• Individual Investor
  • Individual Investor

Three ways to invest in Thrivent funds

We’re here to help you invest with confidence.

MUTUAL FUNDS

Thrivent Account

You can purchase mutual funds right on our site with an online account.

Get started

Invest with a Thrivent account

  • Set up an account starting with as little as $50 per month.1
  • Access your online account at your convenience.
  • Purchase funds without transaction fees or sales charges.

MUTUAL FUNDS & ETFS

Financial Professional

For guidance when investing, ask a financial professional about investing in Thrivent mutual funds & ETFs.

Contact a Thrivent advisor

Invest with a financial professional

  • Receive investment help from an experienced professional.
  • Build a relationship through in-person meetings.
  • Get help planning for life’s goals such as saving and retirement.
  • Additional fees may apply.

MUTUAL FUNDS & ETFS

Brokerage Account

If you already have a brokerage account, our mutual funds & ETFs can be purchased through online brokerage platforms by searching for Thrivent Mutual Funds and ETFs.

Invest with a brokerage account

  • Add Thrivent Mutual Funds and ETFs to your investments within your existing portfolio.
  • Take advantage of your account to keep your investments in one place.
  • Additional fees may apply.
Not quite ready?

We want you to invest your money wisely and with confidence.
Here are some other options that may help you.

  • Take our quiz to determine your personal investment style.
  • Talk to your financial advisor about ETFs.
  • Sign up for our monthly investing insights newsletter.

 

Need more help?

If you need assistance, we’re here to help. Reach out to us via the phone, email, and support page information below.

 

This ETF is different from traditional ETFs. Traditional ETFs tell the public what assets they hold each day. This ETF will not. This may create additional risks for your investment. For example:

 - You may have to pay more money to trade the ETF’s shares. This ETF will provide less information to traders, who tend to charge more for trades when they have less information.

 - The price you pay to buy ETF shares on an exchange may not match the value of the ETF’s portfolio. The same is true when you sell shares. These price differences may be greater for this ETF compared to other ETFs because it provides less information to traders.

 - These additional risks may be even greater in bad or uncertain market conditions.

 - The ETF will publish on its website each day a “Proxy Portfolio” designed to help trading in shares of the ETF. While the Proxy Portfolio includes some of the ETF’s holdings, it is not the ETF’s actual portfolio.

The differences between this ETF and other ETFs may also have advantages. By keeping certain information about the ETF secret, this ETF may face less risk that other traders can predict or copy its investment strategy. This may improve the ETF’s performance. If other traders are able to copy or predict the ETF’s investment strategy, however, this may hurt the ETF’s performance. For additional information regarding the unique attributes and risks of the ETF, see the Principal Risks section of the prospectus.

1 New accounts with a minimum investment amount of $50 are offered through the Thrivent Mutual Funds "automatic purchase plan." Otherwise, the minimum initial investment requirement is $2,000 for non-retirement accounts and $1,000 for IRA or tax-deferred accounts, minimum subsequent investment requirement is $50 for all account types. Account minimums for other options vary.

Thrivent ETFs may be purchased through your financial professional or brokerage platforms.

Contact your financial professional or brokerage firm to understand minimum investment amounts when purchasing a Thrivent ETF.

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RETIREMENT PLANNING

Investing for retirement

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Key points

Target date funds

It’s important to understand the strategy behind a target date fund’s approach.

Target risk funds

Use target risk funds to build a mix of stocks and bonds that align to a particular risk level—aggressive or conservative.

Like many investors, you may rely on mutual funds to help make your money work for you. And, investing in a mix of stocks and bonds within a single mutual fund can help keep investments diversified.

The two most popular types of all-in-one mutual funds are target date funds and target risk funds. Though their investment philosophies differ, both are designed to help you realize your investment goals in a convenient way.

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Target date funds

Target date funds offer a straightforward way to diversify investments. Simply select a mutual fund based on the year you plan to retire, and the fund automatically adjusts over time to stay in line with your investment goals.

You don’t need to rebalance or select underlying funds—the single target date fund does that for you. The mix of assets within your account gradually shifts from an aggressive to a more conservative risk profile as the target date approaches.

This single investment approach is appealing, but there are a few things to keep in mind when saving for retirement.

  • Variations in risk levels. Not all target date funds are created equal, even if they share the same target date. A 2040 fund from one mutual fund company may be set up with a greater percentage of assets invested in stocks—making it more aggressively positioned than a mutual fund with the same date from a different mutual fund company that has a heavier balance of bonds.

This means you need to consider the level of risk the fund takes to help meet its objectives. Each fund will have a unique formula to determine the right mix of stocks and bonds for (1) each target date, (2) the number of years until the target date, and (3) the relative level of risk being assumed.

The fund’s investment mix typically becomes less risky as the target date nears, but you need to be sure you’re comfortable with volatility throughout its life. Selecting the right target date fund is made more difficult if your risk tolerance changes as retirement nears.

In other words, you need to fully understand the strategy behind the fund’s approach before making an investment into it.

  • Difference in glide paths. While the asset mix of your target date fund is important, how the fund gradually shifts from stocks to bonds—also known as its glide path—is equally important. Knowing which kind of glide path your target date fund uses is essential as you plan for retirement.

A “to” glide path means the fund becomes more conservative as the target date approaches (moving to a greater bond-to-stock ratio) and then remains static once it gets to the retirement date.

A “through” glide path is often used by mutual funds designed for investors who will likely stay invested long after the target date is reached. This glide path continues through the retirement date. The through path generally keeps the asset mix more aggressive (more stocks compared to bonds) than the funds that use a “to” path.

Target date funds may seem a good solution, but investors should be aware, the funds aren’t always as hands-off as they may appear. And they may be too aggressive or conservative for your individual risk tolerance.

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Target risk funds

Target risk funds build a mix of stocks and bonds that align to a particular risk level:

  • An aggressive target risk fund may put 75% to 100% of its assets into stocks (with the remaining assets in bonds).
  • A conservative target risk fund may have the opposite asset mix (nearly all bonds with limited stock holdings).
Chart depicting the relationship between rate of return and standard deviation among five types of target risk indexes.
Chart depicting the relationship between rate of return and standard deviation among five types of target risk indexes.

Generally, younger investors will put their money into more aggressive target risk funds and focus on growing their assets. Older investors tend to use more conservative target risk funds to protect their assets as retirement grows closer.

Here’s a closer look at what these funds offer.

  • A straightforward way to manage risk. Much like target date funds, target risk funds offer a single, balanced solution for you to diversify the investments in your portfolio and tailor them to your desired risk level. While diversification can help reduce market risk, it does not eliminate it. Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.
  • If you invest in a target risk fund, you select the right risk level and don’t need to worry about the additional complexities of glide paths or the significant variations between funds with the same target dates. With target risk funds, however, the investor is responsible for identifying when risk tolerances change and moving investments to a fund with the appropriate risk level.
  • More investment flexibility. Target risk funds—unlike target date funds—are built on the assumption that your portfolio will probably have more than one investment account. This means target risk funds can offer you more flexibility based on your situation.

For example, if you’re an older investor with most of your assets sitting in bond funds in a 401(k), a small allocation to an aggressive target risk fund in an IRA might be the right choice for you. A target date fund doesn’t offer the same flexibility—the closer the target date, the more conservative the investment mix becomes.

No matter what your planned retirement age is, you can get the right investment mix with a target risk fund based on your risk profile. You can also update it as your investing needs evolve. Keep in mind, you will be responsible for adjusting your investments as your risk tolerance changes.

A side-by-side fund comparison
Target date funds Target risk funds
Target date funds Target risk funds
Aligns with a stated retirement or target goal date. Aligns with an investment risk level: conservative, moderate, aggressive.
May be significant variations in risk levels between funds with same target date. Risk level specific to the fund and does not change.
Requires understanding the glide path for shifting investments as the target date nears. The investor would rebalance as risk tolerance or needs change.
Investment manager adjusts investments over time with the fund to align with need for less risk as the target date approaches. The investor would move assets between funds with different risks levels as risk tolerance changes.

Thrivent Mutual Funds offers target risk funds

At Thrivent Mutual Funds, we offer a wide range of target risk funds in our Asset Allocation and Income Plus funds. Our team of seasoned investment professionals brings deep knowledge and thorough proprietary research to actively manage each fund.

When you invest with Thrivent Mutual Funds, you’ll benefit from well-researched and convenient investment options to help make investing easier.

 

 

The concepts presented are intended for educational purposes only. This information should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy, or product.

The Morningstar average represents the average total return annualized when greater than one year for all reported funds in the category. Morningstar averages do not include sales charges/fees. If included, returns would have been lower.

© 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Your retirement investment journey begins with 3 steps

Take advantage of tax contribution limits and open a Thrivent Mutual Funds IRA today. Choose an account, select mutual funds that match your retirement goals and investing style, and open your account.

Start investing in 3 steps

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