United Church Funds’ Beyond Fossil Fuel Funds Celebrate Third Anniversary

Howard W. Hawkins III, director of business development for United Church Funds, says that Beyond Fossil Fuel Funds (BFF) — the Beyond Fossil Fuels Fund and Beyond Fossil Fuels Balanced Fund — celebrated its third anniversary in November 2017. Since its introduction, the Beyond Fossil Fuels Fund outperformed its respective benchmark for one and three years, as of Dec. 31, 2017.

By examining what investors want in a climate-sensitive investment option, and in working with UCF’s investor managers, UCF believes we have created a fund that combines reasonable risk and return expectations, Hawkins said. The BFF Funds pursue the elimination of fossil fuel companies, maintain the social screens that are applied to UCF’s portfolios and provide investors with the diversification that they desire.

The Beyond Fossil Fuels Fund is a global equity fund that provides access to developed market and emerging market countries and seeks to eliminate exposure to companies with fossil fuels reserves — oil, gas, or coal. The Fund uses enhanced indexing, which combines positive elements of passive and active management.

Read the article from United Church Funds.

Hawkins also shared the views of three United Church Funds’ managers on their outlook for 2018. The three offer their perspectives on economic growth, inflation, central bank policy, volatility and geopolitical risks. Read the articles:

“Outlook on the United States“ from Lazard Asset Management

“Step Forward, Look Both Ways“ from State Street Global Advisors

“It’s Quiet…Is It Too Quiet?“ from Voya Investment Management