It’s that time of the year you’ve been eagerly waiting for...no not tax season, it’s proxy vote season!
Why do we at Good Capital love proxy season? Because as a shareholder aka part owner of the companies in your portfolio, proxy voting gives you a say in company matters. Every year, before companies hold their annual shareholder meetings, companies send out information to their shareholders around financials, operations, and announcements. You as a shareholder will be given the opportunity to cast your votes at the annual meeting or vote by proxy before the meeting.
“Shareholder voting is the primary means by which shareholders can influence the company’s or mutual fund’s operations, its corporate governance, and even activities of social responsibility that may fall outside of financial considerations. It is therefore very important for shareholders to participate in the voting and make their decisions based on a full understanding of the information and legal documentation presented to them.”
Here are some themes you can expect from this year’s proxy voting season:
We’re especially excited by the focus on climate risk and the continued push for gender and racial diversity. Keep your eye out for emails or snail mail around your proxy votes and be sure to vote.
Here’s an example of what a proxy vote looks like:
For information on upcoming shareholder resolutions and how to vote in alignment with your values, Proxy Preview is a super helpful resource. To learn more about shareholder advocacy and activism, check out this primer up on our blog.