The issue: Arms manufacturers

In 2020, world military spending rose to almost $2 trillion, with much of it going to private sector arms-producing and military services corporations, including publicly-traded investor-owned companies.

Despite global calls for restraint and nuclear disarmament, new nuclear weapons are being developed in all nuclear armed countries, with investor-owned companies involved in constructing, maintaining, and stockpiling nuclear weapons. Some arms producers also manufacture internationally-banned weapons like cluster munitions.

Asset managers like Vanguard are investing in militarism – and they’re using workers’ retirement plan savings to do so. Through Vanguard, the retirement plans of companies like Amazon and Comcast are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into major arms manufacturers and military contractors.