Investing for Catholics Client Service Specialists

Our Story

Built for Catholic stewards who want both prudence and principle.

Investing for Catholics is a division of Index Fund Advisors, Inc. (IFA), a fee-only registered investment advisor^** based in Irvine, California. IFA was founded in 1999 on the conviction that evidence-based, systematically managed portfolios are a more prudent approach for investors than speculation and stock picking.

In 2009, Mary Brunson co-founded IFC to bring that same discipline to Catholic investors who wanted their portfolios to reflect the teachings of the Church. Today IFC works with religious orders, dioceses, endowments, foundations, retirement plans, and individual families across the country.

Our aim is to enable stewards to prudently balance faith-consistent investing with fiduciary best practices.

IFC portfolios are built from underlying funds that apply Catholic values screens, and each client relationship is led by an Investment Advisor. As a registered investment adviser, IFA is a fiduciary to its advisory clients and is obligated to act in their best interest.

** SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission, nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Advisory services are offered through Index Fund Advisors, Inc., a registered investment adviser, only pursuant to a written advisory agreement. Target date allocations become more conservative over time but are not guaranteed; investments remain subject to market risk, including near and after the target date.

1999
Index Fund Advisors founded
IFA begins as a fee-only advisory firm applying academic financial science to client portfolios.
2009
Investing for Catholics launches
Co-founded by Mary Brunson as a division of IFA, focused on Catholic faith-consistent investing for institutions and individuals.
Ongoing
Serving the Catholic community
Presenting on faith-aligned investment policy at conferences, publishing research, and co-authoring Tending the Flock: Shepherding Catholic Retirement Plans.
Today
$6.02 billion under management^†
IFA serves 2,200+ clients nationwide^†, with IFC continuing to grow its work with Catholic organizations and families.

What Sets IFC Apart

Four commitments behind our client relationships

The foundation of how we work with clients — whether a diocese, a foundation, or a family.

Fiduciary

As a registered investment adviser, IFA owes a fiduciary duty to its advisory clients, including a duty to act in their best interest.

Learn about our approach

Partnership with Purpose

Your dedicated IFC Investment Advisor will take the time to understand your specific goals, needs and relevant standard of care to help shape an investment approach for you or your organization.

Meet our team

Faith-Consistent

Portfolios are built from underlying funds that apply Catholic values screens consistent with the USCCB Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines.

How screening works

Systematically Managed

Globally diversified index portfolios grounded in academic financial research, including research recognized by the Nobel Committee, rebalanced with discipline — not forecasts or market timing.

Explore our portfolios

How IFC Serves Clients

A dedicated advisor. A full team behind you.

Your IFC Investment Advisor oversees and coordinates your investment process. From initial discussion through ongoing management, individual and institutional investors have access to IFC's investment education program, custom asset allocations designed to address a range of risk levels, ongoing portfolio management, and reporting.

Your Point of Contact

Your IFC Investment Advisor quarterbacks the process

Your advisor works with a dedicated investment management team so that the key parts of your relationship — policy, onboarding, trading, reporting, compliance — are supported by dedicated team members.

Mary Brunson, AIF®Senior Vice President, Investment Advisor and Co‑Founder

Investment Committee

Our internal investment committee establishes investment policy, strategy, and processes for selecting and monitoring investments, and oversees the development and ongoing management of IFC's custom portfolio implementations, including Catholic Values Target Date Strategies and risk-based portfolios.

Client Servicing Team

Our experienced client service professionals offer personal, attentive support throughout your relationship with IFC. They manage your account administration, including account opening, documentation, onboarding, account updates, reporting, withdrawals, and deposits.

Investor Education

Our team is committed to helping you understand the thinking behind your investments. Investment Advisors answer questions through one-on-one conversations, while our investment team contributes research and insights to articles, videos, and presentations on systematically managed, faith-consistent portfolios.

Portfolio Management Team

Our portfolio management team conducts investment research and analyzes portfolio positions to inform ongoing management. They execute trades, oversee cash flows, and rebalance, while seeking to keep costs reasonable. Our IT team maintains the systems that support this work and manages data protection.

Retirement Plan Services

The Retirement Plan Services team works diligently to support 403(b), 401(k), 457(b), and other defined contribution plan sponsors in following fiduciary best practices. Plan sponsors retain responsibility for the prudent selection and monitoring of their service providers.

Executive Leadership

Our executive leadership team provides management oversight and direction for the firm. Working with our compliance professionals, they oversee operations, review policies and procedures, and support a culture of accountability, ethical conduct, and regulatory compliance.

Our Team

The people behind Investing for Catholics

A mission-driven team providing personal service, backed by the full resources of Index Fund Advisors.

IFC Investment Advisors

Mary Brunson, AIF®

Senior Vice President, Wealth Advisor and Co-Founder · Investing for Catholics

Mary Brunson is the Co-founder of Investing for Catholics (IFC), a division of Index Fund Advisors, Inc. (IFA). Since 2009, she has focused her advisory efforts on Catholic faith-consistent investing, applying financial science to support fiduciary advice and institutional wealth services aligned with Catholic values. She works closely with religious orders and Catholic organizations—including diocesan plans, endowments, and foundations—as well as public trusts, pension plans, and individuals.

She is the co-author of Tending the Flock: Shepherding Catholic Retirement Plans and has contributed numerous articles on Catholic values investing. Mary frequently presents on faith-aligned investment policies at conferences and events.

Full biography →888.815.5025

Elizabeth Brunson

Associate Wealth Advisor · Investing for Catholics

Elizabeth Brunson is an Associate Wealth Advisor at Investing for Catholics (IFC), a division of Index Fund Advisors, Inc. (IFA). Elizabeth joined IFC in July 2024, following her graduation from the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a Master of Professional Accountancy and completed the program’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Pathway.

Prior to obtaining her graduate degree, Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting. She is a licensed Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65).

Full biography →888.815.5025

IFA Management Team

Mark T. Hebner

Founder & CEO

Wealth Advisor

Wes Long

President

Anne Page

Director of Client Services

John Brunson

Marketing and Research Associate

Shareen Balkey

Director of Retirement Services

Michelle Ojeda

Co-Chief Compliance Officer

Trevor Kensey

Co-Chief Compliance Officer

IFC Client Service Specialist

Gouri Misra

Senior Client Service Specialist

Group portrait of 40 IFA team members — The IFA Team

IFC's Investing Credo

Five principles that guide IFC's investment decisions

Markets Work

IFC's research is based on the widely accepted Efficient Market Hypothesis, whose founder, Eugene Fama, was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics.

Investing Science Shows the Way

IFC's strategies are based on Modern Portfolio Theory and the Fama-French Five-Factor Model for equities and Two-Factor Model for fixed income.

Diversification is Essential

IFC's portfolios seek to provide global diversification across U.S., International and Emerging Markets, plus Global Real Estate and Fixed Income.

Prudent, Faith-Consistent Investing is Possible

Based on IFC's research, properly constructed, diversified screened portfolios with Fama-French factor exposure are expected to vary little in long-term performance from similarly constructed non-screened portfolios. Actual results may differ, and screened portfolios may underperform or outperform non-screened portfolios in any given period.

Discipline and Patience Guide Our Approach

IFC's systematically managed strategy seeks to deliver risk-appropriate returns in a cost-conscious, diversified, and prudent manner.

“It must be remembered that the market does not exist in the pure state. It is shaped by the cultural configurations which define it and give it direction.”

— Pope Benedict XVI ** Provided for information purposes only; not an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee of any financial product, service, or advisor.

Let's Talk

Speak with an IFC Investment Advisor

Whether you steward an organization's assets or your family's savings, start with a conversation.

Call888.815.5025 · Visit Irvine, California

Financial science, guided by Faith.