Securities Act Registration No. 333- _______
Investment Company Act Registration No. 811- _______
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ý
¨
Pre-Effective Amendment No.__
¨
Post-Effective Amendment No.__
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 ý
¨
Amendment No.___
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
Northern Lights Fund Trust III
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
4020 South 147th Street, Omaha, NE 68137
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)
Registrants Telephone Number, including Area Code: (402) 895-1600
The Corporation Trust Company
1209 Orange Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
With copy to:
JoAnn M. Strasser, Thompson Hine LLP 41 South High Street, 17th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-469-3265 (phone) 614-469-3361 (fax) |
Emile R. Molineaux, General Counsel Gemini Fund Services, LLC 450 Wireless Blvd. Hauppauge, New York 11788 (631) 470-2616 |
Approximate date of proposed public offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement.
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
¨ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
If appropriate, check the following box:
¨ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FUND
(LFTAX)
PROSPECTUS
[ ], 2012
Advised by:
Manarin Investment Counsel, Ltd.
15858 West Dodge Road, Suite 310
Omaha, Nebraska 68118
(402) 330-1166
(800) 397-1167
www.lifetimeachievementfund.com
The Lifetime Achievement Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and growth of investment. The Fund primarily invests in shares of other open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds.
This Prospectus sets forth the information about the Fund that you, as a prospective investor, should consider before investing in the Fund. It should be read and retained for future reference.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed on the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Principal Investment Strategies
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS
Principal Investment Strategies
Non-Principal Investment Risks
TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES
FUND SUMMARY
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is long-term capital appreciation and growth of investment.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $250,000 in the Fund. More information about this and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the Front-End Sales Load section on page [ ] of the Prospectus and on page [ ] of the Funds Statement of Additional Information (SAI) under Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
|
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price) |
2.50% |
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed on shares held less than 90 days ) |
2.00% |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
|
Management Fees |
0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
Other Expenses (1) |
|
Interest Expense and Cost of Borrowing |
0.30% |
Other |
[ ]% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2) |
[ ]% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
[ ]% |
(1)
The expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees.
(2) The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Funds financial statements (or to the financial highlights in this Prospectus) because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund.
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods and that your dividends and distributions have been reinvested. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was [ ]% of the average value of the portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in shares of other open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) (collectively, Investment Funds) that each invest primarily in common stocks or fixed income securities. The Fund may invest without restriction as to capitalization, credit quality, or country of an issuer. The Fund may invest without limitation in non-investment grade fixed income securities, commonly known as high yield or junk bonds. The Fund defines non-investment grade fixed income securities as those with ratings below Baa3 by Moodys Investors Service or below BBB- by Standard and Poors Rating Group, or if unrated, determined to be of similar credit quality by the Funds adviser. The Fund may borrow amounts of up to 33 1/3% of its total assets, less liabilities other than such borrowings, to take advantage of leverage opportunities by buying additional securities when the Funds adviser deems it advisable and to increase liquidity to meet redemption requests. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that the Fund may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund.
The Funds adviser selects Investment Funds based, in part, upon an analysis of the global macroeconomic environment and the relative valuations of various asset classes, sectors, and countries. In selecting open-end investment companies, the adviser considers, among other factors, their past performance, asset size, number of portfolio holdings, portfolio turnover, consistency of their advisers investment process, administrative and other costs, shareholder services and the reputation, and stability of their investment advisers. In selecting ETFs, the adviser considers the underlying index, if any, methodology of portfolio construction, and liquidity of the ETF. The Fund may invest in the securities of an ETF that are trading at a discount or premium to its net asset value (NAV). The strategy of investing in other Investment Funds is generally referred to as the fund of funds structure. The Fund invests primarily in Investment Funds that have an investment objective that the Funds adviser deems, when viewed from a total portfolio perspective, consistent with the Funds.
The Fund may invest in inverse Investment Funds, which are designed to produce results opposite to market trends. Inverse Investment Funds seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, which correspond to the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of a specific benchmark. The Fund may also invest in alternative assets, which are selected to provide positive returns that are non-correlated to the equity market in general. These may include Investment Funds linked to commodities, such as oil or gold, and securities focused on specific industries, such as real estate, or focused on economic segments, such as foreign currencies. The Fund may also invest directly in gold bullion, gold coins, foreign currencies, and fixed income securities of sovereign issuers.
Principal Investment Risks
As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Many factors affect the Funds net asset value and performance.
Below-Investment Grade Securities Risk. High-yield, high-risk securities, commonly called junk bonds, are considered speculative. While generally providing greater income than investments in higher-quality securities, these lower-quality securities will involve greater risk of loss of principal and income that higher-quality securities, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuer of the security. Like other fixed income securities, the value of high-yield securities will also fluctuate as interest rates change.
Common Stock Risk. The value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the equity securities in which the Investment Funds invest. Common stock prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political, or market conditions.
Fixed Income Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities including Investment Funds that invest in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Defaults by fixed income issuers in which the Fund invests will also harm performance.
Foreign Currency Risk. Currency investing involves market risk, interest rate risk, and country risk. Market risk results from adverse price movement of foreign currency values. Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency.
F oreign Risk . The Fund could be subject to greater risks because the Funds performance may depend on issues other than the performance of a particular company or U.S. market sector. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. The value of foreign securities is also affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar.
Gold Risk. The price of gold may be volatile and gold bullion and gold coins are subject to storage and other expenses.
Investment Funds Risk. Investment Funds are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in open-end investment companies and ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in securities. Each Investment Fund is subject to specific risks, depending on its investments. The Funds investments in the Alternative Asset market segment, which the Fund defines to include commodity-related, foreign currency-related, and real estate-related, may be more volatile than other Fund investments. The Fund may engage in hedging or speculation activities by investing in inverse Investment Funds. Positions in inverse securities are speculative and can be riskier than long positions (purchases). The market value of ETF shares may differ from their net asset value. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETF shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying basket of securities.
Issuer Risk . Fund value might decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual company or issuer in the Funds or an Investment Funds portfolio. The value of an individual issuer can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of certain types of companies or issuers can be more volatile due to increased sensitivity to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments.
Leverage Risk. By borrowing money, the Fund incurs the risk that interest expenses may exceed the returns on the securities purchased with borrowed funds. If the value of the securities purchased declines, the Fund would face decreased returns as well as the costs of the borrowing. Borrowing may magnify the effect on the Funds NAV of any decrease in the value of the securities it holds.
Management Risk. The advisers judgments about the attractiveness, value, and potential appreciation of particular asset classes and Investment Funds in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
Non-Diversification Risk . The Funds portfolio is non-diversified. That is, the Fund can take larger positions in securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified portfolio could take. Non-diversification increases the risk that the value of the Fund could decrease because a single investment performs poorly.
Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk. Small-cap and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic developments than larger, more established organizations. These companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, and they may be dependent on a limited management group.
Sovereign Debt Risk. Sovereign government issuers of debt may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments because of factors such as tax revenue shortfalls or the inability to refinance maturing debt in local or global capital markets.
Who Should Invest in the Fund
·
Investors with long-term financial goals.
·
Investors seeking growth potential.
·
Investors seeking a core investment to act as a foundation for their equity portfolio.
Who Should Not Invest in the Fund
·
Investors with short-term financial goals.
·
Investors who are unwilling to accept share prices that may fluctuate, sometimes significantly, over the short-term.
Performance
The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Funds returns, which is some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows performance of the Funds shares for each full calendar year since the Funds inception. The performance table compares the performance of the Funds shares over time to the performance of a broad-based market index and a supplemental index. You should be aware that the Funds past performance (before and after taxes) may not be an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Returns do not reflect sales charges, and would be lower if they did. In 2010, the Funds distributor rebated certain 12b-1 fees to the Fund. Without this rebate, Fund performance would have been lower. The Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the Lifetime Achievement Fund, Inc. (the Predecessor Fund) in a tax-free reorganization on [ ], 2012. In connection with this acquisition, shares of the Predecessor Fund were exchanged for shares of the Fund. The performance information set forth below reflects the historical performance of the Predecessor Fund shares. Updated information on the Funds results can be obtained by visiting www.lifetimeachievementfund.com.
Annual Total Returns as of December 31 of Each Year (Before Taxes)
[performance for 2011 to be added by subsequent amendment]
Best Quarter |
[June 30, 2009 28.99%] |
|
Worst Quarter |
[December 31, 2008 (27.37)%] |
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2011
|
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Return Before Taxes |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
MSCI World Index |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
S&P 500 ® Index |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
[ ]% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In certain cases, the figure representing Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investors tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Investment Adviser
Manarin Investment Counsel, Ltd. (the Adviser) is the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Roland R. Manarin, lead portfolio manager of the Fund and President, Director and Investment Adviser Representative of the adviser, has managed the Fund since commencement of the Funds operations in July 2000. Aron D. Huddleston, CFA, portfolio manager of the Fund, Vice President and Investment Adviser Representative of the adviser, has managed the Fund since January 2002. The portfolio managers share responsibility for the day to day management of the Fund.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The minimum initial investment in the Fund is $10,000. There is a $500 subsequent investment requirement. The minimum initial investment for qualified retirement plans, including individual retirement accounts (IRAs), IRA rollover plans and Roth IRAs, is $5,000, and the minimum for subsequent investments is $500. No minimum initial (or subsequent) investment is required for employer sponsored retirement plans (401(k) plans). You may buy shares of the Fund each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.
You may redeem shares of the Fund each day the NYSE is open. The redemption price is the net asset value per share next determined after the receipt of a redemption request in proper form. You may redeem Fund shares by calling 1-[888-339-4230] or by sending a letter of instruction to Lifetime Achievement Fund, c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 4020 South 147th Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. Investors who wish to redeem shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary should contact the intermediary regarding the hours during which orders to redeem shares of the Fund may be placed.
Tax Information
The Funds distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related shareholder services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is long-term capital appreciation and growth of investment. This objective may not be changed without shareholder approval.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund of Funds Structure. The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in shares of other open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds, which is generally referred to as the fund of funds structure. Investment Funds may, but need not, have the same investment objectives, policies, and limitations as the Fund. Investment Funds may include ETFs, a type of investment company that trades on an exchange like common stock. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the return of a specific domestic or foreign market segment or index.
The Fund may purchase shares of Investment Funds whether or not they impose a front-end sales charge (sales load). However, the Fund generally will not acquire shares of any Investment Fund that imposes a sales load unless the Investment Fund has a policy allowing for the purchase of shares without a sales load due to the volume of shares purchased ( e.g. , a cumulative quantity discount or letter of intent program) and the Funds purchase qualifies under the policy. Some Investment Funds may impose a contingent deferred sales load in the event shares are redeemed within a certain period of time, usually within 12 months, but up to 18 months, from the date of purchase. The Fund does not anticipate incurring such charges; however, in certain instances, the charges may not be avoided, such as when an Investment Fund has a change in fund management or poor performance, to meet liquidity needs of the Fund, or other reasons that may compel the Fund to redeem its holdings early and incur the charge.
Precious Metals . Under federal tax law, the Fund may not earn more than 10% of its annual gross income from gains resulting from selling precious metals. Accordingly, the Fund may be required to hold its precious metals or to sell them at a loss, or to sell securities at a gain, when for investment reasons it would not otherwise do so.
Foreign Securities . The Fund may invest in foreign companies, including issuers located in both developed and emerging markets, primarily through Investment Funds that invest in foreign securities and, to a limited extent, through direct investment.
Borrowing. The Fund is authorized to borrow, in accordance with Section 18(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets, less liabilities other than such borrowings, to increase liquidity to meet redemption requests and to take advantage of leverage opportunities by buying additional securities when the adviser deems it advisable. This permits the Fund to meet liquidity needs or take advantage of leverage opportunities when the adviser does not deem it advisable to sell the securities positions held by the Fund. By borrowing money, the Fund has the potential to increase its returns if the increase in the value of the securities purchased exceeds the cost of borrowing, including interest paid and any related fees. If the value of the securities purchased declines, the Fund would face decreased returns as well as the costs of the borrowing.
Non-Principal Investment Strategies
Direct Investment in Common Stock. In addition to investing in Investment Funds, the Fund may invest a portion of its assets directly in common stock, or other securities convertible into common stock or any other type of security that represents equity ownership, of a company.
U.S. Government Securities . The Fund may also invest in individual fixed income bonds issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, including those with maturities in excess of 10 years (U.S. Government Securities) and Investment Funds that invest principally in U.S. Government Securities, whenever the Funds adviser believes that U.S. Government Securities and Investment Funds investing in U.S. Government Securities offer a potential for capital appreciation, such as during periods of declining interest rates.
Principal Investment Risks
Below-Investment Grade Securities Risk. High-yield, high-risk securities, commonly called junk bonds, are considered speculative and carry greater risks than higher quality securities. While generally providing greater income than investments in higher-quality securities, these lower-quality securities will involve greater risk of loss of principal and income than higher-quality securities, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuer of the security. Like other fixed income securities, the value of high-yield securities will also fluctuate as interest rates change. Junk bonds are more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher-quality fixed income securities. They involve greater risk than higher-quality bonds, including an increased possibility that the bonds issuer, obligor, or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal. If that happens, the value of the bond may decrease, and the Funds share price may decrease. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Funds or an Investment Funds ability to sell its bonds. Such securities may also be subject to resale restrictions. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Funds share price.
Common Stock Risk. The value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the equity securities in which the Investment Funds invest. Common stock prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions. Stock prices in general may decline over short or even extended periods of time. Market prices of equity securities in broad market segments may be adversely affected by a prominent issuer having experienced losses or by the lack of earnings or such an issuers failure to meet the markets expectations with respect to new products or services, or even by factors wholly unrelated to the value or condition of the issuer, such as changes in interest rates. The risks that are associated with investing in common stock include the financial risk of purchasing individual companies that perform poorly, the risk that the stock markets in which the common stock purchased by the Fund trade may experience periods of turbulence and instability, and the general risk that domestic and foreign economies may go through periods of decline and cycles of change. Many factors affect an individual companys performance, such as the strength of its management or the demand for its services or products. You should be aware that the value of a companys share price may decline as a result of poor decisions made by management or lower demand for the companys services or products. In addition, a companys share price may also decline if its earnings or revenues fall short of expectations. There are also risks associated with the stock market overall. Over time, stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods when stock prices rise generally and periods when stock prices decline generally. The value of the Funds investments may increase or decrease more than the stock market in general. When the Fund purchases common stock, it will do so in the secondary market and, consequently, will incur certain brokerage costs.
Fixed Income Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, including Investment Funds that invest in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Defaults by fixed income issuers in which the Fund invests will also harm performance. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of the fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors impacting fixed income securities include credit risk, maturity risk, market risk, extension or prepayment risk, illiquid security risks, foreign securities risk, and investment-grade and high yield securities risk. These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Funds share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
Foreign Currency Risk. Currency investing involves significant risks, including market risk, interest rate risk, and country risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours. Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents, or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad. Restrictions on the exchange market or on international transactions are intended to affect the level or movement of the exchange rate. This risk could include the country re-issuing a new currency, effectively making the old currency worthless.
Foreign Risk . The Fund could be subject to greater risks because the Funds performance may depend on issues other than the performance of a particular company or U.S. market sector. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. The value of foreign securities is also affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar. There may also be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information. The values of foreign investments may be affected by changes in exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in this country or abroad), or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. In addition, foreign brokerage commissions, custody fees, and other costs of investing in foreign securities are generally higher than in the United States. Investments in foreign issues could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to greater risk and will be more dependent on the advisers ability to assess such risk than if the Fund invested solely in U.S. securities. In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in securities of foreign companies, countries with emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect shareholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues.
Gold Risk. The price of gold may be volatile. Gold bullion and gold coin investments are subject to additional expenses such as storage, insurance, and assaying and may be illiquid and difficult to buy and sell at times the adviser considers optimal. Additionally, gold coins may lose any value as a collectable or rare item above their value derived purely from their gold content.
Investment Funds Risk. Investment Funds are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in open-end investment companies and ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in securities. Each Investment Fund is subject to specific risks, depending on its investments. ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. ETF shares may trade at a discount or a premium in market price if there is a limited market in such shares. ETFs are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. Investment Funds may employ leverage, which magnifies the changes in the value of the Investment Funds. Finally, because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the adviser may not be able to liquidate the Funds holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance. Although the Fund invests in a number of Investment Funds, this practice cannot eliminate investment risk. Investment Funds are subject to market risks and fluctuations in value due to economic conditions, political issues and other factors. Investment decisions of the Investment Funds investment advisers are made independently of the Fund and the Funds adviser. For instance, a particular Investment Fund may be purchasing securities of the same issuer whose securities are being sold by other Investment Funds. The result would be an indirect cost to the Fund while potentially leaving the value of the Funds portfolio unchanged. Additionally, an Investment Fund may impose a contingent deferred sales load on redemptions of its shares that have not been held by the Fund for the length of time necessary to avoid the contingent deferred sales load. Although the Fund intends to avoid contingent deferred sales loads whenever possible, such sales loads may be incurred from time to time.
Some Investment Funds acquired by the Fund will intentionally assume more investment risk than other Investment Funds. The risks associated with investments in Investment Funds are further described in the Funds SAI.
Additional risks of investing in Investment Funds are described below:
Alternative Assets Risk. The Funds investments in Investment Funds in the Alternative Asset market segment, which the Fund defines to include commodity-related, foreign currency-related, and real estate-related investments, may be more volatile than other Fund investments. The risks and volatility of commodity focused or linked Investment Funds are linked to the economic and other risks that are specific to the commodity in which the Investment Fund invests. Foreign currency-related Investment Funds are subject to risks inherent in foreign currency investing, such as devaluation. REIT focused Investment Funds are subject to the risks inherent in real estate investing, such as property value fluctuations.
Inverse Risk. The Fund may engage in hedging or speculation activities by investing in inverse Investment Funds. Inverse Investment Funds may employ leverage, which magnifies the changes in the underlying stock index upon which they are based. These investments are significantly different from the investment activities commonly associated with conservative stock and bond funds. Positions in inverse securities are speculative and can be riskier than long positions (purchases).
Net Asset Value and Market Price Risk. The market value of the ETF shares may differ from their net asset value. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETF shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying basket of securities. Accordingly, there may be times when an ETF share trades at a premium or discount to its net asset value.
Strategy Risk. Each Investment Fund is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the Investment Fund. These risks could include liquidity risk, sector risk, foreign and emerging market risk, as well as risks associated with fixed income securities, real estate investments, and commodities.
Issuer Risk . Fund value might decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual company or issuer in the Funds or an Investment Funds portfolio. The value of an individual issuer can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of certain types of companies or issuers can be more volatile due to increased sensitivity to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments.
Leverage Risk. By borrowing money, the Fund incurs the risk that interest expenses may exceed the returns on the securities purchased with borrowed funds. Borrowing may magnify the effect on the Funds NAV of any decrease in the value of the securities it holds. The Funds ability to borrow up to 33 1/3% of its total assets, less liabilities other than such borrowings, subjects the Fund to the risk that, if the Fund borrows, the cost of borrowing money to purchase securities ( i.e. , to leverage) will exceed the returns for the securities purchased or the value of the securities purchased will actually decrease. In the event that the value of the securities purchased decreases, the Fund could be forced to sell the securities for a loss and/or deposit additional securities or cash as collateral for the loan to hold the securities purchased. In either case, the ultimate return (loss) on the securities purchased could be much less (more) than the return (loss) had the Fund not borrowed. Consequently, borrowing for leveraging purposes could make the Funds NAV more volatile than if the Fund does not borrow. This risk is enhanced during periods of declining asset values.
Management Risk. The advisers judgments about the attractiveness, value, and potential appreciation of particular asset classes and Investment Funds in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results. The share price of the Fund changes daily based on the performance of the securities in which it invests. The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the advisers ability to identify securities that are trading at attractive valuations and have the potential to achieve long-term capital appreciation and growth of investment. The Fund is also subject to the management risk of the Investment Funds .
Non-Diversification Risk . The Funds portfolio is non-diversified. That is, the Fund can take larger positions in securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified portfolio could take. Non-diversification increases the risk that the value of the Fund could decrease because a single investment performs poorly. Non-diversification increases the risk that the value of the Fund could decrease because a single investment performs poorly. More of the Funds assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund. This may make the value of the Funds shares more susceptible to certain risks than shares of a diversified investment company. As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.
Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk. Small-cap and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable than larger, more established organizations to adverse business or economic developments. These companies may may be newly formed or in the early stages of development and have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, and they may be dependent on a limited management group. Small-cap and mid-cap stocks may offer greater opportunity for capital appreciation than the stocks of larger and more established companies; however, they also involve substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations. Small-cap and mid-cap companies carry additional risks because of the tendency of their earnings and revenues to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses), their share prices to be more volatile, and their markets to be less liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations. In addition, there may be less public information available about these companies. The shares of small-cap and mid-cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities. Also, it may take a long time before the Fund realizes a gain, if any, on an investment in a small-cap or mid-cap company.
Sovereign Debt Risk. Sovereign government issuers of debt may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments because of factors such as tax revenue shortfalls or the inability to refinance maturing debt in local or global capital markets or through multinational borrowing facilities such as the International Monetary Fund. Defaulted sovereign debt may become worthless because of a lack of legal recourse against a sovereign government or any other means to compel complete or even partial repayment.
Non-Principal Investment Risks
Cash or Similar Investments and Temporary Strategies Risk . When the Fund allocates significant assets to cash equivalents, including money market mutual funds, the Fund will bear some duplication of expenses because the Fund pays its pro-rata portion of such money market funds advisory fees and operational fees. As a result, your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing in other mutual funds that invest directly in cash equivalents such as commercial paper or bank deposits. Additionally, each money market fund is subject to specific risks, such as default risk and liquidity risk, depending on its investments.
Government Obligations Risk. For Fund investments in U.S. Government Securities and Investment Funds that invest principally in U.S. Government Securities, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so by law. As a result, there is a risk that these entities will default on a financial obligation. For instance, securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) are supported, in part, by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government. However, the obligations of FNMA and FHLMC have been placed into conservatorship until the entities are restored to a solvent financial condition and, as a result, are at least temporarily supported by the U.S. government.
Turnover Risk . The Funds portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year and will not be a limiting factor when the adviser deems it appropriate to make portfolio changes. A high portfolio turnover rate (100% or more), whether incurred by the Fund or an Investment Fund, involves correspondingly greater transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the Fund or the Investment Fund, and increases the potential for short-term capital gains and taxes.
Temporary Investments
To respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions, up to 100% of the Funds total assets may be in cash or invested in high-quality short-term debt securities and money market instruments. These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include shares of other mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, U.S. Government securities, and repurchase agreements. While the Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited and the Fund may not meet its investment objective.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Fund has adopted a policy that governs the Funds periodic disclosure of its portfolio holdings. A description of this policy is available in the Funds SAI.
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser
The Funds adviser, Manarin Investment Counsel, Ltd., 15858 West Dodge Road, Suite 310, Omaha, Nebraska 68118, was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska in 1983 and is controlled by Roland R. Manarin, who also serves as the Funds lead portfolio manager. The adviser also serves as an investment adviser for individual and institutional clients.
Services provided by the adviser to the Fund include, but are not limited to, the provision of a continuous investment program for the Fund and supervision of all matters relating to the operation of the Fund. Among other things, the adviser is responsible for making investment decisions and placing orders to buy, sell or hold particular securities.
The Fund pays the adviser a monthly fee for its services calculated at the annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. However, the adviser has voluntarily agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse the Funds operating expenses at least through April 30, 2013, to the extent necessary to ensure that Other Expenses of the Fund do not exceed 0.50% of the Funds average daily net assets, excluding interest expense and cost of Fund borrowings. [For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the adviser made no reimbursements to the Fund, nor did it waive any of its fees.] A discussion regarding the basis for the Boards approval of the investment advisory agreement with the adviser is available in the Funds most recent semi-annual report to shareholders for the period ended June 30.
Portfolio Managers
Roland R. Manarin. Mr. Manarin serves as the Funds lead portfolio manager on behalf of the Adviser. He has served in this capacity since commencement of the Funds operations in July 2000. Mr. Manarin has been a registered investment adviser representative of the adviser since 1983 and a registered representative of Manarin Securities Corporation, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, since October 1994. In addition to managing the assets of numerous individual clients, Mr. Manarin is the portfolio manager of two private investment limited partnerships. Mr. Manarins history in the securities industry dates to 1976 when he was a registered representative of a large regional brokerage firm. Mr. Manarin received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The Funds SAI provides additional information about Mr. Manarins compensation, other accounts he manages and his ownership of shares in the Fund.
Aron D. Huddleston, CFA. Mr. Huddleston has served as the Funds portfolio manager on behalf of the adviser since January 2002. Mr. Huddleston has been an investment adviser representative of the adviser and a registered representative of Manarin Securities Corporation since 2001. He also assists Mr. Manarin with managing the assets of numerous individual clients and two private investment limited partnerships. Mr. Huddleston received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with high distinction from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Masters Degree of Security Analysis and Portfolio Management from Creighton University. Mr. Huddleston holds the Chartered Financial Analyst ® designation. The Funds SAI provides additional information about Mr. Huddlestons compensation, other accounts he manages and his ownership of shares in the Fund. Mr. Huddleston is Mr. Manarins son-in-law.
HOW SHARES ARE PRICED
The public offering price and net asset value (NAV) are determined at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. NAV is computed by determining the aggregate market value of all assets of the Fund less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding per class ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The NYSE is closed on weekends and New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV takes into account the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.
Generally, the Fund's securities are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security's primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the last bid on the primary exchange. Securities primarily traded in the NASDAQ National Market System ("NASDAQ") for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith and evaluated as to the reliability of the fair value method used by the Board on a quarterly basis, in accordance with procedures approved by the Board. In these cases, the Fund's net asset value will reflect certain portfolio securities' fair value rather than their market price. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available.
The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund's securities. Because the Fund may invest in foreign securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the Fund's portfolio may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares. In computing its NAV, the Fund values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the NYSE. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund's portfolio occur before the Fund prices its shares, the securities will be valued at fair value. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Fund's fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund's NAV by short-term traders. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other mutual funds to determine NAV or the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.
With respect to any portion of the Fund's assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies that are registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund's NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs of the registered open-end management investment companies in which the Fund invests. The prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
Front-End Sales Charge (Load)
The applicable front-end sales load when you purchase the Funds shares is as follows:
Purchase Amount |
Sales Load as a % of Offering Price |
Sales Load as a % of Net Amount Invested |
Up to $249,999 |
2.50% |
2.56% |
$250,000 $499,999 |
1.50% |
1.52% |
$500,000 - $999,999 |
1.00% |
1.01% |
$1 million or greater |
None |
None |
The front-end sales load collected at the time of purchase is paid to the Funds distributor as compensation for its distribution activities and is deducted directly from your investment. The sales load will be re-allowed to certain broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries that enter into dealer agreements with the distributor in accordance with the following table.
Purchases |
Concession as % of Offering Price |
Up to $249,999 |
2.25% |
$250,000 $499,999 |
1.35% |
$500,000 - $999,999 |
0.90% |
$1 million or greater |
None |
How to reduce your sales charge: You may be eligible to purchase shares for reduced sales charges. To qualify for these reductions, you or your financial intermediary must provide sufficient information, in writing and at the time of purchase, to verify that your purchase qualifies for such treatment. Consistent with the policies described in this Prospectus, you and your "immediate family" (your spouse and your children under the age of 21) may combine your Fund holdings to reduce your sales charge.
Rights of accumulation: To qualify for the lower sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases of Fund shares, you may combine your new purchases of Fund shares with the shares of the Fund that you already own. The applicable initial sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current value of all other Fund shares that you own. The reduced sales charge will apply only to current purchases and must be requested in writing when you buy your shares.
Shares of the Fund held as follows cannot be combined with your current purchase for purposes of reduced sales charges:
·
Shares held indirectly through financial intermediaries other than your current purchase broker-dealer (for example, a different broker-dealer, a bank, a separate insurance company account or an investment advisor);
·
Shares held through an administrator or trustee/custodian of an Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (for example, a 401(k) plan) other than employer-sponsored IRAs;
·
Shares held directly in the Fund account on which the broker-dealer (financial advisor) of record is different than your current purchase broker-dealer.
Letters of Intent: Under a Letter of Intent ("LOI"), you commit to purchase a specified dollar amount of shares of the Fund during a 13-month period. At your written request, Fund share purchases made during the previous 90 days may be included. The amount you agree to purchase determines the initial sales charge you pay. If the full face-amount of the LOI is not invested by the end of the 13-month period, your account will be adjusted to the higher initial sales charge level for the amount actually invested. You are not legally bound by the terms of your LOI to purchase the amount of shares stated in the LOI. The LOI does, however, authorize the Fund to hold in escrow 5% of the total amount you intend to purchase. If you do not complete the total intended purchase at the end of the 13 month period, the Fund's transfer agent will redeem the necessary portion of the escrowed shares to make up the difference between the reduced rate sales charge (based on the amount you intended to purchase) and the sales charge that would normally apply (based on the actual amount you purchased).
Repurchase of Fund Shares. If you have redeemed shares of the Fund within the past 120 days, you may repurchase an equivalent amount of shares at NAV, without the normal front-end sales charge. In effect, this allows you to reacquire shares that you may have had to redeem, without repaying the front-end sales charge. You may exercise this privilege only once and must notify the Fund that you intend to do so in writing. The Fund must receive your purchase order within 120 days of your redemption. Note that if you reacquire shares through separate installments (e.g., through monthly or quarterly repurchases), the sales charge waiver will only apply to those portions of your repurchase order received within 120 days of your redemption.
Sales Charge Waivers: The sales charge on purchases of Fund shares is waived for certain types of investors, including:
·
Current and retired directors and officers of the Fund sponsored by the Adviser or any of its subsidiaries, their families (e.g., spouse, children, mother or father) and any purchases referred through the Adviser.
·
Employees of the Adviser and their families, or any full-time employee or registered representative of the Funds distributor or of broker-dealers having dealer agreements with the distributor (a "Selling Broker") and their immediate families (or any trust, pension, profit sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of such persons).
·
Any full-time employee of a bank, savings and loan, credit union or other financial institution that utilizes a Selling Broker to clear purchases of the Fund's shares and their immediate families.
·
Participants in certain "wrap-fee" or asset allocation programs or other fee-based arrangements sponsored by broker-dealers and other financial institutions that have entered into agreements with the distributor.
·
Clients of financial intermediaries that have entered into arrangements with the Funds distributor providing for the shares to be used in particular investment products made available to such clients and for which such registered investment advisors may charge a separate fee.
·
Institutional investors (which may include bank trust departments and registered investment advisors).
·
Any accounts established on behalf of registered investment advisors or their clients by broker-dealers that charge a transaction fee and that have entered into agreements with the Distributor.
·
Separate accounts used to fund certain unregistered variable annuity contracts or Section 403(b) or 401(a) or (k) accounts.
·
Employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plans with total plan assets in excess of $5 million where the plan's investments in the Fund are part of an omnibus account. A minimum initial investment of $1 million in the Fund is required. The Funds distributor in its sole discretion may waive these minimum dollar requirements.
The Fund does not waive sales charges for the reinvestment of proceeds from the sale of non-Fund shares that were subject to a front-end sales charge (sometimes called an NAV transfer).
Sales Charge Exceptions: You will not pay initial sales charges on Fund shares purchased by reinvesting dividends and distributions.
HOW SHARES MAY BE PURCHASED
You may purchase shares of the Fund by sending a completed application form to the following address by either regular or overnight mail:
Lifetime Achievement Fund
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC
4020 South 147 th Street, Suite 2
Omaha, Nebraska 68137
The Fund, however, reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any application to purchase shares. Applications will not be accepted unless they are accompanied by a check drawn on a U.S. bank, savings and loan, or credit union in U.S. funds for the full amount of the shares to be purchased. After you open an account, you may purchase additional shares by sending a check together with a note stating the name(s) on the account and the account number to the above address. Make all checks payable to "Lifetime Achievement Fund." The Fund will not accept payment in cash, including cashier's checks or money orders. Also, to prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third-party checks, U.S. Treasury checks, credit card checks, or starter checks for the purchase of shares.
Note: Gemini Fund Services, LLC ("GFS" or "Transfer Agent"), the Fund's transfer agent, will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder's account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any payment check returned to the Transfer Agent for insufficient Fund.
The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including the Fund, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money-laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts. As requested on the application, you should supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing a P.O. Box will not be accepted. This information will assist the Fund in verifying your identity. Until such verification is made, the Fund may temporarily limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a shareholder's identity. As required by law, the Fund may employ various procedures, such as comparing the information to fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you, to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct.
Purchase through Brokers: You may invest in the Fund through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Fund's distributor. These brokers and agents are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or its designee receives the order. The broker or agent may set its own initial and subsequent investment minimums. You may be charged a fee if you use a broker or agent to buy or redeem shares of the Fund. Finally, various servicing agents use procedures and impose restrictions that may be in addition to, or different from those applicable to investors purchasing shares directly from the Fund. You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent.
Purchase by Wire: If you wish to wire money to make an investment in the Fund, please call the Fund at [1-888-339-4230] for wiring instructions and to notify the Fund that a wire transfer is coming. Any commercial bank can transfer same-day funds via wire. The Fund will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if they are received by the Fund's designated bank before the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your bank may charge you a fee for wiring same-day funds.
Automatic Investment Plan: You may participate in the Fund's Automatic Investment Plan, an investment plan that automatically debits money from your bank account and invests it in the Fund through the use of electronic fund transfers or automatic bank drafts. You may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers (subject to applicable minimums) on specified days of each month into your established Fund account. Please contact the Fund at [1-888-339-4230] for more information.
Retirement Plans: You may purchase shares of the Fund for your individual retirement plans. Please call the Fund at [1-888-339-4230] for the most current listing and appropriate disclosure documentation on how to open a retirement account.
Minimum and Additional Investment Amounts: The minimum initial investment to open an account is $10,000 ($5,000 for retirement accounts), and the minimum subsequent investment is $500. Lower minimum initial and additional investments may also be applicable in certain other circumstances, including purchases by certain tax deferred retirement programs. There is no minimum investment requirement when buying shares by reinvesting Fund dividends or distributions. The Adviser may waive the minimum account requirements if the adviser believes that the aggregated accounts of a financial intermediary will meet the minimum initial investment requirement. Other exceptions to these minimums may be granted for investments made pursuant to special plans or if approved by the distributor.
When Your Order is Processed: All shares will be purchased at the NAV per share (plus applicable sales charges, if any) next determined after the Fund receives your application or request in good order. All requests received in good order by the Fund before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) will be processed on that same day. Requests received after 4:00 p.m. will be processed on the next business day.
Good Order : When making a purchase request, make sure your request is in good order. "Good order" means your purchase includes: · the name of the Fund · the dollar amount of shares to be purchased · a completed purchase application corresponding to the type of account you are opening, or a completed investment stub (make sure your investment meets the account minimum or subsequent purchase investment minimum) · a check payable to "Lifetime Achievement Fund" |
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
Redeeming Shares: You will be entitled to redeem all or any portion of the shares credited to your accounts by submitting a written request for redemption to:
Via Regular/Express/Overnight Mail
Lifetime Achievement Fund
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC
4020 South 147th Street, Suite 2
Omaha, Nebraska 68137
Redeeming by Telephone: The telephone redemption privilege is automatically available to all new accounts except retirement accounts. If you do not want the telephone redemption privilege, you must indicate this in the appropriate area on your account application or you must write to the Fund and instruct it to remove this privilege from your account.
The proceeds can be sent by mail to the address designated on your account, wired directly to your existing account in any commercial bank or brokerage firm or electronic funds transferred to your existing bank account in the United States as designated on your application. To redeem by telephone, call [1-888-339-4230]. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail, wire, or electronic funds transfer within three business days after receipt of your telephone instructions. IRA accounts are not redeemable by telephone.
The Fund reserves the right to suspend the telephone redemption privileges with respect to your account if the name(s) or the address on the account has been changed within the previous 30 days. Neither the Fund, GFS, nor their respective affiliates, will be liable for complying with telephone instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine or for any loss, damage, cost, or expenses in acting on such telephone instructions, and you will be required to bear the risk of any such loss. The Fund and/or GFS will employ reasonable procedures to determine that telephone instructions are genuine. If the Fund and/or GFS do not employ these procedures, they may be liable to you for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. These procedures may include, among others, requiring forms of personal identification prior to acting upon telephone instructions, providing written confirmation of the transactions, and/or tape recording telephone instructions.
Redeeming through Broker: If shares of the Fund are held by a broker-dealer, financial institution, or other servicing agent, you must contact that servicing agent to redeem shares of the Fund. The servicing agent may charge a fee for this service.
Redemptions by Wire/Electronic Funds Transfer: If you request your redemption by wire transfer, you will be required to pay a $15.00 wire transfer fee to GFS to cover costs associated with the transfer, but GFS does not charge a fee when transferring redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer. In addition, your bank may impose a charge for receiving wires.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan: If you make an initial investment of at least $10,000 or otherwise accumulate shares valued at no less that $10,000, you are eligible to participate in a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP). Under a SWP, you may arrange for fixed withdrawal payments (minimum payment of $500 and maximum payment of 1% per month or 3% per quarter of the total value of the Fund shares in your account at inception of the SWP) at regular monthly or quarterly intervals on the 1 st or 15 th day of the month. If these dates fall on a weekend or a holiday, withdrawals will be made on the next business day. Withdrawal payments are made to you or to beneficiaries designated by you. You are not eligible for a SWP if you are participating in an AIP program described above. You may elect to participate in a SWP when filling out the initial application or later by completing the appropriate form that is available from the transfer agent upon request by calling [1-888-339-4230].
Redemptions in Kind: The Fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities ("redemption in kind") if the amount of such a request is large enough to affect operations (for example, if the request is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's assets). The securities will be chosen by the Fund and valued at the Fund's net asset value. A shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash.
When Redemptions are Sent: Once the Fund receives your redemption request in "good order" as described below, it will issue a check based on the next determined NAV following your redemption request. If you purchase shares using a check and soon after request a redemption, your redemption will not be processed until the check for your purchase has cleared (usually within 10 days).
Good Order : When making a redemption request, make sure your request is in good order. "Good order" means your request satisfied the following conditions: · The request should be in writing , unless you are redeeming by telephone, indicating the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed · The request must identify your account number · The request should be signed by you and any other person listed on the account, exactly as the shares are registered · If you request the redemption proceeds be sent to an address other than that of record, or if the address was changed within the last 30 days, or if the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $100,000, the signature(s) on the request must be medallion signature guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor. |
When You Need Medallion Signature Guarantees: A medallion signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects you from unauthorized account transfers. You will need your signature guaranteed if:
·
you wish to change the bank or brokerage account that you have designated on your account;
·
you request a redemption to be made payable to a person not on record with the Fund;
·
you request that a redemption be mailed to an address other than that on record with the Fund;
·
the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $100,000;
·
any redemption is transmitted by federal wire transfer to a bank other than the bank of record; or
·
your address was changed within 30 days of your redemption request.
Signatures may be guaranteed by any eligible guarantor institution (including banks, brokers and dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies, and savings associations) or by completing a supplemental telephone redemption authorization form. Contact the Fund to obtain this form. Further documentation will be required to change the designated account if shares are held by a corporation, fiduciary or other organization. A notary public cannot guarantee signatures .
Retirement Plans: If you own an IRA or other retirement plan, you must indicate on your redemption request whether the Trust should withhold federal income tax. Unless you elect in your redemption request that you do not want to have federal tax withheld, the redemption will be subject to withholding.
Redemption Fee: The Fund will impose a 2.00% redemption fee when an investor redeems shares of the Fund that were held less than 90 days. The fee is designed to protect long-term shareholders from the negative effects of short-term trading activity (known as market timing) by other shareholders. Any redemption fees will be paid directly to the Fund to offset the costs of short-term trading. For purposes of applying the redemption fee, shares held the longest will be treated as being redeemed first (FIFO).
The redemption fee does not apply to the following transactions:
·
redemptions of shares resulting from death, disability or a severe hardship, as determined in the discretion of the distributor;
·
redemptions of shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains;
·
redemptions of shares acquired through the Systematic Withdrawal Plan (discussed below); or
·
shares purchased through certain omnibus accounts or retirement plans that do not have the operational capability to impose the fee.
In addition, the redemption fee may be waived in other limited circumstances that do not appear to indicate market-timing activity, as determined in the sole discretion of the distributor. Any redemption fee waivers will be reviewed by the Funds Board of Trustees at its next quarterly meeting.
Redemption fees are paid to the Fund directly and are designed to offset costs associated with fluctuations in Fund asset levels and cash flow caused by short-term shareholder trading.
Low Balances: If at any time your account balance falls below $10,000 ($5,000 for retirement account) or below $500 for additional accounts in the same household, the Fund may notify you that, unless the account is brought up to the appropriate account minimum within 30 days of the notice, your account could be closed. This will not apply to any account balances that drop below the minimum due to a decline in NAV. After the notice period, the Fund may redeem all of your shares and close your account by sending you a check to the address of record. The Fund will not charge any redemption fee on involuntary redemptions.
TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Any sale or exchange of a Funds shares may generate tax liability (unless you are a tax-exempt investor or your investment is in a qualified retirement account). When you redeem your shares you may realize a taxable gain or loss. This is measured by the difference between the proceeds of the sale and the tax basis for the shares you sold. (To aid in computing your tax basis, you generally should retain your account statements for the period that you hold shares in the Fund.)
The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains annually in December. Both distributions will be reinvested in shares of the Fund unless you elect to receive cash. Dividends from net investment income (including any excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) are taxable to investors as ordinary income, while distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of your holding period for the shares. Any dividends or capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund will normally be taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions or receive them in cash. Certain dividends or distributions declared in October, November, or December will be taxed to shareholders as if received in December if they are paid during the following January. Each year the Fund will inform you of the amount and type of your distributions. IRAs and other qualified retirement plans are exempt from federal income taxation until retirement proceeds are paid out to the participant.
Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between the cost of your shares, including any sales charges, and the amount you receive when you sell them.
On the account application, you will be asked to certify that your social security number or taxpayer identification number is correct and that you are not subject to backup withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are subject to backup withholding or you did not certify your taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to withhold a percentage of any dividend, redemption or exchange proceeds. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application that does not include a certified social security or taxpayer identification number. If you do not have a social security number, you should indicate on the purchase form that your application to obtain a number is pending. The Fund is required to withhold taxes if a number is not delivered to the Fund within seven days.
This summary is not intended to be and should not be construed to be legal or tax advice. You should consult your own tax advisors to determine the tax consequences of owning the Funds shares.
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES
The Fund discourages and does not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of the Fund can harm all Fund shareholders by disrupting the Fund's investment strategies, increasing Fund expenses, decreasing tax efficiency and diluting the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. The Fund is designed for long-term investors and is not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Fund's Board has approved policies that seek to curb these disruptive activities while recognizing that shareholders may have a legitimate need to adjust their Fund investments as their financial needs or circumstances change. The Fund commits a staff to review, on a continuing basis, recent trading activity in order to identify trading activity that may be contrary to the Fund's "Market Timing Trading Policy."
Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund's shareholders.
Based on the frequency of redemptions in your account, the Adviser or transfer agent may in its sole discretion determine that your trading activity is detrimental to the Fund as described in the Fund's Market Timing Trading Policy and elect to (i) reject or limit the amount, number, frequency, or method for requesting future purchases into the Fund and/or (ii) reject or limit the amount, number, frequency, or method for requesting future exchanges or redemptions out of the Fund.
The Fund reserves the right to reject or restrict purchase requests for any reason, particularly when the shareholder's trading activity suggests that the shareholder may be engaged in market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Neither the Fund nor the adviser will be liable for any losses resulting from rejected purchase orders. The adviser may also bar an investor who has violated these policies (and the investor's financial advisor) from opening new accounts with the Fund.
Although the Fund attempts to limit disruptive trading activities, some investors use a variety of strategies to hide their identities and their trading practices. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund. While the Fund will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Fund's Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers who invest indirectly in the Fund, the Fund is limited in its ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Fund's Market Timing Trading Policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made difficult to identify in the omnibus accounts used by those intermediaries for aggregated purchases, exchanges and redemptions on behalf of all their customers. More specifically, unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to apply the Fund's Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers through such methods as implementing short-term trading limitations or restrictions and monitoring trading activity for what might be market timing, the Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Fund's Market Timing Trading Policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Fund have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Fund upon request. If the Fund or its transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent suspects there is market timing activity in the account, the Fund will seek full cooperation from the service provider maintaining the account to identify the underlying participant. At the request of the adviser, the service providers may take immediate action to stop any further short-term trading by such participants.
DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES
Distributor: Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, 4020 South 147th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68137, is the distributor for the shares of the Fund. Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA"). Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis.
Distribution Fees: The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan ("12b-1 Plan" or "Plan"), pursuant to which the Fund pays the Fund's distributor an annual fee for distribution and shareholder servicing expenses of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets.
The Fund's distributor and other entities are paid under the Plan for services provided and the expenses borne by the distributor and others in the distribution of Fund shares, including the payment of commissions for sales of the shares and incentive compensation to and expenses of dealers and others who engage in or support distribution of shares or who service shareholder accounts, including overhead and telephone expenses; printing and distribution of prospectuses and reports used in connection with the offering of the Fund's shares to other than current shareholders; and preparation, printing, and distribution of sales literature and advertising materials. In addition, the distributor or other entities may utilize fees paid pursuant to the Plan to compensate dealers or other entities for their opportunity costs in advancing such amounts, which compensation would be in the form of a carrying charge on any un-reimbursed expenses.
You should be aware that if you hold your shares for a substantial period of time, you may indirectly pay more than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge allowed by FINRA due to the recurring nature of distribution (12b-1) fees.
Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries: The Fund's distributor, its affiliates, and the Fund's Adviser may, at their own expense and out of their own legitimate profits, provide additional cash payments to financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund. Financial intermediaries include brokers, financial planners, banks, insurance companies, retirement or 401(k) plan administrators, and others. These payments may be in addition to the Rule 12b-1 fees and any sales charges that are disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus. These payments are generally made to financial intermediaries that provide shareholder or administrative services, or marketing support. Marketing support may include access to sales meetings, sales representatives and financial intermediary management representatives, inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, or other sales programs. These payments also may be made as an expense reimbursement in cases where the financial intermediary provides shareholder services to Fund shareholders. The distributor may, from time to time, provide promotional incentives, including reallowance and/or payment of up to the entire sales charge, to certain investment firms. Such incentives may, at the distributor's discretion, be limited to investment firms who allow their individual selling representatives to participate in such additional commissions.
Householding: To reduce expenses, the Fund will mail only one copy of the prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses share by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Fund at [1-888-339-4230] on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies 30 days after receiving your request.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
[The financial highlights for the Predecessor Fund will be supplied by subsequent amendment immediately upon the consummation of the reorganization.]
PRIVACY NOTICE
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III
FACTS |
WHAT DOES NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? |
Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? |
The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:
n Social Security number and income n assets, account transfers and transaction history n investment experience and risk tolerance When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? |
All financial companies need to share customers personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers personal information; the reasons Northern Lights Fund Trust III chooses to share and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information |
Does Northern Lights Fund Trust III share? |
Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes
|
YES |
NO |
For our marketing purposes to offer our products and services to you |
NO |
We do not share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies |
NO |
We do not share |
For our affiliates everyday business purposes information about your transactions and experiences |
NO |
We do not share |
For our affiliates everyday business purposes information about your creditworthiness |
NO |
We do not share |
For our affiliates to market to you |
NO |
We do not share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you |
NO |
We do not share |
Questions? |
Call [1-888-339-4230] |
Page 2 |
|
What we do |
|
How does Northern Lights Fund Trust III protect my personal information? |
To protect your personal information from unauthorized access
Our service providers are held accountable for adhering to strict policies and procedures to prevent any misuse of your nonpublic personal information. |
How does Northern Lights Fund Trust III collect my personal information? |
We collect your personal information, for example, when you
n open an account or give us contact information
n provide account information or give us your income information
n make deposits or withdrawals from your account We also collect your personal information from other companies. |
Why cant I limit all sharing? |
Federal law gives you the right to limit only n sharing for affiliates everyday business purposesinformation about your creditworthiness n affiliates from using your information to market to you n sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing |
Definitions |
|
Affiliates |
Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
n Northern Lights Fund Trust III has no affiliates. |
Nonaffiliates |
Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
n Northern Lights Fund Trust III does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing |
A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.
n Northern Lights Fund Trust III does not jointly market. |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Adviser |
Manarin Investment Counsel, Ltd.
|
Distributor |
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC 4020 South 147th Street Omaha, NE 68137 |
Independent Registered Public Accountant |
[ ] |
Legal Counsel |
Thompson Hine LLP 41 South High Street, Suite 1700 Columbus, OH 43215 |
Custodian |
[ ] |
Transfer Agent |
Gemini Fund Services, LLC 4020 South 147th Street, Suite 2 Omaha, NE 68137 |
Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information dated [ ], 2012 (the "SAI"). The SAI is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (i.e., legally made a part of this Prospectus). The SAI provides more details about the Fund's policies and management. Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the Fund's Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Fund's Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year.
To obtain a free copy of the SAI and, when issued, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call [1-888-339-4230] or visit www.lifetimeachievementfund.com. You may also write to:
Lifetime Achievement Fund
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC
4020 South 147 th Street, Suite 2
Omaha, Nebraska 68137
You may review and obtain copies of the Fund's information at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Please call 1-202-551-8090 for information relating to the operation of the Public Reference Room. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.
Investment Company Act File No. 811-[ ]
Investment Company Act File # 811-[ ]
THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FUND
(LFTAX)
a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
[ ], 2012
Advised by:
Manarin
Investment Counsel, Ltd.
15858 West Dodge Road, Suite 310
Omaha, Nebraska 68118
(402) 330-1166
(800) 397-1167
www.lifetimeachievementfund.com
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a Prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Lifetime Achievement Fund (the "Fund") dated [ ], 2012. Copies of these documents may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund's Transfer Agent, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 4020 South 147th Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68137 or by calling [1-888-339-4230]. You may also obtain a prospectus by visiting the Funds website at www.lifetimeachievementfund.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS POLICY
THE FUND
The Lifetime Achievement Fund is a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III, a Delaware statutory trust organized on December 5, 2011 (the Trust). The Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company. The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the Board or Trustees). The Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the Lifetime Achievement Fund, Inc. (the Predecessor Fund) in a tax-free reorganization on [ ], 2012. In connection with this acquisition, shares of the Predecessor Fund were exchanged for shares of the Fund.
The Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. All shares of the Fund have equal rights and privileges. Each share of the Fund is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each share of the Fund is entitled to participate equally with other shares (i) in dividends and distributions declared by the Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of the Fund are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable when issued and have no pre-emptive, conversion or exchange rights. Fractional shares have proportionately the same rights, including voting rights, as are provided for a full share.
The Fund is a non-diversified investment management company. Manarin Investment Counsel, Ltd. (the Adviser) is the Fund's investment adviser. The Funds investment objectives, restrictions and policies are more fully described here and in the Prospectus. The Board may start other series and offer shares of a new fund under the Trust at any time.
The Fund offers a single class of shares. The Board of Trustees may classify and reclassify the shares of the Fund into additional classes of shares at a future date. If the Board creates an additional class of shares of the Fund, each share class will represent an interest in the same assets of the Fund, have the same rights and be identical in all material respects except that (i) each class of shares may be subject to different (or no) sales loads, (ii) each class of shares may bear different (or no) distribution fees; (iii) each class of shares may have different shareholder features, such as minimum investment amounts; (iv) certain other class-specific expenses will be borne solely by the class to which such expenses are attributable, including transfer agent fees attributable to a specific class of shares, printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials to current shareholders of a specific class, registration fees paid by a specific class of shares, the expenses of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class, litigation or other legal expenses relating to a class of shares, Trustees fees or expenses paid as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares and accounting fees and expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (v) each class will have exclusive voting rights with respect to matters relating to its own distribution arrangements.
Under the Trusts Agreement and Declaration of Trust, each Trustee will continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his/her earlier death, incapacity, resignation or removal. Shareholders can remove a Trustee to the extent provided by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Vacancies may be filled by a majority of the remaining Trustees, except insofar as the 1940 Act may require the election by shareholders. As a result, normally no annual or regular meetings of shareholders will be held unless matters arise requiring a vote of shareholders under the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or the 1940 Act.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Fund has adopted the following investment restrictions that may not be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding shares" of the Fund which, as used in this SAI, means the vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund may not:
(1) |
Issue securities or other obligations senior to the Funds shares of beneficial interest. This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that the Funds engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff; |
(2) |
Borrow money, except that the Fund may borrow from time to time to meet redemption requests and to leverage the Fund to make additional investments when the Adviser believes that market conditions are favorable, however, the amount of such borrowings shall not exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets and shall comply in all respects to Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act; |
(3) |
Underwrite securities of other issuers; |
(4) |
Purchase any security if, as a result of such purchase, more than 25% of the value of the Funds total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers concentrated in a particular industry or group of industries; |
(5) |
Purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may invest in the securities of companies whose business involves the purchase or sale of real estate; |
(6) |
Purchase or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments, except that the Fund may purchase and sell gold bullion to the full extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts, from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies that are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities; or |
(7) |
Make loans, except when (a) purchasing a portion of an issue of debt securities, (b) engaging in repurchase agreements; or (c) engaging in securities loan transactions limited to 5% of the Funds total assets; |
The following non-fundamental investment limitations may be changed by the vote of the Funds Board of Directors without shareholder approval:
The Fund shall not:
(1) |
Purchase or otherwise acquire the securities of any other registered investment company (Investment Fund), except in connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition of substantially all of the assets or reorganization of an Investment Fund if, as a result, the Fund and all of its affiliates would own more than 3% of the total outstanding stock of that Investment Fund, unless the Investment Fund has an order from the SEC permitting investment in excess of 3%; |
(2) |
Invest directly in real estate limited partnerships; |
(3) |
Purchase, participate, or otherwise direct interests in oil, gas, or other mineral exploration or development programs; |
(4) |
Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising management or control; |
(5) |
Purchase or retain the securities of any issuer if, to the knowledge of the Funds management, the officers or directors of the Fund and the officers and directors of the Adviser who each own beneficially more than 0.50% of the outstanding securities of such issuer together own beneficially more than 5% of such securities; |
(6) |
Purchase any securities that would cause more than 2% of the value of the Funds total assets at the time of such purchase to be invested in warrants that are not listed, or more than 5% of the value of its total assets to be invested in warrants or stock options whether or not listed, such warrants or options in each case to be valued at the lesser of cost or market, but assigning no value to warrants acquired by the Fund in units with or attached to debt securities; |
(7) |
Purchase any security if, as a result of such purchase, more than 15% of the value of the Funds total assets would be invested in illiquid securities; or |
(8) |
Purchase common stock, or other securities convertible into common stock or any other type of security that represents ownership of equity in an operating company and not otherwise classified as an investment company under the 1940 Act, unless the issuer is a reporting company under the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and/or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. |
With respect to non-fundamental investment limitation number 1, shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends are excluded when measuring the 3% limitation.
Whenever an investment objective or policy of the Fund states a maximum percentage of the Funds assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, that percentage shall be determined, or that standard shall be applied, immediately after the Funds acquisition of the investment. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease resulting from a change in the market value of a security or in the Funds net or total assets will not cause the Fund to violate a percentage limitation. Similarly, any later change in quality, such as a rating downgrade or the de-listing of a warrant, will not cause the Fund to violate a quality standard.
The Investment Funds (as described below) in which the Fund invests may, but need not, have the same investment objective and fundamental policies as the Fund.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The investment objectives of the Fund and a description of its principal investment strategies are set forth under Principal Investment Strategies in the Prospectus. The Funds investment objective is fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of a majority of its outstanding voting securities.
The Fund intends to purchase shares of exchange traded funds (ETFs), closed-end and other open-end mutual funds (referred to as "Investment Funds") in compliance with the requirements of federal law or any applicable exemptive relief received from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The conditions requested by the SEC were designed to address certain abuses perceived to be associated with funds of funds, including unnecessary costs (such as sales loads, advisory fee and administrative costs), and undue influence by a fund of funds over its Investment Funds. The Fund's investments in Investment Funds involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results which would not be present in a direct investment in the Investment Funds.
Due to legal limitations, the Fund will not be allowed to: (1) purchase more than 3% of an investment companys (including ETFs) outstanding shares; (2) invest more than 5% of its assets in any single such investment company, and (3) invest more than 10% of its assets in investment companies overall; unless: (i) the underlying investment company and/or the Fund has received an order for exemptive relief from such limitations from the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"); and (ii) the underlying investment company and the Fund take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order.
The following pages contain more detailed information about the types of instruments in which the Fund may invest.
Repurchase Agreements . The Fund may invest directly or indirectly through an investment in an Investment Fund in repurchase agreements secured by U.S. Government Securities with U.S. banks and dealers. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which a fund purchases a security from a bank or recognized securities dealer and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the bank or dealer at an agreed-upon date and price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. The Fund maintains custody of the underlying security prior to its repurchase. Thus, the obligation of the bank or securities dealer to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to is, in effect, secured by such security. If the value of such security is less than the repurchase price, the other party to the agreement shall provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to 102% of the value of the securities on loan.
Bank Obligations . The Fund may invest directly or indirectly through an investment in Investment Funds in instruments (including certificates of deposit and bankers acceptances) of U.S. or foreign banks and savings associations. Such instruments purchased through U.S. banks or savings associations will typically be purchased through institutions which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Such instruments purchased through foreign banks or savings associations may be purchased through institutions which may or may not be insured. A certificate of deposit is an interest-bearing negotiable certificate issued by a bank against funds deposited in the bank. A bankers acceptance is a short-term draft drawn on a commercial bank by a borrower, usually in connection with an international commercial transaction. Although the borrower is liable for payment of the draft, the bank unconditionally guarantees to pay the draft at its face value on the maturity date.
Commercial Paper . The Fund may invest in commercial paper. Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by bank holding companies, corporations and finance companies. The commercial paper purchased by the Fund consists of direct obligations of domestic issuers that, at the time of investment, are (i) rated Prime-1 by Moodys Investor Services, Inc. (Moodys) or A-1 by Standard & Poors Ratings Services (S&P), (ii) issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by issuers or guarantors having an existing debt security rating of Aa or better by Moodys or AA or better by S&P, or (iii) securities that, if not rated, are, in the opinion of the Adviser, of an investment quality comparable to rated commercial paper in which the Fund may invest. See Appendix A for more information on ratings assigned to commercial paper.
Illiquid Securities . The Investment Funds in which the Fund invests may purchase illiquid securities, which include securities for which no readily available market exists and securities the disposition of which is subject to legal restrictions. An Investment Fund that is an open-end fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. An Investment Fund that is a closed-end fund may invest without limit in such securities. The Fund itself may invest, whether directly or indirectly, up to 15% of the value of its total assets in illiquid securities. For this purpose, because the Fund relies on Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act, the Fund generally treats as illiquid that portion of its net assets that are invested in Investment Funds that exceed 1% of the Investment Funds outstanding shares, unless such shares are deemed liquid by the Adviser pursuant to the Funds liquidity procedures. A considerable period may elapse between a decision to sell such securities and the time when such securities can be sold. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund or an Investment Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to sell.
Short Sales . The Fund may invest in Investment Funds that sell securities short. Selling securities short means that a fund sells securities that it does not own, making delivery with securities borrowed from a broker. The fund is then obligated to return the borrowed securities by purchasing them at the market price at the time of replacement. This price may or may not be less than the price at which the securities were sold by the fund. Until the securities are replaced, the fund is required to pay to the lender any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. Under the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, dividends received by a fund on loaned securities are not treated as qualified dividends for tax purposes. To borrow the securities, the fund may also have to pay a premium that would increase the cost of the securities sold. The proceeds of the short sale are retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.
As part of selling short, a short seller (e.g., a fund) must also deposit with the broker acceptable collateral equal to the difference between (a) the market value of the securities sold short at the time of such sale, and (b) the value of the collateral deposited with the broker in connection with the sale (not including the proceeds from the short sale). Each day the short position is open, the fund must maintain the segregated account at such a level that the amount deposited in it plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral (1) equals the current market value of the securities sold short, and (2) is not less than the market value of the securities at the time of the short sale. Depending upon market conditions, up to 80% of a funds net assets may be deposited as collateral for the obligation to replace securities borrowed to effect short sales and allocated to a segregated account in connection with short sales.
A fund will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund replaces the borrowed security. A fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased and the amount of any loss increased by the amount of any premium, dividends or interest the fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale.
Foreign Securities . The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers directly or may invest in an Investment Fund that invests in such securities. Investments in foreign securities involve risks relating to political and economic developments abroad as well as those that may result from the differences between the regulation to which U.S. issuers are subject and that are applicable to foreign issuers. These risks may include expropriation, confiscatory taxation, varying accounting standards, withholding taxes on dividends and interest, limitations on the use or transfer of an Investment Funds assets, and political or social instability or diplomatic developments. These risks often are heightened to the extent an Investment Fund invests in issuers located in emerging markets or a limited number of countries.
Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Securities of many foreign companies may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Moreover, the Fund and the Investment Funds generally calculate their net asset values (NAVs) and complete orders to purchase, exchange or redeem shares only on days when the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. However, foreign securities in which the Fund and the Investment Funds may invest may be listed primarily on foreign stock exchanges that may trade on other days (such as U.S. holidays and weekends). As a result, the NAV of the Funds or an Investment Funds portfolio may be significantly affected by such trading on days when the Adviser does not have access to the Investment Funds and shareholders do not have access to the Fund.
Additionally, because foreign securities ordinarily are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the Funds and an Investment Funds NAV, the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of securities, and net investment income and capital gain, if any, to be distributed to shareholders by the Fund and the Investment Fund. If the value of a foreign currency rises against the U.S. dollar, the value of the Funds and the Investment Funds assets denominated in that currency will increase; correspondingly, if the value of a foreign currency declines against the U.S. dollar, the value of the Funds and the Investment Funds assets denominated in that currency will decrease. The exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies are determined by supply and demand in the currency exchange markets, international balances of payments, government intervention, speculation and other economic and political conditions. The costs attributable to foreign investing that the Fund and an Investment Fund must bear frequently are higher than those attributable to domestic investing. For example, the costs of maintaining custody of foreign securities exceed custodian costs related to domestic securities.
Investment income on certain foreign securities in which the Fund and Investment Funds may invest may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes that could reduce the return on these securities. Tax treaties between the U.S. and foreign countries, however, may reduce or eliminate the amount of foreign taxes to which these funds would be subject.
Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest directly or indirectly through Investment Funds in depositary receipts. American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the U.S. or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuers home country. These securities may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted, and are subject to currency risk. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs, EDRs and GDRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. See Investment Strategies and Risks Foreign Securities, above.
Warrants . The Fund may invest in warrants directly or may invest in an Investment Fund that invests in warrants. Warrants are a type of option to purchase a specified security, usually an equity security such as common stock, at a specified price (usually representing a premium over the applicable market value of the underlying equity security at the time of the warrants issuance) and usually during a specified period of time. Moreover, they are usually issued by the issuer of the security to which they relate. While warrants may be traded, there is often no secondary market for them. The prices of warrants do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities. Holders of warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no right with respect to the assets of the issuer. To the extent that the market value of the security that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrant rises above the exercise price, the value of the warrant will tend to rise. To the extent that the exercise price equals or exceeds the market value of such security, the warrants will have little or no market value. If a warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it will become worthless and the Fund will lose the purchase price paid for the warrant and the right to purchase the underlying security.
Convertible Securities . The Fund may invest directly in a convertible security, which is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula, or may invest in an Investment Fund that invests in such securities. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to non-convertible debt securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable non-convertible securities. While no investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the issuers common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally (1) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities, (2) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying stock since they have fixed income characteristics, and (3) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.
The value of a convertible security is a function of its investment value (determined by its yield comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its conversion value (the securitys worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the conversion value decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. In addition, a convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value determined by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security.
A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Fund or an Investment Fund is called for redemption, such fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party.
Fixed-Income Securities . The market value of fixed-income securities is affected by changes in interest rates. If interest rates fall, the market value of fixed-income securities tends to rise. If interest rates rise, the value of fixed-income securities tends to fall. Moreover, the longer the remaining maturity of a fixed-income security, the greater the effect of interest rate changes on the market value of the security. This market risk affects all fixed-income securities, but U.S. Government Securities are generally subject to less market risk.
The Investment Funds in which the Fund may invest may purchase debt securities rated investment grade by S&P or Moodys or debt securities that are rated below investment grade by S&P or Moodys. The Fund itself may invest directly only in investment grade debt securities. Investment grade debt securities are those that at the time of purchase have been assigned one of the four highest ratings by S&P or Moodys or, if unrated, are determined by the Adviser or the Investment Funds investment adviser to be of comparable quality. This includes debt securities rated BBB by S&P or Baa by Moodys. Moodys considers securities rated Baa to have speculative characteristics. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity for such securities to make principal and interest payments than is the case for higher grade debt securities. Debt securities rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as junk bonds), which include debt securities rated BB, B, CCC and CC by S&P and Ba, B, Caa, Ca and C by Moodys, are deemed by these agencies to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal and may involve major risk exposure to adverse conditions. Debt securities rated lower than B may include securities that are in default or face the risk of default with respect to principal or interest.
Ratings of debt securities represent the rating agencies opinions regarding their quality and are not a guarantee of quality. Subsequent to its purchase by the Fund or an Investment Fund, the rating of an issue of debt securities may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by that fund. Credit ratings attempt to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments and do not evaluate the risks of fluctuations in market value. Also, rating agencies may fail to make timely changes in credit ratings in response to subsequent events, so that an issuers current financial condition may be better or worse than the rating increases. See Appendix A for more information about S&P and Moodys ratings.
Lower rated debt securities generally offer a higher current yield than that available from higher grade issues. However, lower rated securities involve higher risks, in that they are especially subject to adverse changes in general economic conditions and in the industries in which the issuers are engaged, to changes in the financial condition of the issuers and to price fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates. Accordingly, the yield on lower rated debt securities will fluctuate over time. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of principal and interest and increase the possibility of default. The market for lower rated debt securities may be thinner and less active than that for higher quality securities, which may limit a funds ability to sell such securities at their fair value in response to changes in the economy or the financial markets. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of lower rated securities, especially in a thinly traded market. As noted above, markets have recently experienced significant volatility, lower valuations and reduced liquidity, which may continue to affect Fund investments in fixed income securities in the future.
The Fund or an Investment Fund may invest in zero coupon securities and payment-in-kind securities. Zero coupon securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity and payment-in-kind securities pay interest in the form of additional securities. However, a portion of the original issue discount on the zero coupon securities, and the interest on payment-in-kind securities, must be included in the funds income. Accordingly, to continue to qualify for tax treatment as a regulated investment company and to avoid certain excise taxes, the Fund or an Investment Fund may be required to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash it actually receives. These distributions must be made from the funds cash assets or, if necessary, from the proceeds of sales of portfolio securities. The Fund or an Investment Fund will not be able to purchase additional income-producing securities with cash used to make such distributions, and its current income ultimately may be reduced as a result. Zero coupon and payment-in-kind securities usually trade at a deep discount from their face or par value and will be subject to greater fluctuations of market value in response to changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current distributions of interest in cash.
U.S. Government Securities . These consist of debt securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States government, including the various types of instruments currently outstanding or which may be offered in the future. Agencies include, among others, the Federal Housing Administration, Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae" or "GNMA"), Farmer's Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Maritime Administration, and General Services Administration. Instrumentalities include, for example, each of the Federal Home Loan Banks, the National Bank for Cooperatives, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac" or "FHLMC"), the Farm Credit Banks, the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae" or "FNMA"), and the United States Postal Service. These securities are either: (i) backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government (e.g., United States Treasury Bills); (ii) guaranteed by the United States Treasury (e.g., Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities); (iii) supported by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's right to borrow from the United States Treasury (e.g., Fannie Mae Discount Notes); or (iv) supported only by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's own credit (e.g., Tennessee Valley Association). On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Authority (the "FHFA") announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had been placed into conservatorship, a statutory process designed to stabilize a troubled institution with the objective of returning the entity to normal business operations. The U.S. Treasury Department and the FHFA at the same time established a secured lending facility and a Secured Stock Purchase Agreement with both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure that each entity had the ability to fulfill its financial obligations. The FHFA announced that it does not anticipate any disruption in pattern of payments or ongoing business operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Government-related guarantors (i.e. not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government) include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders. It is subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-though securities issued by Fannie Mae are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by Fannie Mae but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.
Freddie Mac was created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks. Freddie Mac issues PCs, which represent interests in conventional mortgages from Freddie Mac's national portfolio. Freddie Mac guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-though pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers may, in addition, be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such nongovernmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in the former pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The insurance and guarantees are issued by governmental entities, private insurers and the mortgage poolers.
Government-related guarantors (i.e. not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government) include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored corporation. It is subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Fannie Mae purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-though securities issued by Fannie Mae are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by Fannie Mae but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.
Foreign Currency Investments. The Fund may invest in foreign currency denominated instruments such as bank certificates of deposit or short-term notes issued by non-bank issuers. The Fund may also make foreign currency exchange transactions on a spot basis or forward basis. Currency transactions made on a spot basis are for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currency. The Fund may also enter into forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is an obligation to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are entered into the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. At or before settlement of a forward currency contract, the Fund may either deliver the currency or terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by purchasing an offsetting contract. If the Fund makes delivery of the foreign currency at or before the settlement of a forward contract, it may be required to obtain the currency through the conversion of assets of the Fund into the currency. The Fund may close out a forward contract obligating it to purchase currency by selling an offsetting contract, in which case, it will realize a gain or a loss.
Foreign currency transactions involve certain costs and risks. The Fund incurs foreign exchange expenses in converting assets from one currency to another. Forward contracts involve a risk of loss if the Adviser is inaccurate in its prediction of currency movements. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult and the successful execution of a short-term hedging or speculation strategy is highly uncertain. The precise matching of forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved is generally not possible. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the Fund to purchase additional foreign currency if the market value of the security is less than the amount of the foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver under the forward contract and the decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. The use of forward contracts as a hedging technique does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities the Fund owns or intends to acquire, but it does fix a rate of exchange in advance. Although forward contracts can reduce the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies, they also limit any potential gain that might result from an increase in the value of the currencies. There is also the risk that the other party to the transaction may fail to deliver currency when due which may result in a loss to the Fund.
The value of the Funds investments is calculated in U.S. dollars each day that the NYSE is open for business. As a result, to the extent that the Fund's assets are invested in instruments denominated in foreign currencies and the currencies appreciate relative to the U.S. dollar, the Fund's NAV per share as expressed in U.S. dollars (and, therefore, the value of your investment) should increase. If the U.S. dollar appreciates relative to the other currencies, the opposite should occur. The currency-related gains and losses experienced by the Fund will be based on changes in the value of portfolio securities attributable to currency fluctuations only in relation to the original purchase price of such securities as stated in U.S. dollars. Gains or losses on shares of the Fund will be based on changes attributable to fluctuations in the NAV of such shares, expressed in U.S. dollars, in relation to the original U.S. dollar purchase price of the shares.
Unit Investment Trusts. The Fund may invest in unit investment trusts (UITs), a type of Investment Fund that holds a relatively fixed portfolio of fixed-income or equity securities. UITs are not actively managed and generally terminate upon maturity of the portfolio securities, in the case of fixed-income portfolios, or at some specified future date, in the case of equity portfolios. The portfolio of a UIT is selected on the basis of the criteria set forth in the UITs prospectus. Because a UIT is not actively managed, the UIT may continue to hold, and may continue to buy, portfolio securities originally selected even though a portfolio securitys outlook, market value or yield may have changed due to adverse market conditions, the financial condition of a company or other factors. In addition, the principal trading market for units of certain UITs may be in the over-the-counter market. As a result, the existence of a liquid trading market for the units may depend on whether dealers make a market in the units. There can be no assurance that a market will be made for a UITs units, that a market for a UITs units will be maintained or of the liquidity of the UITs units in any markets that are made.
Closed-End Funds. The Fund may invest its assets in "closed-end" investment companies (or closed-end funds). Shares of closed-end funds are typically offered to the public in a one-time initial public offering by a group of underwriters who retain a spread or underwriting commission of between 4% or 6% of the initial public offering price. Such securities are then listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (commonly known as "NASDAQ") and, in some cases, may be traded in other over-the-counter markets. Because the shares of closed-end funds cannot be redeemed upon demand to the issuer like the shares of an open-end investment company (such as the Fund), investors seek to buy and sell shares of closed-end funds in the secondary market.
In selecting closed-end funds, the Adviser considers their historical market discounts, portfolio characteristics, repurchase, tender offer and dividend reinvestment terms, and provisions for converting to an open-end fund. The Fund generally will purchase shares of closed-end funds only in the secondary market. The Fund will incur normal brokerage costs on such purchases similar to the expenses the Fund would incur for the purchase of securities of any other type of issuer in the secondary market. The Fund may, however, also purchase securities of a closed-end fund in an initial public offering when, in the opinion of the Adviser, based on a consideration of the nature of the closed-end funds proposed investments, the prevailing market conditions and the level of demand for such securities, they represent an attractive opportunity for growth of capital. The initial offering price typically will include a dealer spread, which may be higher than the applicable brokerage cost if the Fund purchased such securities in the secondary market.
The shares of many closed-end funds, after their initial public offering, frequently trade at a price per share that is less than the net asset value per share, the difference representing the "market discount" of such shares. This market discount may be due in part to the investment objective of long-term appreciation, which is sought by many closed-end funds, as well as to the fact that the shares of closed-end funds are not redeemable by the holder upon demand to the issuer at the next determined net asset value but rather are subject to the principles of supply and demand in the secondary market. A relative lack of secondary market purchasers of closed-end fund shares also may contribute to such shares trading at a discount to their net asset value.
The Fund may invest in shares of closed-end funds that are trading at a discount to net asset value or at a premium to net asset value. There can be no assurance that the market discount on shares of any closed-end fund purchased by the Fund will ever decrease. In fact, it is possible that this market discount may increase and the Fund may suffer realized or unrealized capital losses due to further decline in the market price of the securities of such closed-end funds, thereby adversely affecting the net asset value of the Funds shares. Similarly, there can be no assurance that any shares of a closed-end fund purchased by the Fund at a premium will continue to trade at a premium or that the premium will not decrease subsequent to a purchase of such shares by the Fund.
Closed-end funds may issue senior securities (including preferred stock and debt obligations) for the purpose of leveraging the closed-end funds common shares in an attempt to enhance the current return to such closed-end funds common shareholders. The Funds investment in the common shares of closed-end funds that are financially leveraged may create an opportunity for greater total return on its investment, but at the same time may be expected to exhibit more volatility in market price and net asset value than an investment in shares of investment companies without a leveraged capital structure.
Real Estate Related Securities. The Fund may invest in Investment Funds that hold real estate related securities. Such real estate-linked investments may include holdings of securities of companies, including real estate investment trusts, that own, operate, develop, construct, improve, finance and lease real estate, including commercial, retail and office space and buildings, hotels, apartments and residences. Investments related to real estate may be affected by interest rates, availability of construction and mortgage capital, consumer confidence, economic conditions in particular regions, demographic patterns, functional obsolescence or reduced desirability of properties, extended vacancies and tenant bankruptcies, real estate values, supply and demand, energy costs, catastrophic events, condemnation losses, and zoning, environmental and tax laws.
Gold Investments. Investments in gold bullion and gold coins involve additional risks and considerations not typically associated with other types of investments: (1) the risk of substantial price fluctuations of gold; (2) the concentration of gold supply is mainly in five territories (South Africa, Australia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (the former Soviet Union), Canada and the United States), and the prevailing economic and political conditions of these countries may have a direct effect on the production and marketing of gold and sales of central bank gold holdings; (3) unpredictable international monetary policies, economic and political conditions; and (4) possible adverse tax consequences for the Fund from making gold bullion and gold coin investments, if it fails to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code. An adverse change with respect to any of these risk factors could have a significant negative effect on the Fund's net asset value per share. These risks are discussed in greater detail below.
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Risk of Price Fluctuations. The prices of precious metals, such as gold, are affected by various factors such as economic conditions, political events, governmental monetary and regulatory policies and market events. The prices of gold investments held by the Fund may fluctuate sharply, which will affect the value of the Fund's shares.
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Concentration of Source of Gold Supply and Control of Gold Sales. Currently, the five largest producers of gold are the Republic of South Africa, Australia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (which includes Russia and certain other countries that were part of the former Soviet Union), Canada and the United States. Economic and political conditions in those countries may have a direct effect on the production and marketing of gold and on sales of central bank gold holdings. In South Africa, the activities of companies engaged in gold mining are subject to the policies adopted by the Ministry of Mines. The Reserve Bank of South Africa, as the sole authorized sales agent for South African gold, has an influence on the price and timing of sales of South African gold. Political and social conditions in South Africa are somewhat unsettled and may pose risks to the Fund
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Unpredictable International Monetary Policies, Economic and Political Conditions. There is the possibility that unusual international monetary or political conditions may make the Fund's gold assets less liquid, or that the value of the Fund's gold might be more volatile, than would be the case with other investments. In particular, the price of gold is affected by its direct and indirect use to settle net balance of payments deficits and surpluses between nations. Because the prices of precious metals, especially gold, may be affected by unpredictable international monetary policies and economic conditions, there may be greater likelihood of a more dramatic fluctuation of the market prices of the Fund's investments than of other investments.
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Effect on the Fund's Tax Status. By making gold bullion and gold coin investments, the Fund risks failing to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. If the Fund should fail to qualify, it would lose the beneficial tax treatment accorded to qualifying investment companies under Subchapter M of the Code. Failure to qualify would occur if in any fiscal year the Fund derived more than 10% of its gross income (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, which disregards losses for this purpose) from sales or other dispositions of gold bullion. Accordingly, the Fund will endeavor to manage its portfolio within the limitations described above, and the Fund has adopted an investment restriction limiting the amount of its total assets that can be invested in gold investments. There can be no assurance that the Fund will qualify in every fiscal year. Furthermore, to comply with the limitations described above, the Fund may be required to make investment decisions it would otherwise not make, foregoing the opportunity to realize gains, if necessary, to permit the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company.
Hedging Strategies, Options, Futures and Forward Currency Exchanges . The Fund may invest in Investment Funds that engage in certain hedging strategies involving options, futures and forward currency exchange contracts. Of these strategies, the Fund itself may engage in the purchase or sale of put or call options. These hedging strategies are collectively referred to as Hedging Strategies.
Hedging Strategies are used to hedge against price movements in one or more particular securities positions. Hedging Strategies on stock indices, in contrast, generally are used to hedge against price movements in broad equity market sectors in which a fund has invested or expects to invest. Hedging Strategies on debt securities may be used to hedge either individual securities or broad fixed-income market sectors.
The use of Hedging Strategies is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several options and futures exchanges upon which they are traded, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and various state regulatory authorities. In addition, a funds ability to use Hedging Strategies will be limited by tax considerations.
The use of Hedging Strategies involves special considerations and risks, as described below. Risks pertaining to particular instruments are described in the sections that follow:
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Successful use of most Hedging Strategies depends upon the particular fund s ability to predict movements of the overall securities and interest rate markets, which requires different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed. |
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There might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of the Hedging Strategy and price movements of the investments being hedged. For example, if the value of an instrument used in a short hedge increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investment, the hedge would not be fully successful. Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which hedging instruments are traded. The effectiveness of Hedging Strategies on indices will depend on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and price movements in the securities being hedged. |
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Hedging Strategies, if successful, can reduce risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, Hedging Strategies can also reduce opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. For example, if a fund entered into a short hedge because of a projected decline in the price of a security in its portfolio, and the price of that security increased instead, the gain from that increase might be wholly or partially offset by a decline in the price of the hedging instrument. Moreover, if the price of the hedging instrument declined by more than the increase in the price of the security, the fund could suffer a loss. In either such case, the fund would have been in a better position had it not hedged at all. |
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A fund might be required to maintain assets as cover, maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in hedging instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., hedging instruments other than purchased options). If the fund was unable to close out its positions in such hedging instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the positions expired or matured. These requirements might impair the funds ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The funds ability to close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the opposite party to the transaction to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any hedging position can be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the fund. |
The Fund or an Investment Fund may use Hedging Strategies for speculative purposes or for purposes of leverage. Hedging Strategies, other than purchased options, expose the Investment Fund to an obligation to another party. The Fund or an Investment Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either (1) an offsetting (covered) position in securities or other options or futures contracts, or (2) cash, receivables and short-term debt securities, with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations to the extent not covered as provided in (1) above. The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for Hedging Strategies and will, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid, high-grade debt securities in a segregated account with its custodian in the prescribed amount.
Assets used as cover or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding instrument is open, unless they are replaced with similar assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of assets to cover segregated accounts could impede portfolio management or a funds ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
The Fund may write (i.e., sell) call options (calls) and invest in Investment Funds that write calls. The Fund itself will write calls only if the calls are covered throughout the life of the option. A call is covered if the Fund owns the optioned securities. When a fund writes a call, it receives a premium and gives the purchaser the right to buy the underlying security at anytime during the call period (usually not more than nine months in the case of common stock) at a fixed exercise price regardless of market price changes during the call period. If the call is exercised, the fund will forego any gain from an increase in the market price of the underlying security over the exercise price.
The Fund may also purchase (i.e., buy) calls and invest in Investment Funds that purchase calls. When a fund purchases a call, a premium is paid in return for the right to purchase the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period.
The Fund may also write and purchase put options (puts) and invest in Investment Funds that write and purchase puts. When a fund writes a put, it receives a premium and gives the purchaser of the put the right to sell the underlying security to the fund at the exercise price at any time during the option period. When a fund purchases a put, it pays a premium in return for the right to sell the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. A fund may also purchase stock index puts, which differ from puts on individual securities in that they are settled in cash, based on the values of the securities in the underlying index rather than by delivery of the underlying securities. Purchase of a stock index put is designed to protect against a decline in the value of the portfolio generally rather than an individual security in the portfolio. If any put is not exercised or sold, it will become worthless on its expiration date.
A funds option positions may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for options, but there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist at any given time for any particular option. In this regard, trading in options on certain securities (such as U.S. Government Securities) is relatively new, so it is impossible to predict to what extent liquid markets will develop or continue. The Fund or an Investment Fund may suffer material losses as the result of option positions. For example, because the Fund must maintain a covered position with respect to any call option it writes on a security or stock index, the Fund may not sell the underlying security or invest any cash, U.S. Government Securities or short-term debt securities used to cover the option during the period it is obligated under such option. This requirement may impair the Funds ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when such a sale or investment might be advantageous.
A funds custodian, or a securities depository acting for it, generally acts as escrow agent as to the securities on which the fund has written puts or calls, or as to other securities acceptable for such escrow so that no margin deposit is required of the fund. Until the underlying securities are released from escrow, they cannot be sold by the fund.
In the event of a shortage of the underlying securities deliverable on exercise of an option, the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) has the authority to permit other generally comparable securities to be delivered in fulfillment of option exercise obligations. If the OCC exercises its discretionary authority to allow such other securities to be delivered, it may also adjust the exercise prices of the affected options by setting different prices at which otherwise ineligible securities may be delivered. As an alternative to permitting such substitute deliveries, the OCC may impose special exercise settlement procedures.
The Fund may invest in an Investment Fund that enters into futures contracts for the purchase or sale of debt securities and stock indices. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security or an index for a set price on a future date. Futures contracts are traded on designated contract markets that, through their clearing corporation, guarantee performance of the contracts.
Generally, if market interest rates increase, the value of outstanding debt securities declines (and vice versa). Entering into a futures contract for the sale of debt securities has an effect similar to the actual sale of securities, although sale of the futures contract might be accomplished more easily and quickly. For example, if a fund holds long-term U.S. Government Securities and it anticipates a rise in long-term interest rates (and therefore a decline in the value of those securities), it could, in lieu of disposing of those securities, enter into futures contracts for the sale of similar long-term securities. If rates thereafter increase and the value of the funds portfolio securities thus declines, the value of the funds futures contracts would increase, thereby protecting the fund by preventing the NAV from declining as much as it otherwise would have. Similarly, entering into futures contracts for the purchase of debt securities has an effect similar to the actual purchase of the underlying securities, but permits the continued holding of securities other than the underlying securities. For example, if a fund expects long-term interest rates to decline, it might enter into futures contracts for the purchase of long-term securities so that it could gain rapid market exposure that may offset anticipated increases in the cost of securities it intends to purchase while continuing to hold higher-yield short-term securities or waiting for the long-term market to stabilize.
A stock index futures contract may be used to hedge a funds portfolio with regard to market risk as distinguished from risk relating to a specific security. A stock index futures contract does not require the physical delivery of securities, but merely provides for profits and losses resulting from changes in the market value of the contract to be credited or debited at the close of each trading day to the respective accounts of the parties to the contract. On the contracts expiration date, a final cash settlement occurs. Changes in the market value of a particular stock index futures contract reflect changes in the specified index of equity securities on which the contract is based.
There are several risks in connection with the use of futures contracts. In the event of an imperfect correlation between the futures contract and the portfolio position that is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and a fund may be exposed to risk of loss. Further unanticipated changes in interest rates or stock price movements may result in a poorer overall performance for the fund than if it had not entered into futures contracts on debt securities or stock indexes.
In addition, the market prices of futures contracts may be affected by certain factors. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal relationship between the securities and futures markets. Second, from the point of view of speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may also cause temporary price distortions.
Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market for such futures. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract at any particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures position, and in the event of adverse price movements, a fund would continue to be required to make variation margin deposits.
An Investment Fund may purchase and write (sell) put and call options on futures contracts. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position of the option is a put), at a specified exercise price at any time during the option period. When an option on a futures contract is exercised, delivery of the futures position is accompanied by cash representing the difference between the current market price of the futures contract and the exercise price of the option. A fund may purchase put options on futures contracts in lieu of, and for the same purpose as, a sale of a futures contract. It also may purchase such put options to hedge a long position in the underlying futures contract in the same manner as it purchases protective puts on securities.
An Investment Fund may also purchase put options on interest rate and stock index futures contracts. As with options on securities, the holder of an option on a futures contract may terminate its position by selling an option of the same series. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. The Investment Fund is required to deposit initial margin and variation margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers requirements similar to those applicable to futures contracts described above and, in addition, net option premiums received will be included as initial margin deposits.
In addition to the risks that apply to all options transactions, there are several special risks relating to options on futures contracts. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There can be no certainty that liquid secondary markets for all options on futures contracts will develop. Compared to the use of futures contracts, the purchase of options on futures contracts involves less potential risk to an Investment Fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options (plus transaction costs). Writing an option on a futures contract involves risks similar to those arising in the sale of futures contracts, as described above.
An Investment Fund may use forward or foreign currency contracts to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates. Additionally, an Investment Fund may enter into forward currency contracts with respect to specific transactions. For example, when a fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, or the fund anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividend or interest payments on a security that it holds or anticipates purchasing, the fund may desire to lock in the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of such payment, as the case may be, by entering into a forward currency contract for the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transaction. The fund will thereby be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the currency exchange rates during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although such contracts tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the subject currency, they tend to limit commensurately any potential gain that might result should the value of such currency increase during the contract period.
An Investment Fund also may hedge by using forward currency contracts in connection with portfolio positions to lock in the U.S. dollar value of those positions, to increase its exposure to foreign currencies that may rise in value relative to the U.S. dollar or to shift its exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. For example, when an Investment Fund believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a substantial decline relative to the U.S. dollar or another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell the amount of the former foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. This investment practice generally is referred to as cross-hedging when another foreign currency is used.
The precise matching of the forward amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. Accordingly, it may be necessary for a fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot (that is, cash) market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security is less than the amount of foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the portfolio security if the market value of the security exceeds the amount of foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult and the successful execution of a short-term Hedging Strategy is highly uncertain. Forward contracts involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted, causing a fund to sustain losses on these contracts and transactions costs.
The cost to a fund of engaging in forward currency contracts varies with factors such as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because forward currency contracts are usually entered into on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved. The use of forward currency contracts does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities the fund owns or intends to acquire, but it does fix a rate of exchange in advance. In addition, although forward currency contracts limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies, at the same time they limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the currencies increase.
Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Fund may convert foreign currency from time to time and investors should be aware of the costs of currency conversion. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to sell that currency to the dealer.
Borrowing . The Fund is permitted to borrow up to 33 1/3% of its net assets to meet redemption requests and to leverage itself to make additional investments when the Adviser believes that market conditions are favorable, in accordance with the mandates of the 1940 Act. These practices are deemed by many to be speculative and may cause the Funds NAV to be more volatile than the NAV of a fund that does not engage in borrowing activities. This risk is enhanced during periods of declining asset values, such as the recent economic downturn.
Borrowing to buy additional securities is known as leveraging. Leverage increases both investment opportunity and investment risk. If the investment gains on securities purchased with borrowed money exceed the interest paid on the borrowing, the NAV of the Funds shares will rise faster than would otherwise be the case. On the other hand, if the investment gains fail to cover the cost (including interest) of borrowings, or if there are losses, the NAV of the Funds shares will decrease faster than would otherwise be the case. The Fund is required to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed. If such asset coverage should decline below 300% as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time.
Leveraging occurs when the Adviser wants to purchase additional securities for the Fund, but the Fund lacks cash to make the purchase and the Adviser does not wish to sell other securities positions held by the Fund to raise cash to make the purchase. The Adviser has established, on behalf of the Fund, a line of credit with a bank for such borrowings and will utilize the line when it believes that an opportunity exists to purchase additional securities that will result in a greater return after the payment of interest and any other fees associated with the borrowing. The line of credit advanced will be outstanding on a revolving basis and will generally be paid at such time as determined by the Adviser. As the line of credit is revolving, the Fund may continually have a balance outstanding and hence could be incurring interest expense on an ongoing basis.
The Fund may also utilize the line of credit in the emergency event that large redemption orders are presented and the Adviser does not wish to liquidate positions to meet such redemptions or in other emergency situations where the Adviser may determine that the Fund might need cash.
Portfolio Turnover . The Fund may sell a portfolio investment soon after its acquisition if the Adviser believes that such a disposition is consistent with attaining the investment objective of the Fund. Portfolio investments may be sold for a variety of reasons, such as a more favorable investment opportunity or other circumstances bearing on the desirability of continuing to hold such investments. A high rate of portfolio turnover (over 100%) may involve correspondingly greater transaction costs, which must be borne directly by the Fund and ultimately by its shareholders. High portfolio turnover may result in the realization of substantial net capital gains. To the extent short-term capital gains are realized, distributions attributable to such gains will be ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. The Funds portfolio turnover rate for fiscal year 2010 was 6%.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board in accordance with the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trusts By-laws (the Governing Documents), which have been filed with the SEC and are available upon request. The Board consists of four individuals, all of whom are not interested persons (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust and the Adviser (Independent Trustees). Pursuant to the Governing Documents of the Trust, the Trustees shall elect officers including a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Board retains the power to conduct, operate and carry on the business of the Trust and has the power to incur and pay any expenses, which, in the opinion of the Board, are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the Trusts purposes. The Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust, when acting in such capacities, shall not be subject to any personal liability except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.
Board Leadership Structure . The Board is led by [ ], who has served as the Chairman and Lead Independent Director of the Board since the Trust was first registered with the SEC in 2012. Under the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for (a) presiding at Board meetings, (b) calling special meetings on an as-needed basis, and (c) execution and administration of Trust policies, including (i) setting the agendas for Board meetings and (ii) providing information to Board members in advance of each Board meeting and between Board meetings. Generally, the Trust believes it best to have a non-executive Chairman of the Board, who together with the President (principal executive officer), are seen by our shareholders, business partners and other stakeholders as providing strong leadership. The Trust believes that its Chairman/ Lead Independent Trustee, the independent chair of the Audit Committee, and, as an entity, the full Board of Trustees, provide effective leadership that is in the best interests of the Trust, its Funds and each shareholder.
Board Risk Oversight . The Board of Trustees is comprised entirely of Independent Trustees with an Audit Committee with a separate chair. The Board is responsible for overseeing risk management, and the full Board regularly engages in discussions of risk management and receives compliance reports that inform its oversight of risk management from its Chief Compliance Officer at quarterly meetings and on an ad hoc basis, when and if necessary. The Audit Committee considers financial and reporting the risk within its area of responsibilities. Generally, the Board believes that its oversight of material risks is adequately maintained through the compliance-reporting chain where the Chief Compliance Officer is the primary recipient and communicator of such risk-related information.
Trustee Qualifications . Generally, the Fund believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills. [Description of the (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills of each Trustee to be added by subsequent amendment.] The Fund does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee's qualifications, but that collective experience of each Trustee makes them well qualified.
Trustees and Officers . The Trustees and officers of the Trust, together with information as to their principal business occupations during the past five years and other information, are shown below. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each Trustee and Officer is 4020 South 147th Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68137.
Independent Trustees
Name, Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term and Length Served |
Principal
Occupation(s)
|
Number of Portfolios Overseen In The Fund Complex* |
Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years |
Mark H. Taylor Age: [ ] |
Trustee |
Indefinite / Since [ ] |
Professor of Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University since August 2009; Professor and John P. Begley Endowed Chair in Accounting, Creighton University, 2002-2009; Member AICPA Accounting Standards Board, since December 2008. |
98 |
Ladenburg Thalmann Alternative Strategies Fund (since June 2010); Lifetime Achievement Mutual Fund, Inc. (LFTAX) (Director and Audit Committee Chairman) (February 2007 to [ ]); Northern Lights Fund Trust and Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2007). |
Jerry Vincentini Age: [ ] |
Trustee |
Indefinite / Since [ ] |
Retired; President and Owner, Pins, Patches, Plaques Etc. Inc., since 2003; President and Owner, Graduation Supplies Inc., 1980-2008. |
1 |
Lifetime Achievement Mutual Fund, Inc. (LFTAX) (July 2000 to [ ]). |
Anthony M. Payne Age: [ ] |
Trustee |
Indefinite / Since [ ] |
[ ] |
1 |
[ ] |
James U. Jensen Age: [ ] |
Trustee |
Indefinite / Since [ ] |
[ ] |
1 |
[ ] |
John Palancia |
Trustee |
Indefinite / Since [ ] |
[ ] |
98 |
[ ] |
* The Fund Complex includes the following registered management investment companies in addition to the Trust: Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, and Northern Lights Variable Trust.
Officers of the Trust
Name, Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term and Length Served |
Principal
Occupation(s)
|
Number of Portfolios Overseen In The Fund Complex* |
Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Indefinite / Since [ ] |
[ ] |
N/A |
[ ] |
Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee that consists solely of Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Audit Committee's responsibilities include: (i) recommending to the Board the selection, retention or termination of the Trust's independent auditors; (ii) reviewing with the independent auditors the scope, performance and anticipated cost of their audit; (iii) discussing with the independent auditors certain matters relating to the Trust's financial statements, including any adjustment to such financial statements recommended by such independent auditors, or any other results of any audit; (iv) reviewing on a periodic basis a formal written statement from the independent auditors with respect to their independence, discussing with the independent auditors any relationships or services disclosed in the statement that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Trust's independent auditors and recommending that the Board take appropriate action in response thereto to satisfy itself of the auditor's independence; and (v) considering the comments of the independent auditors and management's responses thereto with respect to the quality and adequacy of the Trust's accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and internal controls. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter. During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee held [one] meeting.
Compensation of Directors . The Trust pays each Independent Trustee a quarterly fee of $[ ], as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the meetings, to be paid at the end of each calendar quarter. The Audit Committee Chairman receives an additional annual fee of $[ ]. In addition, the Lead Independent Trustee receives an additional annual fee of $[ ]. No interested persons who serve as a Trustee of the Trust will receive any compensation for their services as Trustee. None of the executive officers receive compensation from the Trust. The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees are estimated to receive from the Trust during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012. The Trust does not have a bonus, profit sharing, deferred compensation, pension or retirement plan.
Name and Position |
Aggregate Compensation From Trust* |
Total Compensation From Trust and Fund Complex** Paid to Trustees |
Mark H. Taylor |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
Jerry Vincentini |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
Anthony M. Payne |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
James U. Jensen |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
John Palancia |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
*The Trust anticipates having multiple series. Trustees' fees will be allocated equally to each Fund in the Trust.
** The Fund Complex includes the following registered management investment companies in addition to the Trust: Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, and Northern Lights Variable Trust. None of the Trustees serve as a Trustee of any other investment company in the Fund Complex.
Trustees Ownership of Shares in the Fund . As of December 31, 2011, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts in the Fund:
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies* |
Mark H. Taylor |
None |
None |
Jerry Vincentini |
None |
None |
Anthony M. Payne |
None |
None |
James U. Jensen |
None |
None |
John Palancia |
None |
None |
* The Family of Investment Companies includes the following registered management investment companies in addition to the Trust: Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, and Northern Lights Variable Trust. None of the Trustees serve as a Trustee of any other investment company in the Family of Investment Companies
CODE OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor have each adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that governs the personal securities transactions of their board members, officers and employees who may have access to current trading information of the Trust. Under the code of ethics adopted by the Trust (the Code), the Trustees are permitted to invest in securities that may also be purchased by the Fund.
In addition, the Trust has adopted a code of ethics, which applies only to the Trust's executive officers to ensure that these officers promote professional conduct in the practice of corporate governance and management. The purpose behind these guidelines is to promote i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; ii) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds; iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rule and regulations; iv) the prompt internal reporting of violations of this Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and v) accountability for adherence to the Code.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
As of [ ], 2012:
i.
no persons were control persons of the Fund. This means that there were no persons (i) owning beneficially more than 25% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, or (ii) that by acknowledgment or assertion by the controlled party or controlling party, were in control of the Fund;
ii.
no persons owned of record or were known by the Fund to beneficially own 5% or more of the Funds outstanding shares; and
iii.
the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned less than one percent of the Funds outstanding shares.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
The Adviser . The Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (Advisory Agreement) with the Trust on behalf of the Fund. The Adviser is controlled by Roland R. Manarin, who owns all of the outstanding shares of the Advisers parent company. Mr. Manarin is also the President, a Director and lead Portfolio Manager of the Adviser.
The Advisory Agreement provides that, subject to overall supervision by the Board, the Adviser shall act as investment adviser and shall manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund, obtain and evaluate pertinent economic data relative to the investment policies of the Fund, place orders for the purchase and sale of securities on behalf of the Fund, and report to the Board periodically to enable it to determine that the investment policies of the Fund and all other provisions of the Advisory Agreement are being properly observed and implemented. The Adviser is paid a monthly fee for its services calculated at the annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, management fees of $833,728, $1,115,607 and $[ ], respectively, were incurred under the Advisory Agreement.
The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty by the Board or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, on 60 days written notice to the Adviser or by the Adviser on 60 days written notice to the Fund. The Advisory Agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser unless another investment advisory agreement has been approved by the Fund in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Although it is not specifically provided for in the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser may voluntarily waive all or a portion of its fee otherwise due from the Fund. The Adviser may also elect not to seek reimbursement from the Fund for expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of the Fund and otherwise properly reimbursable to the Adviser. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Adviser voluntarily agreed to waive its fee and/or reimburse the Fund to the extent necessary to limit the Funds other expenses, as presented in the fees and expenses table in the Funds Prospectus, to 0.50%, excluding interest expense and other expenses of Fund borrowings. For the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, other expenses, excluding interest expense and other expenses of Fund borrowings, did not exceed 0.50% and, as a result, the Adviser did not waive its fee or reimburse the Fund. The Adviser has voluntarily agreed to continue this policy of waiving its fees and/or reimbursing Fund expenses until May 1, 2013, and may decide to continue to do so after May 1, 2013, to the extent necessary to limit the Funds other expenses to 0.50%, excluding interest expense and other expenses of Fund borrowings. The waiver of fees and reimbursements by the Adviser will improve the Funds performance for the period(s) in which the waivers are applicable compared to the Funds performance if it had incurred and paid the waived fees and reimbursements.
Any fee waivers and expense reimbursements by the Adviser during fiscal years after December 31, 2011 are recoverable by the Adviser during the three fiscal years following the waiver or reimbursement if the Fund can repay the Adviser and not exceed the expense cap in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.
Portfolio Managers . As described in the Prospectus, the portfolio managers listed below (the Portfolio Managers) are responsible for the management of the Fund and, as of December 31, 2011, the other accounts set forth in the following table. None of the accounts pays a performance fee.
|
|
Other Registered Investment Companies |
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
|
Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers |
||||||
Portfolio Manager |
|
Number |
|
Total Assets |
|
Number |
|
Total Assets |
|
Number |
|
Total Assets |
Roland R. Manarin |
|
None |
|
$0 |
|
[2] |
|
$[40,027,546] |
|
[523] |
|
$[22,857,351] |
Aron D. Huddleston |
|
None |
|
$0 |
|
[2] |
|
$[40,027,546] |
|
[35] |
|
$[1,286,325] |
In addition to the Funds, the other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers consist of two private investment partnerships, which invest primarily in mutual funds and are managed on a discretionary basis, and a number of separate accounts, which are generally managed on a non-discretionary basis. As a result of managing these other accounts, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund and the other accounts. The Adviser manages these potential conflicts of interest through trade allocation policies and oversight by the Advisers compliance department. Allocation policies are designed to address potential conflicts of interest in situations where the Fund and/or other accounts participate in transactions involving the same securities. It is the Advisers policy to aggregate client transactions where possible and when advantageous to clients. In these instances, clients participating in an aggregated transaction will generally receive an average share price and transaction costs will be shared on a pro rata basis.
Because Mr. Manarin is the sole shareholder of the Advisers parent company, he receives compensation and/or other distributions out of the profits of the Adviser from time to time that he, in his sole discretion, determines to be appropriate and reasonable. The Adviser compensates Mr. Huddleston with a base salary, which is a fixed amount based on his level of experience and responsibilities. Mr. Huddleston is also eligible to receive a year-end bonus in an amount determined entirely in the discretion of Mr. Manarin. In addition, Mr. Huddleston participates in a defined benefit plan and is provided with other benefits; however, neither the plan nor these other benefits discriminate in scope, terms or operation in favor of Mr. Huddleston and are available generally to all salaried employees. Both Messrs. Manarin and Huddleston also receive commissions from sales of securities in their capacities as registered representatives of Manarin Securities Corporation, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which previously served as the Funds distributor. Effective January 1, 2012, as compensation for its sales of Fund shares that are subject to a front-end sales load, Manarin Securities Corporation will be entitled to receive the entire front-end sales load (less any fees payable by Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, the Funds current distributor). Regarding sales of Fund shares, each of Mr. Manarin and Mr. Huddleston is entitled to receive the applicable sales load on the sale of Fund shares. .
As of December 31, 2011, the Portfolio Managers beneficially owned the following amounts in the Fund:
Portfolio Manager |
Dollar Range of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Roland R. Manarin |
[Over $1,000,000] |
Aron D. Huddleston |
[$500,001 - $1,000,000] |
DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the Distributor), located at 4020 South 147th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68137, serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Fund pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement with the Trust (the Underwriting Agreement). The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and each states securities laws and is a member of FINRA. The offering of the Fund's shares is continuous. The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Distributor, as agent in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, will use its best efforts to distribute the Fund's shares.
The Underwriting Agreement provides that, unless sooner terminated, it will continue in effect for two years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year, subject to annual approval by (a) the Board or a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares, and (b) by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or of the Distributor by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
The Underwriting Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the entire Board of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund on 60 days' written notice to the Distributor, or by the Distributor at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 60 days' written notice to the Fund. The Underwriting Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.
The Distributor may enter into selling agreements with broker-dealers that solicit orders for the sale of shares of the Fund and may allow concessions to dealers that sell shares of the Fund. The Distributor receives the portion of the sales charge on all direct initial investments in the Fund and on all investments in accounts with no designated dealer of record. As compensation for its sales of Fund shares that are subject to a front-end sales load, Manarin Securities Corporation, the Predecessor Funds distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, is entitled to receive the entire front-end sales load (less any fees payable by Northern Lights Distributors, LLC).
The Distributor is reimbursed for certain distribution-related expenses directly from the Fund in accordance with a plan of distribution adopted by the Funds Board of Trustees pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the Distribution Plan). See Distribution Plan, below. The Adviser may place the Funds securities transactions through Manarin Securities Corporation, for which transactions the Fund may pay brokerage commissions to Manarin Securities Corporation. The following table provides information with respect to all commissions and compensation received by Manarin Securities Corporation from the Fund during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011:
Net Underwriting Discounts and Commissions |
Compensation on Redemption and Repurchases |
Brokerage Commissions (a) |
Other Compensation (b) |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$[ ] |
(a) |
This compensation relates to payments to Manarin Securities Corporation for executing the Funds securities transactions, as discussed under the heading Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices below. |
(b) |
This compensation relates to payments to Manarin Securities Corporation under the Predecessor Funds plan of distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1, as discussed under the heading Distribution Plan below. |
The Funds Distributor receives fees in the form of sales loads in an amount provided for in the Funds Prospectus, which are paid directly by shareholders (and not by the Fund) when they invest in the Fund. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the Funds Distributor did not receive any such amounts because it did not begin serving as Distributor until January 1, 2012. The Distributor retains 100% of these amounts, which are, in turn, paid out to the Distributors registered representatives who were responsible for the sale of the Funds shares. Finally, the Distributor receives dealer reallowances on purchases of shares of Investment Funds for the Fund that normally impose a front-end sales load at the time of purchase (not to exceed 1% of the Investment Funds offering price per share). Such dealer reallowances are paid directly by the Investment Funds to the Distributor. See Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices, below, for more information.
Prior to December 31, 2011, Manarin Securities Corporation, as distributor for the Predecessor Fund, received fees in the form of sales loads in an amount provided for in the Funds Prospectus, which were paid directly by shareholders (and not by the Fund) when they invested in the Fund. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the aggregate dollar amount of sales loads imposed on purchases of Fund shares was $155,942, $222,239 and $[ ], respectively. Manarin Securities Corporation retained 100% of these amounts, which were, in turn, paid out to its registered representatives who were responsible for the sale of the Funds shares. Finally, prior to December 31, 2011, Manarin Securities Corporation received dealer reallowances on purchases of shares of Investment Funds for the Fund that normally impose a front-end sales load at the time of purchase (not to exceed 1% of the Investment Funds offering price per share). Such dealer reallowances were paid directly by the Investment Funds to Manarin Securities Corporation.
The Distributor has entered into agreements with various broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries to assist it in distributing the Funds shares. These agreements generally provide for a reallowance of part of the sales load and compensation under the Distribution Plan. The reallowance concessions are as follows:
|
Purchases |
|
Sales Load as a % of Offering Price |
|
Concession as % of Offering Price |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Up to $249,999 |
|
2.50% |
|
2.25% |
|
|
$250,000 $499,999 |
|
1.50% |
|
1.35% |
|
|
$500,000 - $999,999 |
|
1.00% |
|
0.90% |
|
|
$1 million or greater |
|
None |
|
None |
|
Under these agreements, such broker-dealer or financial intermediary is also paid a quarterly fee pursuant to the Distribution Plan. See Distribution Plan, below.
Distribution Plan . Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor is to be reimbursed for expenses incurred in selling shares of the Fund, including:
|
· |
compensation and expenses of sales and marketing personnel of the Distributor; |
|
· |
compensation paid to registered representatives of the Distributor and other broker-dealers and/or financial intermediaries that have entered into dealer agreements with the Distributor; |
|
· |
compensation to financial institutions and other institutions, organizations and associations that have provided access to their customers or otherwise assisted in the distribution process but have not been involved in the offer or sale of the Fund s shares; |
|
· |
costs of preparing and running advertisements; and |
|
· |
other distribution-related expenses. |
Under the Distribution Plan, the Fund pays the Distributor, as reimbursement for certain expenses actually incurred by the Distributor in connection with its activities on behalf of the Fund, a fee of up to 0.25% per annum, accrued daily and paid quarterly, based on the Funds average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the Fund made payments under the Distribution Plan of $[ ] for the distribution of Fund shares. Of this amount, payments totaling $[ ] were paid to the Distributor to reimburse the Distributor for compensation paid to its registered representatives. To date, there have been no unreimbursed expenses incurred or paid under the Distribution Plan.
The Distribution Plan will continue in effect for successive periods of one year so long as such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of a majority of both (a) the Board of Trustees, and (b) the disinterested Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Plan or any agreements related to it, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting thereon. The Distribution Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the disinterested Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Fund Administration , Fund Accounting and Transfer Agent Services
Gemini Fund Services, LLC (GFS), which has its principal office at 450 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, New York 11788, serves as administrator, fund accountant and transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to a Fund Services Agreement (the Agreement) with the Fund and subject to the supervision of the Board. GFS is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds. GFS is an affiliate of the Distributor. GFS may also provide persons to serve as officers of the Fund. Such officers may be directors, officers or employees of GFS or its affiliates.
The Agreement became effective on [ ] and will remain in effect for two years from the applicable effective date for the Fund, and will continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board. The Agreement is terminable by the Board or GFS on 90 days written notice and may be assigned by either party, provided the Trust may not assign this agreement without prior written consent of GFS. This Agreement provides that GFS shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted to the Agreement.
Under the Agreement, GFS performs administrative services, including: (1) monitor the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Trust by others service providers; (2) monitor Fund holdings and operations for post-trade compliance with the Funds registration statement and applicable laws and rules; (3) prepare and coordinate the printing of semi-annual and annual financial statements; (4) prepare selected management reports for performance and compliance analyses; (5) prepare and disseminate materials for and attend and participate in meetings of the Board; (6) determine income and capital gains available for distribution and calculate distributions required to meet regulatory, income, and excise tax requirements; (7) review the Trust's federal, state, and local tax returns as prepared and signed by the Trust's independent public accountants; (8) prepare and maintain the Trust's operating expense budget to determine proper expense accruals to be charged to each Fund to calculate its daily net asset value; (9) assist in and monitor the preparation, filing, printing and where applicable, dissemination to shareholders of amendments to the Trusts Registration Statement on Form N-1A, periodic reports to the Trustees, shareholders and the SEC, notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2, proxy materials and reports to the SEC on Forms N-SAR, N-CSR, N-Q and N-PX; (10) coordinate the Trust's audits and examinations by assisting each Funds independent public accountants; (11) determine, in consultation with others, the jurisdictions in which shares of the Trust shall be registered or qualified for sale and facilitate such registration or qualification; (12) monitor sales of shares and ensure that the shares are properly and duly registered with the SEC; (13) monitor the calculation of performance data for the Fund; (14) prepare, or cause to be prepared, expense and financial reports; (15) prepare authorization for the payment of Trust expenses and pay, from Trust assets, all bills of the Trust; (16) provide information typically supplied in the investment company industry to companies that track or report price, performance or other information with respect to investment companies; (17) upon request, assist each Fund in the evaluation and selection of other service providers, such as independent public accountants, printers, EDGAR providers and proxy solicitors (such parties may be affiliates of GFS); (18) perform other services, recordkeeping and assistance relating to the affairs of the Trust as the Trust may, from time to time, reasonably request.
For the administrative services rendered to the Fund by GFS, the Fund pays GFS a fee equal to the greater of $[ ],000 minimum or 0.[ ]% on the first $[ ] of net assets, 0.[ ]% on the next $[ ] of net assets, 0.[ ]% on the next $[ ] of net assets and 0.[ ]% on net assets greater than $[ ]. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.
GFS also provides the Fund with accounting services, including: (i) daily computation of net asset value; (ii) maintenance of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) production of the Funds listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciliation of accounting records; (v) calculation of yield and total return for the Fund; (vi) maintaining certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciling account information and balances among the Funds custodian and Adviser; and (vii) monitoring and evaluating daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Fund.
For the services rendered to the Fund by the Fund Accounting Service Agreement, the Fund pays GFS an annual fee of $[ ],000, plus 0.[ ]% on Fund net assets of $[ ] to $[ ] and 0.[ ]% on Fund net assets greater than $[ ]. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.
GFS also acts as transfer, dividend disbursing, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund pursuant to the Agreement. Under the agreement, GFS is responsible for administering and performing transfer agent functions, dividend distribution, shareholder administration, and maintaining necessary records in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
For the services rendered to the Fund under the Transfer Agency Service Agreement, the Fund pays GFS a transfer agency fee equal to a per account charge of $[ ].00 for open accounts and $[ ].00 for closed accounts. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
BBD, LLP, 1835 Market Street, 26 th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, serves as the Funds independent registered public accounting firm. As such, they audited the Funds annual financial statements for the fiscal year ended 2010 and will audit the Funds annual financial statements for the fiscal year ended 2011. RSM McGladrey, Inc., 1200 Landmark Center, Suite 530, 1299 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 68102, provided tax services to the Fund including preparation of the federal and state income tax returns for the Fund.
Compliance Services
Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC ("NLCS"), located at 450 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788, an affiliate of GFS and the Distributor, provides a Chief Compliance Officer to the Trust as well as related compliance services pursuant to a consulting agreement between NLCS and the Trust. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the fees paid for these services were $[ ].
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Subject to policies established by the Board, the Adviser is responsible for the execution of the Funds portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions. In effecting portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks to obtain the best execution and net results for the Fund. This determination involves a number of considerations, including the economic effect on the Fund (involving both price paid or received and any commissions and other costs), the efficiency with which the transaction is effected where a large block is involved, the availability of the broker to stand ready to execute potentially difficult transactions, and the financial strength and stability of the broker. Such considerations are judgmental and are weighed by the Adviser in determining the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid.
In selecting brokers to execute the Funds portfolio transactions, the Adviser also considers the value of research, analysis, advice and similar services provided by such brokers (collectively referred to as research services). The Adviser does not, however, use soft dollars to obtain investment research from brokers (i.e., the Adviser does not pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might have charged for executing the same transaction in recognition of the value of research services provided by the broker). Rather, any such research services are paid for out of the Advisers own funds.
Under the 1940 Act, an open-end registered investment company must sell its shares at the offering price (including sales load, if any) described in its prospectus, and current rules under the 1940 Act do not permit negotiations of sales loads. However, the Fund generally will not acquire securities of an Investment Fund that has a sales load unless the size of the acquisition is significant enough to eliminate the sales load in accordance with the terms stated in the prospectus of the Investment Fund. The Adviser, to the extent possible, also seeks to eliminate the sales load imposed by purchasing shares pursuant to (i) letters of intent, permitting purchases over time; (ii) rights of accumulation, permitting it to avoid sales charges as it purchases additional shares of an Investment Fund; and (iii) rights to waive sales charges by aggregating its purchases of several funds within a fund family. The Adviser also takes advantage of exchange or conversion privileges offered by any family of mutual funds.
With respect to purchases of shares of Investment Funds which normally impose a front-end sales load at the time of purchase, the Adviser may direct, to the extent possible, substantially all of the orders to Manarin Securities Corporation. In such cases, Manarin Securities Corporation may be paid a per share fee (dealer reallowance) by the Investment Fund of up to a maximum of 1% of the Investment Funds offering price per share. Manarin Securities Corporation is not designated as the dealer on any sales where such reallowance exceeds 1% of the Investment Funds offering price per share. This dealer reallowance will not be a material factor in the Advisers decision-making as to which Investment Funds merit the Funds investment. In the event Manarin Securities Corporation is unable to execute a particular transaction, the Adviser will direct such order to another broker-dealer.
Manarin Securities Corporation may assist in the execution of Fund portfolio transactions to purchase Investment Fund shares for which it may receive distribution payments (i.e. Rule 12b-1 fees) from the Investment Funds or their underwriters or sponsors in accordance with the normal distribution arrangements for those funds. Manarin Securities Corporation will rebate to the Fund any Rule 12b-1 fees paid by the Investment Funds or their underwriters or sponors. In providing execution assistance, Manarin Securities Corporation receives orders from the Adviser; places them with the Investment Funds distributor, transfer agent or other agent, as appropriate; confirms the trade, price and number of shares purchased; and assures prompt payment by the Fund and proper completion of the order.
The Fund expects that purchases and sales of short-term investment instruments will usually be principal transactions, and purchases and sales of other debt securities may be principal transactions. Consequently, the Fund will normally not pay brokerage commissions in connection with such transactions. Short-term investment instruments are generally purchased directly from the issuer, an underwriter or market maker for the securities, and other debt securities may be purchased in a similar manner. Purchases from underwriters include an underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers include the spread between the bid and asked price. Where transactions are made in the over-the-counter market, the Fund will deal with the primary market makers unless more favorable prices are obtainable elsewhere.
In the event that the Fund acquires or sells U.S. Government Securities, it will pay a commission to Manarin Securities Corporation of not more than 1% of the acquisition price.
With respect to purchases and sales of stocks or bonds of an issuer that is not a registered investment company, such transactions will generally be directed to Manarin Securities Corporation. Assuming the securities are traded on a securities exchange, the commission received by Manarin Securities Corporation for such purchase or sale transaction must be reasonable and fair compared to the commission received by other broker-dealers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities. The Adviser must make an independent determination that, in fact, the commission received or to be received by Manarin Securities Corporation as a result of the transaction meets this standard.
Manarin Securities Corporations principals may receive expense paid travel in connection with due diligence meetings, which expenses are paid for by the Investment Funds or other issuers of securities acquired by the Fund.
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Fund paid a total of $0, $26,492 and $[ ] in brokerage commissions, respectively. All of these amounts were paid to Manarin Securities Corporation because all of the Funds securities transactions were placed through Manarin Securities Corporation during these periods. In addition, for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, Manarin Securities Corporation received dealer reallowances from Investment Funds distributors in amounts equal to $38,130, $0 and $[ ], respectively. These amounts were paid under selling agreements with such Investment Funds distributors as a result of Manarin Securities Corporation acting as agent in the purchase by the Fund of shares of Investment Funds.
The Fund places its trades under a policy adopted by the Board pursuant to Section 17(e) and Rule 17(e)(1) under the 1940 Act which places limitations on the securities transactions effected through Manarin Securities Corporation. The policy of the Fund with respect to brokerage is reviewed by the Board from time to time. Because of the possibility of further regulatory developments affecting the securities exchanges and brokerage practices generally, the foregoing practices may be modified.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Board of Trustees has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures on behalf of the Fund that delegate the authority to vote proxies to the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board. The policies require that the Adviser vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. .
The Advisers proxy voting policies and procedures generally provide that the Adviser will vote all proxies in a manner that will advance the economic interests of its clients, including their shareholders, and protecting their rights as beneficial owners of the corporations in whose securities the Adviser invests. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting guidelines that may be employed when considering how to vote proxies. In situations where there is a conflict of interest, the Adviser will take one of the following steps to resolve the conflict:
|
· |
Vote the securities based on a pre-determined voting guideline if the application of the guideline to the matter presented involves little or no discretion on the Adviser s part; |
|
· |
Vote the securities based upon the recommendation of an independent third party, such as a proxy voting service; |
|
· |
Refer the proxy to the client or to a fiduciary of the client for voting purposes; |
|
· |
Suggest that the client engage another party to determine how the proxy should be voted; or |
|
· |
Disclose the conflict to the client or, with respect to a registered investment company client, its board of directors (or its delegate) and obtain the clients or boards direction to vote the proxies. |
Because the Fund is a fund of funds, it is subject to the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. For investments made by the Fund in Investment Funds, Section 12(d)(1)(F) requires the Fund to vote proxies either pursuant to instructions given by shareholders of the Fund or by voting for or against proposals in the same proportion as the other shareholders of the Investment Funds. When the Fund receives proxy statements relating to such investments, the Adviser intends to vote the Funds shares of the relevant Investment Fund for or against the proposals in the same proportion as all other shareholders of the Investment Fund.
Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll free, [1-800-397-1167], by accessing the Funds website at www.lifetimeachievementfund.com and by accessing the information on proxy voting filed by the Fund on Form N-PX on the SECs website at www.sec.gov . In addition, a copy of the Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures are also available by calling [1-800-397-1167] and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS POLICY
The Fund does not provide or permit others to provide information about the Funds portfolio holdings to any third party on a selective basis, except as specifically permitted by the Funds policy regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings (the Disclosure Policy ). The Fund and the Adviser disclose information about the Fund s portfolio holdings only in the circumstances listed below.
|
· |
The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings by mailing its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders approximately two months after the end of the fiscal year and six-month period. In addition, the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings by filing Form N-Q with the SEC within 60 days after the end of the first and third quarter and by filing Form N-CSR with the SEC within 10 days after mailing of the Funds annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. |
|
· |
The Fund, within 15 business days after the end of each quarter, posts a graphical representation of its complete portfolio holdings and related percentages on its website at http://www.lifetimeachievementfund.com . |
|
· |
The Adviser may disclose Fund portfolio holdings in regulatory filings and, from time to time, to the Funds service providers, including the administrator, custodian, fund accountant and transfer agent, in connection with the fulfillment of their duties to the Fund. These service providers are required by contract with the Fund to keep such information confidential and not use it for any purpose other than the purpose for which the information was disclosed. |
|
· |
The Adviser may disclose Fund portfolio holdings to other service providers who owe a fiduciary duty or other duty of trust or confidence to the Fund, such as the Fund s legal counsel and independent auditors. |
|
· |
The Adviser may provide, or cause to be provided, portfolio holdings information to various ratings agencies, upon request, so long as such information, at the time it is provided, is posted on the Funds website or otherwise publicly available. The Funds portfolio holdings are currently provided to the following ratings agencies 15 days after the end of each quarter: Bloomberg L.P; Lipper, Inc.; Morningstar, Inc.; Thompson Reuters; and Vickers. |
The Fund is prohibited from entering into any other arrangements to disclose information regarding the Funds portfolio holdings prior to public availability without prior approval of the Funds Board of Trustees. No compensation or other consideration may be received by the Fund, the Adviser or the Funds service providers in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings in accordance with this policy.
The Trusts Chief Compliance Officer monitors compliance with this policy and reports any violations to the Funds Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis. The Board reviews any disclosures of Fund portfolio holdings outside of the permitted disclosures described above to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of Fund shareholders and to address any conflicts between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the Adviser or any other Fund affiliate.
PURCHASE OF FUND SHARES
Net Asset Value . Shares of the Fund are sold on a continual basis at the offering price, which is a sum of the NAV per share next computed following receipt of an order and the applicable sales load.
The NAV per share of the Fund is calculated by adding the value of all portfolio securities and other assets (including dividends accrued, but not yet collected), subtracting the liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund on days the NYSE is open for business. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the NAV per share.
When determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily. The assets of the Fund consist primarily of shares of Investment Funds. The Fund values Investment Funds at their current reported NAV. Individual securities in the Funds portfolio that are listed on an exchange are valued at their last sale price on that exchange on the date when Fund assets are valued. Securities traded primarily on the NASDAQ Stock Market are normally valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (NOCP). Where an individual security is listed on more than one exchange, the Fund will use the price of the exchange that it generally considers to be the principal exchange on which the security is traded. If there are no sales in a day but published closing bid and asked prices are available, the security is valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices. If only a bid or only an ask quote is available, or the spread between the bid and ask is larger, further consideration will be given as to whether market quotations are readily available. When reliable market quotations are not readily available, the security is valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser according to the procedures adopted by the Funds Board of Directors. Prospectuses for the Investment Funds explain the circumstances under which such Investment Funds will use fair value pricing and the effects of fair value pricing. Registered money market funds generally use the amortized cost or penny-rounding methods to value their securities at $1.00 per share. Shares of closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are listed on U.S. exchanges are valued at the last sales price on the day the securities are valued or, lacking any sales on such day, at the last available bid price. Shares of closed-end funds and ETFs listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market are normally valued at the NOCP; other shares traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last bid price available prior to valuation. Securities having 60 days or less remaining to maturity are valued at their amortized cost. Any investments denominated in foreign currency are valued daily in U.S. dollars on the basis of the then-prevailing exchange rate.
The calculation of the NAV of the Fund may not take place contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of portfolio securities used in such calculation. Events affecting the values of portfolio securities that occur between the time their prices are determined and 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, and at other times, may not be reflected in the calculation of NAV of the Fund. The NYSE is currently closed on the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
An example of how the Fund calculated its total NAV per share as of December 31, 2010 is as follows:
|
Net Assets |
= |
NAV per share |
|
|
Shares Outstanding |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$168,022,048 |
= |
$21.03 |
|
|
7,989,574 |
|
|
|
Letter of Intent . A Letter of Intent (LOI) provides an opportunity for an investor to obtain a reduced sales charge by aggregating investments over a 13-month period to determine the sales charge. The size of investment shown in the sales charge table includes purchases of shares over a 13-month period based on the total amount of intended purchases plus the value of all shares previously purchased and still owned. An investor may elect to compute the 13-month period starting up to 60 days before the date of execution of an LOI. Each investment made during the period receives the reduced sales charge applicable to the total amount of the investment goal. The LOI does not preclude the Fund from discontinuing the sale of its shares. The initial purchase must be for an amount equal to at least 5% of the minimum total purchase amount of the level selected. If trades not initially made under an LOI subsequently qualify for a lower sales charge through the 60-day backdating provisions, an adjustment will be made at the expiration of the LOI to give effect to the lower sales charge. Such adjustment in sales charge will be used to purchase additional shares. The Fund initially will escrow shares totaling 5% of the dollar amount of the LOI to be held by our shareholder services department in the name of the shareholder. In the event the LOI goal is not achieved within the specified period, the investor must generally pay the difference between the sales charge applicable to the purchases made and the reduced sales charges previously paid. Such payments may be made directly to the Distributor or, if not paid, the Distributor will liquidate sufficient escrowed shares to obtain the difference. However, in limited circumstances, a short extension may be granted for the investor to reach the LOI goal as described in the Funds Prospectus under Investing in the Fund Front-End Sales Load.
Reinstatement Privilege . If you have redeemed shares of the Fund, you may reinstate any portion or all of the net proceeds of such redemption (and may include that amount necessary to acquire a fractional share to round off your purchase to the next full share) in shares of the Fund. Reinstatements are made at the NAV per share (without a sales charge) next determined after the order is received, which must be made within 90 days after the date of the redemption, provided that shares of the Fund are available for sale. You must reinstate shares of the Fund into an account with the same registration. To qualify for the reinstatement privilege, you must notify the Fund in writing in advance of reinvestment and you may exercise this privilege only once.
Rights of Accumulation . You may take into account the current value of your existing holdings in shares of the Fund and any holdings of any of your family members (spouse and children under the age of 21 that live in your household) to determine your sales load. Alternatively, upon your request, you may take into account the amount you invested less any withdrawals (however, for this purpose, the amount invested does not include capital appreciation or reinvested dividends and capital gains). You may be required to provide copies of account statements or to provide other documentation to substantiate your balance or the balance of your family members in the Fund.
Sales of Shares Without a Sales Charge at NAV . Sales of shares to participants of Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans established pursuant to section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Code), are sold without any sales charge at NAV. In addition, shares may be sold at NAV to persons who are current or former directors of the Fund, current or former employees or sales representatives of the Adviser or Distributor, current or former officers, partners, employees or registered representatives of broker-dealers that have entered into sales agreements with the Distributor as dealers for the Fund, members of the immediate families of persons names above and any trust, custodian, pension, profit sharing or other benefit plan of the foregoing. In addition, shares may be sold without a sales load at NAV to certain wrap accounts for the benefit of clients of investment professionals or other financial intermediaries adhering to standards established by the Distributor, and to omnibus accounts held by financial intermediaries that provide trust, custodial and other shareholder services to individual shareholders. For purposes of the foregoing, immediate family member includes a spouse, all minor or adult children for which the person has or had sole or shared legal custody, all parents and grandparents of the person or his or her spouse. These exceptions are made available to facilitate ownership of Fund shares by such persons and because minimal or no sales effort is required with respect to the categories of investors excepted. For more information on how to purchase at NAV, please see the Prospectus.
TAXATION OF THE FUND
Regulated Investment Company Status . The Fund intends to meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. In the event the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M, it will be treated as a regular corporation for federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, the Fund would be subject to federal income taxes on the full amount of its taxable income and gains, and distributions that the Fund makes would not qualify for the dividends paid deduction. This would increase the cost of investing in the Fund for shareholders and would make it more economical for shareholders to invest directly in securities held by the Fund instead of investing indirectly in such securities through the Fund.
Distributions to and Dispositions by Shareholders . Dividends and other distributions declared by the Fund in October, November and December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a date in any one of these months will be deemed to have been paid by the Fund and received by the shareholders on December 31 of that year if the distributions are paid by the Fund during the following January. Accordingly, those distributions will be taxed to shareholders for the year in which that December 31 st falls.
A portion of the distributions of the Funds investment company taxable income (whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Fund shares) may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders of the Fund. The portion of the Funds investment company taxable income eligible for the dividends-received deduction may not exceed the aggregate dividends it receives either directly from U.S. corporations (excluding RICs, among others) or indirectly from such corporations through Investment Funds in which it invests. However, dividends received by a corporate shareholder and deducted by it pursuant to the dividends-received deduction are subject indirectly to the alternative minimum tax.
The Fund will be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax (Excise Tax) to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year substantially all of both its ordinary income for that year and its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts. As of December 31, 2011, the Fund had a capital loss carryover of $[ ], of which $9,419,468 expires on December 31, 2016 and $26,676,230 expires December 31, 2017. The unused and unexpired portion of this capital loss carryover, if any, will be treated as a short-term capital loss of the Fund in future years, and may therefore offset future short-term and/or long-term capital gain realized by the Fund.
Generally, if Fund shares are sold at a loss after being held for six months or less, the loss will be treated as a long-term, instead of short-term, capital loss to the extent of any net capital gain distributions received on those shares. Investors also should be aware that if shares are purchased shortly before the record date for any dividend or capital gain distribution, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and receive some portion of the price back as a taxable distribution.
Dispositions by the Fund . Generally, a disposition by the Fund of its shares of an Investment Fund will increase or decrease the Funds investment company taxable income or net capital gain, depending on whether the redemption proceeds are more or less than the Funds adjusted basis for the redeemed shares (which normally includes any sales load paid) and the length of time the Fund held the redeemed shares; an exchange by the Fund of its shares of an Investment Fund for shares of another Investment Fund normally will have similar tax consequences. However, if the Fund disposes of an Investment Funds shares (original shares) within 90 days after its purchase thereof and subsequently reacquires shares of that Investment Fund or acquires shares of another Investment Fund on which a sales load normally is imposed (replacement shares), without paying the sales load (or paying a reduced charge) due to an exchange privilege or a reinstatement privilege, then the Funds adjusted basis for the original shares will not include any sales load imposed on the Funds purchase of the original shares (although, if the sales load imposed on the Funds purchase of the original shares exceeds the amount of the reduction in the sales load imposed on the Funds purchase of the replacement shares, then the Funds adjusted basis for the original shares will include the amount of that excess). Since some or all of the sales load imposed on the Funds purchase of the original shares is not included in the Funds adjusted basis for the original shares, any gain on the disposition of the original shares will be increased, or the loss thereon decreased, by the amount of the sales load that is not included in the Funds adjusted basis for the original shares. Instead, that amount of the sales load that is not included in the Funds adjusted basis for the original shares will increase the Funds adjusted basis for the replacement shares.
PERFORMANCE
From time to time, the total return of Fund shares may be quoted in advertisements, shareholder reports or other communications to shareholders. Performance information is generally available by calling the Fund (toll-free) at [1-800-397-1167].
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
[The financial statements and independent registered public accountants report of the Predecessor Fund will be incorporated herein by a subsequent amendment immediately upon the consummation of the reorganization.] A copy of the most recent Semi-Annual and Annual Reports may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund at the address located on the front cover of the SAI or by calling toll-free [1-888-339-4230].
APPENDIX A
SHORT-TERM RATINGS
Standard & Poors Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion evaluates the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default. The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a financial obligation, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.
Issue credit ratings are based on current information furnished by the obligors or obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any credit rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. Credit ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances.
Issue credit ratings can be either long term or short term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1
A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2
A short-term obligation rated 'A-2' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3
A short-term obligation rated 'A-3' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B
A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of 'B-1', 'B-2', and 'B-3' may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the 'B' category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B-1
A short-term obligation rated 'B-1' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, but the obligor has a relatively stronger capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
B-2
A short-term obligation rated 'B-2' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has an average speculative-grade capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
B-3
A short-term obligation rated 'B-3' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has a relatively weaker capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
A-1
C
A short-term obligation rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D
A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Dual Ratings
Standard & Poor's assigns "dual" ratings to all debt issues that have a put option or demand feature as part of their structure. The first rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second rating addresses only the demand feature. The long-term rating symbols are used for bonds to denote the long-term maturity and the short-term rating symbols for the put option (for example, 'AAA/A-1+'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, note rating symbols are used with the short-term issue credit rating symbols (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').
Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)
i
This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of interest are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of principal on the obligation. The 'i' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the interest portion of the obligation only. The 'i' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'p' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of principal. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp NRi" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.
L
Ratings qualified with 'L' apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.
p
This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The 'p' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. The 'p' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'i' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of interest. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp NRi" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.
pi
Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are based on an analysis of an issuer's published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer's management and are therefore based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a 'pi' subscript. Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are reviewed annually based on a new year's financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer's credit quality.
pr
The letters 'pr' indicate that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
preliminary
Preliminary ratings are assigned to issues, including financial programs, in the following circumstances.
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Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt and approval by Standard & Poor's of appropriate documentation. Changes in the information provided to Standard & Poor's could result in the assignment of a different rating. In addition, Standard & Poor's reserves the right not to issue a final rating. |
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Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with Standard & Poor's policies. The final rating may differ from the preliminary rating. |
t
This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.
unsolicited
Unsolicited ratings are those credit ratings assigned at the initiative of Standard & Poor's and not at the request of the issuer or its agents.
Inactive Qualifiers (No longer applied or outstanding)
*
This symbol indicated continuance of the ratings is contingent upon Standard & Poor's receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows. Discontinued use in August 1998.
c
This qualifier was used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer's bonds are deemed taxable. Discontinued use in January 2001.
q
A 'q' subscript indicates that the rating is based solely on quantitative analysis of publicly available information. Discontinued use in April 2001.
r
The 'r' modifier was assigned to securities containing extraordinary risks, particularly market risks, that are not covered in the credit rating. The absence of an 'r' modifier should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will not exhibit extraordinary non-credit related risks. Standard & Poor's discontinued the use of the 'r' modifier for most obligations in June 2000 and for the balance of obligations (mainly structured finance transactions) in November 2002.
Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks
Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor's analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor's capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government's own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.
Moodys Short-Term Debt Ratings
Short-Term Ratings
Moody's short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.
Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
P-1
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.
Fitchs International Short-Term Credit Ratings
The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A Short-term rating has a time horizon of less than 13 months for most obligations, or up to three years for US public finance, in line with industry standards, to reflect unique risk characteristics of bond, tax, and revenue anticipation notes that are commonly issued with terms up to three years. Short-term ratings thus place greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner.
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F1 |
Highest credit quality . Indicates the Strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. |
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F2 |
Good credit quality . A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. |
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F3 |
Fair credit quality . The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade. |
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B |
Speculative . Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. |
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C |
High default risk . Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. |
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D |
Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. |
Notes to International Long-Term and Short-Term ratings:
The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)
Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.
Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are 'stable' could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.
Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e. those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.
Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term 'put' or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.
Fitch's ratings on U.S. public finance debt securities measure credit quality relative of other U.S. public finance debt securities. Loss rates of most Fitch-rated U.S. public finance debt securities have historically been significantly lower, and are expected to continue to be significantly lower, than other debt instruments rated comparably by Fitch.
Interest Only |
Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.
Principal Only |
Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.
Rate of Return |
Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.
'PIF'
The tranche has reached maturity and has been "paid-in-full", regardless of whether it was amortized or called early. As the issue no longer exists, it is therefore no longer rated.
'NR' denotes that Fitch Ratings does not publicly rate the associated issuer or issuer.
'WD'
Indicates that the rating has been withdrawn and is no longer maintained by Fitch.
Fitch Ratings (Fitch) National Short-Term Credit Ratings
National Ratings are an assessment of credit quality relative to the rating of the "best" credit risk in a country. This "best" risk will normally, although not always, be assigned to all financial commitments issued or guaranteed by the sovereign state.
A special identifier for the country concerned will be added at the end of all national ratings. For illustrative purposes, (xxx) has been used, in the table below.
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F1(xxx) |
Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or issues in the same country. Under their national rating scale, this rating is assigned to the best credit risk relative to all others in the same country and is normally assigned to all financial commitments issued or guaranteed by the sovereign state. Where the creditworthiness is particularly strong, a + is added to the assigned rating. |
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F2(xxx) |
Indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or issues in the same country. However, the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. |
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F3(xxx) |
Indicates an adequate capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or issues in the same country. However, such capacity is more susceptible to near-term adverse changes than for financial commitments in higher rated categories. |
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B (xxx) |
Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or issues in the same country. Such capacity is highly susceptible to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. |
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C (xxx) |
Indicates a highly uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or issues in the same country. Capacity or meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. |
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D (xxx) |
Indicates actual or imminent payment default. |
Note to National Short-Term ratings:
In certain countries, regulators have established credit rating scales, to be used within their domestic markets, using specific nomenclature. In these countries, our National Short-Term Ratings definitions for F1+(xxx), F1(xxx), F2(xxx) and F3(xxx) may be substituted by those regulatory scales, e.g. A1+, A1, A2 and A3.
LONG-TERM RATINGS
Standard & Poor s Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
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Likelihood of payment capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; |
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Nature of and provisions of the obligation; |
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Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. |
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA
An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA
An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A
An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB
An obligation rated 'BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
BB, B, CCC, CC, and C
Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. 'BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and 'C' the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB
An obligation rated 'BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B
An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC
An obligation rated 'CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC
An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C
A 'C' rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the 'C' rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument's terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.
D
An obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligations rating is lowered to D upon completion of a distressed exchanged offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is les than par.
Plus (+) or minus (-)
The ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
NR
This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)
i
This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of interest are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of principal on the obligation. The 'i' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the interest portion of the obligation only. The 'i' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'p' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of principal. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp NRi" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.
L
Ratings qualified with 'L' apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.
p
This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The 'p' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. The 'p' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'i' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of interest. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp NRi" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.
pi
Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are based on an analysis of an issuer's published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer's management and are therefore based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a 'pi' subscript. Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are reviewed annually based on a new year's financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer's credit quality.
pr
The letters 'pr' indicate that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
preliminary
Preliminary ratings are assigned to issues, including financial programs, in the following circumstances.
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· |
Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt and approval by Standard & Poor's of appropriate documentation. Changes in the information provided to Standard & Poor's could result in the assignment of a different rating. In addition, Standard & Poor's reserves the right not to issue a final rating. |
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Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with Standard & Poor's policies. The final rating may differ from the preliminary rating. |
t
This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.
unsolicited
Unsolicited ratings are those credit ratings assigned at the initiative of Standard & Poor's and not at the request of the issuer or its agents.
Inactive Qualifiers (No longer applied or outstanding)
*
This symbol indicated continuance of the ratings is contingent upon Standard & Poor's receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows. Discontinued use in August 1998.
c
This qualifier was used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer's bonds are deemed taxable. Discontinued use in January 2001.
q
A 'q' subscript indicates that the rating is based solely on quantitative analysis of publicly available information. Discontinued use in April 2001.
r
The 'r' modifier was assigned to securities containing extraordinary risks, particularly market risks, that are not covered in the credit rating. The absence of an 'r' modifier should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will not exhibit extraordinary non-credit related risks. Standard & Poor's discontinued the use of the 'r' modifier for most obligations in June 2000 and for the balance of obligations (mainly structured finance transactions) in November 2002.
Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks
Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor's analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor's capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government's own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.
Moodys Long-Term Debt Ratings
Long-Term Obligation Ratings
Moody's long-term obligation ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of fixed-income obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.
Moody's Long-Term Rating Definitions:
Aaa
Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.
Aa
Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A
Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa
Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba
Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B
Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa
Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca
Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C
Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
Fitchs Primary Credit Rating ScalesLong-Term Credit Ratings
The Primary Credit Rating Scales (those featuring the symbols AAAD and F1D) are used for debt and financial strength ratings. The below section describes their use for issuers and obligations in corporate, public and structured finance debt markets.
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AAA |
Highest credit quality . 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events |
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AA |
Very high credit quality . 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. |
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A |
High credit quality . 'A' ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. |
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BBB |
Good credit quality . 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. |
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BB |
Speculative . 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments. |
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B |
Highly speculative . 'B' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment. |
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CCC |
Substantial credit risk . Default is a real possibility. |
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CC |
Very high levels of credit risk . Default of some kind appears probable. |
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C |
Exceptionally high levels of credit risk . Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a 'C' category rating for an issuer include: |
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the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; |
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the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; and |
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Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of 'RD' or 'D' to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a coercive debt exchange. |
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RD |
Restricted Default . 'RD' ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased business. This would include: |
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the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; |
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the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; |
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the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; and |
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execution of a coercive debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. |
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D |
Default . 'D' ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business. |
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a coercive debt exchange.
"Imminent" default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a coercive debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency's opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer's financial obligations or local commercial practice.
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Note: |
The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Long-Term IDR categories below 'B'. |
Short-Term Ratings Assigned to Obligations in Corporate, Sovereign and Structured Finance
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream, and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, structured and sovereign obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in US public finance markets,
F1: Highest short-term credit quality
Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good short-term credit quality
Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair short-short term credit quality
The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative short-term credit quality
Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High short-term default risk
Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted default
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Default
Indicates a broad-based default for an entity, or the default of a specific short-term obligation.
Fitchs National Credit Ratings
For those countries in which foreign and local currency sovereign ratings are below AAA, and where there is demand for such ratings, Fitch Ratings will provide National Ratings. It is important to note that each National Rating scale is unique and is defined to serve the needs of the local market in question.
The National Rating scale provides a relative measure of creditworthiness for rated entities only within the country concerned. Under this rating scale, a AAA Long-Term National Rating will be assigned to the lowest relative risk within that country, which, in most but not all cases, will be the sovereign state.
The National Rating scale merely ranks the degree of perceived risk relative to the lowest default risk in that same country. Like local currency ratings, National Ratings exclude the effects of sovereign and transfer risk and exclude the possibility that investors may be unable to repatriate any due interest and principal repayments. It is not related to the rating scale of any other national market. Comparisons between different national scales or between an individual national scale and the international rating scale are therefore inappropriate and potentially misleading. Consequently they are identified by the addition of a special identifier for the country concerned, such as AAA(arg) for National Ratings in Argentina.
In certain countries, regulators have established credit rating scales, to be used within their domestic markets, using specific nomenclature. In these countries, the agencys National Short-Term Rating definitions for F1+(xxx), F1(xxx), F2(xxx) and F3(xxx) may be substituted by the regulatory scales, e.g. A1+, A1, A2 and A3. The below definitions thus serve as a template, but users should consult the individual scales for each country listed on the agencys web-site to determine if any additional or alternative category definitions apply.
National Long-Term Credit Ratings
|
AAA(xxx) |
'AAA' National Ratings denote the highest rating assigned by the agency in its National Rating scale for that country. This rating is assigned to issuers or obligations with the lowest expectation of default risk relative to all other issuers or obligations in the same country. |
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AA(xxx) |
'AA' National Ratings denote expectations of very low default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. The default risk inherent differs only slightly from that of the country's highest rated issuers or obligations. |
|
A (xxx) |
'A' National Ratings denote expectations of low default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions may affect the capacity for timely repayment to a greater degree than is the case for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category. |
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BBB(xxx) |
'BBB' National Ratings denote a moderate default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions are more likely to affect the capacity for timely repayment than is the case for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category. |
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BB(xxx) |
'BB' National Ratings denote an elevated default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Within the context of the country, payment is uncertain to some degree and capacity for timely repayment remains more vulnerable to adverse economic change over time. |
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B (xxx) |
'B' National Ratings denote a significantly elevated default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Financial commitments are currently being met but a limited margin of safety remains and capacity for continued timely payments is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. |
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CCC(xxx), CC(xxx), C(xxx) |
|
|
'CCC' National Ratings denote that default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions. |
|
CC(xxx) |
'CC' National Ratings denote that default of some kind appears probable. |
|
C(xxx) |
'C' National Ratings denote that default is imminent. |
|
D(xxx) |
'D' National Ratings denote an issuer or instrument that is currently in default. |
National Short-Term Credit Ratings
F1(xxx)
Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Under the agencys National Rating scale, this rating is assigned to the lowest default risk relative to others in the same country. Where the liquidity profile is particularly strong, a + is added to the assigned rating.
F2(xxx)
Indicates a good capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
F3(xxx)
Indicates an adequate capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, such capacity is more susceptible to near-term adverse changes than for financial commitments in higher rated categories.
B(xxx)
Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Such capacity is highly susceptible to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C(xxx)
Indicates a highly uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
D(xxx)
Indicates actual or imminent payment default.
Notes to Long-Term and Short-Term National Ratings:
The ISO country code suffix is placed in parentheses immediately following the rating letters to indicate the identity of the National market within which the rating applies. For illustrative purposes, (xxx) has been used.
+ or- may be appended to a National Rating to denote relative status within a major rating category. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA(xxx) Long-Term National Rating category, to categories below CCC(xxx) or to Short-Term National Ratings other than F1(xxx).
MUNICIPAL NOTE RATINGS
Standard & Poors Note Ratings
Short-Term Notes
A Standard & Poor's U.S. municipal note rating reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in making that assessment:
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· |
Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and |
|
· |
Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1
Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2
Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3
Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Moodys MIG/VMIG Ratings U.S. Short-Term Ratings
US Municipal Short-Term Debt And Demand Obligation Ratings
Short-Term Debt Ratings
There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels -- MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.
MIG 1
This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2
This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3
This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG
This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody's evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody's evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand ("demand feature"), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating.
When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1.
VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue's specific structural or credit features.
VMIG 1
This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2
This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3
This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
SG
This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(a) Articles of Incorporation.
(i)
Registrant's Trust Instrument is filed herewith.
(ii)
Certificate of Trust is filed herewith.
(b) By-Laws. Registrant's By-Laws are filed herewith.
(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holder. None other than in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Registrant.
(d) Investment Advisory Contracts.
(i)
Management Agreement for Lifetime Achievement Fund will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(e) Underwriting Contracts. Underwriting Agreement will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. None.
(g) Custodial Agreement. Custody Agreement will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(h) Other Material Contracts. Fund Services Agreement will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(i) Legal Opinion. Legal Opinion and Consent of Thompson Hine LLP will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(j) Other Opinions. Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(k) Omitted Financial Statements. None.
(l) Initial Capital Agreements. Subscription Agreement between the Trust and the Initial Investor will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(m) Rule 12b-1 Plans. Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(n) Rule 18f-3 Plan. None.
(o) Reserved.
(p) Code of Ethics.
(i) Code of Ethics for the Trust will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(ii) Code of Ethics for Manarin Investment Counsel, Ltd. will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(iii) Code of Ethics for Northern Lights DIstributors will be filed by subsequent amendment.
(q) Powers of Attorney. Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each trustee and executive officer, will be filed by subsequent amendment.
Item 29. Control Persons. None.
Item 30. Indemnification.
Reference is made to Article VIII of the Registrant's Trust Instrument which is included, Section [8] of the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 28(e), Section [_] of the Management Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 28(d)(i), Section [_] of the Custody Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 28(g) and Section [_] of the Fund Services Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 28(h). The application of these provisions is limited by the following undertaking set forth in the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission:
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in such Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in such Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. The Registrant may maintain a standard mutual fund and investment advisory professional and directors and officers liability policy. The policy, if maintained, would provide coverage to the Registrant, its Trustees and officers, and could cover its advisers, among others. Coverage under the policy would include losses by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement, neglect or breach of duty.
The Management Agreement between Manarin Investment Counsel and the Registrant provides that the Manarin Investment Counsel will not be liable for any of its actions (e.g., errors of judgment, mistakes of law, losses arising out of investments) on behalf of the Registrant, provided that nothing shall protect, or purport to protect, Manarin Investment Counsel against any liability to the Registrant or to the security holders of the Registrant to which it would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties. No provision of the Management Agreement is to be construed to protect any director or officer of the Registrant or Manarin Investment Counsel from liability in violation of Section 17(h), 17(i), or 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act).
Furthermore, under the Management Agreement, Manarin Investment Counsel will indemnify the Registrant and its directors, officers, agents, and employees (Indemnitee Persons) against any loss, claim, damages, tax, penalty, liability, disbursement, litigation expenses, attorneys fees, and expenses or court costs arising out of, or in any way relating to:
(1) the enforcement of the Management Agreement;
(2) all actions or omissions of the Indemnitee Persons, provided that they were not engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties, or in reckless disregard of their obligations and duties under the Management Agreement; and
(3) Manarin Investment Counsels refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the Management Agreement due to its willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence.
Such indemnification by Manarin Investment Counsel would not be available to the extent that any enforcement action is instituted against an Indemnitee Person and the action is not settled and does not result in any final judgment in favor of such person.
Item 31. Activities of Investment Advisor and Sub-Advisor.
Besides serving as investment adviser to the Registrant and other client accounts, Manarin Investment Counsel,15858 W Dodge Rd., Suite 310, Omaha, NE 68118 is not currently and has not during the past two fiscal years engaged in any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature. Information regarding the business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature of Manarin Investment Counsels directors and officers is hereby incorporated by reference to the information contained in the SAI and Part 1 of Manarin Investment Counsels Form ADV, file number 801-19624, as filed with the SEC.
Item 32. Principal Underwriter.
(a) Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, the principal underwriter to the Trust also acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies: AdvisorOne Funds, Arrow Investment Trust, Bryce Capital Funds, Copeland Trust, Epiphany Funds, Ladenburg Thalmann Alternative Strategies Fund, Miller Investment Trust, Nile Capital Investment Trust, North Country Funds, Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Variable Trust, Roge Partners Funds and The Saratoga Advantage Trust.
(b) Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is registered with Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The principal business address of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is 4020 South 147th Street, Omaha, NE 68137. To the best of Registrants knowledge, the following are the members and officers of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC:
(c) Not applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.
All accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by the Registrant pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 thereunder are maintained at the office of the Registrant, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Principal Underwriter, Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant, Administrator and Custodian at the addresses stated in the SAI.
Item 34. Management Services. Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings. Not Applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Hauppauge, State of New York, on the 30th day of December, 2011.
Northern Lights Fund Trust III
By: __ /s/ Emile R. Molineaux
Emile R. Molineaux, Trustee
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Name |
Title |
Date |
/s/ Emile R. Molineaux Emile R. Molineaux |
Trustee |
December 30, 2011 |
Exhibit Index
1.
Trust Instrument
EX-99.28.a.i
2.
Certificate of Trust
EX-99.28.a.ii
3.
By-Laws
EX-99.28.b
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
of
Northern Lights Fund Trust III
a Delaware Statutory Trust
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I. Name and Definitions
Section 1 Name .
Section 2. Registered Agent and Registered Office; Principal Place of Business.
(a)
Registered Agent and Registered Office .
(b)
Principal Place of Business .
Section 3. Definitions
(a)
1940 Act
(b)
Affiliated Person
(c)
Assignment .
(d)
Board of Trustees
(e)
By-Laws
(f)
Certificate of Trust
(g)
Code
(h)
Commission
(i)
Delaware Act
(j)
Declaration of Trust
(k)
General Liabilities
(l)
Interested Person
(m) Investment Adviser or Adviser
(n)
Majority Shareholder Vote
(o)
National Financial Emergency
(p)
Person
(q)
Principal Underwriter
(r)
Series
(s)
Shares
(t)
Shareholder
(u)
Trust
(v)
Trust Property
(w)
Trustee or Trustees .
ARTICLE II. Purpose of Trust
ARTICLE III. Shares
Section 1. Division of Beneficial Interest .
Section 2. Ownership of Shares
Section 3. Investments in the Trust
Section 4. Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability
Section 5. Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares
Section 6. Establishment and Designation of Series
(a)
Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series
(b)
Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series
(c)
Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases
(d)
Voting
(e)
Equality
(f)
Fractions
(g)
Exchange Privilege
(h)
Combination of Series
(i)
Elimination of Series
Section 7. Indemnification of Shareholders
ARTICLE IV. The Board of Trustees
Section 1. Number, Election and Tenure
Section 2. Effect of Death, Resignation, Removal, etc. of a Trustee
Section 3. Powers
Section 4. Chairman of the Trustees
Section 5. Payment of Expenses by the Trust
Section 6. Payment of Expenses by Shareholders
Section 7. Ownership of Trust Property
Section 8. Service Contracts.
ARTICLE V. Shareholders Voting Powers and Meetings
Section 1. Voting Powers
Section 2. Meetings
Section 3. Quorum and Required Vote
Section 4. Shareholder Action by Written Consent without a Meeting
Section 5. Record Dates
Section 6. Derivative Actions
Section 7. Additional Provisions
ARTICLE VI. Custodian
Section 1. Appointment and Duties
Section 2. Central Certificate System
ARTICLE VII. Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions
Section 1. Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions
Section 2. Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder
Section 3. Redemptions at the Option of the Trust
ARTICLE VIII. Compensation and Limitation of Liability of Officers and Trustees
Section 1. Compensation
Section 2. Indemnification and Limitation of Liability.
Section 3. Officers and Trustees Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety
Section 4. Insurance
ARTICLE IX. Miscellaneous
Section 1. Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees
Section 2. Dissolution of Trust or Series
Section 3. Merger and Consolidation; Conversion .
(a)
Merger and Consolidation .
(b)
Conversion
Section 4. Reorganization
Section 5. Amendments
Section 6. Filing of Copies, References, Headings
Section 7. Applicable Law
Section 8. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations.
Section 9. Statutory Trust Only
Section 10. Fiscal Year
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made this 5th day of December 2011, by the Trustees hereunder, and by the holders of shares of beneficial interest to be issued hereunder as hereinafter provided. This Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust shall be effective upon the filing of the Certificate of Trust in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS this Trust has been formed to carry on the business of an investment company; and
WHEREAS this Trust is authorized to issue its shares of beneficial interest in separate Series, and to issue classes of Shares of any Series or divide Shares of any Series into two or more classes, all in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into their hands as trustees of a Delaware business trust in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act of 2002 (12 Del. C. §3801, et seq. ), as from time to time amended and including any successor statute of similar import (the DSTA), and the provisions hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby declare that they will hold all cash, securities and other assets which they may from time to time acquire in any manner as Trustees hereunder IN TRUST to manage and dispose of the same upon the following terms and conditions for the benefit of the holders from time to time of shares of beneficial interest in this Trust and the Series created hereunder as hereinafter set forth.
ARTICLE I
Name and Definitions
.
Section 1. Name . The name of the Trust hereby created is Northern Lights Fund Trust III and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name, or any other name as they may from time to time determine.
Section 2. Registered Agent and Registered Office; Principal Place of Business.
Registered Agent and Registered Office . The name of the registered agent of the Trust and the address of the registered office of the Trust are as set forth on the Certificate of Trust.
Principal Place of Business . The principal place of business of the Trust is 4020 South 147 th Street, Omaha, NE 68137 or such other location within or outside of the State of Delaware as the Board of Trustees may determine from time to time.
Section 3. Definitions . Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically provided:
1940 Act shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time;
Affiliated Person shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act when used with reference to a specified Person;
Assignment shall have the meaning given in the 1940 Act, as modified by or interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Commission or any rules or regulations adopted or interpretive releases of the Commission thereunder.
Board of Trustees shall mean the governing body of the Trust, which is comprised of the Trustees of the Trust;
By-Laws shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust, as amended from time to time in accordance with Article X of the By-Laws, and incorporated herein by reference;
Certificate of Trust shall mean the certificate of trust filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required under the DSTA to form the Trust;
Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder;
Commission shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(7) of the 1940 Act;
The Delaware Act refers to Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code entitled Treatment of Delaware Statutory Trusts, as it may be amended from time to time;
Declaration of Trust shall mean this Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended or restated from time to time;
General Liabilities shall have the meaning given it in Article III, Section 6(b) of this Declaration Trust;
Interested Person shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act;
Investment Adviser or Adviser shall mean a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any contract described in Article IV, Section 7(a) hereof;
Majority Shareholder Vote shall have the same meaning as the term vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities is given in the 1940 Act, as modified by or interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Commission or any rules or regulations adopted or interpretive releases of the Commission thereunder;
(o)
National Financial Emergency shall mean the whole or any part of any period set forth in Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act. The Board of Trustees may, in its discretion, declare that the suspension relating to a national financial emergency shall terminate, as the case may be, on the first business day on which the New York Stock Exchange shall have reopened or the period specified in Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act shall have expired (as to which, in the absence of an official ruling by the Commission, the determination of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive);
Person shall include a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, trust, estate, association, corporation, custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity;
Principal Underwriter shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(29) of the 1940 Act;
Series means a series of Shares of the Trust established in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6;
Shares shall mean the outstanding shares of beneficial interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, and shall include fractional and whole shares;
Shareholder shall mean a record owner of Shares;
Trust shall refer to the Delaware statutory trust established by this Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time;
Trust Property shall mean any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or one or more of any Series, including, without limitation, the rights referenced in Article VIII, Section 2 hereof;
Trustee or Trustees shall refer to each signatory to this Declaration of Trust as a trustee, so long as such signatory continues in office in accordance with the terms hereof, and all other Persons who may, from time to time, be duly elected or appointed, qualified and serving on the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof. Reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such Person or Persons in their capacity as Trustees hereunder.
ARTICLE II
Purpose of Trust
.
The purpose of the Trust is to conduct, operate and carry on the business of a registered management investment company registered under the 1940 Act through one or more Series investing primarily in securities and, in addition to any authority given by law, to exercise all of the powers and to do any and all of the things as fully and to the same extent as any private corporation organized for profit under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware, now or hereafter in force, including, without limitation, the following powers:
(a)
To invest and reinvest cash, to hold cash uninvested, and to subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, mortgage, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise deal in or dispose of contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of fixed income or other securities, and securities or property of every nature and kind, including, without limitation, all types of bonds, debentures, stocks, preferred stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, obligations, evidences of indebtedness, certificates of deposit or indebtedness, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, bankers acceptances, and other securities of any kind, issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including, without limitation, states, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, any foreign government or any political subdivision of the U.S. Government or any foreign government, or any international instrumentality, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization organized under any foreign law, or in when issued contracts for any such securities, to change the investments of the assets of the Trust;
(b)
To exercise any and all rights, powers and privileges with reference to or incident to ownership or interest, use and enjoyment of any of such securities and other instruments or property of every kind and description, including, but without limitation, the right, power and privilege to own, vote, hold, purchase, sell, negotiate, assign, exchange, lend, transfer, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, pledge or write options with respect to or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy any rights, title, interest, powers or privileges under or with reference to any of such securities and other instruments or property, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons, to exercise any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of said instruments, and to do any and all acts and things for the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of any of such securities and other instruments or property;
(c)
To sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease or write options with respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating to any or all of the assets of the Trust or any Series, subject to any requirements of the 1940 Act;
(d)
To vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with respect to stock or other securities or property; and to execute and deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such person or persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such person or persons such power and discretion with relation to securities or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(e)
To exercise powers and right of subscription or otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities;
(f)
To hold any security or property in a form not indicating that it is trust property, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own name or in the name of a custodian or subcustodian or a nominee or nominees or otherwise or to authorize the custodian or a subcustodian or a nominee or nominees to deposit the same in a securities depository, subject in each case to proper safeguards according to the usual practice of investment companies or any rules or regulations applicable thereto;
(g)
To consent to, or participate in, any plan for the reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer of any security which is held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by such corporation or issuer; and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the Trust;
(h)
To join with other security holders in acting through a committee, depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(i)
To compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the Trust or any matter in controversy, including but not limited to claims for taxes;
(j)
To enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and any other combinations or associations;
(k)
To endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations of any Person; to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or otherwise assume liability for payment thereof;
(l)
To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance as the Trustees may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets of the Trust or payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent contractors of the Trust, individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding Shares, holding, being or having held any such office or position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted by any such Person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, or independent contractor, to the fullest extent permitted by this Amended Declaration of Trust, the By-laws and by applicable law; and
(m)
To adopt, establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans, trusts and provisions, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all of the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust.
(n)
To purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, sell, negotiate, exchange, assign, transfer, mortgage, pledge or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy, property of all kinds.
(o)
To buy, sell, mortgage, encumber, hold, own, exchange, rent or otherwise acquire and dispose of, and to develop, improve, manage, subdivide, and generally to deal and trade in real property, improved and unimproved, and wheresoever situated; and to build, erect, construct, alter and maintain buildings, structures, and other improvements on real property.
(p)
To borrow or raise moneys for any of the purposes of the Trust, and to mortgage or pledge the whole or any part of the property and franchises of the Trust, real, personal, and mixed, tangible or intangible, and wheresoever situated.
(q)
To enter into, make and perform contracts and undertakings of every kind for any lawful purpose, without limit as to amount.
(r)
To issue, purchase, sell and transfer, reacquire, hold, trade and deal in Shares, bonds, debentures and other securities, instruments or other property of the Trust, from time to time, to such extent as the Board of Trustees shall, consistent with the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, determine; and to repurchase, re-acquire and redeem, from time to time, its Shares or, if any, its bonds, debentures and other securities.
The Trust shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible dissolution of the Trust or one or more of its Series. The Trust shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present or future law or custom in regard to investment by fiduciaries. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees shall be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets of the Trust or take any other action hereunder.
The foregoing clauses shall each be construed as purposes, objects and powers, and it is hereby expressly provided that the foregoing enumeration of specific purposes, objects and powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the powers of the Trust, and that they are in furtherance of, and in addition to, and not in limitation of, the general powers conferred upon the Trust by the DSTA and the other laws of the State of Delaware or otherwise; nor shall the enumeration of one thing be deemed to exclude another, although it be of like nature, not expressed.
ARTICLE III
Shares
.
Section 1. Division of Beneficial Interest . The beneficial interest in the Trust shall at all times be divided into Shares, all without par value. The number of Shares authorized hereunder is unlimited. The Board of Trustees may authorize the division of Shares into separate and distinct Series and the division of any Series into separate classes of Shares. The different Series and classes shall be established and designated, and the variations in the relative rights and preferences as between the different Series and classes shall be fixed and determined by the Board of Trustees without the requirement of Shareholder approval. If no separate Series or classes shall be established, the Shares shall have the rights and preferences provided for herein and in Article III, Section 6 hereof to the extent relevant and not otherwise provided for herein, and all references to Series and classes shall be construed (as the context may require) to refer to the Trust. The fact that a Series shall have initially been established and designated without any specific establishment or designation of classes (i.e., that all Shares of such Series are initially of a single class) shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate separate classes of said Series. The fact that a Series shall have more than one established and designated class, shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate additional classes of said Series, or to establish and designate separate classes of the previously established and designated classes.
The Board of Trustees shall have the power to issue Shares of the Trust, or any Series or class thereof, from time to time for such consideration (but not less than the net asset value thereof) and in such form as may be fixed from time to time pursuant to the direction of the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees may hold as treasury shares, reissue for such consideration and on such terms as they may determine, or cancel, at their discretion from time to time, any Shares of any Series reacquired by the Trust. Shares held in the treasury shall not, until reissued, confer any voting rights on the Trustees, nor shall such Shares be entitled to any dividends or other distributions declared with respect to the Shares. The Board of Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued Shares or any Shares previously issued and reacquired of any Series or class into one or more Series or classes that may be established and designated from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust and any Series thereof may acquire, hold, sell and otherwise deal in, for purposes of investment or otherwise, the Shares of any other Series of the Trust or Shares of the Trust, and such Shares shall not be deemed treasury shares or cancelled.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6 of this Article III, each Share shall have voting rights as provided in Article V hereof, and the Shareholders of any Series shall be entitled to receive dividends and distributions, when, if and as declared with respect thereto in the manner provided in Article IV, Section 3 hereof. No Share shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the same Series or class with respect to dividends or distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon dissolution of the Trust or of such Series or class made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 2 hereof. All dividends and distributions shall be made ratably among all Shareholders of a particular class of Series from the Trust Property held with respect to such Series according to the number of Shares of such class of such Series held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or distribution. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to subscribe to new or additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust or any Series. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any particular Series into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that Series. Such division or combination may not materially change the proportionate beneficial interests of the Shares of that Series in the Trust Property held with respect to that Series or materially affect the rights of Shares of any other Series.
Any Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust, and any organization in which any such Person is interested, may acquire, own, hold and dispose of Shares of the Trust to the same extent as if such Person were not a Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust; and the Trust may issue and sell or cause to be issued and sold and may purchase Shares from any such Person or any such organization subject only to the general limitations, restrictions or other provisions applicable to the sale or purchase of such Shares generally.
Section 2. Ownership of Shares . The ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust kept by the Trust or by a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Series and class thereof that has been established and designated. No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The Board of Trustees may make such rules not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act as they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the transfer of Shares of each Series or class and similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are the Shareholders of each Series or class thereof and as to the number of Shares of each Series or class thereof held from time to time by each such Shareholder.
Section 3. Investments in the Trust . Investments may be accepted by the Trust from such Persons, at such times, on such terms, and for such consideration as the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, authorize. Each investment shall be credited to the individual Shareholders account in the form of full and fractional Shares of the Trust, in such Series or class as the purchaser may select, at the net asset value per Share next determined for such Series or class after receipt of the investment; provided , however , that the Principal Underwriter may, pursuant to its agreement with the Trust, impose a sales charge upon investments in the Trust.
Section 4. Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability . Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving to Shareholders only the rights provided in this Declaration of Trust and under applicable law. Every Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof and to have become a party hereto. The death of a Shareholder during the existence of the Trust shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any Series, nor entitle the representative of any deceased Shareholder to an accounting or to take any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees or any Series, but entitles such representative only to the rights of said deceased Shareholder under this Declaration of Trust. Ownership of Shares shall not entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the Trust Property or right to call for a partition or division of the same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the Shareholders as partners. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust, shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholder, nor, except as specifically provided herein, to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay. All Shares when issued on the terms determined by the Board of Trustees shall be fully paid and nonassessable. As provided in the DSTA, Shareholders of the Trust shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of a private corporation organized for profit under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware.
Section 5. Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust and without limiting the power of the Board of Trustees to amend this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate of Trust as provided elsewhere herein, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to amend this Declaration of Trust, or the Certificate of Trust, at any time and from time to time, in such manner as the Board of Trustees may determine in its sole discretion, without the need for Shareholder action, so as to add to, delete, replace or otherwise modify any provisions relating to the Shares contained in this Declaration of Trust, provided that before adopting any such amendment without Shareholder approval, the Board of Trustees shall determine that it is consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all Shareholders and that Shareholder approval is not otherwise required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. If Shares have been issued, Shareholder approval shall be required to adopt any amendments to this Declaration of Trust which would adversely affect to a material degree the rights and preferences of the Shares of any Series or class already issued; provided , however , that in the event that the Board of Trustees determines that the Trust shall no longer be operated as an investment company in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may adopt such amendments to this Declaration of Trust to delete those terms the Board of Trustees identifies as being required by the 1940 Act.
Subject to the foregoing Paragraph, the Board of Trustees may amend the Declaration of Trust to amend any of the provisions set forth in paragraphs (a) through (i) of Section 6 of this Article III.
The Board of Trustees shall have the power, in its discretion, to make such elections as to the tax status of the Trust as may be permitted or required under the Code as presently in effect or as amended, without the vote of any Shareholder.
Section 6. Establishment and Designation of Series . The establishment and designation of any Series or class of Shares shall be effective upon the resolution by a majority of the then Board of Trustees, adopting a resolution which sets forth such establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences of such Series or class. Each such resolution shall be incorporated herein by reference upon adoption.
Each Series shall be separate and distinct from any other Series and shall maintain separate and distinct records on the books of the Trust, and the assets and liabilities belonging to any such Series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets and liabilities of the Trust or any other Series.
Shares of each Series or class established pursuant to this Section 6, unless otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such Series, shall have the following relative rights and preferences:
Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series . All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably be held with respect to that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors with respect to that Series, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. Such consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be, are herein referred to as assets held with respect to that Series. In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, funds or payments which are not readily identifiable as assets held with respect to any particular Series (collectively General Assets), the Board of Trustees shall allocate such General Assets to, between or among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, deems fair and equitable, and any General Asset so allocated to a particular Series shall be held with respect to that Series. Each such allocation by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes.
Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series . The assets of the Trust held with respect to each particular Series shall be charged against the liabilities of the Trust held with respect to that Series and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that Series, and any liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as being held with respect to any particular Series (collectively General Liabilities) shall be allocated and charged by the Board of Trustees to and among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees in its sole discretion deems fair and equitable. The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves so charged to a Series are herein referred to as liabilities held with respect to that Series. Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes. All Persons who have extended credit which has been allocated to a particular Series, or who have a claim or contract that has been allocated to any particular Series, shall look, and shall be required by contract to look exclusively, to the assets of that particular Series for payment of such credit, claim, or contract. In the absence of an express contractual agreement so limiting the claims of such creditors, claimants and contract providers, each creditor, claimant and contract provider will be deemed nevertheless to have impliedly agreed to such limitation unless an express provision to the contrary has been incorporated in the written contract or other document establishing the claimant relationship.
Subject to the right of the Board of Trustees in its discretion to allocate General Liabilities as provided herein, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Series, whether such Series is now authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust or is hereafter authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust, shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to that Series only, and not against the assets of any other Series or the Trust generally and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Trust generally or any other Series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to such Series. Notice of this limitation on liabilities between and among Series shall be set forth in the Certificate of Trust of the Trust (whether originally or by amendment) as filed or to be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DSTA, and upon the giving of such notice in the Certificate of Trust, the statutory provisions of Section 3804 of the DSTA relating to limitations on liabilities between and among Series (and the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in the Certificate of Trust) shall become applicable to the Trust and each Series.
Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, including, without limitation, Article VI, no dividend or distribution including, without limitation, any distribution paid upon dissolution of the Trust or of any Series with respect to, nor any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any Series or class shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect to such Series, nor, except as specifically provided in Section 7 of this Article III, shall any Shareholder of any particular Series otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series or the Trust generally except to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series. The Board of Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital; and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.
Voting . All Shares of the Trust entitled to vote on a matter shall vote on the matter, separately by Series and, if applicable, by class, subject to: (1) where the 1940 Act requires all Shares of the Trust to be voted in the aggregate without differentiation between the separate Series or classes, then all of the Trusts Shares shall vote in the aggregate; and (2) if any matter affects only the interests of some but not all Series or classes, then only the Shareholders of such affected Series or classes shall be entitled to vote on the matter.
Equality . All Shares of each particular Series shall represent an equal proportionate undivided beneficial interest in the assets held with respect to that Series (subject to the liabilities held with respect to that Series and such rights and preferences as may have been established and designated with respect to classes of Shares within such Series), and each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to each other Share of that Series (subject to the rights and preferences with respect to separate classes of such Series).
Fractions . Any fractional Share of a Series shall carry proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of that Series, including rights with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares and dissolution of the Trust or that Series.
Exchange Privilege . The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to provide that the holders of Shares of any Series shall have the right to exchange said Shares for Shares of one or more other Series in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be established by the Board of Trustees, and in accordance with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Combination of Series . The Board of Trustees shall have the authority, without the approval of the Shareholders of any Series unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and liabilities held with respect to any two or more Series into assets and liabilities held with respect to a single Series.
Elimination of Series . At any time that there are no Shares outstanding of any particular Series or class previously established and designated, the Board of Trustees may by resolution of a majority of the then Board of Trustees abolish that Series or class and rescind the establishment and designation thereof.
Section 7. Indemnification of Shareholders . If any Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be exposed to liability by reason of a claim or demand relating solely to his or her being or having been a Shareholder of the Trust (or by having been a Shareholder of a particular Series), and not because of such Persons acts or omissions, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or, in the case of a natural person, his or her heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled to be held harmless from and indemnified out of the assets of the Trust or out of the assets of the applicable Series (as the case may be) against all loss and expense arising from such claim or demand; provided , however , there shall be no liability or obligation of the Trust (or any particular Series) arising hereunder to reimburse any Shareholder for taxes paid by reason of such Shareholders ownership of any Shares.
ARTICLE IV
Section 1. Number, Election and Tenure . The number of Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees may be fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed, or by resolution approved at a duly constituted meeting, by a majority of the Board of Trustees, provided, however, that the number of Trustees shall in no event be less than one (1) nor more than fifteen (15). The initial Trustee shall be the person named herein. The Board of Trustees, by action of a majority of the then Trustees at a duly constituted meeting, may fill vacancies in the Board of Trustees or remove any Trustee with or without cause. The Shareholders may elect Trustees, including filling any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, at any meeting of Shareholders called by the Board of Trustees for that purpose. A meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more Trustees may be called by the Board of Trustees or, to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, by the Shareholders. Shareholders shall have the power to remove a Trustee only to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Each Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or is removed, or, if sooner than any of such events, until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees and until the election and qualification of his or her successor. Any Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to any officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Board of Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some later time. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period following any such event or any right to damages on account of such events or any actions taken in connection therewith following his or her resignation or removal.
Section 2. Effect of Death, Resignation, Removal, etc. of a Trustee . The death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, declaration as bankrupt or incapacity of one or more Trustees, or of all of them, shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any Series or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust. Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled as provided in this Article IV, Section 1, the Trustee(s) in office, regardless of the number, shall have all the powers granted to the Board of Trustees and shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Board of Trustees by this Declaration of Trust. In the event of the death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, declaration as bankrupt or incapacity of all of the then Trustees, the Trusts Investment Adviser(s) is (are) empowered to appoint new Trustees subject to the provisions of Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act.
Section 3. Powers . Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees shall manage the business of the Trust, and such Board of Trustees shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility, including, without limitation, the power to engage in securities or other transactions of all kinds on behalf of the Trust. The Board of Trustees shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts and instruments that it may consider necessary or appropriate in connection with the administration of the Trust. The Trustees shall not be bound or limited by present or future laws or customs with regard to investment by trustees or fiduciaries, but shall have full authority and absolute power and control over the assets of the Trust and the business of the Trust to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the assets of the Trust and the business in their own right, including such authority, power and control to do all acts and things as they, in their sole discretion, shall deem proper to accomplish the purposes of this Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees may: (1) adopt, amend and repeal By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the regulation and management of the affairs of the Trust; (2) fill vacancies in or remove from their number in accordance with this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, and may elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents as they consider appropriate; (3) appoint from their own number and establish and terminate one or more committees consisting of two or more Trustees which may exercise the powers and authority of the Board of Trustees to the extent that the Board of Trustees determine; (4) employ one or more custodians of the Trust Property and may authorize such custodians to employ subcustodians and to deposit all or any part of such Trust Property in a system or systems for the central handling of securities or with a Federal Reserve Bank; (5) retain a transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, a shareholder servicing agent or administrative services agent, or all of them; (6) provide for the issuance and distribution of Shares by the Trust directly or through one or more Principal Underwriters or otherwise; (7) retain one or more Investment Adviser(s); (8) redeem, repurchase and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law; (9) set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters, in the manner provided in Article V, Section 5 of this Declaration of Trust; (10) declare and pay dividends and distributions to Shareholders from the Trust Property; (11) establish from time to time, in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, any Series or class of Shares, each such Series to operate as a separate and distinct investment medium and with separately defined investment objectives and policies and distinct investment purposes; and (12) in general delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to any committee of the Board of Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust or to any such custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing or shareholder servicing agent, Principal Underwriter or Investment Adviser. Any determination as to what is in the best interests of the Trust made by the Board of Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive.
In construing the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees. Unless otherwise specified herein or required by law, any action by the Board of Trustees shall be deemed effective if approved or taken by a majority of the Trustees then in office.
Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Trustees, or a committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be, shall individually or collectively consent in writing to that action. Such action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as a majority vote of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be.
The Trustees shall devote to the affairs of the Trust such time as may be necessary for the proper performance of their duties hereunder, but neither the Trustees nor the officers, directors, shareholders or partners of the Trustees, shall be expected to devote their full time to the performance of such duties. The Trustees, or any Affiliate shareholder, officer, director, partner or employee thereof, or any Person owning a legal or beneficial interest therein, may engage in or possess an interest in any other business or venture of any nature and description, independently or with or for the account of others.
Section 4. Chairman of the Trustees . The Trustees shall appoint one of their number to be Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Trustees, shall be responsible for the execution of policies established by the Trustees and the administration of the Trust, and may be (but is not required to be) the chief executive, financial and/or accounting officer of the Trust.
Section 5. Payment of Expenses by the Trust . The Board of Trustees is authorized to pay or cause to be paid out of the principal or income of the Trust or any particular Series or class, or partly out of the principal and partly out of the income of the Trust or any particular Series or class, and to charge or allocate the same to, between or among such one or more of the Series or classes that may be established or designated pursuant to Article III, Section 6, as it deems fair, all expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities incurred by or arising in connection with the maintenance or operation of the Trust or a particular Series or class, or in connection with the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the Trustees compensation and such expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities for the services of the Trusts officers, employees, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, auditors, counsel, custodian, sub-custodian (if any), transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, and such other agents or independent contractors and such other expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary or proper to incur.
Section 6. Payment of Expenses by Shareholders . The Board of Trustees shall have the power, as frequently as it may determine, to cause each Shareholder of the Trust, or each Shareholder of any particular Series, to pay directly, in advance or arrears, for charges of the Trusts custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or similar agent, an amount fixed from time to time by the Board of Trustees, by setting off such charges due from such Shareholder from declared but unpaid dividends or distributions owed such Shareholder and/or by reducing the number of Shares in the account of such Shareholder by that number of full and/or fractional Shares which represents the outstanding amount of such charges due from such Shareholder.
Section 7. Ownership of Trust Property . Legal title to all of the Trust Property shall at all times be considered to be vested in the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees shall have the power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of any Person as nominee, on such terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, in accordance with applicable law.
(a)
Subject to such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws and/or the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may, at any time and from time to time, contract for exclusive or nonexclusive advisory, management and/or administrative services for the Trust or for any Series with any corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, including without limitation, authority for the Investment Adviser or administrator to determine from time to time without prior consultation with the Board of Trustees what securities and other instruments or property shall be purchased or otherwise acquired, owned, held, invested or reinvested in, sold, exchanged, transferred, mortgaged, pledged, assigned, negotiated, or otherwise dealt with or disposed of, and what portion, if any, of the Trust Property shall be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trusts or a particular Series investments, or such other activities as may specifically be delegated to such party.
(b)
The Board of Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate, appointing it or them as the exclusive or nonexclusive distributor or Principal Underwriter for the Shares of the Trust or one or more of the Series or classes thereof or for other securities to be issued by the Trust, or appointing it or them to act as the custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and/or shareholder servicing agent for the Trust or one or more of the Series or classes thereof.
(c)
The Board of Trustees is further empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with any Persons to provide such other services to the Trust or one or more of its Series, as the Board of Trustees determines to be in the best interests of the Trust or one or more of its Series.
(d)
The fact that:
(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees, employees or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager, Adviser, Principal Underwriter, distributor, or Affiliate or agent of or for any corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or for any parent or Affiliate of any organization with which an Advisers, management or administration contract, or Principal Underwriters or distributors contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such organization, or any parent or Affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust, or that
(ii) any corporation, trust, association or other organization with which an Advisers, management or administration contract or Principal Underwriters or distributors contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made also has an Advisers, management or administration contract, or Principal Underwriters or distributors contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other service contract with one or more other corporations, trusts, associations, or other organizations, or has other business or interests, shall not affect the validity of any such contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee, employee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same, or create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders, provided that the establishment of and performance under each such contract is permissible under the provisions of the 1940 Act.
(e)
Every contract referred to in this Section 7 shall comply with such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws, the 1940 Act or stipulated by resolution of the Board of Trustees; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine.
ARTICLE V
Shareholders Voting Powers and Meetings
.
Section 1. Voting Powers . Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), the Shareholders shall have power to vote only (i) for the election of Trustees, including the filling of any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, as provided in Article IV, Section 1; (ii) with respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, the 1940 Act or any registration statement of the Trust filed with the Commission; and (iii) on such other matters as the Board of Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. The Shareholder of record (as of the record date established pursuant to Section 5 of this Article V) of each Share shall be entitled to one vote for each full Share, and a fractional vote for each fractional Share. Shareholders shall not be entitled to cumulative voting in the election of Trustees or on any other matter. Shareholders may vote Shares in person or by proxy.
Section 2. Meetings . Meetings of the Shareholders may be held within or outside the State of Delaware. Meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or a Series may be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board or the President of the Trust for any lawful purpose, including the purpose of electing Trustees as provided in Article IV, Section 1. Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series shall be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman or President upon the written request of Shareholders owning the requisite percentage amount of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote specified in the By-Laws. Whenever ten or more Shareholders meeting the qualifications set forth in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, as the same may be amended from time to time, seek the opportunity of furnishing materials to the other Shareholders with a view to obtaining signatures on such a request for a meeting, the Trustees shall comply with the provisions of said Section 16(c) with respect to providing such Shareholders access to the list of the Shareholders of record of the Trust or the mailing of such materials to such Shareholders of record, subject to any rights provided to the Trust or any Trustees provided by said Section 16(c). Shareholders shall be entitled to at least fifteen (15) days notice of any meeting.
Section 3. Quorum and Required Vote . Except when a larger quorum is required by applicable law, by the By-Laws or by this Declaration of Trust, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at a Shareholders meeting shall constitute a quorum at such meeting. When a separate vote by one or more Series or classes is required, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares of each such Series or class present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a Shareholders meeting of such Series or class. Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), Article VIII, Section 4 and any other provision of this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws or applicable law which requires a different vote: (1) in all matters other than the election of Trustees, the affirmative vote of the majority of votes cast at a Shareholders meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Shareholders; (2) Trustees shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at a Shareholders meeting at which a quorum is present.
Section 4. Shareholder Action by Written Consent without a Meeting . Any action which may be taken at any meeting of Shareholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior notice if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by the holders of Shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all Shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted. All such consents shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trusts records. Any Shareholder giving a written consent or the Shareholders proxy holders or a transferee of the Shares or a personal representative of the Shareholder or its respective proxy-holder may revoke the consent by a writing received by the secretary of the Trust before written consents of the number of Shares required to authorize the proposed action have been filed with the secretary.
If the consents of all Shareholders entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing and if the unanimous written consent of all such Shareholders shall not have been received, the secretary shall give prompt notice of the action taken without a meeting to such Shareholders. This notice shall be given in the manner specified in the By-Laws.
Section 5. Record Dates . For purposes of determining the Shareholders entitled to notice of any meeting or to vote or entitled to give consent to action without a meeting, the Board of Trustees may fix in advance a record date which shall not be more than one hundred eighty (180) days nor less than seven (7) days before the date of any such meeting.
If the Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date:
(a)
The record date for determining Shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the business day which is five (5) business days next preceding to the day on which the meeting is held.
(b)
The record date for determining Shareholders entitled to give consent to action in writing without a meeting, (i) when no prior action by the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first written consent is given, or (ii) when prior action of the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Trustees adopts the resolution taking such prior action or the seventy-fifth (75th) day before the date of such other action, whichever is later.
For the purpose of determining the Shareholders of any Series or class who are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, the Board of Trustees may from time to time fix a date, which shall be before the date for the payment of such dividend or such other distribution, as the record date for determining the Shareholders of such Series or class having the right to receive such dividend or distribution. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as precluding the Board of Trustees from setting different record dates for different Series or classes.
Section 6. Derivative Actions . In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Act, a Shareholder may bring derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if the Shareholder or Shareholders first make a pre-suit demand upon the Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Trustees to bring such action is excused. A demand on the Trustees shall only be excused if a majority of the Board of Trustees, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, has a personal financial interest in the action at issue. A Trustee shall not be deemed to have a personal financial interest in an action or otherwise be disqualified from ruling on a Shareholder demand by virtue of the fact that such Trustee receives remuneration from his service on the Board of Trustees of the Trust or on the boards of one or more investment companies with the same or an affiliated investment advisor or underwriter.
Section 7. Additional Provisions . The By-Laws may include further provisions for Shareholders votes, meetings and related matters.
ARTICLE VI
Custodian .
Section 1. Appointment and Duties . The Trustees shall at all times employ a bank, a company that is a member of a national securities exchange, or a trust company, each having capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least two million dollars ($2,000,000) as custodian with authority as its agent, but subject to such restrictions, limitations and other requirements, if any, as may be contained in the Bylaws of the Trust:
(a)
To hold the securities owned by the Trust and deliver the same upon written order or oral order confirmed in writing, or by such electro-mechanical or electronic devices as are agreed to by the Trust and the custodian, if such procedures have been authorized in writing by the Trust;
(b)
To receive and receipt for any moneys due to the Trust and deposit the same in its own banking department or else where as the Trustees may direct;
(c)
To disburse such funds upon orders or vouchers;
and the Trust may also employ such custodian as its agent:
(d)
To keep the books and accounts of the Trust or of any Series or class and furnish clerical and accounting services; and
(e)
To compute, if authorized to do so by the Trustees, the Net Asset Value of any Series, or class thereof, in accordance with the provisions hereof; all upon such basis of compensation as may be agreed upon between the Trustees and the custodian.
The Trustees may also authorize the custodian to employ one or more sub-custodians from time to time to perform such of the acts and services of the custodian, and upon such terms and conditions, as may be agreed upon between the custodian and such sub-custodian and approved by the Trustees, provided that in every case such sub-custodian shall be a bank, a company that is a member of a national securities exchange, or a trust company organized under the laws of the United States or one of the states thereof and having capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least two million dollars ($2,000,000) or such other person as may be permitted by the Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the 1940 Act.
Section 2. Central Certificate System . Subject to such rules, regulations and orders as the Commission may adopt, the Trustees may direct the custodian to deposit all or any part of the securities owned by the Trust in a system for the central handling of securities established by a national securities exchange or a national securities association registered with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or such other person as may be permitted by the Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the 1940 Act, pursuant to which system all securities of any particular class or series of any issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of such securities, provided that all such deposits shall be subject to withdrawal only upon the order of the Trust or its custodians, subcustodians or other agents.
ARTICLE VII
Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions
.
Section 1. Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions . Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to fix an initial offering price for the Shares of any Series or class thereof which shall yield to such Series or class not less than the net asset value thereof, at which price the Shares of such Series or class shall be offered initially for sale, and to determine from time to time thereafter the offering price which shall yield to such Series or class not less than the net asset value thereof from sales of the Shares of such Series or class; provided , however , that no Shares of a Series or class thereof shall be issued or sold for consideration which shall yield to such Series or class less than the net asset value of the Shares of such Series or class next determined after the receipt of the order (or at such other times set by the Board of Trustees), except in the case of Shares of such Series or class issued in payment of a dividend properly declared and payable.
Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees, in their absolute discretion, may prescribe and shall set forth in the By-laws or in a duly adopted vote of the Board of Trustees such bases and time for determining the per Share or net asset value of the Shares of any Series or net income attributable to the Shares of any Series, or the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions on the Shares of any Series, as they may deem necessary or desirable.
Section 2. Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder . Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus of the Trust relating to the Shares, as such prospectus may be amended from time to time (Prospectus):
(a)
The Trust shall purchase such Shares as are offered by any Shareholder for redemption, upon the presentation of a proper instrument of transfer together with a request directed to the Trust or a Person designated by the Trust that the Trust purchase such Shares or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize; and the Trust will pay therefor the net asset value thereof, in accordance with the By-Laws and applicable law. Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to the Shareholder within seven days after the date on which the request is received in proper form. The obligation set forth in this Section 2 is subject to the provision that in the event that any time the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the Rules of the Commission during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any National Financial Emergency which makes it impracticable for the Trust to dispose of the investments of the applicable Series or to determine fairly the value of the net assets held with respect to such Series or during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for the protection of investors, such obligations may be suspended or postponed by the Board of Trustees. If certificates have been issued to a Shareholder, any such request by such Shareholder must be accompanied by surrender of any outstanding certificate or certificates for such Shares in form for transfer, together with such proof of the authenticity of signatures as may reasonably be required on such Shares and accompanied by proper stock transfer stamps, if applicable.
(b)
Payments for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made in cash, except payment for such Shares may, at the option of the Board of Trustees, or such officer or officers as it may duly authorize in its complete discretion, be made in kind or partially in cash and partially in kind. In case of any payment in kind, the Board of Trustees, or its delegate, shall have absolute discretion as to what security or securities of the Trust shall be distributed in kind and the amount of the same; and the securities shall be valued for purposes of distribution at the value at which they were appraised in computing the then current net asset value of the Shares, provided that any Shareholder who cannot legally acquire securities so distributed in kind by reason of the prohibitions of the 1940 Act or the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) shall receive cash. Shareholders shall bear the expenses of in-kind transactions, including, but not limited to, transfer agency fees, custodian fees and costs of disposition of such securities.
(c)
Payment for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made by the Trust as provided above within seven days after the date on which the redemption request is received in good order; provided, however, that if payment shall be made other than exclusively in cash, any securities to be delivered as part of such payment shall be delivered as promptly as any necessary transfers of such securities on the books of the several corporations whose securities are to be delivered practicably can be made, which may not necessarily occur within such seven day period. Moreover, redemptions may be suspended in the event of a National Financial Emergency. In no case shall the Trust be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind.
(d)
The right of Shareholders to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares may be set forth in a Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees and amended from time to time pursuant to Rule 18f-3 of the 1940 Act. The right of any Shareholder of the Trust to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares redeemed and all other rights of such Shareholder with respect to the Shares so redeemed by the Trust, except the right of such Shareholder to receive payment for such Shares, shall cease at the time as of which the purchase price of such Shares shall have been fixed, as provided above.
Section 3. Redemptions at the Option of the Trust . The Board of Trustees may, from time to time, without the vote or consent of the Shareholders, and subject to the 1940 Act, redeem Shares or authorize the closing of any Shareholder account, subject to such conditions as may be established by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE VIII
Compensation and Limitation of Liability of
Officers and Trustees
.
Section 1. Compensation . Except as set forth in the last sentence of this Section 1, the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, fix a reasonable amount of compensation to be paid by the Trust to the Trustees and officers of the Trust. Nothing herein shall in any way prevent the employment of any Trustee for advisory, management, legal, accounting, investment banking or other services and payment for the same by the Trust.
Section 2. Indemnification and Limitation of Liability.
(a)
To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the DSTA, the officers and Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any act or omission of: any agent or employee of the Trust; any Investment Adviser or Principal Underwriter of the Trust; or with respect to each Trustee and officer, the act or omission of any other Trustee or officer, respectively. The Trust, out of the Trust Property, shall indemnify and hold harmless each and every officer and Trustee from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever arising out of or related to such officers or Trustees performance of his or her duties as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a Person serves as a Trustee or officer of the Trust whether or not such Person is a Trustee or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted. Nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any officer or Trustee from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which such Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Persons office.
(b)
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or document whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust, the officers or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in such Persons capacity as Trustee and/or as officer, and such Trustee or officer, as applicable, shall not be personally liable therefor, except as described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 2 of this Article VIII.
Section 3. Officers and Trustees Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety . The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder shall be binding upon everyone interested. An officer or Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for such officers or Trustees own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of such officer or Trustee, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The officers and Trustees may obtain the advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust and their duties as officers or Trustees. No such officer or Trustee shall be liable for any act or omission in accordance with such advice and no inference concerning liability shall arise from a failure to follow such advice. The officers and Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is required.
Section 4. Insurance . To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the officers and Trustees shall be entitled and have the authority to purchase with Trust Property, insurance for liability and for all expenses reasonably incurred or paid or expected to be paid by a Trustee or officer in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which such Person becomes involved by virtue of such Persons capacity or former capacity with the Trust, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the provisions of this Article.
Section 1. Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees . No person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any actions made or to be made by the Trustees.
Section 2. Dissolution of Trust or Series . Unless dissolved as provided herein, the Trust shall have perpetual existence. The Trust may be dissolved at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of the Trust entitled to vote or by the Board of Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders. Any Series may be dissolved at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of that Series or by the Board of Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders of that Series.
Upon dissolution of the Trust (or a particular Series, as the case may be), the Trustees shall (in accordance with § 3808 of the DSTA) pay or make reasonable provision to pay all claims and obligations of each Series (or the particular Series, as the case may be), including all contingent, conditional or unmatured claims and obligations known to the Trust, and all claims and obligations which are known to the Trust but for which the identity of the claimant is unknown. If there are sufficient assets held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid in full and any such provisions for payment shall be made in full. If there are insufficient assets held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid or provided for according to their priority and, among claims and obligations of equal priority, ratably to the extent of assets available therefor. Any remaining assets (including without limitation, cash, securities or any combination thereof) held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be) shall be distributed to the Shareholders of such Series, ratably according to the number of Shares of such Series held by the several Shareholders on the record date for such dissolution distribution.
Section 3. Merger and Consolidation; Conversion .
Merger and Consolidation .
Pursuant to an agreement of merger or consolidation, the Trust, or any one or more Series, may, by act of a majority of the Board of Trustees, merge or consolidate with or into one or more business trusts or other business entities formed or organized or existing under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state or the United States or any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction. Any such merger or consolidation shall not require the vote of the Shareholders affected thereby, unless such vote is required by the 1940 Act, or unless such merger or consolidation would result in an amendment of this Declaration of Trust, which would otherwise require the approval of such Shareholders. In accordance with Section 3815(f) of the DSTA, an agreement of merger or consolidation may affect any amendment to this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or affect the adoption of a new declaration of trust or by-laws of the Trust if the Trust is the surviving or resulting business trust. Upon completion of the merger or consolidation, the Trustees shall file a certificate of merger or consolidation in accordance with Section 3810 of the DSTA.
Conversion . A majority of the Board of Trustees may, without the vote or consent of the Shareholders, cause (i) the Trust to convert to a common-law trust, a general partnership, limited partnership or a limited liability company organized, formed or created under the laws of the State of Delaware as permitted pursuant to Section 3821 of the DSTA; (ii) the Shares of the Trust or any Series to be converted into beneficial interests in another business trust (or series thereof) created pursuant to this Section 3 of this Article VIII, or (iii) the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law; provided , however, that if required by the 1940 Act, no such statutory conversion, Share conversion or Share exchange shall be effective unless the terms of such transaction shall first have been approved at a meeting called for that purpose by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or Series, as applicable; provided , further , that in all respects not governed by statute or applicable law, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe the procedure necessary or appropriate to accomplish a sale of assets, merger or consolidation including the power to create one or more separate business trusts to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust may be transferred and to provide for the conversion of Shares of the Trust or any Series into beneficial interests in such separate business trust or trusts (or series thereof).
Section 4. Reorganization . A majority of the Board of Trustees may cause the Trust to sell, convey and transfer all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or all or substantially all of the assets associated with any one or more Series, to another trust, business trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association or corporation organized under the laws of any state, or to one or more separate series thereof, or to the Trust to be held as assets associated with one or more other Series of the Trust, in exchange for cash, shares or other securities (including, without limitation, in the case of a transfer to another Series of the Trust, Shares of such other Series) with such transfer either (a) being made subject to, or with the assumption by the transferee of, the liabilities associated with each Series the assets of which are so transferred, or (b) not being made subject to, or not with the assumption of, such liabilities; provided, however, that, if required by the 1940 Act, no assets associated with any particular Series shall be so sold, conveyed or transferred unless the terms of such transaction shall first have been approved at a meeting called for that purpose by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act, of that Series. Following such sale, conveyance and transfer, the Board of Trustees shall distribute such cash, shares or other securities (giving due effect to the assets and liabilities associated with and any other differences among the various Series the assets associated with which have so been sold, conveyed and transferred) ratably among the Shareholders of the Series the assets associated with which have been so sold, conveyed and transferred (giving due effect to the differences among the various classes within each such Series); and if all of the assets of the Trust have been so sold, conveyed and transferred, the Trust shall be dissolved.
Section 5. Amendments . Subject to the provisions of the second paragraph of this Section 5 of this Article VIII, this Declaration of Trust may be restated and/or amended at any time by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Board of Trustees and, if required, by approval of such amendment by Shareholders in accordance with Article V, Section 3 hereof. Any such restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be effective immediately upon execution and approval or upon such future date and time as may be stated therein. The Certificate of Trust of the Trust may be restated and/or amended by a similar procedure, and any such restatement and/or amendment shall be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or upon such future date as may be stated therein.
Notwithstanding the above, the Board of Trustees expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal any provisions contained in this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate of Trust, in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of Article III hereof, and all rights, contractual and otherwise, conferred upon Shareholders are granted subject to such reservation. The Board of Trustees further expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision of the By-Laws pursuant to Article IX of the By-Laws.
Section 6. Filing of Copies, References, Headings . The original or a copy of this Declaration of Trust and of each restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust where any Shareholder may inspect it. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such restatements and/or amendments have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such restatements and/or amendments. In this Declaration of Trust and in any such restatements and/or amendments, references to this instrument, and all expressions of similar effect to herein, hereof and hereunder, shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as amended or affected by any such restatements and/or amendments. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument. Whenever the singular number is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.
Section 7. Applicable Law . This Declaration of Trust is created under and is to be governed by and construed and administered according to the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Code. The Trust shall be a Delaware business trust pursuant to the DSTA, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily exercised by such a business trust.
Section 8. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations.
(a)
The provisions of this Declaration of Trust are severable, and if the Board of Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the Code, the DSTA, or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed not to have constituted a part of this Declaration of Trust from the time when such provisions became inconsistent with such laws or regulations; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of this Declaration of Trust or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination.
(b)
If any provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration of Trust in any jurisdiction.
Section 9. Statutory Trust Only . It is the intention of the Trustees to create a statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA, and thereby to create the relationship of trustee and beneficial owners within the meaning of the DSTA between the Trustees and each Shareholder. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock association, corporation, bailment, or any form of legal relationship other than a business trust pursuant to the DSTA. Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.
S ection 10. Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the Trust shall end on a specified date as set forth in the Bylaws, provided, however, that the Trustees may, without Shareholder approval, change the fiscal year of the Trust.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trustees named below do hereby make and enter into this Amended Declaration of Trust as of the date first above written.
/s/ Emile R. Molineaux
Sole Trustee
CERTIFICATE OF TRUST
OF
Northern Lights Fund Trust III
This Certificate of Trust of Northern Lights Fund Trust III, a statutory trust (the Trust), executed by the undersigned trustee, and filed under and in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 DEL. C.SS.3801 et seq.) (the Act), sets forth the following:
FIRST:
The name of the statutory trust formed hereby is Northern Lights Fund Trust III.
SECOND:
The address of the registered office of the Trust in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801. The name of the Trust's registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
THIRD:
The Trust formed hereby is or will become an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (15 U.S.C. ss.ss.80a-1 et seq.).
FOURTH:
Pursuant to Section 3804 of the Act, the debts, liabilities, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series, whether such series is now authorized and existing pursuant to the governing instrument of the Trust or is hereafter authorized and existing pursuant to said governing instrument, shall be enforceable against the assets associated with such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or any other series thereof, and, except as otherwise provided in the governing instrument of the Trust, none of the debts, liabilities, obligations, costs, charges, reserves and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Trust generally or any other series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets of such series.
In witness whereof, the undersigned, being the sole trustee of Northern Lights Fund Trust III, have duly executed this Certificate of Trust as of the 5 th day of December, 2011.
/s/Emile R. Molineaux
Emile R. Molineaux, Sole Trustee
BY-LAWS
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III
A Delaware Business Trust
(Effective December 5, 2011)
ARTICLE I.
OFFICES
Section 1.1.
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE . The Board of Trustees shall fix and, from time to time, may change the location of the principal executive office of the Trust at any place within or outside the State of Delaware.
Section 1.2.
OTHER OFFICES . The Board of Trustees may at any time establish branch or subordinate offices at any place or places where the Trust intends to do business.
ARTICLE II.
MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS
Section 2.1.
PLACE OF MEETINGS . Meetings of Shareholders shall be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware designated by the Board of Trustees. In the absence of any such designation, shareholders meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust.
Section 2.2.
CALL OF MEETING . A meeting of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series may be called at any time for any purpose by the Board of Trustees, by the Chairman of the Board or by the President. Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series shall be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman, or President upon the written request of Shareholders owning at least one-third of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote.
Section 2.3.
NOTICE OF SHAREHOLDERS MEETING . All notices of meetings of shareholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 4 of this Article II not less than seven (7) nor more than seventy-five (75) days before the date of the meeting. The notice shall specify (i) the place, date and hour of the meeting, and (ii) the general nature of the business to be transacted. The notice of any meeting at which Trustees are to be elected also shall include the name of any nominee or nominees whom at the time of the notice are intended to be presented for election.
If action is proposed to be taken at any meeting for approval of (i) a contract or transaction in which a Trustee has a direct or indirect financial interest, (ii) an amendment of the Declaration of Trust, (iii) a reorganization of the Trust, or (iv) a voluntary dissolution of the Trust, the notice shall also state the general nature of that proposal.
Section 2.4.
MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE; AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE . Notice of any meeting of shareholders shall be given either personally or by first-class mail or telegraphic or other written communication, charges prepaid, addressed to the shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust or its transfer agent or given by the shareholder to the Trust for the purpose of notice. If no such address appears on the Trusts books or is given, notice shall be deemed to have been given if sent to that shareholder by first-class mail or telegraphic or other written communication to the Trusts principal executive office, or if published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where that office is located. Notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time when delivered personally or deposited in the mail or sent by telegram or other means of written communication.
If any notice addressed to a shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust is returned to the Trust by the United States Postal Service marked to indicate that the Postal Service is unable to deliver the notice to the shareholder at that address, all future notices or reports shall be deemed to have been duly given without further mailing if these shall be available to the shareholder on written demand of the shareholder at the principal executive office of the Trust for a period of one year from the date of the giving of the notice.
An affidavit of the mailing or other means of giving any notice of any shareholders meeting shall be executed by the secretary, assistant secretary or any transfer agent of the Trust giving the notice and shall be filed and maintained in the minute book of the Trust.
Section 2.5.
ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE . Any shareholders meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, may be adjourned from time to time by the vote of the majority of the shares represented at that meeting, either in person or by proxy.
When any shareholders meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless a new record date of the adjourned meeting is fixed or unless the adjournment is for more than sixty (60) days from the date set for the original meeting, in which case the Board of Trustees shall set a new record date. Notice of any such adjourned meeting shall be given to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of this Article II. At any adjourned meeting, the Trust may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.
Section 2.6.
VOTING . The shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, as in effect at such time. The shareholders vote may be by voice vote or by ballot, provided, however, that any election for trustees must be by ballot if demanded by any shareholder before the voting has begun on any matter other than elections of Trustees, any shareholder may vote part of the shares in favor of the proposal and refrain from voting the remaining shares or vote them against the proposal, but if the shareholder fails to specify the number of shares which the shareholder is voting affirmatively, it will be conclusively presumed that the shareholders approving vote is with respect to the total shares that the shareholder is entitled to vote on such proposal.
Section 2.7.
WAIVER OF NOTICE BY CONSENT OF ABSENT SHAREHOLDERS . The transactions of the meeting of shareholders, however called and noticed and wherever held, shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice if a quorum be present either in person or by proxy and if either before or after the meeting, each person entitled to vote who was not present in person or by proxy signs a written waiver of notice or a consent to a holding of the meeting or an approval of the minutes. The waiver of notice or consent need not specify either the business to be transacted or the purpose of any shareholders meeting.
Attendance by a person at a meeting shall also constitute a waiver of notice of that meeting, except when the person objects at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened and except that attendance at a meeting is not a waiver of any right to object to the consideration of matters not included in the notice of the meeting if that objection is expressly made at the beginning of the meeting.
Section 2.8.
SHAREHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING . Any action which may be taken at any meeting of shareholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior notice if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted. All such consents shall be filed with the Secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trusts records. Any shareholder giving a written consent or the shareholders proxy holders or a transferee of the shares or a personal representative of the shareholder or their respective proxy-holders may revoke the consent by a writing received by the Secretary of the Trust before written consents of the number of shares required to authorize the proposed action have been filed with the Secretary.
If the consents of all shareholders entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing and if the unanimous written consent of all such shareholders shall not have been received, the Secretary shall give prompt notice of the action approved by the shareholders without a meeting. This notice shall be given in the manner specified in Section 4 of this Article II. In the case of approval of (i) contracts or transactions in which a trustee has a direct or indirect financial interest, (ii) indemnification of agents of the Trust, and (iii) a reorganization of the Trust, the notice shall be given at least ten (10) days before the consummation of any action authorized by that approval.
Section 2.9.
RECORD DATE FOR SHAREHOLDER NOTICE; VOTING AND GIVING CONSENTS . For purposes of determining the shareholders entitled to notice of any meeting or to vote or entitled to give consent to action without a meeting, the Board of Trustees may fix in advance a record date which shall not be more than one hundred and eighty (180) days nor less than seven (7) days before the date of any such meeting as provided in the Declaration of Trust.
If the Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date:
(a)
The record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders shall be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which notice is given or if notice is waived, at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.
(b)
The record date for determining shareholders entitled to give consent to action in writing without a meeting, (i)when no prior action by the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first written consent is given, or (ii) when prior action of the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Trustees adopt the resolution relating to that action or the seventy-fifth day before the date of such other action, whichever is later.
Section 2.10.
PROXIES . Every person entitled to vote for trustees or on any other matter shall have the right to do so either in person or by one or more agents authorized by a written proxy signed by the person and filed with the Secretary of the Trust. A proxy shall be deemed signed if the shareholders name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual signature, typewriting, telegraphic transmission or otherwise) by the shareholder or the shareholders attorney-in-fact. A validly executed proxy which does not state that it is irrevocable shall continue in full force and effect unless (i) revoked by the person executing it before the vote pursuant to that proxy by a writing delivered to the Trust stating that the proxy is revoked or by a subsequent proxy executed by or attendance at the meeting and voting in person by the person executing that proxy; or (ii) written notice of the death or incapacity of the maker of that proxy is received by the Trust before the vote pursuant to that proxy is counted; provided however, that no proxy shall be valid after the expiration of eleven (11) months from the date of the proxy unless otherwise provided in the proxy. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
Section 2.11.
INSPECTORS OF ELECTION . Before any meeting of shareholders, the Board of Trustees may appoint any persons other than nominees for office to act as inspectors of election at the meeting or its adjournment. If no inspectors of election are so appointed, the chairman of the meeting may and on the request of any shareholder or a shareholders proxy shall, appoint inspectors of election at the meeting. The number of inspectors shall be either one (1) or three (3). If inspectors are appointed at a meeting on the request of one or more shareholders or proxies, the holders of a majority of shares or their proxies present at the meeting shall determine whether one (1) or three (3) inspectors are to be appointed. If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the chairman of the meeting may and on the request of any shareholder or a shareholders proxy, shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy.
These inspectors shall:
(a)
Determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum and the authenticity, validity and effect of proxies;
(b)
Receive votes, ballots or consents;
(c)
Hear and determine all challenges and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote;
(d)
Count and tabulate all votes or consents;
(e)
Determine when the polls shall close;
(f)
Determine the result; and
(g)
Do any other acts that may be proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all shareholders.
ARTICLE III.
TRUSTEES
Section 3.1.
POWERS . Subject to the applicable provisions of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws relating to action required to be approved by the shareholders or by the outstanding shares, the business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed and all powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees.
Section 3.2.
NUMBER AND QUALIFICATION OF TRUSTEES . The exact number of Trustees shall be set as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
Section 3.3.
VACANCIES . Vacancies in the Board of Trustees may be filled by a majority of the remaining trustees, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining Trustee, unless the Board of Trustees calls a meeting of shareholders for the purposes of electing trustees. In the event that at any time less than a majority of the Trustees holding office at that time were so elected by the holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the Board of Trustees shall forthwith cause to be held as promptly as possible, and in any event within sixty (60) days, a meeting of such holders for the purpose of electing trustees to fill any existing vacancies in the Board of Trustees, unless such period is extended by order of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Notwithstanding the above, whenever and for so long as the Trust is a participant in or otherwise has in effect a Plan under which the Trust may be deemed to bear expenses of distributing its shares as that practice is described in Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, then the selection and nomination of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) shall be, and is, committed to the discretion of such disinterested trustees.
Section 3.4.
PLACE OF MEETINGS AND MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE . All meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware that has been designated from time to time by resolution of the Board. In the absence of such a designation, regular meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust. Any meeting, regular or special, may be held by conference telephone or similar communication equipment, so long as all trustees participating in the meeting can hear one another and all such trustees shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and provided that provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 do not otherwise require an in-person meeting.
Section 3.5.
REGULAR MEETINGS . Regular meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be held without call at such time as shall from time to time be fixed by the Board of Trustees. Such regular meetings may be held without notice.
Section 3.6.
SPECIAL MEETINGS . Special meetings of the Board of Trustees for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board or the President or any Vice President or the Secretary or any two (2) Trustees.
Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be delivered personally or by telephone to each Trustee or sent by first-class mail or telegram, charges prepaid, addressed to each trustee at that trustees address as it is shown on the records of the Trust. In case the notice is mailed, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least seven (7) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. In case the notice is delivered personally, by telephone, to the telegraph company, or by express mail or similar service, it shall be given at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. Any oral notice given personally or by telephone may be communicated either to the trustee or to a person at the office of the trustee who the person giving the notice has reason to believe will promptly communicate it to the trustee. The notice need not specify the purpose of the meeting or the place if the meeting is to be held at the principal executive office of the Trust.
Section 3.7.
QUORUM . A majority of the authorized number of trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except to adjourn as provided in Section 10 of this Article III. Every act or decision done or made by a majority of the trustees present at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the Board of Trustees, subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust. A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding the withdrawal of trustees if any action taken is approved by a least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting.
Section 3.8.
WAIVER OF NOTICE . Notice of any meeting need not be given to any trustee who either before or after the meeting signs a written waiver of notice, a consent to holding the meeting, or an approval of the minutes. The waiver of notice or consent need not specify the purpose of the meeting. All such waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the records of the Trust or made a part of the minutes of the meeting. Notice of a meeting shall also be deemed given to any trustee who attends the meeting without protesting before or at its commencement the lack of notice to that trustee.
Section 3.9.
ADJOURNMENT . A majority of the Trustees present, whether or not constituting a quorum, may adjourn any meeting to another time and place.
Section 3.10.
NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT . Notice of the time and place of holding an adjourned meeting need not be given unless the meeting is adjourned for more than forty-eight (48) hours, in which case notice of the time and place shall be given before the time of the adjourned meeting in the manner specified in Section 7 of this Article III to the trustees who were present at the time of the adjournment.
Section 3.11.
ACTION WITHOUT A MEETING . Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees shall individually or collectively consent in writing to that action. Such action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as a majority vote of the Board of Trustees. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees.
Section 3.12.
FEES AND COMPENSATION OF TRUSTEES . Trustees and members of committees may receive such compensation, if any, for their services and such reimbursement of expenses as may be fixed or determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees. This Section 12 shall not be construed to preclude any trustee from serving the Trust in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee, or otherwise and receiving compensation for those services.
Section 3.13.
DELEGATION OF POWER TO OTHER TRUSTEES . Any Trustee may, by power of attorney, delegate his power for a period not exceeding six (6) months at any one time to any other Trustee or Trustees; provided that in no case shall fewer than two (2) Trustees personally exercise the powers granted to the Trustees under this Declaration of Trust except as otherwise expressly provided herein or by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE IV.
COMMITTEES
Section 4.1.
COMMITTEES OF TRUSTEES . The Board of Trustees may by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of trustees designate one or more committees, each consisting of two (2) or more trustees, to serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Board may designate one or more trustees as alternate members of any committee who may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee. Any committee to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board, shall have the authority of the Board, except with respect to:
(a)
the approval of any action which under applicable law also requires shareholders approval or approval of the outstanding shares, or requires approval by a majority of the entire Board or certain members of said Board;
(b)
the filling of vacancies on the Board of Trustees or in any committee;
(c)
the fixing of compensation of the trustees for serving on the Board of Trustees or on any committee;
(d)
the amendment or repeal of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or of the By-Laws or the adoption of new By-Laws;
(e)
the amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Board of Trustees which by its express terms is not so amendable or repealable;
(f)
a distribution to the shareholders of the Trust, except at a rate or in a periodic amount or within a designated range determined by the Board of Trustees; or
(g)
the appointment of any other committees of the Board of Trustees or the members of these committees.
Section 4.2.
MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES . Meetings and action of committees shall be governed by and held and taken in accordance with the provisions of Article III of these By-Laws, with such changes in the context thereof as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board of Trustees and its members, except that the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board of Trustees or by resolution of the committee. Special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board of Trustees, and notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to all alternate members who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. The Board of Trustees may adopt rules for the government of any committee not inconsistent with the provisions of these By-Laws.
ARTICLE V.
OFFICERS
Section 5.1.
OFFICERS . The officers of the Trust shall be a President, a Secretary, a Chief Compliance Officer, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Trust may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, a Chairman of the Board, one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers, and such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of this Article V. Any number of offices may be held by the same person.
Section 5.2.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS . The officers of the Trust, except such officers as may appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 or Section 5 of this Article V, shall be chosen by the Board of Trustees, and each shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment.
Section 5.3.
SUBORDINATE OFFICERS . The Board of Trustees may appoint and may empower the president to appoint such other officers as the business of the Trust may require, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as are provided in these By-Laws or as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine.
Section 5.4.
REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS . Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board of Trustees at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees or except in the case of an officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board of Trustees.
Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Trust. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice; and unless otherwise specified in that notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Trust under any contract to which the officer is a party.
Section 5.5.
VACANCIES IN OFFICES . A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in these By-Laws for regular appointment to that office.
Section 5.6.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD . The Chairman of the Board, if such an officer is elected, shall if present preside at meetings of the Board of Trustees and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned to him by the Board of Trustees or prescribed by the By-Laws.
Section 5.7.
PRESIDENT . Subject to such supervisory powers, if any, as may be given by the Board of Trustees to the Chairman of the Board, if there be such an officer, the President shall be the chief executive officer of the Trust and shall, subject to the control of the Board of Trustees, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and the officers of the Trust. He shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and in the absence of the chairman of the board or if there be none, at all meetings of the Board of Trustees. He shall have the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of president of a corporation and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws.
Section 5.8.
VICE PRESIDENTS . In the absence or disability of the president, the vice presidents, if any, in order of their rank as fixed by the Board of Trustees or if not ranked, a vice president designated by the Board of Trustees, shall perform all the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president. The vice presidents shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by the Board of Trustees or by these By-Laws and the President or the Chairman of the Board.
Section 5.9.
SECRETARY . The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust or such other place as the Board of Trustees may direct a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of trustees, committees of trustees and shareholders with the time and place of holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized, the notice given, the names of those present at trustees meetings or committee meetings, the number of shares present or represented at shareholders meetings, and the proceedings.
The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust or at the office of the Trusts transfer agent or registrar, as determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees, a share register or a duplicate share register showing the names of all shareholders and their addresses, the number and classes of shares held by each, the number and date of certificates issued for the same and the number and date of cancellation of every certificate surrendered for cancellation.
The Secretary shall give or cause to be given notice of all meetings of the shareholders and of the Board of Trustees required by these By-Laws or by applicable law to be given and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or by these By-Laws.
Section 5.10.
TREASURER . The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Trust and shall keep and maintain or cause to be kept and maintained adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the Trust, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, retained earnings and shares. The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any Trustee.
The Treasurer shall deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Trust with such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Trustees. He shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Board of Trustees, shall render to the President and Trustees, whenever they request it, an account of all of his transactions as chief financial officer and of the financial condition of the Trust and shall have other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws.
Section 5.11.
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER . The Principal Executive Officer shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees, and consistent with, applicable laws and regulations.
Section 5.12.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER . The Principal Accounting Officer shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees, and consistent with, applicable laws and regulations.
Section 5.13. CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER. The Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust will be responsible for administering its compliance policies and procedures, shall have sufficient authority and independence within the organization to compel others to adhere to the compliance policies and procedures, shall report directly to the Board of Trustees, shall annually furnish a written report on the operation of the compliance policies and procedures to the Board of Trustees and shall perform such other duties as prescribed by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE VI.
INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUSTEES, OFFICERS,
EMPLOYEES AND OTHER AGENTS
Section 6.1.
AGENTS, PROCEEDINGS AND EXPENSES . For the purpose of this Article, agent means any person who is or was a trustee, officer, employee or other agent of this Trust or is or was serving at the request of this Trust as a trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise or was a trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of a foreign or domestic corporation which was a predecessor of another enterprise at the request of such predecessor entity; proceeding means any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative; and expenses includes without limitation attorneys fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under this Article.
Section 6.2.
ACTIONS OTHER THAN BY TRUST . This Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of this Trust) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding if that person acted in good faith and in a manner that person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of that person was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contenders or its equivalent shall not of itself create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of this Trust or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that the persons conduct was unlawful.
Section 6.3.
ACTIONS OTHER THAN BY TRUST . This Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of this Trust to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with the defense or settlement of that action if that person acted in good faith, in a manner that person believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.
Section 6.4.
EXCLUSION OF INDEMNIFICATION . Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein, there shall be no right to indemnification for any liability arising by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or the reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the agents office with this Trust.
No indemnification shall be made under Sections 2 or 3 of this Article:
(a)
In respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which that person shall have been adjudged to be liable in the performance of that persons duty to this Trust, unless and only to the extent that the court in which that action was brought shall determine upon application that in view of all the circumstances of the case, that person was not liable by reason of the disabling conduct set forth in the preceding paragraph and is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses which the court shall determine; or
(b)
In respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which that person shall have been adjudged to be liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by him, whether or not the benefit resulted from an action taken in the persons official capacity; or
(c)
Of amounts paid in settling or otherwise disposing of a threatened or pending action, with or without court approval, or of expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending action which is settled or otherwise disposed of without court approval, unless the required approval set forth in Section 6 of this Article is obtained.
Section 6.5.
SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE BY AGENT . To the extent that an agent of this Trust has been successful on the merits in defense of any proceeding referred to in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, before the court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought, the agent shall be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the agent in connection therewith, provided that the Board of Trustees, including a majority who are disinterested, non-party Trustees, also determines that based upon a review of the facts, the agent was not liable by reason of the disabling conduct referred to in Section 4 of this Article.
Section 6.6.
REQUIRED APPROVAL . Except as provided in Section 5 of this Article, any indemnification under this Article shall be made by this Trust only if authorized in the specific case on a determination that indemnification of the agent is proper in the circumstances because the agent has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article and is not prohibited from indemnification because of the disabling conduct set forth in Section 4 of this Article, by:
(a)
A majority vote of a quorum consisting of trustees who are not parties to the proceeding and are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940); or
(b)
A written opinion by an independent legal counsel.
Section 6.7.
ADVANCE OF EXPENSES . Expenses incurred in defending any proceeding may be advanced by this Trust before the final disposition of the proceeding on receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the agent to repay the amount of the advance unless it shall be determined ultimately that the agent is entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this Article, provided the agent provides a security for his undertaking, or a majority of a quorum of the disinterested, non-party trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, determine that based on a review of readily available facts, there is reason to believe that said agent ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
Section 6.8.
OTHER CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS . Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than trustees and officers of this Trust or any subsidiary hereof may be entitled by contract or otherwise.
Section 6.9.
LIMITATIONS . No indemnification or advance shall be made under this Article, except as provided in Sections 5 or 6 in any circumstances where it appears:
(a)
That it would be inconsistent with a provision of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, a resolution of the shareholders, or an agreement in effect at the time of accrual of the alleged cause of action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred or other amounts were paid which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or
(b)
That it would be inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a settlement.
Section 6.10.
INSURANCE. Upon and in the event of a determination by the Board of Trustees of this Trust to purchase such insurance, this Trust shall purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any agent of this Trust against any liability asserted against or incurred by the agent in such capacity or arising out of the agents status as such, but only to the extent that this Trust would have the power to indemnify the agent against that liability under the provisions of this Article.
Section 6.11.
FIDUCIARIES OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN. This Article does not apply to any proceeding against any trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in that person s capacity as such, even though that person may also be an agent of this Trust as defined in Section 1 of this Article. Nothing contained in this Article shall limit any right to indemnification to which such a trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary may be entitled by contract or otherwise which shall be enforceable to the extent permitted by applicable law other than this Article.
ARTICLE VII.
RECORDS AND REPORTS
Section 7.1.
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF SHARE REGISTER . This Trust shall keep at its principal executive office or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, if either be appointed and as determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees, a record of its shareholders, giving the names and addresses of all shareholders and the number and series of shares held by each shareholder.
Section 7.2.
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF BY-LAWS . The Trust shall keep at its principal executive office the original or a copy of these By-Laws as amended to date, which shall be open to inspection by the shareholders at all reasonable times during office hours.
Section 7.3.
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF OTHER RECORDS . The accounting books and records and minutes of proceedings of the shareholders and the Board of Trustees and any committee or committees of the Board of Trustees shall be kept at such place or places designated by the Board of Trustees or in the absence of such designation, at the principal executive office of the Trust. The minutes shall be kept in written form and the accounting books and records shall be kept either in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form. The minutes and accounting books and records shall be open to inspection upon the written demand of any shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate at any reasonable time during usual business hours for a purpose reasonably related to the holders interests as a shareholder or as the holder of a voting trust certificate. The inspection may be made in person or by an agent or attorney and shall include the right to copy and make extracts.
Section 7.4.
INSPECTION BY TRUSTEES . Every trustee shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect all books, records, and documents of every kind and the physical properties of the Trust. This inspection by a trustee may be made in person or by an agent or attorney and the right of inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts of documents.
Section 7.5.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS . A copy of any financial statements and any income statement of the Trust for each quarterly period of each fiscal year and accompanying balance sheet of the Trust as of the end of each such period that has been prepared by the Trust shall be kept on file in the principal executive office of the Trust for at least twelve (12) months and each such statement shall be exhibited at all reasonable times to any shareholder demanding an examination of any such statement or a copy shall be mailed to any such shareholder.
The quarterly income statements and balance sheets referred to in this section shall be accompanied by the report, if any, of any independent accountants engaged by the Trust or the certificate of an authorized officer of the Trust that the financial statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the Trust.
ARTICLE VIII.
GENERAL MATTERS
Section 8.1.
CHECKS, DRAFTS, EVIDENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS . All checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of or payable to the Trust shall be signed or endorsed by such person or persons and in such manner as from time to time shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
Section 8.2.
CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS; HOW EXECUTED . The Board of Trustees, except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Trust and this authority may be general or confined to specific instances; and unless so authorized or ratified by the Board of Trustees or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent, or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Trust by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.
Section 8.3.
CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES . A certificate or certificates for shares of beneficial interest in any series of the Trust may be issued to a shareholder upon his request when such shares are fully paid. The Trust may impose a nominal change for issuing certificates to cover expenses related thereto. All certificates shall be signed in the name of the Trust by the chairman of the board or the president or vice president and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or the secretary or any assistant secretary, certifying the number of shares and the series of shares owned by the shareholders. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent, or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on a certificate shall have ceased to be that officer, transfer agent, or registrar before that certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Trust with the same effect as if that person were an officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may adopt and use a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares by electronic or other means; and in fact, as a matter of policy, does not presently issue certified shares.
Section 8.4.
LOST CERTIFICATES . Except as provided in this Section 4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace an old certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Trust and cancelled at the same time. The Board of Trustees may in case any share certificate or certificate for any other security is lost, stolen, or destroyed, authorize the issuance of a replacement certificate on such terms and conditions as the Board of Trustees may require, including a provision for indemnification of the Trust secured by a bond or other adequate security sufficient to protect the Trust against any claim that may be made against it, including any expense or liability on account of the alleged loss, theft, or destruction of the certificate or the issuance of the replacement certificate.
Section 8.5.
REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER ENTITIES HELD BY TRUST . The chairman of the Board, the president or any vice president or any other person authorized by resolution of the Board of Trustees or by any of the foregoing designated officers, is authorized to vote or represent on behalf of the Trust any and all shares of any corporation, partnership, trusts, or other entities, foreign or domestic, standing in the name of the Trust. The authority granted may be exercised in person or by a proxy duly executed by such designated person.
Section 8.6.
FISCAL YEAR . The fiscal year of the Trust shall be fixed and refixed or changed from time to time by resolution of the Trustees. The fiscal year of the Trust shall be the taxable year of each Series of the Trust.
ARTICLE IX.
AMENDMENTS
Section 9.1.
AMENDMENT BY SHAREHOLDERS . These By-Laws may be amended or repealed by the affirmative vote or written consent of two-thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, except as otherwise provided by applicable law or by the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws.
Section 9.2.
AMENDMENT BY TRUSTEES
. Subject to the right of shareholders as provided in Section 1 of this Article to adopt, amend or repeal By-Laws, and except as otherwise provided by law or by the Declaration of Trust, these By-Laws may be adopted, amended, or repealed by the Board of Trustees.