Utopia Funds Invest Without Borders,
Bucking Traditional Style Boxes and Market Capitalizations
Traverse City, MI – November 15, 2007 – Employing an actively-managed, values-based investment approach, the Utopia Funds take pride in the fact that they are not constrained by style boxes, market capitalizations, geographic regions or industries. Their only constraint? They avoid investing in companies that do harm. The fund family’s four unique, no-load (no 12b-1 fee), mutual funds all launched in December 2005 and offer long-term investors absolute total returns through economically responsible investing that spans the globe.
"The world is dynamic and we take a very active approach to finding stocks that can thrive in a variety of different investing environments," said Paul H. Sutherland, Chief Investment Officer of the Funds and Founder of Financial & Investment Management Group, Ltd. (FIM Group), the adviser to the Funds. "At the same time, we avoid investing in companies, industries or products that hurt people and instead focus on those that can make the world a better place." At the heart of their investment process is the steadfast belief that the flexibility to invest across asset classes, geographies, industries, and market capitalizations may reward shareholders over the long-term.
The Utopia Funds’ investment strategy is a principled, disciplined process of evaluating the chaos of the market and identifying the undervalued assets that show the potential for real returns. Portfolio Managers, Paul Sutherland, Suzanne Stepan, CFA, and Zachary Liggett, CFA, perform their own investment research and travel globally to visit target companies and their management teams. The managers employ a down-to-earth management style characterized by "whole-brained," comprehensive analysis. Their investment goals? Long-term preservation, growth, and compounding; or absolute total shareholder returns. Each Fund seeks long-term absolute total returns and invests in both equity and fixed income securities. In addition, all four Funds seek to limit downside volatility in any year to a different extent through asset allocation, hedging, leveraging and managing the balance between equity and fixed income investments.
Utopia Funds are also committed to socially responsible investing that celebrates the human spirit, thus the funds’ name. "We’ve put all our best intentions into these funds – our intentions for caring for your money, for sustainable economies, and for our planet," continued Sutherland. "Each investment is carefully scrutinized to ensure that our money follows our values." The portfolio managers’ disciplined and principled investment process avoids investing in products and services that they believe hurt people including, but not limited to alcohol, tobacco, firearms and pornography. The firm is dedicated to the idea that we can each play a part in making the world a better place and it is this intention that drives the Utopia Funds’ investment policy.
To request more information or to speak with Paul Sutherland, Suzanne Stepan, or Zachary Liggett, please contact Jennifer Connelly at (973) 625-1130 or jenn@jcpublicrelations.com.
You can also visit www.utopiafunds.com.
About Utopia Funds
At Utopia Funds, our passion is your financial future, your own personalized "Utopia" that sound investment management can bring you. Our number one goal is to preserve, grow, and compound your money in a way you can feel great about. All our people, including the Fund Board, the Advisor, the Fund Managers, our Investor Service Representatives, and our Partners believe in doing what is right for you.
Our style of actively managed, long-term global investing with focus on absolute total return allows us to provide you the opportunity and risk / rewards represented by thousands of investments, in only four mutual funds. Keeping it simple for our shareholders and leaving the hard work up to us, our four Utopia Funds are: the Utopia Growth Fund, the Utopia Core Fund, the Utopia Core Conservative Fund, and the Utopia Yield Income Fund.
About FIM Group
Financial & Investment Management Group, Ltd. (FIM Group) is the investment adviser to each of the Utopia Funds. Founded in 1984 by Paul H. Sutherland, FIM Group has been managing global total return portfolios for over 21 years and has offices in Michigan, Hawaii, and Wisconsin. FIM Group is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ investment portfolios; including directing the purchase and sale of the Funds’ securities, and arranging all other services necessary for the Funds to operate. FIM Group also offers investment advice to institutions and individual investors.
An investor should consider investment objectives, risk, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Please call toll free: 1.888.886.7423 for a Utopia Funds prospectus that contains this and other information. Read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money. An investment in the Funds involves risk, including possible loss of principle. ALPS Distributors, Inc., Distributor for Utopia Funds UTO000211_12052008.
FIM Group is not affiliated with ALPS Distributors, Inc.
Foreign securities held within the funds are subject to higher risks due to currency fluctuation, different financial and accounting standards, and political instability.
Fixed income investments are subject to interest rate risk so that bond prices will decline in value as interest rates increase.
Investments in securities of small- and medium-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than larger, more established companies.
Contact
Jennifer Connelly
JC Public Relations, Inc.
(973) 625-1130
jenn@jcpublicrelations.com
