What If There Was an App That Aligned Values With Investments?

Watch William Peterffy stress the importance of ESG and impact investing to facilitate the transformation towards a sustainable and regenerative future.

Will Peterffy was intimately familiar with economics and the financial system from a young age– his father founded Interactive Brokers, the largest electronic trading platform in the United States. But Peterffy’s passion wasn’t capitalism, it was nature. After studying economics and environmental studies in college, Peterffy found his calling at the intersection of these two subjects. He was inspired to aid in creating a financial system backed by sustainability and conservation.

Peterffy was frustrated that capital markets focused solely on financial profit when, in reality, other factors, like the environment and social justice, were just as important. Determined to do what he could to change the system, he accepted a position at Interactive Brokers as the director of ESG and promptly created an app, IMPACT, that, according to Peterffy, can “bring about a different consciousness when coming into an investment, since all investments are effectively impact investments.” 

IMPACT guides investors to place money into companies with aligned missions and shared values. The app allows users to rate 13 categories that match their personal values, such as animal testing and production of hazardous waste. The app then offers portfolio suggestions based on the alignment to users’ investment preferences. Misaligned companies are flagged, and the app suggests aligned stocks for investment.

Peterffy’s ideal future will be one in which “philanthropy is no longer needed,” and “we will see an economy that is incentivizing life and growth and gift as opposed to one that is incentivizing extraction and death.”

Watch the video to learn more about Peterffy’s journey, thoughts and how he ended up where he is today.

Publisher’s Note: This content is made possible by our Today’s Homeowner Campaign Sponsors: Whirlpool, Vivint, myQ, Sonos and Jinko Solar . These companies take sustainability seriously, in both their products and their operations. Learn more about building and buying homes that are more affordable and less resource intensive.