FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

1What Sharia screening guidelines do you use?
We use a variety of sources to determine Sharia Compliance of securities. Our criteria is primarily based on but not limited to Sharia guidelines for screening as published by the Accounting and Auditing Organization by Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). AAOIFI is an Islamic International autonomous non-profit corporate body that prepares accounting, auditing, governance, ethics and Sharia standards for Islamic financial institutions and the industry. Please refer to our home page for our screening standards.
2How long has Inaeya been around?
Inaeya is an investment advisory firm registered in the State of Texas with limited business in other states. We bring in three decades of portfolio design and optimization for halal investments to the clients. We use a global team of compliance experts, security analysts, and web developers to operate our business. Our portfolio managers, called Investment Advisor Representatives, hold Series 65 License which qualifies them to provide investment and general financial advice to clients.
3Which asset classes are in your portfolios?
Our current portfolios consist of the following baskets of stocks, mutual funds and ETFs. The baskets would be altered based on market conditions. The percentages of asset classes varies based on client's risk profile. The client portfolios are rebalanced every quarter.
- Growth and Income Blend Stocks
- Sharia Compliant Nasdaq 100 Stocks
- Next Generation Company Stocks
- Large Growth Fund
- Large Income Fund
- Fixed Income (Sukuk) Fund
- Sharia Compliant S&P 500 ETF
- REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)
- Dividend Paying Stocks
4Which portfolio or Investment Strategy selections are offered?
The client fills out a risk profile questionnaire, and the system proposes a portfolio. The client has the option to override the system selection and choose his/her own portfolio. The client can select from one of the following portfolios.
- Uber Aggressive
- Very Aggressive
- Aggressive
- Moderate Aggressive
- Moderate
- Moderate Conservative
- Conservative
- Income
5Do you offer any mutual funds or ETFs?
We have custom built proprietary baskets of various asset classes. Based on your risk preference, you can choose from very aggressive to conservative allocations. As your preference moves towards conservative, we reduce the portion of our baskets and increase from among the commonly available sharia compliant mutual funds and ETFs.
6Can I select my own stocks for my portfolio?
We invest the funds in our own model portfolios based on your risk profile. If you would like to allocate part of your portfolio to purchase stocks or funds of your own choice, let us know after you open your account.
7If someone already has a Schwab trading account, do they have open a new one with Inaeya?
You can use either option. We can start managing your existing account through a Power of Attorney, or you can open a separate account through Inaeya.
8What is the minimum initial investment required to open an account?
The minimum amount to start any kind of account is $10,000.
9How much do you charge for your services?
We charge a fixed fee of 0.60% of assets under management regardless of the account size. The fee is lower than other sharia compliant mutual fund and ETF expense ratios. It is also lower than industry average fees for managed accounts.
10Where are my assets held?
All client assets are held with Charles Schwab, an industry leading broker/dealer. We only manage and invest your funds based on your preferences. You have round the clock access to your account by direct login to Schwab.
11Who can open an account with Inaeya?
Any US citizen or resident can open account with Inaeya. Since we are registered in the State of Texas, we can have any number of accounts in our home state and a limited number of accounts from other states. This varies from state to state based on local laws. US expatriates can also open accounts with us based on their state of domicile, but non-US persons can not.
12What are the steps to open an account?
Follow the following steps to open an account.

1. Fill out the Profile Questionnaire. This helps us determine the most suitable asset allocation for you. You can either choose the proposed allocation or override the suggestion and select one of the other allocations.

2. Fill out the Account Opening Form with your personal information and submit. Inaeya will move your information to Schwab for account opening.

3. You will receive a Schwab document through email for digital signature. Once the form is returned to Schwab, your account will be open and you will get a confirmation message.

4. The final step is to link your bank account to the brokerage account and transfer funds.

Some accounts, such as trusts, 401k transfers, organizational accounts, etc. can not be opened through the digital process. In that case, a representative will contact you to go through the additional steps.
13What is Islamic Finance?
Most people following a certain faith are caught between making financial decisions which comply with their faith requirements.
Are traditional mortgages allowed?
Is it OK to open an interest based savings account?
Are there certain companies that one should not be invest in?
Which financial instruments comply with my religious principles?
Are there ethical financial products available suited to my restrictions?

These are some the questions that come to mind. Up until the early eighties, there were hardly any solutions available. The faith based investor had no choice but to keep cash in a checking account and keep renting until he/she had enough money accumulated to purchase a home. This is no longer the case. A variety of products have emerged to help the investor. Our goal is to guide you to some of the financial solutions available and the rationale behind them. We will also keep the information basic so a person who has no knowledge of financial markets and investments can benefit. The information on this site is for educational and informational purposes only. The site does not recommend any products. Do your own research before selecting a financial product. Our blog contains several posts related to Islamic Finance and links to products available in the US markets. We are constantly updating the blog with new information.
14How do I manage and monitor my account?
Once your account setup is complete, you can monitor your portfolio and move funds in/out on 24x7 basis using Schwab website or through Schwab mobile app.