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When we move our dollars, the world notices.

Press coverage
Forbes: Climate Fund Seeks To Satisfy Investors Frustrated By ESG Funds

ESG investing, the latest incarnation of socially-responsible investing, has gotten a bad rap, and at least half of it is deserved. But one fund is trying to be authentic to this thematic form of investing. The Sphere 500 Climate Fund

June 30, 2024
Legal memo counters GOP claims that considering climate risk violates fiduciary duty

US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum and Sphere released a legal memo May 22 stating that asset managers considering climate-related metrics in their investment decisions are not violating their fiduciary duty, despite GOP pushback.

May 22, 2024
How can I make my retirement plan climate-friendly?

If you have a 401(k) or an individual retirement account, it may be funding Big Oil.

March 25, 2024
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Announcements
Sphere is now on ADP and Empower

Adding Sphere to your 401(k) can be as simple as asking your company’s 401(k) advisor

July 2, 2024
US SIF and Sphere release new legal analysis that counters claims of anti-trust violations for climate-related investing

Jenner & Block LLP legal memo finds no basis in law for attorney generals’ and legislators’ threats that shareholders acting to consider climate risk are violating either antitrust or fiduciary duty laws

May 22, 2024
$1T is invested in fossil fuels via 401(k)s. This free tool breaks it down for all US companies.

99% of 401(k) plans have no climate-friendly investment option. The AtmoSphere is here to help change that.

June 14, 2023
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Blog
Working to maximize our impact in 2024

As I reflect on 2023 and plan for 2024, a theme that keeps coming to mind is the immense climate impact that we can have when we pay attention to where we invest our retirement savings. 

January 19, 2024
Historic update to the GHG Protocol likely to shine a spotlight on the 401(k) emissions problem

Why do sustainability managers not feel that it is their job to reduce the emissions from their 401(k)s?

November 3, 2023
Are legislators in Big Oil's pocket?

The first veto of the Biden presidency strikes down a law aiming to force 401(k) participants to invest in the fossil fuel industry.

March 22, 2023
Case study: How Camille got a climate-friendly option added to her company’s 401(k)

One person’s story on how persistence paid off in making climate-friendly investing available to everyone at her company.

March 6, 2023
New DOL guidance confirms climate change can be considered when choosing 401(k) and 403(b) investment options

We got wonderful news from the Department of Labor yesterday: It is now clear that fiduciaries are not violating any laws if they give employees the option to align their investments with their values.

November 23, 2022
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RISKS AND DISCLOSURE
Before investing in the Sphere 500 Climate Fund (“SPFFX”), carefully consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses.  To obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus which contains this and other information, please visit https://oursphere.org/fund or talk to your financial advisor. Read it carefully before investing.

As with all investments, there are risks involved with investing in SPFFX. Climate Investing Consideration Risk-Considerations related to climate risk, such as environmental criteria (e.g., fossil fuel screens), applied to the Index’s construction may limit the number of investment opportunities available to the Fund, and as a result, at times, the Fund may underperform funds that are not subject to similar investment restrictions. For example, the Index may exclude certain securities due to climate-focused considerations when other investment considerations would suggest that investing in such securities would be advantageous. The Fund may also underperform funds that invest in the energy and utilities sectors, particularly in times of rising oil, gas and energy prices. Other risks include, but are not limited to general market risk, small fund risk, large cap risk, common stock risk, sector risk, industry concentration risk, passive investment risk, index calculation risk, limited operating history risk, cybersecurity risk, tracking error risk, operation risk, and third-party data risks as it relates to the composition of the Index. For a detailed explanation of the risks associated with SPFFX and the underlying Index, please read the prospectus.

The Sphere 500 Climate Fund tracks the Sphere 500 Fossil-Free Index. The Index is constructed beginning with the largest 500 U.S. companies that trade on regulated U.S. exchanges by market capitalization.  The index administrator, BITA GmbH, then eliminates companies from this investable universe using data obtained from As You Sow, an unaffiliated non-profit organization that promotes environmental responsibility through shareholder advocacy.  As You Sow eliminates companies from the Index based primarily on their risk profile of being exposed to the fossil fuel industry and secondarily, by other exclusionary screens, including companies engaged in deforestation activities, civilian and military firearms manufacturing and related guns/arms sales, prison and border security operations, and tobacco and e-cigarette manufacturing.  The elimination of these companies from the Index is intended to foster and support the climate-focused, social investing goals of the Fund. The fund may invest in companies that use fossil fuels as a part of their business or have used fossil fuels in the past. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Index returns do not reflect the effects of fees or expenses. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted above. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. For performance information current to the most recent month-end, please call toll-free 844-2-SPHERE.

Index performance is discussed for illustrative purposes only as a benchmark for each strategy’s performance and does not predict or depict performance of that strategy.  While index comparisons may be useful to provide a benchmark for a strategy’s performance, it must be noted that investments are not limited to the investments comprising the indices.  Each of the strategy benchmark indices are unmanaged and cannot be purchased directly by investors. Past performance does not guarantee future results. No portion of the content should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of the fund in any jurisdiction where the solicitation or offer would be deemed unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The Sphere 500 Climate Fund is distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, member of FINRA and SIPC, which is not affiliated with Sphere or SPFFX. NOT FDIC INSURED NOT BANK GUARANTEED. MAY LOSE VALUE.

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