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How to Check Your Portfolio for Ethical Risks Manually
There is no single label that can tell you whether a portfolio matches your values. Fund names and ESG ratings compress different questions into one score, while the underlying holdings can include companies with very different records on workers, climate, weapons, privacy and sourcing.
The process below is deliberately manual: identify the holdings that matter most, search each company, and follow the evidence to its original source.
Step 1: Get the holdings
For an individual-stock portfolio, export or copy the company names and tickers from your broker. For a fund or ETF, use the provider's official holdings page or latest report. Record each holding's portfolio weight where available.
Start with the largest positions. Reviewing enough companies to cover 70–80% of the portfolio usually reveals the main exposures without pretending that a quick screen is exhaustive.
Step 2: Choose the values you actually care about
Mashinii separates company conduct across 11 values, including worker treatment, environmental impact, weapons, privacy, sourcing and business integrity. Pick three to five priorities before looking at results. This prevents a strong score in one area from hiding conduct you consider unacceptable in another.
Step 3: Search each significant company
Use company search and open the profile for each major holding. Record the relevant value scores, but do not stop at the number. Expand the evidence and open the original links. A score is a research opinion built from public records, not an objective fact or investment recommendation.
If a company is missing or has little evidence, record it as unknown. Absence of evidence is not evidence of good conduct.
Step 4: Look for concentrated exposure
Multiply attention by portfolio weight. A severe issue in a 0.2% holding matters differently from the same issue in a 12% holding. Look for repeated patterns: several large holdings exposed to weapons contracts, poor worker records, privacy enforcement or environmental penalties.
A simple worksheet is enough:
| Holding | Weight | Priority value | Current score | Evidence reviewed | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company A | 8% | Worker respect | — | Regulator and court links | Review |
Step 5: Verify with primary sources
Prefer court opinions, regulator actions, government databases and company filings. Reputable reporting can provide context, but it should not replace the underlying record when that record is public. Note the date: both company conduct and Mashinii scores can change.
Step 6: Decide what the evidence means to you
This process does not tell you to buy or sell. It makes the trade-offs visible so you can conduct your own research or discuss them with a regulated adviser. Recheck important holdings periodically and when a major enforcement action or controversy occurs.
Search company ethics records or review how Mashinii scores evidence.