FAQs

So, do you just invest my account in Ave Maria funds, or what?

• While we do have access to Ave Maria funds and occasionally use them in a portfolio, there are so many different ways to approach responsible investing. What we ultimately recommend will have a lot to do with your personal mission, financial circumstances, and how much money you have to invest. What is appropriate for a $50,000 retirement account for someone looking to follow the bishops' guidelines may not work as well for a $4,000,000 inheritance where the investor wants to save the oceans. Sometimes we use mutual fund and ETFs, sometimes we create a portfolio with individual stock and bonds. It really depends on what is in your best interest, from both a social and a financial standpoint...hence the Ethos (ethics) Logos (logic) name.
• Ave Maria Funds is one fund company that creates products specifically for the Catholic market. They have 5 funds that adhere to "core, pro-life Catholic values" (according to their website). As responsible investment has become more mainstream, the options for investing have grown exponentially to incorporate all sorts of values and beliefs. We occasionally use Ave Maria funds in portfolios along with other Catholic based mutual funds, ETFs, 3rd party money managers, and whatever else we can get our hands on to best fulfill the needs of our clients. Ave Maria Funds is more of a do-it-yourself, off-the-shelf option. If you're looking for professional guidance, portfolio customization, financial planning, and access to more than one single fund family, then Ethos Logos might be a better fit. 

Are your portfolios invested in accordance with the USCCB Responsible Investment Guidelines?

• Yes! Ethos Logos Investments was originally founded to serve Catholic investors, both individual and institutional. As such, the USCCB Guidelines are where we started. However, through our research we've also acquired the tools and experience to work with conscientious investors who do not abide by the Catholic faith. So, if you or a friend wants to infuse your mission, values, and ethics into your portfolio and that means doing more, less, or different than what the USCCB prescribes, then we can serve you too.

Can you meet on evenings and weekends?

• We try to make it as easy as possible to do business with us. Almost all of our paperwork is electronic signature eligible. We work with clients across the country, but even many of our local clients prefer to meet remotely. Whether by email, phone call, zoom conference, or in-person meeting, we strive to make this process and comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

What are your investment minimums?

• We do not have any hard and fast minimums for investment business. That being said, certain types of accounts and fee structures do not make sense or may not be available at lower asset levels. We recommend at least $5,000 for a brokerage account, $50,000 for an advisory account, and $1,000,000 if you have very specific and somewhat unusual customization requests. As a result of not having minimums, it is possible we may not satisfy your entire wish list in every scenario, but we do our best to add value wherever we can. If you have over $500,000, it's a pretty good bet we'll be able to accommodate most reasonable requests.

How are you compensated?

• Advisory accounts: Most of our client's engage with us in an advisory capacity where we charge a fee as a percentage of assets under management. This fee varies depending upon asset level, customization, strategies implemented, etc. You will know this fee before making any decisions.
• Financial Planning: Fee-based financial plans are $2,500, which includes access to the client portal for 12 months after plan completion. This fee is waived if you invest greater than $500,000 with us in an advisory account. If you have greater than $250,000 but less than $500,000 in an advisory account, then the plan is offered at a 50% discount: $1,250. We think everyone should have a financial plan, however, this is not a requirement to work with us.
• Insurance: Life insurance, annuities, health insurance, and long-term care insurance are products that pay a commission. In this case, we are paid a commission by the insurance company whose product we utilize.
• Brokerage accounts: We charge a commission that varies based upon the size of the relationship and complexity of service provided. We do not compete with brokerage firms like ETrade and TDAmeritrade on trade charges. If you're a do-it-yourself investor, you're probably better off with a discount online brokerage firm.

Are you a fiduciary?

• When we engage in either a fee-based advisory account or on a fee-based financial plan, then yes, we are a fiduciary. If we engage in a commission structure (brokerage, life insurance, etc), then we are not fiduciaries but operate under a "suitability standard." Again, most of our clients engage us in a fiduciary capacity, but we have flexibility in our structures to best meet your needs.

What companies do you represent for life insurance and annuities?

• We have an open network of insurance companies that we shop out to find the best product available for your specific need. That being said, most of our Catholic clients choose to use Catholic Order of Forester (COF) products since COF invests their corporate assets in accordance with Catholic teachings. We are appointed with COF for that reason. As an additional benefit, their products have proven to be quite competitive!

I'd like to invest responsibly, but I also need to plan for retirement. So what am I "giving up" if I choose to invest with you?

• We hope you are "giving up" the notion that socially responsible investing is inferior to traditional investing! We believe the argument that ethical investing is somehow concessionary has been put to bed through many academic studies as well as numerous investors' first-hand experiences. Contrary to conventional thought, bad ethics do not make a company a superior investment.

Are you going to try to sell me something?

• We are here to serve investors that want to integrate their values into their portfolio and who believe that the real-world impacts of their investment decisions are an important consideration. Our mission is to get the word out and serve the clients who resonate with our mission and find value in our approach. We aren't the right fit for everyone, and that's okay.

Can you work with my...(church, employer, school, etc)?

• Absolutely! We have experience working with employers and Catholic institutions of all sizes. Whether you're interested in an informational presentation to your Justice & Peace ministry or you'd like your employer to offer socially responsible investments within their retirement plan, we can have that conversation. We cannot guarantee any outcomes, but if you provide the introduction, we'll provide the information.