More options needed for savings with social returns, says Wilson

The UK government has launched an advisory group to examine how more people can put their savings, pensions and investments into products which have social as well as financial outcomes.

The group was announced on 6 December by minister for civil society Rob Wilson. The group will be chaired by Elizabeth Corley, vice chair of Allianz Global Investors, and will include representatives from across the investment industry.

Rob Wilson said: "I’m convinced that people want their investments to do good as well as making a financial return. I don’t believe they currently have enough options to make that happen. I hope the advisory group will be able to chart a course to fix that."

The main question the advisory group will consider is: How can the savings, pensions and investment industries, with the support of government, engage with individual investors to enable them to support more easily the things they care about through their savings and investment choices?

The group will report by summer 2017.