People, Planet, Profit: Careers in Corporate Sustainability

Cindy Bohlen, Riverwater’s resident ESG expert, spoke with students at the business school and in sustainability programs at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  UW-Madison Office of Sustainability. In case you missed it: “People, Planet, Profit: Careers in Corporate Sustainability.” Sept. 23, 2023. On Tuesday, September 13th, the Wisconsin School of Business and the Nelson…

The Evolving Use of CIT Funds in 401(k) Plans

The Evolving Use of Collective Investment Trust Funds in 401(k) Plans By Greg Wait, CEBS. Originally posted in 401(k) Wire (subscription required) Aug. 22, 2022. Advisors and consultants are fielding questions from plan sponsors about potential liability for excessive fees. For example, recently a plan sponsor’s CFO told us their fiduciary insurance carrier included a…

Q2 2022 | Grin and Bear It

Q2 2022 Market and Riverwater Strategies Update The volatility experienced in the first quarter of 2022 continued in the second quarter, with all major markets down for the first half of Q2 2022. The S&P 500 officially entered a bear market (defined by a decline of 20% from its all-time-high) as stocks had their worst first half…

Riverwater engages with SEC on climate rule

Riverwater Files Letter in Support of SEC Climate Rule

SEC Seeks Public Commentary on Climate Rule This spring the SEC voted to advance a set of proposed rules requiring climate disclosure statements for all SEC-registered companies. The rule would mandate public companies to disclose standardized information about their greenhouse gas pollution. Additonally, it would require companies be more transparent with investors about climate-related risks.…

2021 Sustainability Report: The Journey of Sustainable Investing

The Journey of Sustainable Investing Our 2021 Sustainability Report celebrates the journey of sustainable investing. The evolution of Sustainable Investing has been and will continue to be a journey. Sustainable Investing originally focused on excluding companies doing harm; today it also incorporates positive screening for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics that reveal companies doing…

Sunrise and an oil rig

Q1 2022 | Fuel, the Fed and Fear

Q1 2022 Market and Strategies Update This year and Q1 2022 began with hopes that the pandemic would recede and that the global economy could begin the process of getting back to normality. Vladimir Putin had other ideas. Both stock and bond markets were down in the first quarter driven by the war in Europe…

ESG: A Riverwater Engagement Comes to Fruition

No more forced arbitration for allegations of sexual harassment or assault In 2019, Riverwater Partners initiated engagements with several of our portfolio companies regarding the use of mandatory arbitration for allegations of sexual harassment or assault. We consider this topic essential to good corporate governance—the “G” in “ESG.” Now, in a remarkable bipartisan effort, both…

2021 Recap and 2022 Outlook

2021 Year End Markets and Strategies Update Having circled the sun one more time, we are reflecting on the markets and ESG in 2021 and looking ahead to what we can expect in 2022. COVID’s Continued Impact. In 2021, the global pandemic dominated economies for a second year and brought with it seemingly lasting changes…