Motif Investing Partners With Pacific Life to Offer New Cause-Driven Investing Products for Millennials

People Can Now Easily Support Causes Such as Improving Education, Fighting Cancer, Upholding Human Rights, and Ending Poverty While Growing Their Investment Portfolios


SAN MATEO, CA--(Marketwired - March 23, 2015) - Motif Investing, an online broker pioneering thematic investing, today announced a partnership with Pacific Life, one of the largest insurance firms in the U.S., to offer new cause-driven investment models for millennials through its newly launched subsidiary, Swell Investing LLC. Swell uses Motif Investing's thematic investing platform to allow millennials to easily invest in the causes and issues they care about while growing their portfolios.

In addition, Swell will give 20% of its revenue* to organizations such as Jumpstart for Young Children, Inc. (Improve Education), Susan G. Komen (Fight Cancer), and The American Association of People with Disabilities (Uphold Human Rights).

Investors can choose from four different motifs -- groups of stocks of companies publicly traded in the U.S. whose foundations are the biggest contributors to each of these causes. Each Swell motif aims to move with the S&P 500 Index while investing in companies associated with specific causes.

"The new cause-driven investing motifs demonstrate that one can align good investment strategies with personal values," said Hardeep Walia, CEO and founder of Motif Investing. "At the same time, Swell can use these motif portfolios to connect with millennials in a meaningful and clearly differentiated way."

People have the option to invest in the following motifs:

  • Improve Education -- This motif showcases companies like General Electric Co, Intel Corporation, and General Motors that support education-related charities.
  • Fight Cancer -- This motif includes companies committed to supporting cancer-related charities. Top stocks include Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, 3M Co., and Macy's, Inc.
  • Uphold Human Rights -- This motif showcases companies like Anheuser-Busch, Johnson & Johnson, and Ford Motor Company that support human rights-related charities.
  • End Poverty -- This motif includes companies that support poverty-related charities. Top stocks include Target, Coca-Cola Co., and PepsiCo Inc.

"Swell allows investors an opportunity to do good for themselves and their causes as more and more people are seeking ways to be socially conscious in all facets of their lives," said Khanh T. Tran, President of Pacific Life. "Motif Investing's technology enables investors to actively and successfully invest in ways that have a positive impact on the causes that matter to them, and Swell gives 20% of its revenue to the organizations that help address these issues. By integrating values with our experience in investing, Swell's goal is to help both investors and their causes on their journey to success"

To start cause-driven investing today, please visit www.swellinvesting.com.

About Motif Investing
Motif Investing is a next-generation online broker that is pioneering thematic investing for individuals and financial advisors. The company, based in Silicon Valley, allows investors to trade "motifs"-intelligently-weighted basket of stocks and bonds built around themes, investing styles or multi-asset models- in single transactions, for low fees. Motif Investing is a registered broker dealer and a member of SIPC. Motif was recently ranked number one on Fast Company's list of Most Innovative Companies in Personal Finance and earned the fourth spot on CNBC's 2014 Disruptor List. The company's investors include Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Renren Inc. Board members include former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt and former Boston Consulting Group Chairman Carl Stern.

About Swell
Swell Investing LLC (Swell) is a research company that brings a fresh approach to investing. Swell creates cause-driven investment models, with the goal of generating market-driven returns while supporting great causes at the same time. Swell exists to connect the financial world with worthy causes, to help people achieve a more holistic picture of personal success that includes both financial success and supporting what they believe in. Born in Newport Beach, CA, Swell is backed by Pacific Life, who provides a foundation of trust built by faithfully serving its policyowners and clients for more than 145 years.

*Motif Investing pays Swell a royalty of at least $1 out of the $9.95 total commission per investment or rebalance of the Swell motifs. From that revenue Swell gives 20¢ out of every $1 to the causes the Swell motifs support.

Investing in securities involves risk. An investment in individual stocks, or a collection of stocks focused on a particular theme or idea, such as a motif, may be subject to increased risk of price fluctuation over more diversified holdings due to adverse developments which can affect a particular industry or sector. Motif makes no representation regarding the suitability of a particular investment or investment strategy. You are responsible for all investment decisions you make including understanding the risks involved with your investment strategy.

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