New York Life Investments Launches U.S. CANDRIAM Academy to Improve Sustainable Investing Education

Research highlights need for enhanced education to meet demand from “values-driven” investors

New York, June 17, 2020 - New York Life Investments today announced the U.S. launch of the CANDRIAM Academy, the first free-to-access, accredited, and innovative training platform to provide essential education for financial advisors and intermediaries on sustainable investing.

The CANDRIAM Academy, a global sustainable investing educational resource, was developed by CANDRIAM, a New York Life Investments boutique and global multi-specialist asset manager with over 20 years of expertise in sustainable investing, in order to help financial advisors and intermediaries better understand how to analyze, identify, and evaluate sustainable investments.

Recent New York Life Investments research found that most investors (58%) contend that their advisors play the biggest role in determining their investments, yet only 35% are aware of sustainable investing. The research further noted that:

• Increased Awareness Drives Sustainable Investing
  Among investors, there was a 63% conversion rate from awareness of sustainable investing to investing in sustainable strategies.
  
  
• Duration of Advisor-Client Relationship Directly Correlates with Sustainable Investments
  Investors who have worked with their advisors for less than five years were nearly four times (32%) more likely to have invested in an ESG fund than those who have worked with their clients for eleven or more years (9%).
  
  
• More than Half of Investors are “Values-Driven”
  53% of investors identified themselves as “values-driven,” with an average age of 48.5 years old; 84% of “values-driven” investors expressed interest in discussing sustainable investing with their advisors.
  
  

“Education is the bedrock of effective investment management, and our mission is to close the pronounced information gap in sustainable investing by providing high-quality, actionable tools and resources to help investors and advisors learn the essentials of ESG – especially as ESG funds have generated strong performance and record inflows during this most recent market environment,” said Yie-Hsin Hung, CEO of New York Life Investment Management. “We are thrilled to leverage CANDRIAM’s sustainable investing legacy and insight to enable our clients to better understand the rapidly growing ESG market and build more meaningful and lasting relationships with investors who increasingly identify as ‘values-driven.’”

Launched in Europe in 2017, CANDRIAM Academy has nearly 4,000 members who have conducted over 8,000 hours of accredited training across 15 countries. The U.S. Academy is composed of eight modules that offer participants a comprehensive overview of sustainable investing. At the completion of the Academy, participants receive two Continuing Education (CE) credits.

“As sustainable investing becomes gradually more mainstream in the U.S., improving education is crucial to provide financial advisors, intermediaries and end investors the necessary tools and insight to understand and evaluate ESG strategies,” said Naïm Abou-Jaoudé, CEO of CANDRIAM and Chairman of New York Life Investments International. “We are excited to introduce our Academy to the U.S. market to empower advisors to more effectively engage with their clients on how and why sustainable investing can enhance their portfolios over the long-term while aligning with their values.”

Methodology

Research findings are from an investor survey conducted by New York Life Investments and RTi Research in late 2019, in which nearly 600 men and women aged 25-and-older answered questions about their perspectives on sustainable investing.

About New York Life Investments

With $593 billion in Assets Under Management* as of December 31, 2019, New York Life Investments is comprised of the affiliated global asset management businesses of its parent company, New York Life Insurance Company (New York Life). New York Life Investments offers clients access to specialized, independent investment teams through its family of affiliated boutiques and remains committed to its clients through a combination of the diverse perspectives of its boutiques and a long-lasting focus on sustainable relationships.

New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States** and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life Insurance Company's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life Insurance Company has the highest financial strength ratings currently awarded to any U.S. life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies.***