Mutual Fund Investing

A "Refreshing Change"

Ever since the founding of Summit Trust Company, our clients have told us that we, “represent trust services the way it should be”. In their words, we are a “refreshing change” from other trust companies. The “refreshing change” our clients talk about, stems directly from the special attention and high level of personal service given to each Summit Trust client.

Nobel Prize Winning Strategies

In addition to our high service standards, clients and their advisors alike have embraced Summit Trust’s world-class passive money management process for the creation and preservation of their family’s wealth. Developed and tested by Nobel Prize winning economists, Summit Trust’s passive money management platform is inspired and driven purely by academic research. Our core belief is that Passive Money Management is one of the most efficient, cost effective, straightforward and proven methods of professional asset class management.

Investment Strategies

How many different investment strategies exist? How do I choose a method that fits my level of risk tolerance? Who will manage and monitor the investments and performance of my individual portfolio?

These are very good questions that are directed to Summit Trust on a daily basis, and are therefore, questions that require detailed answers.

Summit Trust's goal is to provide clients with the highest level of service and investment solutions that meet their specific goals. Our study of investment strategies led us to compare both traditional active money management strategies and passive money management strategies.

In fact, the first step of our process was the most determinant. Two distinctly different philosophies were compared in performance and volatility: active management versus passive management methods. The results of our analysis: active management, on average, underperformed passive management with more volatility and higher costs.

We then searched for a firm whose management philosophies fit the requirements in developing true asset allocation models. Our search ended with OBS Financial Services who engineers portfolios on Summit’s behalf utilizing Dimensional Fund Advisors mutual funds.

Until our agreement with OBS, Summit Trust was not able to participate in this very compelling investment approach. We feel this investment strategy has many positive benefits to every type of account.

   Download the Science of Investing Brochure

We encourage you to contact a Summit Trust representative today for further information.


Client Services

Through a strategic partnership with OBS Financial Services as the money manager, Summit Trust provides advisors and their client's efficient portfolio design and pure asset class investing. Clients and advisors both benefit from automated account processing and electronic account funding. Other services offered through Summit Trust include:

  • Access To Portfolios Utilizing Institutional Class No-load Mutual Funds
  • Client Portfolio Design and Customization
  • Portfolio, Analysis, Monitoring, and Rebalancing
  • Real-Time Account Value Access

Summit Trust's passive money management process alleviates the guesswork in choosing asset class managers, while streamlining trust and wealth management services. The end result - clients receive an academically proven portfolio engineered specifically to their objectives while allowing advisers the time necessary to better manage client relationships.


Regarding Investment Advice on these Pages:

Investment Advice – Summit Trust Company does not render investment advice. Such advice should be sought from qualified and properly registered investment advisors or securities registered representatives. Summit Trust Company relies upon the advice of such qualified advisors in the selection of investments for portfolios under Summit Trust Company’s management.

Summit Trust Company utilizes OBS Financial Services, which is a qualified broker/dealer and registered investment advisor, to provide money management services for the investments offered through Summit Trust Company. The underlying investments in OBS’s portfolios consist of the Dimensional Fund Advisors family of no-load asset-class mutual funds as its primary investment portfolios.

Summit Trust Company may use certain forms supplied by the Investment Advisor to collect data regarding suitability, in order to assist in the selection of the portfolio matched to the appropriate risk level for the client. Summit Trust Company may rely upon other registered investment advisors to manage certain portfolios, and upon the investment advisor selected by the individual clients.
 Securities offered through OBS Financial Services, Inc. Member NASD/SIPC