Swell Investing was an impact investing platform that helped users invest in companies solving global challenges. It was backed by Pacific Life Insurance, a 150-year-old insurance company. The firm was floated with the objective of providing a better investment option for people who care about where their money goes and what it supports. It identified high-potential, high-impact themes focused on a positive future, from healthcare innovation to clean technology. Dividends over $1 were automatically routed to the investment pool, swelling the investable funds.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Minimum account value | $50 |
Management fee | 0.70% per year for assets under management |
Investment approach | Long-term investors, focused on letting the markets work for them |
Investment process | Gaining a clear understanding of what you’re investing for and how you feel about risk |
Investment strategy | Using a globally diversified mix of stocks and bonds |
What You'll Learn
Swell is an impact investing platform
Swell helps you invest in high-growth companies that are innovating and changing the world. These companies are publicly traded and are making an impact in industries like renewable energy, clean water, disease eradication, green tech, and more.
With Swell, you can build your own mix of publicly-traded, impact companies across its offerings. You can monitor your investments' progress on its easy-to-use online platform and watch as Swell helps you save for retirement, college, or a new house.
Swell offers simple and fair pricing. If you invest $, Swell will cost you $3.75 per year. That’s less than a fancy coffee. To get started, you simply need to select either a traditional brokerage account or a retirement account (IRA), pick your portfolios from the six thematic portfolios offered, and securely connect your bank account.
Swell and its broker-dealer/custodian, Folio, are regulated by the SEC. They follow a strict set of rules designed to protect investors' accounts. Folio is a member of FINRA and SIPC, and securities in your account are protected up to $500,000.
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Invest in portfolios of publicly-traded companies
Swell is an impact investing platform that helps you invest in portfolios of publicly-traded companies. These companies are innovators in high-growth industries, such as renewable energy, clean water, disease eradication, and green technology.
Swell's approach is to identify high-potential, high-impact themes focused on a positive future. They invest in companies that are working towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, such as ending poverty and hunger, developing clean energy systems, and promoting gender equality.
Swell offers six different portfolios, each covering a different theme:
- Zero Waste
- Green Tech
- Clean Water
- Renewable Energy
- Healthy Living
- Disease Eradication
You can choose to invest in all six portfolios at once through the Impact 400, which combines all 393 companies on the platform. This includes well-known companies like Apple, Costco, Unilever, and Novartis.
Swell's platform is simple and efficient, making it easy for new investors to grasp their mission and navigate their offerings. They also provide a great deal of research and transparency into the companies in which they invest. Each company has a biography describing its products, recent headlines, and the U.N. sustainability goals they qualify for.
Swell's pricing is straightforward and fair. They charge an annual percentage fee on assets, paid monthly. While their fees are higher than those of some other investment platforms, this is due to the meticulous work they put into selecting and monitoring the companies in their portfolios.
Swell is a great option for those who want to invest in socially responsible companies that are working to solve global challenges.
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No mutual or exchange-traded funds
Swell Investing is an impact investing platform that helps users invest in portfolios of companies solving global challenges. It is backed by Pacific Life, a 150-year-old insurance company based in California.
Swell does not offer mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Instead, as a Swell investor, you own shares of the companies in their portfolios. This means that you are directly investing in the companies and are part of the solution.
Swell identifies high-potential, high-impact themes focused on a positive future, such as healthcare innovation and clean technology. They only invest in companies that comply with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including ending poverty and hunger, developing clean energy systems, and promoting gender equality.
Swell hand-picks stocks and guarantees that the companies are actively contributing to these sustainability goals. Their platform is simple and efficient, making it accessible for newcomers to investing.
Swell's pricing is simple and fair, with a $50 minimum account value and an annual advisory fee of 0.70% to 0.75% for assets under management. This fee is higher than most robo-advisors or automated investing platforms, but Swell puts significant effort into carefully selecting stocks for their clients.
Swell's investment approach is focused on long-term investing, letting the markets work for them. They tailor their investment strategies to each client's goals, objectives, and risk tolerance using a globally diversified mix of stocks and bonds. They monitor and rebalance holdings and provide updates to their clients.
As a fee-only, independent advisory firm, Swell has no incentive to recommend one product or fund company over another. This allows them to utilise some of the largest and most trusted names in the financial industry to build tailored investment strategies.
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Low fees
Swell Investing is a California-based automated investing service that helps people invest in companies that are working towards at least one of the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainability. It is backed by Pacific Life Insurance, a 150-year-old insurance company.
Swell Investing is committed to providing low-cost funds that don't erode returns. They do not charge any commissions on trades, and there are no trading fees. Their pricing is simple and fair, with a minimum account value of $50 and a management fee of 0.70% per year for assets under management. This fee is higher than most robo-advisors or automated investing platforms, but Swell puts a lot of work into selecting stocks for their clients, screening companies to ensure they create a positive impact.
Swell's pricing is transparent and straightforward. If you invest $, Swell will cost you $3.75 per year, which is less than the price of a fancy coffee. Their fees are also performance-based, with an annual advisory fee of 0.75%. This fee is reflected in the performance shown on their website, which is the actual result of an investment account held by an affiliate of Swell, assuming this advisory fee.
Swell's fees are also lower than those of mutual funds and ETFs, where the management fee is built-in. Instead, Swell charges your account monthly depending on your balance. For example, a $10,000 portfolio with a 0.75% expense ratio would cost $75 a year, which is higher than the cost of most index funds. However, impact investing often comes with higher fees due to the smaller and less liquid nature of the companies involved.
Swell's approach to fees is part of their overall investment philosophy. As a fee-only, independent advisory firm, they have no incentive to recommend one product or fund company over another. This allows them to utilise some of the largest and most trusted names in the financial industry to build tailored investment strategies for their clients.
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Regulated by the SEC
Swell Investing is an impact investing platform that helps investors put their money in portfolios of companies solving global challenges. It is a startup venture backed by a 150-year-old insurance company, Pacific Life, based in Los Angeles.
Swell's broker-dealer/custodian, Folio, is regulated by the SEC. As a registered investment advisor and not a broker, investors open their brokerage account with Folio Institutional. As a fiduciary, Swell must follow SEC guidelines and act in the best interests of its clients.
Swell and Folio follow a strict set of rules designed to protect investors' accounts. Folio is a member of FINRA and SIPC, which means that securities in an investor's account are protected up to $500,000. Folio provides data and custody services to Swell.
Swell's investment approach is focused on long-term investments, letting the markets work for them. Their goal is to help investors achieve the after-tax, risk-adjusted returns necessary to reach their financial goals. They do not try to beat or time the market.
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Frequently asked questions
Swell is an impact investing platform that helps you invest in portfolios of companies solving global challenges.
The minimum amount required to open an account with Swell is $50.
The management fee for Swell is 0.70% per year for assets under management.
In the event of Swell shutting down, clients will be instructed to withdraw their funds and their cash and securities will be transferred to Folio Investments, Inc., or a different brokerage specified by the customer.