Oct. 17, 2018
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should require corporate managers to be honest with their shareholders about how they are planning for the long term. Shareholders have a right to know if oil executives are trying to buy off politicians to slow progress on addressing climate change. They also have a right to know whether the company is cultivating diversity on its board or moving profits abroad to avoid paying taxes in the U.S. These are just a few examples of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks that the SEC should require public companies to disclose to their shareholders and the public. I try to make sure the companies I invest in have good records, but even with research it's difficult to always know. There's no point in earning money in a 401K as an individual when as a taxpayer I wind up paying for environmental or corporate tax-dodge shenanigans later down the line. Thank you for considering my comment. Sophia Vassilakidis