Natixis Launches ESG Target-Date Funds
Natixis Global Asset Management launched the Natixis Sustainable Future Funds, a target-date retirement series focusing on environmental, social and governance investing.

The series includes 10 funds with target dates ranging from 2015 to 2060. The funds will select securities based on criteria with respect to fair labor, anticorruption, human rights, fair business practices and mitigation of environmental impact, seeking a diversified portfolio that may contribute to a more sustainable future.

Natixis cites its own research in arguing that an ESG-oriented target-date solution may lead to better retirement outcomes for retirement plan participants. According to Natixis surveys, 82% of individual investors want their investments to reflect their personal values, and 62% would be more likely to increase contributions to their retirement plan if they knew their investments were doing social good.

“Our research shows that most people want to align their investments with their personal values, and we’re thrilled to introduce a retirement option that allows participants to invest in a more meaningful way,” says David Giunta, Natixis president for the U.S. and Canada, in a statement. “This offering provides workers who want to make a difference with the option to invest in companies that are committed to sustainable business practices.”

Natixis has also found via surveys that 74% of retirement participants would like to see more socially responsible options within their plan offerings, and 78% believe it is important to try to make the world a better place while growing their assets.

The new funds will be advised by Natixis, which will harness the ESG expertise of Mirova and the glide path designs of Wilshire Associates.


Orion Unveils Trading, Rebalancing Platform
Orion Advisor Services recently rolled out Eclipse, a trading and rebalancing platform.

Eclipse will enable advisors to trade and rebalance portfolios specific to their needs via customizable, automated parameters at the household, account, sleeve, asset category, sector and asset-class levels.

Features include FIX integration, which allows straight-through trade processing with participating custodians, cash management allowing advisors to monitor cash requirements in portfolios, and trading dashboards offering advanced data analytics and automated work flows.

The new platform will also enable advisors to set up tax-loss harvesting requirements specific to a household, assess gains and increase or decrease tax sensitivity.
 

IndexIQ Introduces Smart Beta Bond ETF
IndexIQ introduced the IQ S&P High Yield Low Volatility Bond ETF (HYLV), a factor-based fixed-income product.

The new ETF is designed to follow the rules-based approach of the S&P U.S. High Yield Low Volatility Corporate Bond Index, which identified high yield bonds deemed to have less credit risk.

HYLV uses a measure called “marginal contribution to risk,” or MCR, which combines a bond’s spread and duration, to determine where to invest. Higher MCR bonds are considered to have a higher credit risk, and are thus excluded from the index’s investment universe.

HYLV will be sub-advised by MacKay Shields.
 

Hartford Rolls Out Mutual Fund With An Impact
Hartford Funds recently expanded its line of sustainable investing products with the Hartford Global Impact Fund (HGXAX).

Sub-advised by Wellington Management, the Hartford Global Impact Fund invests in companies that focus in areas that the managers believe are likely to address social and environmental challenges like health, sanitation, financial inclusion, alternative energy and resource efficiency.

The new fund complements the Hartford Environmental Opportunities Fund (HEOMX), Hartford’s first socially responsible investment solution, which was launched last year.

HGXAX will be managed by Eric Rice and Patrick Kent, both managing directors and portfolio managers for Wellington Management.
 

American College Launches Diversity Scholarship Fund
The American College of Financial Services has launched an African-American scholarship fund in an effort to help diversify the financial professions.

The college is providing $200,000 worth of funding for the scholarship program and hopes to grow the fund into the millions with the help of individual and corporate partners.

The scholarships will cover 100% of the cost to obtain a professional designation from the American College of Financial Services. The first scholarships from the fund will be awarded by the end of the year.
 

Two ETFs Of Biblical Proportions Announced
Inspire Investing announced two ETFs aimed at supporting Christian ministry and investing in companies aligned with biblical values.

The Inspire Global Hope Large Cap ETF (BLES) and the Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF (ISMD) intend to provide investors with opportunities to create a purposeful impact via a low-cost ETF. The ETFs are built around Inspire’s proprietary Impact Score methodology, which purports to measure a business’s effects on customers, communities and workplaces.

Causes supported by Inspire ETFs will include clean water, human-trafficking relief, Bible distribution and humanitarian relief for refugees in the Syrian crisis.