100 signatures reached
To: Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Federal Employees for Socially Responsible Investment Options in the Thrift Savings Plan
Create a Mutual Fund Window that would permit participants in the Thrift Savings Plan to invest in socially responsible mutual funds.
Why is this important?
Many federal government employees dedicate their careers to advancing important social objectives such as protecting the environment, enforcing labor standards, encouraging responsible corporate behavior and advancing civil rights at home or human rights abroad. I have over 20 years with the federal government in various jobs and am now working at the Department of State. I would like to be sure that my retirement funds are invested in companies that reflect the values that are important to me. Nevertheless, unlike many state and local government workers, federal employees do not have the opportunity to invest their retirement monies in mutual funds that support these same objectives.
More than one out of every nine dollars in the United States– or $3.74 trillion - is invested according to sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) strategies. It's one of the fastest growing categories of investment. These mutual funds allow many employees across the country to ensure that their investments reflect their values on a broad range of issues from climate change and other environmental risks to human rights, decent workplaces, consumer protection, diversity and product safety.
While federal employees do not currently have the option to participate in this kind of investment for their retirement funds, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) has recently authorized the agency managing the Thrift Savings Plan to explore the creation of a "mutual fund window," which would allow TSP investors options to invest in mutual funds beyond those limited ones currently available through the TSP. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/11/18/tsp-moves-toward-opening-investment-window/. It is important to demonstrate to the TSP there there is substantial interest among TSP investors (both current and past federal employees) to provide socially responsible options if and when this window is created.
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