The (R)evolution Will Be Computerized

A new article in Trillium Asset Management's quarterly Investing For A Better World profiles Shareowners.org as one of several new web platforms devoted to empowering individual shareholders and mutual fund investors. Excerpts:

"Just as doctors at dinner parties hear about fellow guests’ medical dilemmas, people tend to confess to me that they throw out their shareholder proxy ballots. They’re too jargon-filled and arcane, and who’s got the time to evaluate whether the auditor is a good choice or whether a shareholder resolution is as preposterous and costly as management says it is? Besides, they only own 50 shares of the company.... [But] What if someone stepped in and made proxy voting less of a bore and a chore for the individual investor, providing advice from multiple sources on how to vote, and making voting as easy as a few mouse clicks? Could the retail shareholder vote be roused into action to hold corporations accountable? This is the experiment currently underway using the new generation of interactive, information-sharing technologies often dubbed 'Web 2.0'...." The full article appears here.