Ethical Futures was founded in September 2005 by Julian Parrott and Martin Wight. They kept noticing the same problem - what their clients believed in didn’t always match up with how their money was being invested. And so, Ethical Futures was born.
From day one our guiding mission has been simple. We want to help you to “Make your money change your world”. But what does that actually mean? It’s about making sure that your finances work for you in two ways. First, we want to help you personally by helping you create your financial plan or work out your financial goals. Then we want to help the wider world by directing your money into the things that you care about like clean energy, education or social housing.
In short, we believe that financial planning shouldn’t just be about numbers, it should reflect your values too.
Ethical finance can sometimes feel like a mystery, full of jargon and hidden complexity. One of our core goals has always been to demystify it. That’s why we publish white papers, write weekly blog posts and speak at conferences and on podcasts. Through these mediums we can make financial knowledge accessible.
The last 20 years haven’t always been plain sailing. Like everyone, we’ve faced some challenges. For example:
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The 2008 Financial Crash – when trust in financial services collapsed and for a while the phones stopped ringing.
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Brexit – when we had to deal with uncertainty and market volatility while easing clients’ anxieties.
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The Covid-19 pandemic – when our small team had to adapt quickly to the challenges of remote working while supporting our clients through huge uncertainty.
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Constantly changing regulations – from Consumer Duty to Sustainable Disclosure Requirements, which have helped to shape how we advise and report.
But through it all, our clients have stuck with us. Many have been with us for years, some from the very start, which tells us that we must be doing something right!
We may not be the biggest team out there, but that’s never been the point. What matters is that our clients know they can trust us. They see that our commitment to ethics isn’t a marketing slogan, it’s baked into everything we do.
So, what’s next? If the last 20 years have taught us anything, it’s that ethical finance will only grow more important. People want their money to mean something and we’re here to make that happen. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, but in many ways, we feel like we’re just getting started.
Why not stick around and see what the next 20 years bring?
And to our clients, whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 days, we want to say thank you. It truly means a lot to us that you continue to trust us with your finances.
It is important to take professional advice before making any decision relating to your personal finances. Information within this article does not provide individual tailored investment advice and is for guidance only. We cannot assume legal liability for any errors or omissions it might contain. Ethical Futures llp is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.