Biblically Responsible Investing

A Faithful Financial Journey

Many Christians would say that upholding God’s standards is their first priority, yet what they do with their money may tell a different story. Is there a way for Christians to pursue holiness in their finances, while also being wise investors? Is there a way for “values” to reign, without compromising your growth goals?

Components of Biblically Responsible Investing

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE INVESTING IN

With Biblically responsible investments, you will know where your investment dollars are going. With our Bible-based screening tools, we can exclude companies that endorse or profit from industries not aligned with your Christian values, including:

Abortion

Pornography

Alcohol or Tobacco

Gambling

In addition, our screens extend beyond these more obvious evils into those that are more insidious in their cultural effect:

Where are you located?

We have offices in Lancaster PA (our headquarters), Binghamton NY, Fort Myers FL Tampa FL, and Naples FL.

What’s the difference between a fixed and variable annuity?

A fixed annuity is a contract offered by an insurance company that is much like a bank CD. You deposit a certain amount of money and the insurer agrees to pay a certain interest rate over a specified period of time.

A variable annuity differs from a fixed annuity in that inside a variable annuity are investments similar to mutual funds. These investments are called subaccounts, and the value varies based on the performance of the investments.

For more information, read our recent article: Difference Between Fixed and Variable Annuities.

What types of bonds are available?

A bond is a type of investment that serves as a loan from the investor to the government or company, with interest paid annually until the bond matures. The most common classifications of bonds are government bonds, municipal bonds, and corporate bonds. Learn more about bonds in our Bonds 101 article.

What is an ETF?

An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a diversified collection of assets that can be bought and sold throughout the trading day. ETFs can be an easy-to-use, low cost, and tax-efficient way to invest your money. Learn more about ETFs by reading our article: Exchange Traded Funds 101.

What is a Mutual Fund?

A mutual fund is an investment vehicle made up of a pool of money collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and other areas for increased diversification and decreased risk. Learn more about mutual funds by reading our article Mutual Funds 101.

What are your hours?

Our offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8am until 5pm. Holiday hours vary and are subject to change. Our advisors, as previously mentioned, are often here outside of “normal” business hours, when clients request after-hour appointments.

Is there a minimum to open an account?

Unlike some of our competitors, Faithward Advisors does not require a minimum to open an account with us.

Is there a fee for an initial meeting with an advisor?

Preliminary consultations with one of our advisors is free of charge.

How big is your client base?

We have been delivering services to a growing number of clients. We currently service over 3,000 businesses, organizations, and families. Although our headquarters is in Lancaster, PA, Faithward actively serves clients from offices up and down the East Coast and has clients in over 30 states.

How are Mutual Funds Taxed?

Whenever a mutual fund company passes earnings and other payouts to shareholders, they are known as a distribution. The tax treatment of these distributions varies depending on the type of distribution. If you hold shares in a taxable account, you are required to pay taxes on mutual fund distributions, whether the distributions are paid out in cash or reinvested in additional shares.

Learn more about how certain mutual fund distributions are taxed by reading our recent article How are Mutual Funds Taxed?

Do you work with people to create a budget?

Our financial advisors assess the financial needs of individuals and help them with investments (e.g. stocks and bonds), tax diversification, and insurance decisions. Our advisors help clients plan for their long-term goals, such as retirement. We do not create or help aid in budget planning, but we can recommend others to help with this process.

Do you schedule evening or weekend appointments?

Most of our advisors regularly meet outside of our normal office hours. If you’d like to schedule a meeting with an advisor over the weekend, we suggest asking to speak with them directly, as their schedules vary.

Do you prepare Wills, Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Declarations, or trusts?

As a financial firm, we do not offer legal services to our clients. We do work closely with a law firm, Aevitas Law, that does offer such services and we will happily refer you to them.

Do you offer insurance?

Yes, we do! We offer nearly every kind of insurance, outside of property and casualty insurance.

Are there tax advantages of ETFs over Mutual Funds?

While there are similarities, there are tax advantages exchange traded funds (ETFs) hold over mutual funds. Both require shareholders to pay any tax due on income, dividends and short-term capital gains. However, shareholders of ETFs are much less likely to be subject to long-term capital gains distributions. Learn more about the tax advantages of ETFs by reading our recent article Is an ETF Better than a Mutual Fund?

Are drop-in meetings allowed?

Drop-in meetings are not preferred, as we like to take the time necessary to give the highest quality advice, possible. If you do need immediate help, however, you may call us or drop by if you’d like to speak with someone in person.