A $1.7-billion-AUM, 13-year-old boutique asset manager is rewinding its branding while converting its mutual funds into ETFs.

Kelsey Mowrey Motley Fool Asset Management President

Today, Kelsey Mowrey, president of MFAM, and Bryan Hinmon, chief investment officer, confirm that the Alexandria, Virginia-based firm is going back to its full Motley Fool Asset Management [profile] name. They also confirm, as detailed in an SEC filing, that they plan to convert the MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (FOOLX for investor shares and FOIIX for institutional shares) and the MFAM Mid Cap Growth Fund (TMFGX for investor shares and FOGIX for institutional ones) into traditional ETFs. (Motley Fool Asset Management's funds and ETFs are part of the RBB Fund series trust.)

Transparency is a key factor in both changes, Mowrey says. She notes that the Alexandria, Virginia-based firm is a sister company of the Motley Fool, LLC.

"We see a lot of people condensing the names," Mowrey tells 401kWire. "We really want to spell out who we are."

"The whole team over here at Motley Fool Asset Management is really excited about the rebrand, the conversion, and launching new ETFs," Mowrey adds.

"RBB is proud to assist Motley Fool Asset Management in converting the Mutual Funds into ETFs," states Arnold Reichman, chairman of the board of the RBB Fund.

ETFs offer Motley Fool Asset Management's fund and ETF shareholders several benefits, including lower all-in fees, accessibility, and the aforementioned transparency, Mowrey says. (While one of Motley Fool Asset Management's current ETFs is passively managed, its other ETF and its two converting mutual funds are all actively managed. Yet the firm is avoiding the new translucent ETF structures designed for active managers and sticking with the traditional transparent ETF model.)

Both converting funds' track records will transfer over, Mowrey confirms, and their strategies and PMs will remain unchanged. Their tickers will be shortened slightly to four letters. And the Motley Fool Asset Management team will be conducting a "heavy email and educational campaign to really educate ... shareholders on the process," Mowrey says.

Looking ahead, Mowrey confirms that future Motley Fool Asset Management launches will be ETFs, with both active and passive launches as possibilities. 

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