Social responsibility

All retail mortgages and deposit accounts opened by the Bank are certified as a Responsible Investment.

Certified responsible mortgages and deposits

Every deposit account opened by and every mortgage sold by a Teachers Mutual Bank Limited brand is a Certified Responsible Investment.

  • What is a Certified Responsible Investment product?

    The Certification of retail mortgage and deposit products at the Bank is by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). This means that:

    Every deposit account we open is a Certified Responsible Investment

    • When members or customers deposit funds with the Bank, these are all subject to specific social responsibility exclusion criteria when providing credit. This means that we do not invest their money in the fossil fuel industry, or other harmful industries.
    • A RIAA Certified Responsible Investment Deposit product is available to members and customers of Firefighters Mutual Bank, Health Professionals Bank, Teachers Mutual Bank, and UniBank.

    Every mortgage we sell is a Certified Responsible Investment

    • Members’ mortgages are from a bank with socially responsible strategies that apply to all products.
    • A RIAA Certified Responsible Investment Mortgage product is available to members of Firefighters Mutual Bank, Health Professionals Bank, Teachers Mutual Bank, and UniBank which are divisions of the Bank.

    Find out more about our Certified Responsible Investment products

    Responsible investment at the Bank

    The Bank operates under distinctive socially responsible strategies, standards and practices and these apply to all its products – primarily mortgages and deposits. The Bank has specific social responsibility exclusion criteria in relation to the provision of credit. This means, for example that we do not invest members or customers’ deposits in the fossil fuel industry, or other harmful industries like tobacco.

    "At a time when more and more consumers are wanting to ensure their banking and investments are managed ethically, RIAA Certification provides certainty that an organisation has reached high standards of disclosure and performance and confirms the authenticity of their commitment to responsible banking. We congratulate Teachers Mutual Bank on meeting these requirements and delivering ethical banking for their clients," said Simon O’Connor, CEO, RIAA.

    What’s responsible about our products?

    They have been independently Certified by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). The RIAA’s Responsible Investment Certification Program (RICP) provides investors with standardised and consistent information allowing them to compare and contrast the investment options that have been assessed and verified as responsible or ethical.

    RIAA’s Certification Symbol Trade Mark provides consumers and industry alike with a quality mark of Australia and New Zealand’s standard for responsible investing products and advice. The Symbol signifies that the Investment Product has implemented a detailed responsible investment process for all investment decisions, clearly discloses what that process is, has been audited by an external party to verify the investment process, and has met the strict disclosure requirements of the program.

    Retail mortgages and deposits have been certified by RIAA according to the strict operational and disclosure practices required under the Responsible Investment Certification Program1. See www.responsibleinvestment.org for details.

    The Banks’ products are listed on RIAA’s Responsible Returns website and products on this web-tool have been certified in accordance with RIAA's Program.

    About the RIAA

    The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) champions responsible investing and a sustainable financial system in Australia and New Zealand. RIAA is dedicated to ensuring capital is aligned with achieving a healthy society, environment and economy. With over 240 members managing more than $9 trillion in assets globally, RIAA is the largest and most active network of people and organisations engaged in responsible, ethical and impact investing across Australia and New Zealand.

    Is the Bank certified?

    No, the RICP program is designed for products only and cannot be applied to an organisation. The Certification evidence does centre on the Banks’ distinctive socially responsible strategies, standards and practices.

    It’s not just what we do, it’s what we don’t do

    When our members deposit funds with us, we make sure that every dollar is invested with our social responsibility exclusion criteria. It’s just another way that we provide our members with peace of mind knowing they’re banking with an institution that lives and breathes socially responsible banking.