Whether with a social slant or not, the 401(k) is the most popular vehicle for investing. And it should be. For most people, I advise that before you contribute to any other savings account, you should max out your 401(k) contributions. No other vehicle offers you tax deduction, tax deferral, and a possible match.

However, if you wish to invest responsibly, your plan may not have any SRI (socially responsible investing) options. That does not have to be the end of it. Let me share with you a little secret. These plans are SO easy to administer these days, that it is now practical for a firm of ANY SIZE to have a 401(k) plan. My company administers 401(k) plans for small businesses, and to add another fund to our roster, it takes about 30 seconds of plugging in the fund name and CUSIP number. That's it.

Now… it is not exactly that simple for some plans. Plan administrators, especially those associated with payroll firms, are known for literally gouging their customers with fees for every little thing. This includes taking 30 seconds to expand the roster lineup, and then pretending that it was some high level consulting.

I recently concluded a 401(k) takeover plan where the 23-employee firm had only two participants in the 401(k) plan, the owner and his partner. With about $90,000 in total assets, they were being charged about $6,000 per year by ADP. This is unconscionable. Congress recently took some actions to halt the gouging, but that is a subject for another post. If expense is the HR person's objection, they need to re-evaluate their plan provider. Simple web-based programs are now scalable and so easy to use. They should not require massive fees.

So, why are SRI options typically not available? Because nobody asks for them. All you need to do is make your HR Department aware of the demand, and it CAN BE accomplished in no time. Of course, some companies spend months evaluating their 401(k) plans (usually at huge expense by the aforementioned highly paid consultants). That is ok. Even at large companies, HR departments do not receive that much comment about their fund lineup. Even one voice may be enough to accomplish the goal.

So, speak up. Your co-workers will thank you.

Mark Brandon is the founder of First Sustainable, a socially responsible investment advisory, as well as the author of The Sustainable Log blog and newsletter.