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Wall Street feeling heat of investors' values

More sources tracking Wall Street and its market money-making companies are confirming that investors don't want their monetary support going to businesses that conflict with their moral or ideological values.

The idea of an economic boycott against the products of a company that sponsors objectionable television shows containing sex and violence, or supports groups espousing homosexuality or abortion, is nothing new. But the idea of making sure that financial investments do not support the stock of such companies is a fairly recent twist that is growing surprisingly in popularity.

A recent Washington Post report detailed that a market for faith-based mutual funds has grown from more than $500 million in value to more than $17 billion in the last ten years -- according to fund-tracker Morningstar, Inc. And Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine named the Timothy Plan Mutual Fund as one of its top ten performing funds over the last three years. Such mutual funds hope to change minds in corporate boardrooms.

Steven Bolt, president and co-founder of Faith Financial Planners Incorporated, thinks Christians and other people of faith are realizing that it is up to them to use their personal influence on financial services industries, including investors, in order to gain the ear of corporate boardrooms.

"Unless and until Christians decide that they care enough about the moral decay of the country to do something about it on an individual basis, nothing's going to happen," says Bolt. "Now, I can't say whether or not they're going to change their position on supporting the gay and lesbian political agenda, but I will tell you that that's not going to go unnoticed."

Bolt says making the greatest impact for the kingdom of God and reflecting God's values in the use and investment of money are two very important scriptural principles to remember when managing money.