the organization is to spread “the greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the circumstances of time and place.” (www.usccb.org)

When investing as a member of the Catholic faith, the guidelines from the USCCB are crucial; following them is the key to investing with an easy conscience, knowing that your financial benefit does not conflict with Catholic teachings. The guidelines allow Catholics to stay true to their religion while still making successful investments without inadvertently supporting global ills such as arms manufacturing or abortion. It may shock the average investor to know that modern corporations still benefit from atrocities like slavery and human trafficking, but our increasingly globalized marketplace makes it difficult for even the well-intended CEO to ethically navigate product sourcing and business relationships. The guidelines are intended as an outline for the faithful that shows which corporate involvements are to be avoided. However, finding those companies involved in troubling activities amongst the multitude of investment options is more difficult than you may think.

DIY Investing vs. Catholic Investment Strategies

Knowing that the Catholic Church has the USCCB guidelines, it might seem logical to research each company on your own to ensure that they match up with your beliefs. That seems simple, right? Unfortunately, researching companies is both difficult and time consuming, with many companies making it challenging to find the details you need. You’ll have to research not only parent companies, but subsidiaries, suppliers, and each company’s investments, along with so much more. All of this time consuming market research can discourage would-be-investors and prevent them from investing at all, which is why professional investment advisors exist in the first place.

You can reach an affordable, accessible alternative to conducting all of that time-consuming research on your own by partnering with Catholic Investment Strategies. Our team of investing professionals and advisors not only specializes in providing an investment plan and portfolio designed expressly for you, we also closely follow the USCCB guidelines to guarantee that all of your investments are aligned with the Catholic faith. No one should feel compelled to jeopardize their beliefs when planning for their financial future. At Catholic Investment Strategies, we want you to have it all, both your Catholic values and successful investments.

Post from: Insights