Media and Press

Media Inquiries

Sierra Smith
sierra@earthfolio.net

Media and Press

Backgrounder

Company History

EarthFolio is managed by Blue Marble Investments (BMI), LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor based in San Luis Obispo, California. BMI was founded in 2000 and is one of the first investment advisory firms to specialize in the field of socially responsible investing. BMI manages and builds sustainable portfolios for foundations, corporations and retail clients throughout the U.S..

EarthFolio

In 2006, Blue Marble Investments launched a collection of online portfolios named EarthFolio. Using an online interface, EarthFolio enables clients to get advice and portfolio management at a lower minimum and lower cost than a traditional advisor. Some of EarthFolio’s features include:

  • Targeted asset allocation
  • Best-of-class sustainable funds
  • Automatic monitoring & rebalancing
  • No loads, no commissions and no transaction charges

Sustainable Investing

Sustainable investing, also known as Socially Responsible Investing, is an established proactive investment approach that goes beyond traditional financial analysis and includes the environmental, social, and corporate governance practices of a company.

A 2020 survey by the Social Investment Forum showed assets in sustainable assets had grown twenty five-fold since 1995 to over $16.6 trillion.

An often asked question is, “Does corporate citizenship impact investment performance?” The majority of recent academic and Wall Street studies have concluded that best-in-class* ESG (environmental, social, governance) screened stocks and funds often have competitive or even slightly superior performance when compared to comparable traditional investments.
See www.earthfolio.net/top-3-questions

Sampling of performance studies:

*Best-in-class refers to selecting companies that are leaders in their sector based on social, environmental, and governance factors.

FAQs

EarthFolio is the world’s first automated investing service dedicated to sustainable investing.

What makes EarthFolio sustainable?

EarthFolio is the only online advisory service that invests exclusively in funds classified as Sustainable or Responsible. Sustainable funds invest in publicly traded companies that are screened on up to ten environmental, social, and corporate governance criteria.

How much does it cost?

EarthFolio charges a transparent all-inclusive annual advisory fee of only 0.50%. The fee is based on your annual account balance and is deducted from your account on a quarterly basis. The only additional cost is the individual operating expenses charged by the underlying mutual funds which, on average, ranges from 0.25%-0.78% per year. See Our Pricing.

Is there a minimum amount to open or maintain?

$25,000

Where is my money and how is protected?

EarthFolio assets are custodied at TD Ameritrade Institutional, one of the world’s largest discount brokerage firms and a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).

Can I see the performance of my portfolio recommendation?

After completing the questionnaire you will receive a specific portfolio recommendation that will include the hypothetical performance of your investment allocation over the past 15 years.

What types of accounts can invest in EarthFolio?

  • Individual Account
  • Joint Account
  • IRA or Roth Rollover
  • 401(k) Rollover

What are the steps to open an EarthFolio account?

Starting an EarthFolio account is online, simple and only takes about ten minutes to complete

  1. Questionnaire: Answer a few straightforward questions, like what type of account you’re interested in, how long you plan to invest, and what your risk tolerance is.
  2. Recommendation: We’ll recommend a portfolio optimized to you investment needs that includes your personal investment mix, hypothetical performance, and management fee.
  3. Application: Using a fast and secure online application, you’ll be guided through all the information necessary to open your new account.

And if you ever need assistance, you can chat with us online or call us at 1-805-595-1821.

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SRI Articles and Resources

Online (“Robo”) Investing

articles

Sustainable Investing

article
  • U.S. Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends, The Social Investment Forum Foundation, 2014

    Sustainable, responsible and impact investing (SRI) has grown substantially over the past two years with total U.S. assets under management using SRI strategies representing one-out-of-every six dollars under professional management in the United States.

    Key Takeaways:

    • From 2012 to 2014, assets in funds using ESG criteria have quadrupled to $4 trillion
    • 80 percent of money managers cite client demand as the primary motive for ESG expansion
    • The most important environmental factor for managers is climate change
article
  • ESG Investing Goes Mainstream, Bank of America

    Structuring a portfolio to help foster good corporate practices (e.g., lower greenhouse-gas emissions, ethically sourced raw materials, workforce diversity and more) has undergone a transformation.

    Key Takeaways:

    • 5 common misperceptions about sustainable investing
    • Why women and Millenials favor sustainable investing
    • The global forces driving the growth of sustainable investing
article
  • Sustainable Reality: Understanding the performance of sustainable investment strategies, Morgan Stanley, 2015

    A study analyzing the potential performance and risk differences between sustainable and traditional investments covering data from 10,228 open-end mutual funds and 2,874 Separately Managed Accounts.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Sustainable investing returns have usually met, and often, exceeded on performance
    • There is a positive relationship between sustainability practices and stock price
    • Manager selection is crucial when selecting sustainable and traditional investments