Why advisors don't need to build faith-based portfolios from scratch

Everyone in this business knows that building and managing portfolios takes time. But when it comes to faith-based portfolios, the workload is even greater. Others dabble—perhaps with a single faith-based fund or two. And a few try to build full portfolios themselves, only to discover how overwhelming the process can become.

No matter which camp you’re in, here’s the truth: faith-based investing doesn’t have to be this complicated.

Why many advisors don’t offer it

The demand is real—88% of Christians say they want to align their investments with their values, but only 37% of advisors ever bring up the topic.[i] Why? Because most know how much extra work it requires. Screening, researching, monitoring, and making sure managers complement each other is no small task.

That’s why so many advisors shy away from it. But in doing so, they miss an opportunity to serve clients more fully—and to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

For those building portfolios themselves

If you’re already building faith-based portfolios on your own, you know firsthand how complex it gets. Beyond traditional portfolio construction, you’re adding hours of work each month to:

• Screen companies against Christian values
• Dig into funds to uncover underlying holdings
• Monitor constantly for changes that could break alignment

On top of that, very few turnkey faith-based solutions exist today. Which means most advisors are left piecing together managers and funds themselves. The problem? Those managers may not complement one another, creating overlap, gaps, or unintended risks.

I’ve spoken with advisors who spend 10–15 additional hours per month compared to managing a traditional portfolio. That’s valuable time pulled away from client conversations.

The added complexity

It’s not just the time—it’s the risk of getting it wrong. I’ve seen portfolios where two well-regarded faith-based managers ended up heavily concentrated in the same mid-cap stocks, unintentionally raising risk. Or cases where a fund passed initial screens but later added a company that no longer aligned with client values—leaving the advisor scrambling to explain.

Then come the client conversations. Faith-based investors are often more engaged and more inquisitive than the average client. They don’t just want performance updates—they want reassurance that their money remains aligned with their values. Rewarding, yes—but much harder to do when you’re stretched thin from the heavy lift of building portfolios yourself.

This is the reality: it’s not just about picking a fund with a values screen. It’s about knowing how each manager fits together, how exposures interact, and how the portfolio holds up in changing market conditions—all while staying true to faith values.

How Frontier simplifies the process

Our goal is to bridge the gap—making faith-based investing accessible for both advisors and their clients. Here’s how:

• We handle the full asset allocation to seek to maximize return for a given downside risk target
• All manager research is done for you
• We optimize the manager mix so they complement one another and maximize return for a given downside risk target
• We apply dynamic risk management to adjust as markets shift and new opportunities emerge

In short, Frontier simplifies the complex. Advisors gain confidence that their portfolios are both well-managed and values-aligned, while reclaiming the time to focus on what matters most: their clients.

From my experience

I’ve worked with advisors who felt like they had to choose between offering faith-based investing and preserving their time. With Frontier’s turnkey solutions, that trade-off disappears. Advisors get their time back, while clients get portfolios they can feel good about—financially and spiritually.

Final thought

Every advisor knows portfolio construction is time intensive. Faith-based portfolios only add to that burden—especially when advisors are left to build them on their own. By leveraging turnkey portfolios like Frontier’s, advisors can shift their focus from managing complexity to what matters most: serving clients, strengthening relationships, and helping them pursue their goals with confidence.

[i] Source: Pinkston, on behalf of Eventide, Oct 2023. Based on 1,479 respondents who self identified as committed Christians (defined as having a Christian faith that is important in their life), ages 30+, with a min of $100k in investable assets or $75k household income. 54% of respondents indicate they have a financial advisor.