MUTUAL FUNDS WITH A COMMUNITY INVESTING COMPONENT

Mutual funds are a great way to invest for your retirement. What you may not know is that several socially responsible mutual funds devote a small portion of their assets toward building communities. Socially responsible funds screen out companies based on specific social and environmental criteria. Some common screens include tobacco, alcohol, weapons manufacturers and major polluters. There are also funds that screen in companies based on positive criteria such as excellent environmental policies and outstanding human relations.

Several socially responsible funds devote up to 10 percent of their assets to community investing. With these funds, you can use your investment dollars to promote corporate responsibility and contribute to building low-income communities, while saving for your own retirement. These investments are not federally insured.

Use our convenient listing of Community Investing Institutions to find mutual funds that invest in communities.

To learn more about community investing options, go to How to become a community investor.