Many people have asked us why we don't carry lists of companies with bad records for different social issues. There are several reasons. First, there are many "bad company" lists already available. For example, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) maintains a list of companies that test products on animals (as well as a list of companies that don't test on animals). The Multinational Monitor tracks bad company records for a variety of social issues. The corporate horrors are pretty easy to find in places like these and in the popular press (for example, just about everyone has heard of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Enron).

Second, at Good Money we avoid stressing the bad records and emphasize instead what good things companies are doing for two reasons. We think praise and recognition are positive things in bringing about changes in corporate behavior. In addition, for many social issues people have different standards and judgments. Rather than telling people what they ought to avoid, we prefer to present the information (if necessary, including any negatives) and let each person make up their own mind according to their values. Many times several strong positives will counterbalance a negative.

Finally, there is no such thing as absolute perfection or sainthood in the corporate world. If you look long and hard enough, you can find something wrong with most (if not all) of the companies that appear on these pages. Rather, we believe in featuring those companies that "try harder" to do social good. If you don't believe in this philosophy, these pages are not for you, and you probably wouldn't invest in anything or buy a product or service from any company.