If you’re new to GOODFOLIO then welcome, and if you’re an old hand looking for new tricks then welcome back!

The following is an all-in-one guide on how to use our sustainable investing platform and start getting the most out of what we have to offer.

Table of contents:

1. What is GOODFOLIO?
2. Setting up your account
3. Searching and comparing ETFs
4. Investing and keeping track of portfolio
5. Impact Reporting
6. Voting (coming soon)
7. Tools and resources 

1. What is GOODFOLIO?

Your investment decisions can make a huge impact on the world.

Whether that's affecting our climate, water sanitation or gender equality, there are vast ways capital can be directed. And we believe that you should have the power and knowledge to invest in a way that’s better for the people and planet whilst also working for you and your financial goals.

Where does GOODFOLIO come in?

Well, we make this process simple for you. 

Firstly, before you even get started, we have narrowed the field for you. We won’t go deep into it now, but to summarise; the funds available on our platform go through a screening process which aims to do the following:

- Limit operational risk

- Increase data transparency; and 

- Reduce the chance of greenwashing.

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Then we categorise funds into themes which make it easier for you to navigate and choose those which align with your values. You can see that just by clicking on our ETF pages. We have themes which range from climate to clean energy to biotechnology.

But that’s just what happens before you get started.

We make sure to give you plenty of tools and knowledge so that you can make better informed decisions that help you do good investing.

There’s a lot to get into here, so let’s dive in.

2. Setting up your account

Enter details

After you sign up and enter the platform, the first thing you will need to do is enter your details and get your ID verified.

Make sure to fill in all the fields which have an asterisk, as they are mandatory. 

You can use your passport as ID to get verified. It should only take a few minutes, but in some cases can take up to 2 days. 

General Investment Account vs ISA

One of the options you will choose between are General Investment Accounts or Individual Savings Accounts. 

If you already have an existing ISA you would like to transfer, you can find more information here.

If you have any queries regarding your tax position, please seek guidance by a tax professional advisor.

First deposit

To start investing, first you need to transfer money into your GOODFOLIO account. Simply click on the ‘transfer’ tab, on the left of the screen. 

Then follow these 3 steps:

- Enter amount and select your bank account [1]

- Click ‘Submit’ and receive a transfer reference [2]

- Make transfer with your online banking using the details provided [3]

Now that you have deposited your first amount, you should see it as “Cash” [4] at the top of your screen.

You are now ready to invest with GOODFOLIO and begin creating your own meaningful investment portfolio.

3. Searching and comparing ETFs 

To start looking for ETFs, click on the ‘Invest’ tab on the left of the screen [1].

If you already know which funds you are looking for then feel free to type in the search box [2] and they will be displayed for you. However, if you’re looking to discover new funds then you have many filters available to you to find options and compare them.

You can start with the filters of equity vs fixed income ETFs [3].

Or you can begin sorting funds by sustainability themes [4]. From climate to clean energy to smart city. If you are interested in learning more about each theme check out our ETF themes on our website.

Once you have applied some filters you will be displayed a list of funds, with a basic overview of their price, fee, themes etc. 

Comparing funds

To compare, you can choose two funds that you like the look of by ticking the empty boxes to the left of each fund [1]. This is also a great place to learn more about each funds sustainability characteristics by clicking on the highlighted tickers in the second column.

Then click the ‘Compare’ [2] button at the top of column to open a tab where you can see their details side by side.

Here you will be able to compare:

- General information

- Financial past performance

- UN SDG aligned revenue

- Environmental footprint

- Countries invested in

- Asset managers ethical voting history

4. Investing in funds

Buying 

Okay, you have done your research and are now ready to invest in a fund.

Click onto the ‘Invest’ tab [1] on the left hand side of the screen.

Find the fund you have decided to invest in and click on the ‘Buy’ button [2] the right hand side of the screen. 

Here you will be able to enter the amount you want to invest, and then click “Review” [3] to get a final review of your investment before going ahead.

Once you are ready, click “Confirm” [4] and voila, your order is registered.

Selling

To sell your investments, first go on the ‘Impact’ tab [1] on the left of the screen. By default this page is sorted by the funds you have the biggest holding in.

Once you have found the fund you want to sell, click on ‘Sell’ on the right of the screen [2]. That will open a box, where you can enter the quantity you want to sell [3], or click "Sell all available" if you so choose [4], and then click “Review” [5] to open the final tab.

This will give you a final review of your sell, from which you can confirm by clicking “Confirm” [6].

Check your portfolio

Check your current portfolio information by clicking the ‘Portfolio’ tab on the left hand side of the screen.

Here you will see the financial performance of your portfolio, including growth, current holdings and current value. 

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Activity history

To see all of your personal history of activity on GOODFOLIO, simply click on the tab titled “Activity” [1] on the left-hand side of the screen.

Here you can easily keep track of your history [2], and see more details [3].

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5. How to keep track of your impact

Once you have started to build your portfolio, you can keep track of its impact using the ‘Impact’ tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

Here we aggregate the sustainability data from the funds you have invested in and present it in a visual, easy to understand format.

You can view:

1. Environmental footprint

2. Breakdown of countries invested in

3. Breakdown of industries invested in

4. UN SDG revenue alignment of portfolio

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6. Voting (coming soon)

With GOODFOLIO you can conveniently place your voting preferences on upcoming issues at companies under your investments.

To do vote on an issue, follow these steps:

1. Click on “Collective Action” tab on the left-hand side of the screen

2. Click on an upcoming issue to open window

3. Click “Read more” to find out more about the issue

4. Choose your voting preference and 

5. Click “Submit my vote”

Once you have voted on the issue a tick will appear in the corner to show you that you have voted.

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Once the deadline has passed the issue will be moved to “Completed issues”, where you can click on the issue and see the results. 

In the future we also plan to show the results of fellow GOODFOLIO users so we have a platform for collective action.

Watch this space.

‍7. Tools and resources 

Hopefully you have gotten an overview on how the core of GOODFOLIO works.

However, our mission doesn’t stop there. We want to make sure that you are equipped with the tools and knowledge to make better informed decisions when investing.

Here are some tools and resources that we have created for you or suggest that you can use when building your sustainable investing portfolio:

1. GOODFOLIO Blog

Our blog posts keep you in the loop with the future of investing, sustainability and practical knowledge that you can use when investing. We make it more straightforward for you to learn about UN SDGs, fixed income ETFs, the art of screening and much more whilst making sure you can use this knowledge on your sustainable investing journey.

2. FAQ

If there are any questions you have after reading through this guide, the first place to go is our FAQ. If you don’t find your answer then make sure to email us at hello@goodfolio.com 

3. Social Media

Follow us on our Instagram and LinkedIn accounts for regular bitesize nuggets of information on how to stay ahead of the curve and invest sustainably.

4. UN Sustainable Development Goals

We use UN SDG revenue alignment as part of the impact reporting for GOODFOLIO users. It’s one way you can better understand your portfolio from an impact perspective.

Stay updated with the bigger picture on the UN SDG webpages, where you can get news and updates on the global effort on reaching these goals.

5. Fixed Income Investment Guidelines

If you’re looking to invest in fixed income ETFs for responsible investing, then we suggest you get familiar with the various types of investments available as defined by the International Capital Market Association.

And remember we are always here to help you.

Feel free to email in with suggestions, feedback, questions or anything else via hello@goodfolio.com