OREANDA-NEWS. June 15, 2015. Merrill Lynch today announced that it has added sustainable impact multi-asset class portfolios to its expanding platform of impact portfolios to serve clients interested in using their investment capital for positive social and environmental purposes. Additionally, the firm will provide its 14,000 financial advisors new resources to help clients understand the impact of their investments in these portfolios.

“Clients are telling us they want their portfolios to reflect their values and help improve the world they live in. As their enthusiasm grows, we continue to offer new opportunities to meet this need. We have made impact investing a strategic priority and will bring clients innovative solutions that help them promote positive social change,” said Andy Sieg, head of Global Wealth and Retirement Solutions for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

The sustainable impact multi-asset class portfolios available through Merrill Lynch One© have been constructed by Merrill Lynch’s Investment Management and Guidance (IMG) team under the leadership of Chief Investment Officer Ashvin Chhabra. The portfolios will seek to deliver a competitive risk-adjusted return as well as a positive environmental, social, governance (ESG) profile relative to a traditional, non-ESG focused, benchmark. The portfolios will include mutual funds as well as exchange traded funds. Clients can work with their financial advisors to identify the portfolio that best fits their personal financial goals and asset allocation needs.

New resources provide added transparency

As part of the new offering, the IMG team will provide to Merrill Lynch financial advisors detailed reports about the ESG characteristics of the sustainable impact multi-asset class portfolios and their constituent funds, the majority of which have ESG mandates. The reports will include comparisons with traditional portfolio benchmarks. They will leverage ESG metrics and ratings provided by MSCI, an independent provider of research-driven insights and tools for institutional investors. The reports are designed to help advisors better assess whether the investments meet clients’ impact investing goals.

Innovation to meet demand in the impact investing arena is a key area of focus for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. In 2013, they offered the first social impact bond syndicated to high net worth investors to fund employment services for formerly incarcerated individuals in New York state. A few months later, partnering with the World Bank, Bank of America offered green bonds to Merrill Lynch clients; a second offering was completed in May 2015. In 2014, the organization became a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing. Bank of America is also leading the drive to understand how social impact bonds can finance support services for U.S. veterans.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management is a leading provider of comprehensive wealth management and investment services for individuals and businesses globally. With 14,183 Financial Advisors and over \\$2 trillion in client balances as of March 31, 2015, it is among the largest businesses of its kind in the world. Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management specializes in goals-based wealth management, including planning for retirement, education, legacy, and other life goals through investment, cash and credit management. Within Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management, the Private Banking and Investment Group focuses on the unique and personalized needs of wealthy individuals, families and their businesses. These clients are served by more than 150 highly specialized Private Wealth Advisor teams, along with experts in areas such as investment management, concentrated stock management and intergenerational wealth transfer strategies. Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management is part of Bank of America Corporation.

Source: Bank of America Corporation. Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management (MLGWM) represents multiple business areas within Bank of America’s wealth and investment management division including Merrill Lynch Wealth Management (North America and International), Merrill Lynch Trust Company, and Private Banking and Investment Group. As of March 31, 2015, MLGWM entities had over \\$2 trillion in client balances. Client Balances consists of the following assets of clients held in their MLGWM accounts: assets under management (AUM) of MLGWM entities, client brokerage assets, assets in custody of MLGWM entities, loan balances and deposits of MLGWM clients held at Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks.