Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 11, 2014

1933 Act Registration File No. 333-182417

1940 Act File No. 811-22718

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  [ X ]


[  ] Pre-Effective Amendment No.                                     

[ X ] Post-Effective Amendment No. 36                                                                                                                        

and/or


REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940   [ X ]


[ X ] Amendment No.39

                                                                                                                              

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

TWO ROADS SHARED TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, NE  68130

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

Registrant’s 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)

Copy to:

Robert Robertson

Dechert LLP

2010 Main Street, Suite 500

Irvine, CA 92614

(949) 442-6037 (phone)

(949) 442-6010 (fax)

Richard A. Malinowski

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110

Hauppauge, NY  11788

(631) 470-2734 (phone)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)

[X]   immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

[   ]   on (date)  pursuant to paragraph (b)

[   ]   60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(l)

[   ]   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(l)

[   ]   75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

[   ]   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

[   ]   as soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement

If appropriate, check the following box: [  ] this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.





[PRO001.JPG]

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund



PROSPECTUS



August 11, 2014


Class A   AFLEX

Class A1   AFLMX

Class C   AFLKX

Class I    AFLIX

Class R   AFLRX






www.AnfieldFunds.com

1-866-866-4848



This Prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.


These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) nor has the SEC passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus.  Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.







TABLE OF CONTENTS


FUND SUMMARY

1

Investment Objective

1

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

1

Principal Investment Strategies

2

Principal Investment Risks

2

Performance

4

Portfolio Managers

4

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

4

Tax Information

5

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

5

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS


5

Investment Objective

5

Principal Investment Strategies

5

Principal Risk Factors

6

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

9

MANAGEMENT

10

Investment Adviser

10

Portfolio Managers

10

Changes of Investment Policies

10

HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

11

HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

11

HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

17

FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

19

TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

20

DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES

21

Distributor

21

Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries

21

Householding

21

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

22

Privacy Notice

27






FUND SUMMARY


Investment Objective: The Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund (the “Fund”) seeks current income.


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 on purchases of Class A shares and Class A1 shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the section entitled How to Purchase Shares in the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).


Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

Class A

Class A1

Class C

Class I

Class R

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases

(as a % of offering price)

5.75%

5.75%

None

None

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

(as a % of original purchase price)

1.00%

1.00%

1.00%

None

None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed

On Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

None

None

None

None

None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage

of the value of your investment)






Management Fees (2)

0.80%

0.80%

0.80%

0.80%

0.80%

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

0.25%

0.40%

1.00%

None

0.50 %

Other Expenses

7.19%

7.19%

7.19%

7.19%

7.19%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (3)

0.32%

0.32%

0.32%

0.32%

0.32%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

8.56%

8.71%

9.31%

8.31%

8.81%

Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

(7.04)%

(7.04)%

(7.04)%

(7.04)%

(7.04)%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement (4)

1.52%

1.67%

2.27%

1.27%

1.77%


(1) Restated to reflect current fees.

(2) The Fund’s management fee was lowered effective March 1, 2014 to 0.80% from 0.95%.

(3) The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

(4) The Fund’s Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fee in the amount of 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets until at least August 11, 2015. The Fund’s Adviser has also contractually agreed to reduce the Fund’s fees and/or absorb expenses of the Fund until at least August 11, 2015 to ensure that total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and reimbursement (exclusive of any taxes, short selling expenses, interest, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, indirect expenses, expenses of other investment companies in which the Fund may invest, or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 1.20%, 1.35%, 1.95%, 0.95% and 1.45% of average daily net assets attributable to Class A, Class A1, Class C, Class I and Class R shares, respectively.  This agreement may be terminated by the Fund’s Board of Trustees on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years on a rolling three year basis (within the three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed) if such recoupment can be achieved within the foregoing expense limits .



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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:



1 year

3 years

5 years

10 years

Class A

$721

$2,332

$3,830

$7,133

Class A1

$735

$2,369

$3,884

$7,207

Class C

$230

$2,061

$3,738

$7,337

Class I

$129

$1,797

$3,356

$6,823

Class R

$180

$1,930

$3,550

$7,088




1




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 Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 37.00%


Principal Investment Strategies: Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in a diversified portfolio of fixed income instruments. The Fund is not managed relative to an index and has broad flexibility to allocate its assets across different types of securities and sectors of the fixed income markets. The principal investments of the Fund include corporate bonds, U.S. government and agency securities, foreign sovereign bonds, convertible securities, bank loans, mortgage-backed securities, and cash equivalent instruments. The Fund may also invest in various types of derivatives, including futures, options, credit default swaps, total return swaps and repurchase agreements. The Fund may use derivatives as a substitute for making direct investments in underlying instruments, to reduce certain exposures or to “hedge” against market volatility and other risks.


The Fund may invest in fixed income instruments with fixed or adjustable (floating) rates. The Fund does not seek to maintain any particular weighted average maturity or duration, and may invest in fixed income instruments of any maturity or duration. The Fund may invest in both investment grade and below investment grade (often referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds) securities, subject to a maximum of up to 50% of the Fund’s assets in below investment grade securities. The Fund will typically invest a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers with a range of credit ratings that have stable or improving fundamentals. Securities of these issuers include secured bank loans and below investment grade bonds.  The Fund may also engage in short sales when it believes a security is overvalued in the market. The Fund may invest without limit in U.S. and non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities of U.S. and foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging market countries.


Although the Fund normally does not engage in any direct borrowing, leverage is inherent in the derivatives it trades.  Leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of the reference asset underlying a derivative and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will generally have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than a fund that does not use derivatives.


The Fund’s investment process includes both a top-down macroeconomic analysis and a bottom-up analysis of individual securities. In its evaluation of a potential investment, the Fund conducts a fundamental analysis of the individual issuer, reviews the valuation of the security and the relative valuations of similar securities, and analyzes the supply and demand for the security in the market. The Fund seeks to identify companies in stable and growing sectors of the economy that generate sufficient revenue to meet their debt obligations. The Fund will sell a portfolio holding when the security no longer meets its investment criteria or when a more attractive investment is available.


The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading.


Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program but rather one component of a diversified investment portfolio. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and performance.


Active Trading Risk. A higher portfolio turnover due to active and frequent trading will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs.

Bank Loan Risk . The Fund’s investments in secured and unsecured participations in bank loans and assignments of such loans may create substantial risk. In making investments in such loans, which are made by banks or other financial intermediaries to borrowers, the Fund will depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest.

Counterparty Credit Risk . The stability and liquidity of many derivative transactions depends in large part on the creditworthiness of the parties to the transactions. If a counterparty to such a transaction defaults, exercising contractual rights may involve delays or costs for the Fund. Furthermore, there is a risk that a counterparty could become the subject of insolvency proceedings, and that the recovery of securities and other assets from such counterparty will be delayed or be of a value less than the value of the securities or assets originally entrusted to such counterparty.

2



Credit Risk.  The risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unwilling or unable to make timely payments to meet its contractual obligations.

Currency Risk.  The risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies.

Derivatives Risk. The derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest, including futures, options, credit default swaps, total return swaps, repurchase agreements and other similar instruments, may be more volatile than other instruments. The risks associated with investments in derivatives also include liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, mispricing or improper valuation. Changes in the market value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition, if a derivative is being used for hedging purposes there can be no assurance given that each derivative position will achieve a perfect correlation with the security or currency against which it is being hedged, or that a particular derivative position will be available when sought by the portfolio manager.

Emerging Markets Risk.  The risk of investing in emerging market securities, primarily increased foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk.

Fixed Income Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities or derivatives, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities or derivatives owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities or durations will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk.  Foreign (non-U.S.) securities present greater investment risks than investing in the securities of U.S. issuers and may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than the securities of U.S. companies, due to less information about foreign companies in the form of reports and ratings than about U.S. issuers; different accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements; smaller markets; nationalization; expropriation or confiscatory taxation; currency blockage; or political changes or diplomatic developments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers.

Futures Contract Risk. Futures contracts are subject to the same risks as the underlying investments that they represent, but also may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying investments. Investments in futures contracts involve additional costs, may be more volatile than other investments and may involve a small initial investment relative to the risk assumed. In connection with the Fund’s use of futures contracts, if the value of investments is incorrectly forecasted, the Fund might have been in a better position if the Fund had not entered into the contract. Because the futures utilized by the Fund are standardized and exchange traded, where the exchange serves as the ultimate counterparty for all contracts, the primary credit risk on futures contracts is the creditworthiness of the exchange itself. Futures are also subject to market risk, interest rate risk (in the case of futures contracts relating to income producing securities) and index tracking risk (in the case of stock index futures).

High Yield Risk.  Investment in or exposure to high yield (lower rated) debt instruments (also known as “junk bonds”) may involve greater levels of interest rate, credit, liquidity and valuation risk than for higher rated instruments. High yield debt instruments are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments and, therefore, such instruments generally involve greater risk of default or price changes than higher rated debt instruments.

Index Risk. If a derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index.

Issuer-Specific Risk. The value of a specific security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market as a whole.

Leveraging Risk. The use of leverage, such as that embedded in options, may magnify the Fund’s gains or losses.


3

 


 

 

Limited History of Operations . The Fund has a limited history of operation. In addition, the Fund’s adviser has not previously managed a mutual fund.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments of the Fund would be difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling such illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, or possibly requiring the Fund to dispose of other investments at unfavorable times or prices in order to satisfy its obligations.  In the past, in stressed markets, certain types of mortgage-backed securities suffered periods of illiquidity if disfavored by the market.

Management Risk. The risk that investment strategies employed by the Fund’s adviser in selecting investments for the Fund may not result in an increase in the value of your investment or in overall performance equal to other similar investment vehicles having similar investment strategies.

Market Risk. Overall equity market risk may affect the value of individual instruments in which the Fund invests. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.

Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The risk of investing in mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities, including prepayment risk, extension risk, interest rate risk, market risk and management risk.

Regulatory Risk. Changes in the laws or regulations of the United States or other countries, including any changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, could impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and could increase the operating expenses of the Fund. For example, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) or SEC may issue regulations that, upon effectiveness, subject activities of mutual funds trading certain derivative instruments to additional regulation, which could increase the operating expenses of the Fund and impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Short Sales Risk . The risk on a short sale is the risk of loss if the value of a security sold short increases prior to the delivery date, since the Fund must pay more for the security than it received from the purchaser in the short sale. Therefore, the risk of loss may be unlimited.

U.S. Government Securities Risk. Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. In addition, the value of U.S. Government securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating of the U.S. Government.


Performance: Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time.  In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus.  Updated performance information will be available at no cost by visiting www.AnfieldFunds.com or by calling 1-866-866-4848.


Investment Adviser: Anfield Capital Management, LLC (“Anfield” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.


Portfolio Managers:   The Fund is jointly managed by Cyrille Conseil, Head of Portfolio Management, and Peter van de Zilver, Head of Portfolio Manager Analytics and Risk Management. Mr. Conseil has managed or co-managed the Fund since its inception, and Mr. van de Zilver has co-managed the Fund since 2014.


Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares:   You may purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading by written request, by telephone at 1-866-866-4848, or through your broker.  Redemptions will be paid by automated clearing house funds (“ACH”), check or wire transfer.  The Fund or its Adviser may waive any of the minimum initial and subsequent investment accounts.

Class

Minimum Investment

Initial

Subsequent

A

$2,500

$500

A1

$2,500

$500

C

$2,500

$500

I

$100,000

$1,000

R

$2,500

$500

 

 


4

 



Tax Information: Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates unless you are investing through a tax-deferred plan such as an IRA or 401(k) plan.  


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, including the Adviser, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS


Investment Objective:  The Fund seeks current income. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees upon 60 days, prior written notice to shareholders.


Principal Investment Strategies: Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in a diversified portfolio of fixed income instruments. The Fund is not managed relative to an index and has broad flexibility to allocate its assets across different types of securities and sectors of the fixed income markets. The principal investments of the Fund include corporate bonds, U.S. government and agency securities, foreign sovereign bonds, convertible securities, bank loans, mortgage-backed securities, and cash equivalent instruments. The Fund may also invest in various types of derivatives, including futures, options, credit default swaps, total return swaps and repurchase agreements. The Fund may use derivatives as a substitute for making direct investments in underlying instruments, to reduce certain exposures or to “hedge” against market volatility and other risks. Derivative instruments used by the Fund will be counted towards the 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.


The Fund may invest in fixed income instruments with fixed or adjustable (floating) rates. The Fund does not seek to maintain any particular weighted average maturity or duration, and may invest in fixed income instruments of any maturity or duration.


The Fund may invest in both investment grade and below investment grade (often referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds) securities, subject to a maximum of up to 50% of the Fund’s assets in below investment grade securities. The Fund will typically invest a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers with a range of credit ratings that have stable or improving fundamentals. Securities of these issuers include secured bank loans and below investment grade bonds.  The Fund may also engage in short sales when it believes a security is overvalued in the market. The Fund may invest without limit in U.S. and non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities of U.S. and foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging market countries.

Although the Fund normally does not engage in any direct borrowing, leverage is inherent in the derivatives it trades.  Leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of the reference asset underlying a derivative and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will generally have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than a fund that does not use derivatives.


The Fund’s investment process includes both a top-down macroeconomic analysis and a bottom-up analysis of individual securities. In its evaluation of a potential investment, the Fund conducts a fundamental analysis of the individual issuer, reviews the valuation of the security and the relative valuations of similar securities, and analyzes the supply and demand for the security in the market. The Fund seeks to identify companies in stable and growing sectors of the economy that generate sufficient revenue to meet their debt obligations. The Fund will sell a portfolio holding when the security no longer meets its investment criteria or when a more attractive investment is available.

In response to market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may temporarily use a different investment strategy for defensive purposes. Such a strategy could include investing up to 100% of the Fund’s assets in cash or cash equivalent securities such as U.S. Treasury securities and money market mutual funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for cash positions, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund pays its pro-rata portion of such money market funds’ advisory fees and operational fees. Defensive investing could affect the Fund’s performance and the Fund might not achieve its investment objectives. The Fund may also invest a substantial portion of its assets in such instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies.


The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading.




5





Principal Risk Factors


Active Trading Risk. A higher portfolio turnover may result in higher transactional and brokerage costs associated with the turnover which may reduce the Fund’s return, unless the securities traded can be bought and sold without corresponding commission costs. Active trading of securities may also increase the Fund’s realized capital gains or losses, which may affect the taxes you pay as a Fund shareholder.

Bank Loan Risk. The Fund’s investments in secured and unsecured participations in bank loans and assignments of such loans may create substantial risk. In making investments in such loans, which are made by banks or other financial intermediaries to borrowers, the Fund will depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest. If the Fund does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the Fund’s share price could be adversely affected. The Fund may invest in loan participations that are rated by a NRSRO or are unrated, and may invest in loan participations of any credit quality, including “distressed” companies with respect to which there is a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested. In addition, certain bank loans in which the Fund may invest may be illiquid and, therefore, difficult to value and/or sell at a price that is beneficial to the Fund.

Counterparty Credit Risk. The stability and liquidity of repurchase agreements, swap transactions, forwards and over-the-counter derivative transactions depend in large part on the creditworthiness of the parties to the transactions. It is expected that the Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of firms with which it will cause the Fund to enter into repurchase agreements, interest rate swaps, caps, floors, collars or over-the-counter derivatives. If there is a default by the counterparty to such a transaction, the Fund will under most normal circumstances have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, exercising such contractual rights may involve delays or costs which could result in the value of the Fund being less than if the transaction had not been entered into. Furthermore, there is a risk that any of such counterparties could become insolvent and/or the subject of insolvency proceedings. If one or more of the Fund’s counterparties were to become insolvent or the subject of insolvency proceedings in the United States (either under the Securities Investor Protection Act or the United States Bankruptcy Code), there exists the risk that the recovery of such vehicle’s securities and other assets from such prime broker or broker-dealer will be delayed or be of a value less than the value of the securities or assets originally entrusted to such prime broker or broker-dealer.

In addition, the Fund may use counterparties located in jurisdictions outside the United States. Such local counterparties are subject to the laws and regulations in non-U.S. jurisdictions that are designed to protect their customers in the event of their insolvency. However, the practical effect of these laws and their application to the Fund’s assets are subject to substantial limitations and uncertainties. Because of the large number of entities and jurisdictions involved and the range of possible factual scenarios involving the insolvency of a counterparty, it is impossible to generalize about the effect of their insolvency on the Fund and its assets. Shareholders should assume that the insolvency of any counterparty would result in a loss to the Fund, which could be material. If the Fund obtains exposure to one or more Investment Funds indirectly through the use of one or more total return swaps, those investments will be subject to counterparty risk.

Credit Risk. The risk that issuers or guarantors of a fixed income security cannot or will not make payments on the securities and other investments held by the Fund, resulting in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes, which may lower their value and may affect their liquidity.

Currency Risk.   The risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies. Currency risk may be particularly high to the extent that the Fund invests in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or engages in foreign currency transactions that are economically tied to emerging market countries.

Derivatives Risk. The Fund may invest in derivatives, which are financial instruments whose value is typically based on the value of a security, index or other instrument. These instruments include futures, options, credit default swaps, total return swaps, repurchase agreements and other similar instruments. Derivatives may also include customized baskets or options (which may incorporate other securities directly and also various derivatives including common stock, options, and futures) structured as agreed upon by a counterparty, as well as specially structured types of mortgage- and asset-backed securities whose value is often linked to commercial and residential mortgage portfolios. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments, and certain derivatives may create a risk of loss greater than the amount invested.

Investing for hedging purposes or to increase the Fund’s return may result in certain  additional transaction costs that may reduce the Fund’s performance. When used for hedging purposes, no assurance can be given that each derivative position will achieve a perfect correlation with the investment against which it is being hedged. Because the markets for certain derivative instruments are relatively new, suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes and there can be no assurance that a particular derivative position will be available when sought by the Adviser or that such techniques will be utilized by the Adviser.




6

 




The market value of derivative instruments and securities may be more volatile than that of other instruments, and each type of derivative instrument may have its own special risks, including the risk of mispricing or improper valuation of derivatives and the inability of derivatives to correlate perfectly with underlying assets, rates, and indices. Many derivatives, in particular privately negotiated derivatives, are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to the Fund. The value of derivatives may not correlate perfectly, or at all, with the value of the assets, reference rates or indices they are designed to closely track.

Derivatives are subject to a number of other risks, including liquidity risk (the possibility that the derivative may be difficult to purchase or sell and the Adviser may be unable to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price), leverage risk (the possibility that adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in loss of an amount substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative), interest rate risk (some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations), and counterparty risk (the risk that a counterparty may be unable to perform according to a contract, and that any deterioration in a counterparty’s creditworthiness could adversely affect the instrument). In addition, because derivative products are highly specialized, investment techniques and risk analyses employed with respect to investments in derivatives are different from those associated with stocks and bonds. Finally, the Fund’s use of derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if the Fund had not used such instruments. Derivative instruments are also subject to the risk that the market value of an instrument will change to the detriment of the Fund. If the Adviser inaccurately forecast the values of securities, currencies or interest rates or other economic factors in using derivatives, the Fund might have been in a better position if it had not entered into the transaction at all. Some strategies involving derivative instruments can reduce the risk of loss, but they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other investments held by the Fund. The Fund may also have to buy or sell a security at a disadvantageous time or price because regulations require funds to maintain offsetting positions or asset coverage in connection with certain derivatives transactions.

The SAI provides a more detailed description of the types of derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest and their associated risks.

Emerging Markets Risk . To the extent the Fund invests in emerging market securities, the risks associated with foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk may be particularly high. These risks include a greater likelihood of economic, political or social instability, less liquid and more volatile stock markets, foreign exchange controls, a lack of government regulation and different legal systems, and immature economic structures.


Fixed Income Securities. Fixed income securities held by the Fund are subject to interest rate risk, call risk, prepayment and extension risk, credit risk, and liquidity risk, which are more fully described below. In addition, current market conditions may pose heightened risks for fixed income securities. Current interest rates are at or near historic lows, and future increases in interest rates could result in less liquidity and greater volatility of fixed income securities. Moreover, new regulations applicable to and changing business practices of financial intermediaries that make markets in fixed income securities may result in those financial intermediaries restricting their market making activities for certain fixed income securities, which may reduce the liquidity and increase the volatility for such fixed income securities.

o

Call Risk. During periods of declining interest rates, a bond issuer may “call,” or repay, its high yielding bonds before their maturity dates. The Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in its income.

o

Credit Risk . Fixed income securities are generally subject to the risk that the issuer may be unable to make principal and interest payments when they are due. There is also the risk that the securities could lose value because of a loss of confidence in the ability of the borrower to pay back debt. Lower rated fixed income securities involve greater credit risk, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy.

o

Interest Rate Risk . Fixed income securities are subject to the risk that the securities could lose value because of interest rate changes. For example, bonds tend to decrease in value if interest rates rise. Fixed income securities with longer maturities or durations sometimes offer higher yields, but are subject to greater price shifts as a result of interest rate changes than fixed income securities with shorter maturities. Investments in fixed income securities with longer maturities or durations may result in greater fluctuations in the value of the Fund. The Fund has no policy limiting the maturity or duration of the fixed income securities it purchases.

o

Liquidity Risk. Trading opportunities are more limited for fixed income securities that have not received any credit ratings, have received ratings below investment grade or are not widely held. These features make it more difficult to sell or buy a security at a favorable price or time. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on its performance. Infrequent trading of securities may also lead to an increase in their price volatility. Liquidity risk also refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able to sell a security or close out an investment contract when it wants to. If this happens, the Fund will be required to hold the security or keep the position open, and it could incur losses.


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o

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Many types of fixed income securities are subject to prepayment risk. Prepayment occurs when the issuer of a fixed income security can repay principal prior to the security’s maturity. Fixed income securities subject to prepayment can offer less potential for gains during a declining interest rate environment and similar or greater potential for loss in a rising interest rate environment. In addition, the potential impact of prepayment features on the price of a fixed income security can be difficult to predict and result in greater volatility. On the other hand, rising interest rates could cause prepayments of the obligations to decrease, extending the life of mortgage- and asset-backed securities with lower payment rates. This is known as extension risk and may increase the Fund’s sensitivity to rising rates and its potential for price declines.

o

Variable and Floating Rate Securities . Variable and floating rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline.

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk .  Foreign (non-U.S.) securities present greater investment risks than investing in the securities of U.S. issuers and may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than the securities of U.S. companies, due to less information about foreign companies in the form of reports and ratings than about U.S. issuers; different accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements; smaller markets; nationalization; expropriation or confiscatory taxation; currency blockage; or political changes or diplomatic developments. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region, the Fund will generally have more exposure to regional economic risks associated with foreign investments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers.

Futures Contract Risk. Futures contracts are subject to the same risks as the underlying investments that they represent, but also may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying investments. Investments in futures contracts involve additional costs, may be more volatile than other investments and may involve a small initial investment relative to the risk assumed. In connection with the Fund’s use of futures contracts, if the value of investments is incorrectly forecasted , the Fund might have been in a better position if the Fund had not entered into the contract. Because the futures utilized by a Fund are standardized and exchange traded, where the exchange serves as the ultimate counterparty for all contracts, the primary credit risk on futures contracts is the creditworthiness of the exchange itself. Futures are also subject to market risk, interest rate risk (in the case of futures contracts relating to income producing securities) and index tracking risk (in the case of stock index futures).  The Fund could be unable to recover assets held at the futures clearing broker, even assets directly traceable to the Fund from the futures clearing broker in the event of a bankruptcy of the broker. A futures clearing broker is required to segregate customer funds pursuant to the Commodities Exchange Act and the regulations of the. However, in the unlikely event of the broker’s bankruptcy, there is no equivalent of the Securities Investors Protection Corporation insurance as is applicable in the case of securities broker dealers’ bankruptcies.

High Yield Risk.  Investment in or exposure to high yield (lower rated) debt instruments (also known as “junk bonds”) may involve greater levels of interest rate, credit, liquidity and valuation risk than for higher rated instruments. High yield debt instruments are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments and, therefore, such instruments generally involve greater risk of default or price changes than higher rated debt instruments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the liquidity and value of these securities. If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Fund could lose its entire investment.

Index Risk. If a derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index. If the index changes, the Fund could receive lower interest payments or experience a reduction in the value of the derivative to below what the Fund paid. Certain indexed securities, including inverse securities (which move in an opposite direction to the index), may create leverage, to the extent that they increase or decrease in value at a rate that is a multiple of the changes in the applicable index.

Issuer-Specific Risk. The value of a specific security or option can be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market as a whole. The value of large cap securities, as represented by the S&P 500 Index, can be more volatile than smaller cap securities due to differing market reactions to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments.

Leveraging Risk. The use of leverage, such as that embedded in options, may magnify the Fund’s gains or losses. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations.

Limited History of Operations. The Fund has a limited history of operation. Mutual funds and their advisers are subject to restrictions and limitations imposed by the 1940 Act and the Internal Revenue Code that do not apply to the adviser’s management of individual and institutional accounts. As a result, investors cannot judge likely mutual fund performance of the Adviser by its track record of managing non-mutual fund assets and the Adviser may not achieve its intended result in managing the Fund.

 


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Liquidity Risk. The Fund is subject to liquidity risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments of the Fund would be difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling such illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, or possibly requiring the Fund to dispose of other investments at unfavorable times or prices in order to satisfy its obligations. Funds with principal investment strategies that involve securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, non-U.S. securities, Rule 144A securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk.

Management Risk . The net asset value of the Fund changes daily based on the performance of the securities and derivatives in which it invests. The Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular securities and derivatives in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results. Additionally, the Adviser may have conflicts of interest that could interfere with its management of the Fund’s portfolio.  For example, the Adviser or its affiliates may manage other investment funds or have other clients that may be similar to, or overlap with, the investment objective and strategy of the Fund, creating potential conflicts of interest when making decisions regarding which investments may be appropriate for the Fund and other clients.  Further information regarding conflicts of interest is available in the SAI.

Market Risk. Overall equity market risk, including volatility, may affect the value of individual instruments in which the Fund invests. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.

Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Associated with mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities is prepayment risk. If interest rates fall, the underlying debt may be repaid early, reducing the value of the Fund’s investments. On the other hand, if interest rates rise, the duration of the securities may be extended, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates.  Furthermore, fewer prepayments may be made, which would cause the average bond maturity to rise, increasing the potential for the Fund to lose money. The value of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may be considerably affected by changes in interest rates, the market’s perception of issuers, declines in the value of collateral, and the creditworthiness of the parties involved. The ability of the Fund to successfully utilize these instruments may depend on the ability of the Fund’s Adviser to forecast interest rates and other economic factors correctly.

Regulatory Risk. Changes in the laws or regulations of the United States or other countries, including any changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, could impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and could increase the operating expenses of mutual funds trading certain derivative instruments to regulation by the CFTC, including additional disclosure and operational obligations. The SEC or its staff may also issue regulations that, upon effectiveness, subject activities of mutual funds trading certain derivative instruments to additional regulation, which could increase the operating expenses of the Fund and impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Short Sales Risk . The Fund may attempt to limit its exposure to a possible market decline in the value of its portfolio securities through short sales of securities that its portfolio manager believes possess volatility characteristics similar to those being hedged. The Fund may also use short sales for non-hedging purposes to pursue its investment objectives if, in the portfolio manager’s view, the security is over-valued. Short selling is speculative in nature and, in certain circumstances, can substantially increase the effect of adverse price movements on the Fund’s portfolio. A short sale of a security involves the risk of an unlimited increase in the market price of the security that can in turn result in an inability to cover the short position and a theoretically unlimited loss. No assurance can be given that securities necessary to cover the Fund’s short position will be available for purchase. The SEC and other U.S. and non-U.S. regulatory authorities have imposed, and may impose in the future, restrictions on short selling, either on a temporary or permanent basis. Such restrictions may include placing limitations on specific companies and/or industries with respect to which the Fund may enter into short positions, and may hinder the Fund in, or prevent it from, implementing its investment strategies, and may negatively affect performance.

U.S. Government Securities Risk . Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. In addition, the value of U.S. Government securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating of the U.S. Government.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure: A description of the Fund’s policies regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s SAI. Shareholders may request portfolio holdings schedules at no charge by calling
1-866-866-4848.




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MANAGEMENT


Investment Adviser


Anfield Capital Management, LLC (“Anfield” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.  Its principal place of business is 4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 430, Newport Beach, CA 92660.    Anfield was founded in 2009 and has approximately $75 million in assets under management.


Anfield has entered into an investment advisory agreement with the Fund.  Under the Agreement, Anfield receives an annual fee equal to 0.75% (after waiver) of the Fund’s average daily net assets assets.  In addition to investment advisory fees, the Fund pays other expenses including costs incurred in connection with the maintenance of its securities law registration, printing and mailing prospectuses and SAIs to shareholders, certain financial accounting services, taxes or governmental fees, custodial, transfer and shareholder servicing agent costs, expenses of outside counsel and independent accountants, preparation of shareholder reports and expenses of trustee and shareholders meetings.


Under the investment advisory agreement, Anfield has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fee in the amount of 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets until at least August 11, 2015. Anfield has also contractually agreed to reduce the Fund’s fees and/or to make payments to limit Fund expenses until at least August 11, 2015, so that the total annual operating expenses (exclusive of any front-end or contingent deferred loads, taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, dividend expense on securities sold short, underlying fund fees and expenses or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) of the Fund do not exceed 1.55% for Class A shares, 1.70% for Class A1 shares, 2.30% for Class C shares, 1.25% for Class I shares and 1.95% for Class R shares. Waivers and expense payments may be recouped by Anfield from the Fund, to the extent that overall expenses fall below specified limits, within three years of when the amounts were waived or recouped.


Since the Fund’s inception through February 28, 2014, Anfield managed the Fund’s investment portfolio on a day-to-day basis as the Fund’s sub-adviser.  Anfield assumed the Fund’s investment advisory responsibilities on March 1, 2014 after the Fund’s prior investment adviser resigned to pursue other investment management endeavors.  Under the investment advisory agreement with the Fund’s prior investment adviser, which was in effect since the Fund’s inception, the adviser received an annual fee equal to 0.95%.  The Fund’s advisory fee was lowered to 0.80% effective March 1, 2014.


A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the investment advisory agreement is available in the Fund’s semi-annual shareholder report dated April 30, 2014.


Portfolio Managers


Cyrille Conseil


Mr. Conseil is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and a senior member of the Adviser’s Investment Committee.  Mr. Conseil joined the Adviser in 2012.  Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Conseil was an Executive Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Head of the global leveraged loan desk at PIMCO since May of 2005.  Mr. Conseil holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.


Peter van de Zilver


Mr. van de Zilver has served as Head of Portfolio Manager Analytics and Risk Management at the Adviser since 2012. Mr. Van de Zilver has over 20 years of investment management experience and retired in 2010 from a senior position in PIMCO’s Portfolio Analytics group, where he was responsible for the architecture, development and implementation of many of PIMCO’s analytics and risk management systems. Mr. van de Zilver holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.


The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts manages by the Portfolio Managers , and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund.


Changes of Investment Policies


In accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund adopted an investment policy that it will, under normal conditions, invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) the type of investments suggested by the Fund’s name. This requirement is applied at the time of investment.  The 80% investment policy of the Fund may be changed at any time by the Board of Trustees. Shareholders will be given written notice at least 60 days prior to any change by the Fund of its 80% investment policy.




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HOW SHARES ARE PRICED


The net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price (NAV plus any applicable sales charges) of each class of shares is 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, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets liabilities)/number of shares = NAV).  The Trust expects that the NYSE will be closed on the following days: weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV takes into account, on a per class basis, the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for a share class 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 mean of the last bid and ask on the primary exchange. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price.  


In accordance with procedures approved by the Board (“Valuation Procedures”), if market quotations are not readily available or if, in the opinion of the Fund’s Adviser, the market quotation that is used to value a security does not represent a readily available market quotation or does not reflect the fair value of the security, the security will be valued at its fair market value (“Fair Valuation”) as determined in good faith by a fair value pricing committee.  The Board has delegated certain valuation responsibilities to the committee in accordance with the Valuation Procedures.  The Valuation Procedures also require Fair Valuation of certain other types of securities, such as illiquid securities.  In all of these cases, the Fund’s NAV will reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair value rather than their market price.  Because Fair Valuation involves subjective judgments, Fair Valuation may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other mutual funds to determine net asset value, or from the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the 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 valuing the Fund’s securities.  


Market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund. Because the Fund may invest in underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of some of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.  In computing the 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, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value.  For example, Fair Valuation may be required if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV. Without Fair Valuation, 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 it will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short-term traders.

With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, each Fund’s net asset value is calculated based upon the net asset values of those open-end management investment companies, and 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


Share Classes: This Prospectus describes five classes of shares offered by the Fund: Class A, Class A1, Class C, Class I and Class R. The Fund offers these five classes of shares so that you can choose the class that best suits your investment needs. Refer to the information below to help you make your investment decision.  The main differences between each class are sales charges, ongoing fees and minimum investments. Class R shares are available only to eligible retirement plans. In choosing which class of shares to purchase, you should consider which will be most beneficial to you, given the amount of your purchase and the length of time you expect to hold the shares. For information on ongoing distribution fees, see the section entitled Distribution Fees in this Prospectus.  Each class of shares in the Fund represents interest in the same portfolio of investments within the Fund.  There is no investment minimum on reinvested distributions, and the Fund may change investment minimums at any time.  The Fund reserves the right to waive sales charges, as described below.  The Fund and the Adviser may each waive investment minimums at their individual discretion. All share classes may not be available for purchase in all states.




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Class A Shares and Class A1 Shares:   Class A shares and Class A1 shares are offered at their public offering price, which is NAV plus the applicable sales charge and is subject to 12b-1 distribution fees of up to 0.25% and 0.40% of the average daily net assets of Class A shares and Class A1 shares, respectively.  The minimum initial investment in Class A shares and Class A1 shares of the Fund is $2,500 for all accounts.  The minimum subsequent investment in Class A shares and Class A1 shares of the Fund is $500 for all accounts.  The sales charge varies, depending on how much you invest.  There are no sales charges on reinvested distributions.  The following sales charges, which may be waived in the Adviser’s discretion, apply to your purchases of Class A shares and Class A1 shares of the Fund:


Amount Invested

Sales Charge as a % of Offering Price(1)

Sales Charge as a % of Amount Invested

Dollar Reallowance

Under $25,000

5.75%

6.10%

5.00%

$25,000 to $49,999

5.00%

5.26%

4.25%

$50,000 to $99,999

4.75%

4.99%

4.00%

$100,000 to $249,999

3.75%

3.83%

3.25%

$250,000 to $499,999

2.50%

2.56%

2.00%

$500,000 to $999,999

2.00%

2.04%

1.75%

$1,000,000 and above(2)

0.00%

0.00%

See below

(1) Offering price includes the front-end sales load.  The sales charge you pay may differ slightly from the amount set forth above because of rounding that occurs in the calculation used to determine your sales charge.

(2) A selling broker may receive commissions on purchases of Class A shares and/or Class A1 shares over $1 million calculated as follows: 1.00% on purchases equal to or greater than $1 million but less than $3 million, 0.50% on amounts equal to or greater than $3 million but less than $5 million, and 0.25% on amounts equal to or greater than $5 million. The commission rate is determined based on the purchase amount combined with the current market value of existing investments in Class A shares.


As shown, investors that purchase $1,000,000 or more of the Fund’s Class A shares and/or Class A1 shares will not pay any initial sales charge on the purchase.  However, purchases of $1,000,000 or more of Class A shares or Class A1 shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on shares redeemed during the first 18 months after their purchase in the amount of the commissions paid on the shares redeemed.  The Class A and Class A1 CDSC does not apply if you are otherwise eligible to purchase Class A shares and Class A1 shares without an initial sales charge or are eligible for a waiver of the CDSC.  See “Waiver of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges” below.


How to Reduce Your Sales Charge


You may be eligible to purchase Class A shares and Class A1 shares at a reduced sales charge.  To qualify for these reductions, you must notify the Fund’s distributor, Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the "Distributor"), in writing and supply your account number at the time of purchase.  You may combine your purchase with those of your "immediate family" (your spouse and your children under the age of 21) for purposes of determining eligibility.  If applicable, you will need to provide the account numbers of your spouse and your minor children as well as the ages of your minor children.


Rights of Accumulation: To qualify for the lower sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases of Class A shares and Class A1 shares, you may combine your new purchases of Class A shares and Class A1 shares with Class A shares and Class A1 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 Class A shares and Class A1 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.



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Shares of the Fund are held as follows and 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.

Letter of Intent:  Under a Letter of Intent ("LOI"), you commit to purchase a specified dollar amount of Class A shares and/or Class A1 shares of the Fund, with a minimum of $25,000, during a 13-month period.  At your written request, Class A shares and Class A1 shares 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 your 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 Class A Shares and Class A1 Shares:  If you have redeemed Class A shares or Class A1 shares of the Fund within the past 120 days, you may repurchase an equivalent amount of Class A shares or Class A1 shares of the Fund 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 Class A shares and Class A1 shares is waived for certain types of investors, including:  

Current and retired directors and officers of any Fund sponsored by the Adviser or any of their subsidiaries, their families (e.g., spouse, children, mother or father).

Employees of the Adviser and their families, or any full-time employee or registered representative of the 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 Distributor providing for the shares to be used in particular investment products made available to such clients and for which such registered investment advisers may charge a separate fee.

Institutional investors (which may include bank trust departments and registered investment advisers).

Any accounts established on behalf of registered investment advisers 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 Distributor in its sole discretion may waive these minimum dollar requirements.

Any government entity that is prohibited from paying a sales charge or commission to purchase mutual fund shares.

Any purchases by clients of the Adviser or purchases referred through the Adviser.

The Fund does not waive sales charges for the reinvestment of proceeds from the sale of shares of a different fund where those shares were subject to a front-end sales charge (sometimes called an "NAV transfer").

 

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Class C Shares: Class C shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund. Class C shares pay up to 1.00% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets as reimbursement or compensation for service and distribution-related activities with respect to the Fund and/or shareholder services.  Over time, fees paid under this distribution and service plan will increase the cost of a Class C shareholder’s investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges.  Additionally, you normally pay a CDSC of 1% if you redeem Class C shares during the first year after your initial purchase. The Class C CDSC is waived for certain categories of investors. See “Waiver of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges” below. The minimum initial investment in Class C shares of the Fund is $2,500.  The minimum subsequent investment in Class C shares of the Fund is $500.


Years Since Purchase Payment was Made

Dollar Reallowance

First

1.00%

Thereafter

0.00%


A CDSC is imposed on redemptions of Class C shares (and where applicable, Class A shares and Class A1 shares) on the amount of the redemption which causes the current value of your account for the particular class of shares of the Fund to fall below the total dollar amount of your purchase payments subject to the CDSC.


The following rules apply under the method for calculating CDSCs:

Shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions will be redeemed first and will not be subject to any CDSC.

For the redemption of all other shares, the CDSC will be based on either your original purchase price or the then current NAV of the shares being sold, whichever is lower. To illustrate this point, consider shares purchased at an NAV per share of $10. If the Fund’s NAV per share at the time of redemption is $12, the CDSC will apply to the purchase price of $10. If the NAV per share at the time of redemption is $8, the CDSC will apply to the $8 current NAV per share.

CDSCs will be deducted from the proceeds of your redemption, not from amounts remaining in your account.

In determining whether a CDSC is payable, it is assumed that the shareholder will redeem first the lot of shares which will incur the lowest CDSC.

The following example illustrates the operation of the Class C CDSC:

Assume that an individual opens an account and makes a purchase payment of $10,000 for 1,000 Class C shares of the Fund (at $10 per share) and that six months later the value of the investor’s account for that Fund has grown through investment performance to $11,000 ($11 per share). If the investor should redeem $2,200 (200 shares), a CDSC would be applied against $2,000 of the redemption (the purchase price of the shares redeemed, because the purchase price is lower than the current NAV of such shares ($2,200)). At the rate of 1%, the Class C CDSC would be $20.

Waiver of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges

The initial sales charges on Class A shares and Class A1 shares and the CDSCs on Class A shares, Class A1 shares and Class C shares may be reduced or waived under certain purchase arrangements and for certain categories of investors.   The CDSC applicable to Class A shares, Class A1 shares and Class C shares is currently waived for:


Any partial or complete redemption in connection with (a) required minimum distributions to IRA account owners or beneficiaries who are age 70 1/2 or older or (b) distributions to participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans upon attaining age 59 1/2 or on account of death or permanent and total disability (as defined in Section 22(e) of the Internal Revenue Code) that occurs after the purchase of Class A shares, Class A1 shares or Class C shares.

Any partial or complete redemption in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal from an employer sponsored retirement plan.

 

14

 


 

Any complete redemption in connection with a distribution from a qualified employer retirement plan in connection with termination of employment or termination of the employer’s plan and the transfer to another employer’s plan or to an IRA.

Any partial or complete redemption following death or permanent and total disability (as defined in Section 22(e) of the Internal Revenue Code) of an individual holding shares for his or her own account and/or as the last survivor of a joint tenancy arrangement (this provision, however, does not cover an individual holding in a fiduciary capacity or as a nominee or agent or a legal entity that is other than an individual or the owners or beneficiaries of any such entity) provided the redemption is requested within one year of the death or initial determination of disability and provided the death or disability occurs after the purchase of the shares.

Any redemption resulting from a return of an excess contribution to a qualified employer retirement plan or an IRA.

Up to 10% per year of the value of the Fund account that (a) has the value of at least $10,000 at the start of such year and (b) is subject to an Automatic Withdrawal Plan.

Redemptions by Trustees, officers and employees of any of the Trust and by directors, officers and employees of the Distributor, the Adviser or its affiliates.

Redemptions effected pursuant to the Fund’s right to involuntarily redeem a shareholder’s Fund account if the aggregate net asset value of shares held in such shareholder’s account is less than a minimum account size specified in such Fund’s prospectus.

Involuntary redemptions caused by operation of law.

Redemptions of shares of the Fund that is combined with another investment company, or personal holding company by virtue of a merger, acquisition or other similar reorganization transaction,

Redemptions by a shareholder who is a participant making periodic purchases of not less than $50 through certain employer sponsored savings plans that are clients of a broker-dealer with which the Distributor has an agreement with respect to such purchases.

Redemptions effected by trustees or other fiduciaries who have purchased shares for employer-sponsored plans, the trustee, administrator, fiduciary, broker, trust company or registered investment adviser for which has an agreement with the Distributor with respect to such purchases.

Redemptions in connection with IRA accounts established with Form 5305-SIMPLE under the Internal Revenue Code for which the Trust is the designated financial institution.

A redemption by a holder of Class A shares and/or Class A1 shares who purchased $1,000,000 or more of Class A shares and/or Class A1 shares (and therefore did not pay a sales charge) where the participating broker or dealer involved in the sale of such shares waived the commission it would normally receive from the Distributor pursuant to an agreement with the Distributor.

A redemption by a holder of Class A shares, Class A1 shares or Class C shares where the participating broker or dealer involved in the purchase of such shares waived all payments it normally would receive from the Distributor at the time of purchase ( i.e. , commissions or reallowances of initial sales charges and advancements of service and distribution fees).

A redemption by a holder of Class A shares, Class A1 shares or Class C shares where, by agreement with the Distributor, the participating broker or dealer involved in the purchase of such shares waived a portion of any payment it normally would receive from the Distributor at the time of purchase (or otherwise agreed to a variation from the normal payment schedule) in connection with such purchase.

The Distributor may require documentation prior to waiver of the CDSC for any class, including distribution letters, certification by plan administrators, applicable tax forms, death certificates, physicians’ certificates (e.g., with respect to disabilities), etc.

Exempt Transactions; No CDSCs or Payments to Brokers

Investors will not be subject to CDSCs, and brokers and dealers will not receive any commissions or reallowances of initial sales charges or advancements of service and distribution fees, on the transactions described below (which are sometimes referred to as “Exempt Transactions”):

A redemption by a holder of Class A shares, Class A1 shares, or Class C shares where the participating broker or dealer involved in the purchase of such shares waived all payments it normally would receive from the Distributor at the time of purchase ( e.g. , commissions and/or reallowances of initial sales charges and advancements of service and distribution fees.

15

 


 

 

A redemption by a holder of Class A shares, Class A1 shares or Class C shares where, by agreement with the Distributor, the participating broker or dealer involved in the purchase of such shares waived a portion of any payment it normally would receive from the Distributor at the time of purchase (or otherwise agreed to a variation from the normal payment schedule) in connection with such purchase.

Class I shares: Class I shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge and are not subject to 12b-1 distribution fees, but have a higher minimum initial investment than Class A shares, Class A1 shares and Class C shares.  This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund.  Class I shares require a minimum initial investment of $100,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $1,000.


Class I shares are available to certain institutional investors, and directly to certain individual investors as set forth below:


Institutional Investors may include, but are not limited to, corporations, retirement plans, foundations/endowments and investors who purchase through a wrap account offered through a selling group member that enters into a wrap fee program agreement with the Distributor.

Individual Investors include trustees, officers and employees of the Trust and its affiliates, and immediate family members of all such persons.

Clients of the Adviser.

For accounts sold through financial intermediaries, it is the primary responsibility of the financial intermediary to ensure compliance with eligibility requirements such as investor type and investment minimums.


Class R shares: Class R shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge and are subject to 12b-1 distribution fees of up to 0.50% of the average daily net assets of Class R shares.  This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund. The minimum initial investment in Class R shares of the Fund is $2,500.  The minimum subsequent investment in Class R shares of the Fund is $500.

Class R shares are available only to certain employer-sponsored retirement, savings or benefit plans held in plan level or omnibus accounts. Class R shares are not available to non-retirement accounts, traditional or Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SAR-SEPs, Simple IRAs, individual 403(b)s and most individual retirement accounts.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Share Class:  When deciding which class of shares to purchase, you should consider your investment goals, present and future amounts you may invest in the Fund, and the length of time you intend to hold your shares. To help you make a determination as to which class of shares to buy, please refer back to the examples of the Fund’s expenses over time in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section for the Fund in this Prospectus. You also may wish to consult with your financial adviser for advice with regard to which share class would be most appropriate for you.


Purchasing Shares: You may purchase shares of the Fund by sending a completed application form (the “Application”) to the following address:


Regular/Express/Overnight Mail

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130


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. In addition, the Fund may 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. The brokers and agents are authorized 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 their 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




16

 




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 1-866-866-4848 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 moves money from your bank account and invests it in the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers or automatic bank drafts. You may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers of a minimum of $100 on specified days of each month into your established Fund account. Please contact the Fund at 1-866-866-4848 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan.


Minimum and Additional Investment Amounts: The minimum initial investment in Class A shares, Class A1 shares, Class C shares and Class R shares is $2,500. The minimum initial investment in Class I shares is $100,000.  The minimum additional investment for Class A shares, Class A1 shares, Class C shares and Class R shares is $500; and $1,000 for Class I shares.  There is no minimum investment requirement when you are buying shares by reinvesting dividends and distributions from the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to waive any investment minimum requirement.


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, thrift institutions, 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 written instructions stating the name(s) on the account and the account number, to the above address. Make all checks payable to the 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, 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 check returned to the transfer agent for insufficient funds.   


When 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. (Eastern time) 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 request includes:


the name of the Fund;

the dollar amount of shares to be purchased;

a completed purchase application or investment stub; and

check payable to the “Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund.”


Retirement Plans: You may purchase shares of the Fund for your individual retirement plans. Please call the Funds at
1-866-866-4848 for the most current listing and appropriate disclosure documentation on how to open a retirement account.  


HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

Redeeming Shares: You may redeem all or any portion of the shares credited to your account by submitting a written request for redemption to:  


Regular/Express/Overnight Mail

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

 

17

 


 

 

Redemptions 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, which are equal to number of shares times NAV less any applicable deferred sales charges, will be sent by mail to the address designated on your account or sent electronically, via ACH or wire, directly to your existing account in a bank or brokerage firm in the United States as designated on your application. To redeem by telephone, call 1-866-866-4848. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or electronically 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, the transfer agent, 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 or the transfer agent, or both, will employ reasonable procedures to determine that telephone instructions are genuine. If the Fund and/or the transfer agent 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.  


Redemptions 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: You may request that your redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The Fund’s transfer agent imposes a $15 fee for each wire redemption and deducts the fee directly from your account. Your bank may also impose a fee for the incoming wire.  


Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If your individual account, IRA or other qualified plan account has a current account value of at least $10,000, you may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money to your bank account from the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers. You may elect to make subsequent withdrawals by transfers of a minimum of $100 on specified days of each month into your established bank account. Please contact the Fund at 1-866-866-4848 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan.


Redemptions in Kind: The Fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders made by a shareholder during any 90-day period by making payment in whole or in part in portfolio securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount of such a request is large enough to affect operations (if the request is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period).  The securities will be chosen by the Fund and valued using the same procedures as used in calculating the Fund’s NAV. 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. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or by wire within three business days after receipt of a request in "good order." If you purchase shares using a check and soon after request a redemption, your redemption proceeds will not be sent until the check used for your purchase has cleared your bank (usually within 10 days of the purchase date).


Good Order: Your redemption request will be processed if it is in "good order."  To be in good order, the following conditions must be satisfied:


The request should be in writing, unless 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; and

If you request that the redemption proceeds be sent to a person, bank or an address other than that of record or paid to someone other than the record owner(s), or if the address was changed within the last 30 days, or if the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $50,000, the signature(s) on the request must be medallion signature guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor.


When You Need Medallion Signature Guarantees :  If you wish to change the bank or brokerage account that you have designated on your account, you may do so at any time by writing to the Fund with your signature guaranteed.  A medallion signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects you from unauthorized account transfers. You will need your signature guaranteed if:

 

18



 


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 $50,000;

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).  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 Fund 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.  


Low Balances: If at any time your account balance falls below $2,000 ($1,000 for retirement accounts), the Fund may notify you that, unless the account is brought up to at least $2,000 ($1,000 for retirement accounts) within 30 days of the notice, your account could be closed. 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. Your account will not be closed if the account balance drops below $2,000 ($1,000 for retirement accounts) due to a decline in NAV.


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 currently uses several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include:


Committing 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;"

Rejecting or limiting specific purchase requests; and

Rejecting purchase requests from certain investors.

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.





19

 




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, 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.


Waivers of Redemption Fees : The Fund has elected not to impose the redemption fee under certain circumstances, limited to:


Redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions;

Certain types of redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares owned through participant-directed retirement plans;

Redemptions or exchanges in discretionary asset allocation, fee based or wrap programs ("wrap programs") that are initiated by the sponsor/financial advisor as part of a periodic rebalancing;

Redemptions or exchanges in a fee based or wrap program that are made as a result of a full withdrawal from the wrap program or as part of a systematic withdrawal plan including the Fund's systematic withdrawal plan;

Involuntary redemptions, such as those resulting from a shareholder's failure to maintain a minimum investment in the Fund, or to pay shareholder fees; or

Other types of redemptions as the Adviser or the Trust may determine in special situations and approved by the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer.


TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS


Effective April 1, 2014, the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income monthly and net capital gains annually in December. Prior to April 1, 2014, the Fund distributed substantially all of its net investment income quarterly. Both types of 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.


When you redeem, sell or exchange Fund shares, you will generally realize a taxable gain or loss (unless you are a tax-exempt investor or your investment is in a qualified retirement account).  This gain or loss 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.  Due to recent legislation, the Fund (or its administrative agent) is required to report to the IRS and furnish to shareholders the cost basis information for sale transactions of shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012. Please see the SAI for more information relating to this legislation).


For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.


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 may be required to withhold taxes if a number is not delivered to the Fund within seven days.

 

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The foregoing is only a brief summary of certain federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund.  This summary is not intended to be and should not be construed to be legal or tax advice. You should consult your own tax advisers to determine the tax consequences of owning the Fund’s shares.


DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES


Distributor: Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, 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: Each class of shares of the Fund, other than Class I shares, has adopted a Distribution Plan ("12b-1 Plan" or "Plan"), pursuant to which the Fund may pay the Distributor an annual fee for distribution and shareholder servicing expenses of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares, up to 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A1 shares, up to 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class C shares, and up to 0.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares.


The 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 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, including affiliates of the Adviser. 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 mails only one copy of the prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Fund at 1-866-866-4848 on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.





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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the period of the Fund's operations.  Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share.  The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment if all dividends and distributions).  This information for the Fund has been derived from the financial statements audited by McGladrey LLP, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, are included in the Fund's October 31, 2013 annual report, which is available upon request and is incorporated by reference in the SAI.


Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout the Period


 

 

 

Class A

 

 

 

 

For the Period

 

 

 

 

Ended

 

 

 

 

October 31, 2013

(1)

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

 

$       10.00

 

Activity from Investment Operations:

 

 

 

 

  Net investment income

 

                       0.06

(2)

 

  Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

 

                         0.02

 

Total from investment operations

 

                         0.08

 

Net Asset Value, End of Period

 

$       10.08

 

Total Return (3)

 

0.80%

(6)

 

Net assets, end of period

 

$            10

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (4)(5)(8)

 

8.24%

(7)

 

Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (5)

 

1.70%

(7)

 

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (5)

 

1.74%

(7)

 

Portfolio turnover rate

 

37%

(6)

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund Class A shares commenced investment operations on June 28, 2013.

(2)

Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately represents the per share data for the period.

(3)

Total Return shown excludes the effect of applicable sales charges and redemption fees.  Total returns are historical in nature and assume changes in sale price, reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions.  Had the Advisor not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower.

(4)

Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Advisor.

(5)

The ratios of expenses to average net assets and net investment income (loss) to average net assets do not reflect the expenses of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.

(6)

Not annualized.

(7)

Annualized.

(8)

As the share class had 1 share outstanding over the period, the ratio presented is based upon the expected expense level for the class provided in the Fund’s prospectus.




22

 




FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout the Period

 

 

 

Class A1

 

 

 

 

For the Period

 

 

 

 

Ended

 

 

 

 

October 31, 2013

(1)

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

 

$       10.00

 

Activity from Investment Operations:

 

 

 

 

  Net investment income

 

                       (0.10)

(2)

 

  Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

 

                         0.18

 

Total from investment operations

 

                         0.08

 

Net Asset Value, End of Period

 

$       10.08

 

Total Return (3)

 

0.80%

(6)

 

Net assets, end of period

 

$            10

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (4)(5)(8)

 

8.39%

(7)

 

Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (5)

 

1.85%

(7)

 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets (5)

 

(2.89)%

(7)

 

Portfolio turnover rate

 

37%

(6)

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund Class A1 shares commenced investment operations on June 28, 2013.

(2)

Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately represents the per share data for the period.

(3)

Total Return shown excludes the effect of applicable sales charges and redemption fees.  Total returns are historical in nature and assume changes in sale price, reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions.  Had the Advisor not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower.

(4)

Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Advisor.

(5)

The ratios of expenses to average net assets and net investment income (loss) to average net assets do not reflect the expenses of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.

(6)

Not annualized.

(7)

Annualized.

(8)

As the share class had 1 share outstanding over the period, the ratio presented is based upon the expected expense level for the class provided in the Fund’s prospectus.




23

 




FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout the Period

 

 

 

Class C

 

 

 

 

For the Period

 

 

 

 

Ended

 

 

 

 

October 31, 2013

(1)

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

 

$       10.00

 

Activity from Investment Operations:

 

 

 

 

  Net investment income

 

                       (0.08)

(2)

 

  Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

 

                         0.16

 

Total from investment operations

 

                         0.08

 

Net Asset Value, End of Period

 

$       10.08

 

Total Return (3)

 

0.80%

(6)

 

Net assets, end of period

 

$            10

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (4)(5)(8)

 

8.99%

(7)

 

Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (5)

 

2.45%

(7)

 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets (5)

 

(2.32)%

(7)

 

Portfolio turnover rate

 

37%

(6)

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund Class C shares commenced investment operations on June 28, 2013.

(2)

Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately represents the per share data for the period.

(3)

Total Return shown excludes the effect of applicable sales charges and redemption fees.  Total returns are historical in nature and assume changes in sale price, reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions.  Had the Advisor not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower.

(4)

Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Advisor.

(5)

The ratios of expenses to average net assets and net investment income (loss) to average net assets do not reflect the expenses of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.

(6)

Not annualized.

(7)

Annualized.

(8)

As the share class had 1 share outstanding over the period, the ratio presented is based upon the expected expense level for the class provided in the Fund’s prospectus.






24

 

 




FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout the Period

 

 

 

Class I

 

 

 

 

For the Period

 

 

 

 

Ended

 

 

 

 

October 31, 2013

(1)

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

 

$       10.00

 

Activity from Investment Operations:

 

 

 

 

  Net investment income

 

                       0.03

(2)

 

  Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

 

                         0.05

 

Total from investment operations

 

                         0.08

 

Net Asset Value, End of Period

 

$       10.08

 

Total Return (3)

 

0.80%

(6)

 

Net assets, end of period (000s)

 

$       4,727

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (4)(5)

 

7.99%

(7)

 

Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (5)

 

1.45%

(7)

 

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (5)

 

0.82%

(7)

 

Portfolio turnover rate

 

37%

(6)

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund Class I shares commenced investment operations on June 28, 2013.

(2)

Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately represents the per share data for the period.

(3)

Total Return shown excludes the effect of applicable sales charges and redemption fees.  Total returns are historical in nature and assume changes in sale price, reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions.  Had the Advisor not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower.

(4)

Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Advisor.

(5)

The ratios of expenses to average net assets and net investment income (loss) to average net assets do not reflect the expenses of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.

(6)

Not annualized.

(7)

Annualized.




25

 

 





FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout the Period

 

 

 

Class R

 

 

 

 

For the Period

 

 

 

 

Ended

 

 

 

 

October 31, 2013

(1)

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

 

$       10.00

 

Activity from Investment Operations:

 

 

 

 

  Net investment income

 

                       (0.07)

(2)

 

  Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

 

                         0.15

 

Total from investment operations

 

                         0.08

 

Net Asset Value, End of Period

 

$       10.08

 

Total Return (3)

 

0.80%

(6)

 

Net assets, end of period

 

$            10

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (4)(5)(8)

 

8.49%

(7)

 

Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (5)

 

1.95%

(7)

 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets (5)

 

(2.03)%

(7)

 

Portfolio turnover rate

 

37%

(6)

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund Class R shares commenced investment operations on June 28, 2013.

(2)

Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately represents the per share data for the period.

(3)

Total Return shown excludes the effect of applicable sales charges and redemption fees.  Total returns are historical in nature and assume changes in sale price, reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions.  Had the Advisor not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower.

(4)

Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Advisor.

(5)

The ratios of expenses to average net assets and net investment income (loss) to average net assets do not reflect the expenses of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.

(6)

Not annualized.

(7)

Annualized.

(8)

As the share class had 1 share outstanding over the period, the ratio presented is based upon the expected expense level for the class provided in the Fund’s prospectus.




26

 

 



PRIVACY NOTICE


 

FACTS

WHAT DOES TWO ROADS SHARED TRUST 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 DEPENDS ON THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE WITH US. THIS INFORMATION CAN INCLUDE:

·

Social Security number and income

·

Account transactions and transaction history

·

Investment experience and purchase history

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 reason Two Roads Shared Trust chooses to share and whether you can limit this sharing.

Reasons we can share your personal information

Does Two Roads Shared Trust share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes –

such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

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



27

 

 






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 1-402-895-1600


 

What we do

How does Two Roads Shared Trust protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law.

These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.


Our service providers are held accountable for adhering to strict policies and procedures to prevent any misuse of your nonpublic personal information.

How does Two Roads Shared Trust collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

·

open an account or give us contact information

·

provide account information or give us your income information

·

make deposits or withdrawals from your account

We also collect your personal information from other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

·

sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness

·

affiliates from using your information to market to you

·

sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing





28

 





Definitions

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control.  They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

·

Two Roads Shared Trust has no affiliates.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control.  They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

·

Two Roads Shared Trust does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliates financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

·

Two Roads Shared Trust does not jointly market.





29

 

 




Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund


Adviser

Anfield Capital Management, LLC

4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 430, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Distributor

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC

17605 Wright Street

Omaha, NE  68130

Custodian

MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

350 California Street, 6th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

Legal Counsel

Dechert LLP

2010 Main Street, Suite 500

Irvine, California  92614

Transfer Agent


Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, NE  68130

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

McGladrey LLP

555 17th Street, Suite 1000

Denver, CO 80202


Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s SAI and annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. The SAI and the financial statements included in the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013, including the notes thereto and report of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon, are 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.  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 the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call 1-866-866-4848. Information relating to the Fund can be found at www.AnfieldFunds.com.  You may also write to:


Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130


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. 20549-0102.


Investment Company Act File # 811-22718



30

 

 






ANFIELD UNIVERSAL FIXED INCOME FUND



A Series of Two Roads Shared Trust






 

Tickers

Fund

Class A

Class A1

Class C

Class I

Class R

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

AFLEX

AFLMX

AFLKX

AFLIX

AFLRX


 

 

 

 


STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


Dated August 11, 2014



This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus of the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund ( the “ Fund ”) dated August 11, 2014, copies of which may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund’s Transfer Agent, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. You may also obtain the prospectus for the Fund by calling or by visiting the Fund’s website:


Fund Name

Phone Number

Website

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

1-866-866-4848

www.AnfieldFunds.com


 

 








TABLE OF CONTENTS


THE FUND

1

TYPES OF INVESTMENTS, STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

1

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

20

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

21

MANAGEMENT

22

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS

26

INVESTMENT ADVISER

27

THE DISTRIBUTOR

29

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

31

ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE

32

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

33

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

33

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

34

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM

35

PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES

35

TAX STATUS

36

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

40

LEGAL COUNSEL

40

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

40

APPENDIX A

41

APPENDIX B

43


 



1





THE FUND


The Fund is a series of Two Roads Shared Trust, a Delaware statutory trust organized on June 8, 2012 (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 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 “diversified” series of the Trust, meaning the Fund is subject to the diversification requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), which generally limit investments, as to 75% of a fund’s total assets, to no more than 5% in securities in a single issuer and 10% of an issuer’s voting securities.    


The Fund consists of Class A, Class A1, Class C, Class I and Class R shares.   The Fund’s investment objective, restrictions and policies are more fully described here and in the applicable prospectus. The Board may start other series and offer shares of a new fund under the Trust at any time.  


Under the Trust’s 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 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.


TYPES OF INVESTMENTS, STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS


The investment objective of the Fund and a description of its principal investment strategies are set forth under “Additional Information About Principal Investment Strategies and Related Risks” in the Fund’s prospectus. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust.  


The following pages contain more detailed information about the types of instruments in which the Fund may invest, strategies the Adviser may employ in pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective and a summary of related risks.  


Equity Securities  


Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common stocks, such as convertible bonds, warrants, rights and options. The value of equity securities varies in response to many factors, including the activities and financial condition of individual companies, the business market in which individual companies compete and general market and economic conditions. Equity securities fluctuate in value, often based on factors unrelated to the value of the issuer of the securities, and such fluctuations can be significant.  


Common Stock


Common stock represents an equity (ownership) interest in a company, and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price.


Preferred Stock


Preferred stock is a class of stock having a preference over common stock as to the payment of dividends and the recovery of investment should a company be liquidated, although preferred stock is usually junior to the fixed income securities of the issuer. Preferred stock typically does not possess voting rights and its market value may change based on changes in interest rates.



1





The fundamental risk of investing in common and preferred stock is the risk that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. Historically, common stocks have provided greater long-term returns and have entailed greater short-term risks than preferred stocks, fixed income securities and money market investments. The market value of all securities, including common and preferred stocks, is based upon the market’s perception of value and not necessarily the book value of an issuer or other objective measures of a company’s worth.


Convertible Securities


Convertible securities include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants or a combination of the features of several of these securities. Convertible securities are senior to common stocks in an issuer’s capital structure, but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While providing a fixed-income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar nonconvertible security), a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock.


Depositary Receipts


American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are receipts issued by an American bank or trust company evidencing ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign (non-U.S.) issuer. ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in U.S. securities markets. Unsponsored ADRs may be created without the participation of the foreign (non-U.S.) issuer. Holders of these ADRs generally bear all the costs of the ADR facility, whereas foreign (non-U.S.) issuers typically bear certain costs in a sponsored ADR. The bank or trust company depositary of an unsponsored ADR may be under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the foreign (non-U.S.) issuer or to pass through voting rights.  


Warrants


Warrants are options to purchase common stock at a specific price (usually at a premium above the market value of the optioned common stock at issuance) valid for a specific period of time. Warrants may have a life ranging from less than one year to twenty years, or they may be perpetual. However, most warrants have expiration dates after which they are worthless. In addition, a warrant is worthless if the market price of the common stock does not exceed the warrant’s exercise price during the life of the warrant. Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The percentage increase or decrease in the market price of the warrant may tend to be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the market price of the optioned common stock.


Fixed Income Securities


Yields on fixed income securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including the general conditions of the money market and other fixed income securities markets, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. An investment in any Fund will be subjected to risk even if all fixed income securities in the Fund’s portfolio are paid in full at maturity.  All fixed income securities, including U.S. Government securities, can change in value when there is a change in interest rates or the issuer’s actual or perceived creditworthiness or ability to meet its obligations.


There is normally an inverse relationship between the market value of securities sensitive to prevailing interest rates and actual changes in interest rates. In other words, an increase in interest rates produces a decrease in market value. The longer the remaining maturity (and duration) of a security, the greater will be the effect of interest rate changes on the market value of that security. Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the markets’ perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness will also affect the market value of the fixed income securities of that issuer. Obligations of issuers of fixed income securities (including municipal securities) are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. In addition, the obligations of municipal issuers may become subject to laws enacted in the future by Congress, state legislatures, or referenda extending the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness will also affect the market value of the fixed income securities of that issuer. The possibility exists, therefore, that, the ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its fixed income securities may become impaired.




2





The corporate fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate bonds and notes and short-term investments such as commercial paper and variable rate demand notes. Commercial paper (short-term promissory notes) is issued by companies to finance their or their affiliate’s current obligations and is frequently unsecured. Variable and floating rate demand notes are unsecured obligations redeemable upon not more than 30 days’ notice. These obligations include master demand notes that permit investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to a direct arrangement with the issuer of the instrument. The issuer of these obligations often has the right, after a given period, to prepay the outstanding principal amount of the obligations upon a specified number of days’ notice. These obligations generally are not traded, nor generally is there an established secondary market for these obligations. To the extent a demand note does not have a 7-day or shorter demand feature and there is no readily available market for the obligation, it is treated as an illiquid security.


Certificates of Deposit and Bankers’ Acceptances


The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, which are considered to be short-term money market instruments.  


Certificates of deposit are receipts issued by a depository institution in exchange for the deposit of funds. The issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the receipt on the date specified on the certificate. The certificate usually can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. Bankers’ acceptances typically arise from short-term credit arrangements designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then “accepted” by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a specific maturity.   Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.  


Commercial Paper


The Fund may purchase commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations.  See Appendix B for more information on ratings assigned to commercial paper.


High Yield Securities


Greater Risk of Loss

These securities are regarded as predominately speculative. There is a greater risk that issuers of lower-rated securities will default than issuers of higher-rated securities. Issuers of lower-rated securities generally are less creditworthy and may be highly indebted, financially distressed, or bankrupt. These issuers are more vulnerable to real or perceived economic changes, political changes or adverse industry developments. In addition, high yield securities are frequently subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness. If an issuer fails to pay principal or interest on securities held by the Fund, the Fund would experience a decrease in income and a decline in the market value of its investments.

Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Changes

The income and market value of lower-rated securities may fluctuate more than higher-rated securities. Although non-investment grade securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than investment grade securities, non-investment grade securities are more sensitive to short-term corporate, economic and market developments. During periods of economic uncertainty and change, the market price of the investments in lower-rated securities may be volatile. The default rate for high yield bonds tends to be cyclical, with defaults rising in periods of economic downturn.

Valuation Difficulties

It is often more difficult to value lower-rated securities than higher-rated securities. If an issuer’s financial condition deteriorates, accurate financial and business information may be limited or unavailable. In addition, the lower-rated investments may be thinly traded and there may be no established secondary market. Because of the lack of market pricing and current information for investments in lower-rated securities, valuation of such investments is much more dependent on judgment than is the case with higher-rated securities.



3





Liquidity

There may be no established secondary or public market for investments in lower-rated securities. Such securities are frequently traded in markets that may be relatively less liquid than the market for higher-rated securities. In addition, relatively few institutional purchasers may hold a major portion of an issue of lower-rated securities at times. As a result, the Fund may be required to sell investments at substantial losses or retain them indefinitely when an issuer’s financial condition is deteriorating.

Credit Quality

Credit quality of non-investment grade securities can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and even recently-issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular high-yield security.

New Legislation

Future legislation may have a possible negative impact on the market for high yield, high risk bonds. As an example, in the late 1980’s, legislation required federally-insured savings and loan associations to divest their investments in high yield, high risk bonds. New legislation, if enacted, could have a material negative effect on the Fund’s investments in lower-rated securities.

High yield, high risk investments may include the following:

Straight fixed income securities

These include bonds and other debt obligations that bear a fixed or variable rate of interest payable at regular intervals and have a fixed or resettable maturity date. The particular terms of such securities vary and may include features such as call provisions and sinking funds.

Zero-coupon debt securities

These do not pay periodic interest but are issued at a discount from their value at maturity. When held to maturity, their entire return equals the difference between their issue price and their maturity value.

Zero-fixed-coupon debt securities

These are zero-coupon debt securities that convert on a specified date to periodic interest-paying debt securities.

Pay-in-kind bonds

These are bonds which allow the issuer, at its option, to make current interest payments on the bonds either in cash or in additional bonds. These bonds are typically sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act“), usually to a relatively small number of institutional investors.

Convertible Securities

These are bonds or preferred stock that may be converted to common stock.

Preferred Stock

These are stocks that generally pay a dividend at a specified rate and have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and in liquidation.

Loan Participations and Assignments

These are participations in, or assignments of all or a portion of loans to corporations or to governments, including governments of less developed countries (“LDCs”).


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Securities issued in connection with Reorganizations and Corporate Restructurings

In connection with reorganizing or restructuring of an issuer, an issuer may issue common stock or other securities to holders of its fixed income securities. The Fund may hold such common stock and other securities even if it does not invest in such securities.

Distressed Securities

An investment in distressed securities may involve a substantial degree of risk.  These instruments, which involve loans, loan participations, bonds, notes, non-performing and sub-performing mortgage loans typically are unrated, lower-rated, in default or close to default.  Many of these instruments are not publicly traded, and may become illiquid. The prices of such instruments may be extremely volatile. Securities of distressed companies are generally more likely to become worthless than the securities of more financially stable companies. Valuing such instruments may be difficult, and the Fund may lose all of its investment, or it may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the Fund’s original investment. Issuers of distressed securities are typically in a weak financial condition and may default, in which case the Fund may lose its entire investment.

Information on Time Deposits and Variable Rate Notes


The Fund may invest in fixed time deposits, whether or not subject to withdrawal penalties.

The commercial paper obligations which the Fund may buy are unsecured and may include variable rate notes. The nature and terms of a variable rate note (i.e., a “Master Note”) permit the Fund to invest fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to a direct arrangement between the Fund as lender, and the issuer, as borrower. It permits daily changes in the amounts borrowed. The Fund has the right at any time to increase, up to the full amount stated in the note agreement, or to decrease the amount outstanding under the note. The issuer may prepay at any time and without penalty any part of or the full amount of the note. The note may or may not be backed by one or more bank letters of credit. Because these notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and the issuer, it is not generally contemplated that they will be traded; moreover, there is currently no secondary market for them. Except as specifically provided in the Prospectus, there is no limitation on the type of issuer from whom these notes may be purchased; however, in connection with such purchase and on an ongoing basis, the Adviser will consider the earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of the issuer, and its ability to pay principal and interest on demand, including a situation in which all holders of such notes made demand simultaneously. Variable rate notes are subject to the Fund’s investment restriction on illiquid securities unless such notes can be put back to the issuer on demand within seven days.


Insured Bank Obligations


The Fund may invest in insured bank obligations. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insures the deposits of federally insured banks and savings and loan associations (collectively referred to as “banks”) up to $250,000. The Fund may purchase bank obligations, which are fully insured as to principal by the FDIC. Currently, to remain fully insured as to principal, these investments must be limited to $250,000 per bank; if the principal amount and accrued interest together exceed $250,000, the excess principal and accrued interest will not be insured. Insured bank obligations may have limited marketability.  


United States Government Obligations


The Fund may invest in United States Government Obligations. These consist of various types of marketable securities issued by the United States Treasury, i.e., bills, notes and bonds. Such securities are direct obligations of the United States government and differ mainly in the length of their maturity. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government security, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis.  


United States Government Agency  


The Fund may invest in securities issued by United States Government Agencies. These consist of fixed income 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 (“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 (“FHLMC”), the Farm Credit Banks, the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), and the United States Postal Service. These securities are either: (i) backed by the full

 


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faith and credit of the United States government (e.g., United States Treasury Bills); (ii) guaranteed by the United States Treasury (e.g., GNMA mortgage-backed securities); (iii) supported by the issuing agency ’s or instrumentality’s right to borrow from the United States Treasury (e.g., FNMA Discount Notes); or (iv) supported only by the issuing agency’s or instrumentality’s own credit (e.g., Tennessee Valley Association).


Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government) include FNMA and FHLMC. FNMA 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-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.  


FHLMC 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 and now owned entirely by private stockholders. FHLMC issues Participation Certificates (“PC’s”), which represent interests in conventional mortgages from FHLMC’s national portfolio. FHLMC 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-through 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.


Mortgage Pass-Through Securities

Interests in pools of mortgage pass-through securities differ from other forms of fixed income securities (which normally provide periodic payments of interest in fixed amounts and the payment of principal in a lump sum at maturity or on specified call dates). Instead, mortgage pass-through securities provide monthly payments consisting of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a “pass-through” of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on the underlying residential mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Unscheduled payments of principal may be made if the underlying mortgage loans are repaid or refinanced or the underlying properties are foreclosed, thereby shortening the securities’ weighted average life. Some mortgage pass-through securities (such as securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae) are described as “modified pass-through securities.” These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, on the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether the mortgagor actually makes the payment.

The principal governmental guarantor of mortgage pass-through securities is Ginnie Mae. Ginnie Mae is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, the timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by lending institutions approved by Ginnie Mae (such as savings and loan institutions, commercial banks and mortgage bankers) and backed by pools of mortgage loans. These mortgage loans are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. A “pool” or group of such mortgage loans is assembled and after being approved by Ginnie Mae, is offered to investors through securities dealers.

Government-related guarantors of mortgage pass-through securities (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury) include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae 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 sellers/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Mortgage pass-through 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 U.S. Treasury.

Freddie Mac was created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a U.S. government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks and now owned by stockholders. Freddie Mac issues Participation Certificates (“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 U.S. Treasury.


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Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through 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 pass-through securities.

Resets

The interest rates paid on the Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities (“ARMs”) in which the Fund may invest generally are readjusted or reset at intervals of one year or less to an increment over some predetermined interest rate index. There are two main categories of indices: those based on U.S. Treasury securities and those derived from a calculated measure, such as a cost-of-funds index or a moving average of mortgage rates. Commonly utilized indices include the one-year and five-year constant maturity Treasury Note rates, the three-month Treasury Bill rate, the 180-day Treasury Bill rate, rates on longer-term Treasury securities, the National Median Cost of Funds, the one-month or three-month London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), the prime rate of a specific bank, or commercial paper rates. Some indices, such as the one-year constant maturity Treasury Note rate, closely mirror changes in market interest rate levels. Others tend to lag changes in market rate levels and tend to be somewhat less volatile.

Caps and Floors

The underlying mortgages that collateralize the ARMs in which the Fund may invest will frequently have caps and floors which limit the maximum amount by which the loan rate to the residential borrower may change up or down: (1) per reset or adjustment interval, and (2) over the life of the loan. Some residential mortgage loans restrict periodic adjustments by limiting changes in the borrower’s monthly principal and interest payments rather than limiting interest rate changes. These payment caps may result in negative amortization. The value of mortgage securities in which the Fund invests may be affected if market interest rates rise or fall faster and farther than the allowable caps or floors on the underlying residential mortgage loans. Additionally, even though the interest rates on the underlying residential mortgages are adjustable, amortization and prepayments may occur, thereby causing the effective maturities of the mortgage securities in which the Fund invests to be shorter than the maturities stated in the underlying mortgages.

Private Mortgage Pass-Through Securities

Private mortgage pass-through securities, also known as “non-agency mortgage securities”, are structured similarly to the Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage pass-through securities and are issued by United States and foreign (non-U.S.) private issuers such as originators of and investors in mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. These securities usually are backed by a pool of conventional fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage loans. Since private mortgage pass-through securities typically are not guaranteed by an entity having the credit status of Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, such securities generally are structured with one or more types of credit enhancement.

Mortgage assets often consist of a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties. There are usually fewer properties in a pool of assets backing commercial mortgage-backed securities than in a pool of assets backing residential mortgage-backed securities; hence they may be more sensitive to the performance of fewer mortgage assets. To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, those securities may contain elements of credit support, which fall into two categories: (i) liquidity protection and (ii) protection against losses resulting from ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pool of assets, to ensure that the receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion. Protection against losses resulting from default ensures ultimate payment of the obligations on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. This protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, through various means of structuring the transaction or through a combination of such approaches. The degree of credit support provided for each issue is generally based on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with the underlying assets. Delinquencies or losses in excess of those anticipated could adversely affect the return on an investment in a security. The Fund will not pay any fees for credit support, although the existence of credit support may increase the price of a security.

Stripped Mortgage Securities

Stripped mortgage securities may be issued by federal agencies, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

Stripped mortgage securities usually are structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distribution of a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of stripped mortgage security will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of





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the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the interest-only or “IO” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only or “PO” class). PO classes generate income through the accretion of the deep discount at which such securities are purchased, and, while PO classes do not receive periodic payments of interest, they receive monthly payments associated with scheduled amortization and principal prepayment from the mortgage assets underlying the PO class. The yield to maturity on a PO or an IO class security is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets. A slower than expected rate of principal payments may have an adverse effect on a PO-class security’s yield to maturity. If the underlying mortgage assets experience slower than anticipated principal repayment, the Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on an IO-class security’s yield to maturity. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities.

The Fund may purchase stripped mortgage securities for income, or for hedging purposes to protect the Fund’s portfolio against interest rate fluctuations. For example, since an IO class will tend to increase in value as interest rates rise, it may be utilized to hedge against a decrease in value of other fixed income securities in a rising interest rate environment.

Inverse Floaters

Inverse floaters constitute a class of mortgage-backed securities with a coupon rate that moves inversely to a designated index, such as LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) or 11th District Cost of Funds Index (“COFI”). Inverse floaters have coupon rates that typically change at a multiple of the changes of the relevant index rate. Any rise in the index rate (as a consequence of an increase in interest rates) causes a drop in the coupon rate on an inverse floater while any drop in the index rate causes an increase in the coupon rate of an inverse floater. In some circumstances, the coupon on an inverse floater could decrease to zero. In addition, like most other fixed income securities, the value of inverse floaters will decrease as interest rates increase and their average lives will extend. Inverse floaters exhibit greater price volatility than the majority of mortgage-backed securities. In addition, some inverse floaters display extreme sensitivity to changes in prepayments. As a result, the yield to maturity of an inverse floater is sensitive not only to changes in interest rates but also to changes in prepayment rates on the related underlying mortgage assets. As described above, inverse floaters may be used alone or in tandem with interest-only stripped mortgage instruments.

Mortgage Dollar Rolls

The Fund may enter into mortgage dollar rolls with a bank or a broker-dealer. A mortgage dollar roll is a transaction in which the Fund sells mortgage-related securities for immediate settlement and simultaneously purchases the same type of securities for forward settlement at a discount. While the Fund begins accruing interest on the newly purchased securities from the purchase or trade date, it is able to invest the proceeds from the sale of its previously owned securities, which will be used to pay for the new securities, in money market investments until a future settlement date. The use of mortgage dollar rolls is a speculative technique involving leverage, and is considered to be a form of borrowing.

Securities of Other Investment Companies  


The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies.   The Fund’s investments in an underlying portfolio of Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), mutual funds and closed-end funds involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results, which would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying funds.


Closed-End Investment Companies  


The Fund may invest its assets in “closed-end” investment companies (or “closed-end funds”), subject to the investment restrictions set forth below. The Fund may purchase in the aggregate only up to 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any closed-end fund. 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



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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.  


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 fund’s 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, which 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 Fund’s 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 fund’s common shares in an attempt to enhance the current return to such closed-end fund’s common shareholders. The Fund’s 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.


Open-End Investment Companies  


The Fund may invest in shares of open-end investment companies. The Fund and any “affiliated persons,” as defined by the 1940 Act, may purchase in the aggregate only up to 3% of the total outstanding securities of any underlying fund 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. Accordingly, when affiliated persons hold shares of any of the underlying funds, the Fund’s ability to invest fully in shares of those funds is restricted, and the Adviser must then, in some instances, select alternative investments that would not have been its first preference. The 1940 Act also provides that an underlying fund whose shares are purchased by the Fund will be obligated to redeem shares held by the Fund only in an amount up to 1% of the underlying fund’s outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days. Shares held by the Fund in excess of 1% of an underlying fund’s outstanding securities therefore, will be considered not readily marketable securities, which, together with other such securities, may not exceed 15% of any Fund’s total assets.  Under certain circumstances an underlying fund may determine to make payment of a redemption by the Fund wholly or partly by a distribution in kind of securities from its portfolio, in lieu of cash, in conformity with the rules of the SEC. In such cases, the Fund may hold securities distributed by an underlying fund until the Adviser determines that it is appropriate to dispose of such securities.


Investment decisions by the investment advisers of the underlying funds are made independently of the Fund and its Adviser . Therefore, the investment adviser of one underlying fund may be purchasing shares of the same issuer whose shares are being sold by the Adviser of the Fund. The result would be an indirect expense to the Fund without accomplishing any investment purpose.  


Exchange Traded Funds


ETFs are typically passively managed funds that track their related index and have the flexibility of trading like a security. They are managed by professionals and provide the investor with diversification, cost and tax efficiency, liquidity, marginability, are useful for hedging, have the ability to go long and short, and some provide quarterly dividends. Additionally, some ETFs are unit investment trusts (UITs) that have two markets. The primary market is where institutions swap “creation units” in block-multiples of 50,000 shares for in-kind securities and cash in the form of dividends. The secondary market is where individual investors can trade as little as a single share during trading hours on the exchange. This is different from open-ended mutual funds that are traded after hours once the net asset value (NAV) is calculated. ETFs share many similar risks with open-end and closed-end funds.


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Derivative Instruments


The Fund may purchase and write call and put options on securities, securities indices and foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, and enter into futures contracts and use options on futures contracts as further described below. The Fund may also enter into swap agreements with respect to foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, interest rates and securities indices. The Fund may use these techniques to hedge against changes in interest rates, foreign (non-U.S.) currency exchange rates or securities prices or to attempt to achieve investment returns as part of its overall investment strategies. The Fund may also purchase and sell options relating to foreign (non-U.S.) currencies for purposes of increasing exposure to a foreign (non-U.S.) currency or to shift exposure to foreign (non-U.S.) currency fluctuations from one country to another. The Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by the Adviser in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees (or, as permitted by applicable regulation, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under options, futures, and swaps to avoid leveraging the portfolio of the Fund as described below.


The Fund considers derivative instruments to consist of securities or other instruments whose value is derived from or related to the value of some other instrument or asset, and not to include those securities whose payment of principal and/or interest depends upon cash flows from underlying assets, such as mortgage-related or asset-backed securities. The value of some derivative instruments in which the Fund invests may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates, and, like the other investments of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to successfully utilize these instruments may depend in part upon the ability of the Adviser to correctly forecast interest rates and other economic factors. If the Fund’s Adviser incorrectly forecasts such factors and has taken positions in derivative instruments contrary to prevailing market trends, the Fund could be exposed to the risk of loss. In addition, while the use of derivatives for hedging purposes can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains, and hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and security it is hedging, which means that a hedge might not be effective. The Fund might not employ any of the strategies described above, and no assurance can be given that any strategy used will succeed. A decision as to whether, when and how to utilize derivative instruments involves skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived derivatives strategy may be unsuccessful. The use of derivative instruments involves brokerage fees and/or other transaction costs.


Investment in futures-related and commodity-linked derivatives may subject the Fund to additional risks, and in particular may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of futures-related and commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment available to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from certain specified types of investments. It is currently unclear which types of commodities-linked derivatives fall within these specified investment types. As a result, if the Fund’s investment in commodities-linked derivatives were to exceed a certain threshold, the Fund could fail to qualify for the special tax treatment available to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code.


Margin Deposits and Cover Requirements


Margin Deposits for Futures Contracts


Unlike the purchase or sale of portfolio securities, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents, known as initial margin, based on the value of the contract. The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in securities transactions in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by the customer to finance the transactions. Rather, the initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract which is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, called variation margin, to and from the broker, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying instruments fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” For example, when the Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the contract has risen in response to a rise in the price of the underlying instruments, that position will have increased in value and the Fund will be entitled to receive from the broker a variation margin payment equal to that increase in value. Conversely, where the Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the futures contract has declined in response to a decrease in the underlying instruments, the position would be less valuable and the Fund would be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Adviser may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, subject to the availability of a secondary market, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain.


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Cover Requirements for Forward Contracts, Swap Agreements, Options, Futures and Options on Futures


The Fund will comply with guidelines established by the SEC with respect to coverage of forwards, futures, swaps and options. These guidelines may, in certain instances, require segregation by the Fund of cash or liquid securities with its custodian or a designated sub-custodian to the extent the Fund’s obligations with respect to these strategies are not otherwise “covered” through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument or currency or by other portfolio positions or by other means consistent with applicable regulatory policies. Segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.


For example, when entering into a futures contract that will be cash settled, the Fund will cover (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) liquid assets that, when added to the amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the mark-to-market amount, if any, owed by the Fund on the futures contract. When entering into a futures contract that does not need to be settled in cash, the Fund will maintain with its custodian (and mark to market on a daily basis) liquid assets that, when added to the amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the full notional value of the contract. Alternatively, the Fund may “cover” its position by purchasing an option on the same futures contract with a strike price as high or higher than the price of the contract held by the Fund or by entering into an agreement that enables the Fund to settle such futures contracts in cash.


To the extent the Fund writes credit default swaps, the Fund will segregate or “earmark” cash or assets determined to be liquid by the Fund in accordance with procedures established by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, or enter into  offsetting positions, with a value at least equal to the full notional amount of the swap (minus any amounts owed to the Fund). Such segregation or “earmarking” will ensure that the Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction and will limit any potential leveraging of the Fund’s portfolio. Also, the Fund does not invest more than 25% of its assets in contracts with any one counterparty.

Foreign (non-U.S.) Currency Transactions


The Fund may engage in foreign (non-U.S.) currency transactions, including foreign (non-U.S.) currency forward contracts, options, swaps, and other strategic transactions in connection with investments in securities of non-U.S. companies. The Fund will conduct their foreign (non-U.S.) currency exchange transactions either on a spot ( i.e. , cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign (non-U.S.) currency exchange market or through forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign (non-U.S.) currencies.


The Fund may enter into forward foreign (non-U.S.) currency exchange contracts (forward contracts) in order to protect against possible losses on foreign (non-U.S.) investments resulting from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, as well as to increase exposure to a foreign (non-U.S.) currency or to shift exposure to foreign (non-U.S.) currency fluctuations from one country to another. A forward contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed price on a future date which is individually negotiated and privately traded by currency traders and their customers. Although foreign (non-U.S.) exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies. However, forward contracts may limit the potential gains which could result from a positive change in such currency relationships. The Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by the Adviser in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, to cover the Fund’s obligations under forward foreign (non-U.S.) currency exchange contracts entered into for non-hedging purposes.


The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on foreign (non-U.S.) currencies for the purpose of protecting against declines in the U.S. dollar value of foreign (non-U.S.) portfolio securities and against increases in the U.S. dollar cost of foreign (non-U.S.) securities to be acquired. As with other kinds of options, however, the writing of an option on foreign (non-U.S.) currency will constitute only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received, and the Fund could be required to purchase or sell foreign (non-U.S.) currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby incurring losses. The purchase of an option on foreign (non-U.S.) currency may constitute an effective hedge against fluctuation in exchange rates although, in the event of rate movements adverse to the Fund’s position, the Fund may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction costs.


The Fund may enter into interest rate swaps on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether it is hedging its assets or its liabilities, and will usually enter into interest rate swaps on a net basis ( i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlement with respect to each interest rate swap will be calculated on a daily basis and an amount of cash or other liquid assets (marked to market daily) having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess will be segregated or “earmarked.” The Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of all counterparties on an ongoing basis. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. There is no limit on the amount of interest rate swap transactions that may be entered into by the Fund, subject to the

 

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segregation requirement described above. These transactions may in some instances involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets by the Fund or its counterparty to collateralize obligations under the swap. Under the documentation currently used in those markets, the risk of loss with respect to interest rate swaps is limited to the net amount of the payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to an interest rate swap that is not collateralized defaults, the Fund would risk the loss of the net amount of the payments that it contractually is entitled to receive.


While the Advisers are authorized to hedge against currency risk, they are not required to do so. An Adviser may choose not to hedge currency exposure.


Securities Options


The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign (non-U.S.) securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.


A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.


Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the AMEX Oil and Gas Index or the Computer and Business Equipment Index.


Options on stock indices are currently traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Pacific Stock Exchange and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.


The Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have incurred a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument or liquidate the assets held in a segregated account, as described in the Cover Requirements section, until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.


If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.



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Certain Risks Regarding Options


There are several risks associated with transactions in options. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options, whether traded over-the-counter or on an exchange, may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities or currencies; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading value; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.


Successful use by the Fund of options on stock indices will be subject to the ability of the Adviser to correctly predict movements in the directions of the stock market. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. In addition, the Fund’s ability to effectively hedge all or a portion of the securities in its portfolio, in anticipation of or during a market decline, through transactions in put options on stock indices, depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index correlate with the price movements of the securities held by the Fund. Inasmuch as the Fund’s securities will not duplicate the components of an index, the correlation will not be perfect. Consequently, the Fund bears the risk that the prices of its securities being hedged will not move in the same amount as the prices of its put options on the stock indices. It is also possible that there may be a negative correlation between the index and the Fund’s securities that would result in a loss on both such securities and the options on stock indices acquired by the Fund.


The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The purchase of stock index options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund in purchasing an option will be lost as a result of unanticipated movements in prices of the securities comprising the stock index on which the option is based.


There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If the Fund is unable to close out a call option on securities that it has written before the option is exercised, the Fund may be required to purchase the optioned securities in order to satisfy its obligation under the option to deliver such securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities.


Options on Futures Contracts


The Fund may purchase and sell options on the same types of futures in which it may invest. Options on futures are similar to options on underlying instruments except that options on futures give 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 if the option is a put), rather than to purchase or sell the futures contract, at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by the delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.  




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Dealer Options


The Fund may engage in transactions involving dealer options as well as exchange-traded options. Certain additional risks are specific to dealer options. While the Fund might look to a clearing corporation to exercise exchange-traded options, if the Fund were to purchase a dealer option it would need to rely on the dealer from which it purchased the option to perform if the option were exercised. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by the Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction.


Exchange-traded options generally have a continuous liquid market while dealer options may not. Consequently, the Fund may generally be able to realize the value of a dealer option it has purchased only by exercising or reselling the option to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes a dealer option, the Fund may generally be able to close out the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to whom the Fund originally wrote the option. While the Fund will seek to enter into dealer options only with dealers who will agree to and which are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will at any time be able to liquidate a dealer option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. Unless the Fund, as a covered dealer call option writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used as cover until the option expires or is exercised. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Fund may be unable to liquidate a dealer option. With respect to options written by the Fund, the inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in material losses to the Fund. For example, because the Fund must maintain a secured position with respect to any call option on a security it writes, the Fund may not sell the assets, which it has segregated to secure the position while it is obligated under the option. This requirement may impair the Fund’s ability to sell portfolio securities at a time when such sale might be advantageous.


The Staff of the SEC has taken the position that purchased dealer options are illiquid securities. The Fund may treat the cover used for written dealer options as liquid if the dealer agrees that the Fund may repurchase the dealer options they have written for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula. In such cases, the dealer option would be considered illiquid only to the extent the maximum purchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option. Accordingly, the Fund will treat dealer options as subject to the Fund’s limitation on illiquid securities. If the SEC changes its position on the liquidity of dealer options, the Fund will change their treatment of such instruments accordingly.


Spread Transactions


The Fund may purchase covered spread options from securities dealers. These covered spread options are not presently exchange-listed or exchange-traded. The purchase of a spread option gives the Fund the right to put securities that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread in relationship to another security that the Fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark. The risk to the Fund, in addition to the risks of dealer options described above, is the cost of the premium paid as well as any transaction costs. The purchase of spread options will be used to protect the Fund against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high quality and lower quality securities. This protection is provided only during the life of the spread options.


Repurchase Agreements


The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. In a repurchase agreement, an investor (such as the Fund) purchases a security (known as the “underlying security”) from a securities dealer or bank. Any such dealer or bank must be deemed creditworthy by the Adviser. At that time, the bank or securities dealer agrees to repurchase the underlying security at a mutually agreed upon price on a designated future date. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at an agreed upon rate due to the Fund on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund generally will be unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying securities. Repurchase agreements must be “fully collateralized,” in that the market value of the underlying securities (including accrued interest) must at all times be equal to or greater than the repurchase price. Therefore, a repurchase agreement can be considered a loan collateralized by the underlying securities.  


Repurchase agreements are generally for a short period of time, often less than a week, and will generally be used by the Fund to invest excess cash or as part of a temporary defensive strategy. Repurchase agreements that do not provide for payment within seven days will be treated as illiquid securities. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default by the seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying security and losses. These losses could result from: (a) possible decline in the value of the underlying security while the Fund is seeking to enforce its rights under the repurchase agreement; (b) possible reduced levels of income or lack of access to income during this period; and (c) expenses of enforcing its rights.


Swaps

Swap Agreements

Swap agreements are typically two-party, uncleared contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments.  The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index.  Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.”  Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap


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agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”).  Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term.  Swap agreements often do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets.  Accordingly, if a swap is entered into on a net basis, if the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that such Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.  The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to a swap agreement entered into on a net basis will be accrued daily and an amount of cash or liquid asset having an aggregate NAV at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account with the Fund’s custodian that satisfies the 1940 Act.   The Fund will also establish and maintain such accounts with respect to its total obligations under any swaps that are not entered into on a net basis.  Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities.  Because most swap agreements are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Fund illiquid investment limitations.   The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy.   The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.  

The Fund may enter into a swap agreement in circumstances where the Adviser believes that it may be more cost effective or practical than buying the underlying securities or a futures contract or an option on such securities.  The counterparty to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer.  The counterparty will generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks, futures contracts or other underlying assets represented in the index, plus the dividends that would have been received on those instruments.   The Fund will agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks, futures contracts or other underlying assets.  Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.  

The Fund may enter into total return swap agreements. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of underlying assets, which may include a specified security, futures contract, basket of securities or futures contracts, defined portfolios of bonds, loans and mortgages, or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security, commodity or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security, commodity or market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Total return swaps are a mechanism for the user to accept the economic benefits of asset ownership without utilizing the balance sheet. The other leg of the swap, usually the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), is spread to reflect the non-balance sheet nature of the product. Total return swaps can be designed with any underlying asset agreed between two parties. Typically no notional amounts are exchanged with total return swaps. Total return swap agreements entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligations to the Fund thereunder. Swap agreements also entail the risk that the Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis ( i.e. , the two payment streams are netted out with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments).

The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments that are traded in the over-the-counter market.   The Fund’s Adviser, under the supervision of the Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of the Fund’s transactions in swap agreements. The use of equity swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

Credit Default Swaps

In a credit default swap, one party makes a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return in the event of a default by a third party, typically an emerging country, on its obligation. The Fund may use credit default swaps to provide a measure of protection against defaults of sovereign issuers (i.e., to reduce risk where the Fund owns or has exposure to the sovereign issuer) and may use credit default swaps to take an active long or short position with respect to the likelihood of a particular issuer’s default. In connection with these agreements, cash or liquid securities may be set aside as collateral by the Fund’s custodian in accordance with the terms of the swap agreement. The Fund earns interest on cash set aside as collateral. Swaps are marked to market daily based upon quotations from market makers and the change in value, if any, is recorded as unrealized gain or loss. These financial instruments are not actively traded on financial markets. The values assigned to these instruments are based upon the best available information and because of the uncertainty of the valuation, these values may differ significantly from the values that would have been

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realized had a ready market for these instruments existed, and the differences could be material. Payments received or made at the end of the measurement period are recorded as realized gain or loss. Entering into these agreements involves, to varying degrees, elements of credit, market, and documentation risk. Such risks involve the possibility that there will be no liquid market for these agreements, that the counterparty to the agreements may default on its obligation to perform or disagree as to the meaning of contractual terms in the agreements, and that there may be unfavorable changes in interest rates.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments requires the clearing and exchange-trading of certain interest rate swaps and credit default swaps.  The Dodd-Frank Act will ultimately require the clearing of many additional types of OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and SEC recently defined as “swaps” including non-deliverable foreign (non-U.S.) exchange forwards, OTC foreign (non-U.S.) exchange options and swaptions.  Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will take place on a phased-in basis based on type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing.  The Adviser will continue to monitor developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swap agreements.

Trading in Futures Contracts


A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific financial instrument (e.g., units of a stock index) for a specified price, date, time and place designated at the time the contract is made. Brokerage fees are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. Entering into a contract to buy is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position. Entering into a contract to sell is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position.  


Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price would be paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Upon entering into a futures contract, and to maintain the Fund’s open positions in futures contracts, the Fund would be required to deposit with its futures broker in a segregated account an amount of cash, U.S. Government securities, suitable money market instruments, or other liquid securities, known as “initial margin.”


The margin required for a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the contract. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margins that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.


If the price of an open futures contract changes (by increase in underlying instrument or index in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) so that the loss on the futures contract reaches a point at which the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, the broker will require an increase in the margin. However, if the value of a position increases because of favorable price changes in the futures contract so that the margin deposit exceeds the required margin, the broker will pay the excess to the Fund.


These subsequent payments, called “variation margin,” to and from the futures broker, are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying assets fluctuate making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” The Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits.


Although certain futures contracts, by their terms, require actual future delivery of and payment for the underlying instruments, in practice most futures contracts are usually closed out before the delivery date. Closing out an open futures contract purchase or sale is effected by entering into an offsetting futures contract sale or purchase, respectively, for the same aggregate amount of the identical underlying instrument or index and the same delivery date. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is more, the Fund realizes a loss. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a loss. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract.  




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For example, one contract in the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index future is a contract to buy 25 pounds sterling multiplied by the level of the UK Financial Times 100 Share Index on a given future date. Settlement of a stock index futures contract may or may not be in the underlying instrument or index. If not in the underlying instrument or index, then settlement will be made in cash, equivalent over time to the difference between the contract price and the actual price of the underlying asset at the time the stock index futures contract expires.  

Over-the-Counter Instruments

The trading of over-the-counter instruments subjects the Fund to a variety of risks including: (1) counterparty risk; (2) basis risk; (3) interest rate risk; (4) settlement risk; (5) legal risk; and (6) operational risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the Fund’s counterparties might default on their obligation to pay or perform generally on their obligations. The over-the-counter markets and some foreign markets are “principals’ markets.” That means that performance of the contract is the responsibility only of the individual firm or member on the other side of the trade and not any exchange or clearing corporation. Such “counterparty risk” is accentuated for contracts with longer maturities where events may intervene to prevent settlement, or where the Fund has concentrated its transactions with a single or small group of counterparties. Basis risk is the risk attributable to the movements in the spread between the derivative contract price and the future price of the underlying instrument. Interest rate risk is the general risk associated with movements in interest rates. Settlement risk is the risk that a settlement in a transfer system does not take place as expected. Legal risk is the risk that a transaction proves unenforceable in law or because it has been inadequately documented. Operational risk is the risk of unexpected losses arising from deficiencies in a firm’s management information, support and control systems and procedures. Transactions in over-the-counter derivatives may involve other risks as well, as there is no exchange market on which to close out an open position. It may be impossible to liquidate an existing position, to assess the value of a position or to assess the exposure to risk.

The Fund’s futures contracts may be subject to periods of illiquidity because of market conditions, regulatory considerations and other reasons. For example, commodity exchanges limit fluctuations in certain futures contract prices during a single day by regulations referred to as “daily limits.” During a single day, no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limit. Once the price of a futures contract for a particular commodity has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit, positions in the commodity futures contracts can neither be taken nor liquidated unless the traders are willing to effect trades at or within the limit. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading. Such market conditions could prevent the Fund from promptly liquidating its futures contracts.

Regulatory Risks of Derivative Use


The CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that will subject advisers to certain registered investment companies to registration with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) if an investment company is unable to meet certain trading and marketing limitations. In relation to these regulatory changes adopted by the CFTC, the Fund’s Adviser has claimed an exclusion from the definition of CPO and, therefore, is not subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act.  However, it is possible that the Adviser may be required to register as a CPO in the future and comply with any applicable reporting, disclosure or other regulatory requirements. Compliance with CFTC regulatory requirements will increase Fund expenses.   Other potentially adverse regulatory initiatives could also develop

Adviser Risks


If the Adviser to the Fund manages more money in the future, including money raised in this offering, such additional funds could affect its performance or trading strategies. Also, the Adviser manages other accounts. This increases the competition for the same trades which the Fund makes. There is no assurance that the Fund’s trading will generate the same results as any other accounts managed by the Adviser.


Structured Notes, Bonds and Debentures


Typically, the value of the principal and/or interest on these instruments is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, interest rates, commodities, indexes or other financial indicators (the “Reference”) or the relevant change in two or more References. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending



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upon changes in the applicable Reference. The terms of the structured securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, may result in the loss of the Fund’s entire investment. The value of structured securities may move in the same or the opposite direction as the value of the Reference, so that appreciation of the Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, the change in interest rate or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of the change in the value of the Reference so that the security may be more or less volatile than the Reference, depending on the multiple. Consequently, structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk and volatility than other types of debt obligations.


When-Issued, Forward Commitments and Delayed Settlements


The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed settlement basis. In this event, the Custodian (as defined under the section entitled “Custodian”) will segregate liquid assets equal to the amount of the commitment in a separate account as discussed in the Cover Requirements section. Normally, the Custodian will set aside portfolio securities to satisfy a purchase commitment. In such a case, the Fund may be required subsequently to segregate additional assets in order to assure that the value of the account remains equal to the amount of the Fund’s commitment. It may be expected that the Fund’s net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree when it sets aside portfolio securities to cover such purchase commitments than when it sets aside cash.


The Fund does not intend to engage in these transactions for speculative purposes but only in furtherance of its investment objectives. Because the Fund will segregate liquid assets to satisfy its purchase commitments in the manner described, the Fund’s liquidity and the ability of the Adviser to manage them may be affected in the event the Fund’s forward commitments, commitments to purchase when-issued securities and delayed settlements ever exceeded 15% of the value of its net assets.


The Fund will purchase securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed settlement basis only with the intention of completing the transaction. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, the Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered into, and may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. In these cases the Fund may realize a taxable capital gain or loss. When the Fund engages in when-issued, forward commitment and delayed settlement transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of such party to do so may result in the Fund incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a price credited to be advantageous.


The market value of the securities underlying a when-issued purchase, forward commitment to purchase securities, or a delayed settlement and any subsequent fluctuations in their market value is taken into account when determining the market value of the Fund starting on the day the Fund agrees to purchase the securities. The Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until it has paid for and delivered on the settlement date.


Illiquid and Restricted Securities


The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale (e.g., because they have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and securities that are otherwise not readily marketable (e.g., because trading in the security is suspended or because market makers do not exist or will not entertain bids or offers). Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. Foreign (non-U.S.) securities that are freely tradable in their principal markets are not considered to be illiquid.  


Restricted and other illiquid securities may be subject to the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. The Fund might be unable to dispose of illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemption requests from shareholders. The Fund might have to register restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.  


A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including foreign (non-U.S.) securities. The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments. Rule 144A under the Securities Act allows such a broader institutional trading market for securities otherwise subject to restrictions on resale to the general public. Rule 144A establishes a “safe harbor” from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for resale of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A has produced enhanced liquidity for many restricted securities, and market liquidity for such securities may continue to expand as a result of this regulation and the consequent existence of the PORTAL system, which is an automated system for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign (non-U.S.) issuers sponsored by the Financial Industry Regulatory, Inc.  




18






Under guidelines adopted by the Trust’s Board, the Fund’s Adviser may determine that particular Rule 144A securities, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the private placement exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, are liquid even though they are not registered. A determination of whether such a security is liquid or not is a question of fact. In making this determination, the Adviser will consider, as it deems appropriate under the circumstances and among other factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; (3) the number of other potential purchasers of the security; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; (5) the nature of the security (e.g., debt or equity, date of maturity, terms of dividend or interest payments, and other material terms) and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer); and (6) the rating of the security and the financial condition and prospects of the issuer. In the case of commercial paper, the Adviser will also determine that the paper (1) is not traded flat or in default as to principal and interest, and (2) is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least two National Statistical Rating Organization (“NRSRO”) or, if only one NRSRO rates the security, by that NRSRO, or, if the security is unrated, the Adviser determines that it is of equivalent quality.   


Rule 144A securities and Section 4(2) commercial paper that have been deemed liquid as described above will continue to be monitored by the Adviser to determine if the security is no longer liquid as the result of changed conditions. Investing in Rule 144A securities or Section 4(2) commercial paper could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities if institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase such securities.  


Lending Portfolio Securities


For the purpose of achieving income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities, provided (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. Government securities or cash or cash equivalents (cash, U.S. Government securities, negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances or letters of credit) maintained on a daily mark-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned, (2) the Fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of securities loaned, (3) the Fund will receive any interest or dividends received on the loaned securities, and (4) the aggregate value of the securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the Fund.  


Short Sales


The Fund may employ “short selling” for both (1) investment purposes and (2) for defensive purposes as a hedging strategy.  For investment purposes, when the Adviser believes that particular index, company or sector is relatively overvalued, the Fund may sell a security short with the expectation that it can be repurchased at a lower price, thus generating a gain for the Fund.  For defensive purposes, when the Adviser believes that a security or group of securities in the Fund is susceptible to a decline in value, the Fund may sell a security short with the expectation any decline in value of the security sold short will serve to offset some of the decline in value suffered by the Fund’s portfolio of securities.  A short sale strategy is different than a long-only strategy because it consists of selling borrowed shares in the hope that they can be bought back later at a lower price.


The Fund may sell securities short involving the use of derivative instruments and to offset potential declines in long positions in similar securities. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own or have the right to acquire (or that it owns but does not wish to deliver) in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline.  


When the Fund makes a short sale, the broker-dealer through which the short sale is made must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the party purchasing the security. The Fund is required to make a margin deposit in connection with such short sales; the Fund may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and will often be obligated to pay over any dividends and accrued interest on borrowed securities.  


If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund covers its short position, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Fund will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs described above. The successful use of short selling may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the security sold short and the securities being hedged.


To the extent the Fund sells securities short, it will provide collateral to the broker-dealer and (except in the case of short sales “against the box”) will maintain additional asset coverage in the form of cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid securities with its custodian in a segregated account in an amount at least equal to the difference between the current market value of the securities sold short and any amounts required to be deposited as collateral with the selling broker (not including the proceeds of the short sale). The Fund does not intend to enter into short sales (other than short sales “against the box”) if immediately after such sales the aggregate of the value of all collateral plus the amount in such segregated account exceeds 50% of the value of the Fund’s net



19






assets. This percentage may be varied by action of the Board of Trustees. A short sale is “against the box” to the extent the Fund contemporaneously owns, or has the right to obtain at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short.


Short sales create a risk that the Fund will be required to close the short position by buying the security at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. A short position in a security poses more risk than holding the same security long.  Because a short position loses value as the security’s price increases, the loss on a short sale is theoretically unlimited.  


To the extent that the Fund uses short sales as a hedging technique, the Fund is subject to correlation risk. Specifically, the correlation between the security sold short and the hedged security may be imperfect, reducing the expected benefit to the Fund of a short sale, or there may be no correlation at all.  It is possible that the market value of the securities the Fund holds in long positions will decline at the same time that the market value of the securities the Fund has sold short increases, thereby increasing the Fund’s potential volatility.


In addition, any gain on a short sale is decreased, and any loss is increased, by the amount of any payments, such as lender fees, replacement of dividends or interest that the Fund may be required to make with respect to the borrowed securities.  Market factors may prevent the Fund from closing out a short position at the most desirable time or at a favorable price. The lender of the borrowed securities may require the Fund to return the securities on short notice, which may require the Fund to purchase the borrowed securities at an unfavorable price, resulting in a loss.  You should be aware that any strategy that includes selling securities short could suffer significant losses.  Short selling will also result in higher transaction costs (such as interest and dividends), which reduce the Fund’s return, and may result in higher taxes.



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.


1.

Diversification.   With respect to 75% of its total assets, the Fund may not purchase any security (other than U.S. Government Securities or securities of other investment companies) if as a result: (i) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets immediately after and as the result of such purchase would be invested in the securities of any one issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of a single issuer .


2.

Borrowing Money. The Fund will not borrow money, except:  (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund’s total assets at the time when the borrowing is made.


3.

Senior Securities. The Fund will not issue senior securities.  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 Fund’s engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.


4.

Underwriting. The Fund will not act as underwriter of securities issued by other persons. This limitation is not applicable to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities (including restricted securities), the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.


5.

Concentration. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its net assets, calculated at the time of purchase and taken at market value, in securities of issuers in any one industry (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or repurchase agreements secured by U.S. government securities).  


6.

Real Estate. The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate.  This limitation is not applicable to investments in marketable securities that are secured by or represent interests in real estate. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from investing in mortgage-related securities or investing in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including real estate investment trusts).




20






7.

Commodities. The Fund may invest in commodities only as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund. This restriction shall not prohibit the Fund, subject to restrictions described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information, from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by commodities or purchasing, selling or entering into futures contracts, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency options, hybrid instruments, or any interest rate or securities-related or foreign currency-related hedging instrument, including swap agreements and other derivative instruments, subject to compliance with applicable provisions of federal securities or commodities laws.


8.

Loans. The Fund will not make loans to other persons, except:  (a) by loaning portfolio securities; (b) by engaging in repurchase agreements; or (c) by purchasing nonpublicly offered fixed income securities.  For purposes of this limitation, the term “loans” shall not include the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures or other securities.


THE FOLLOWING ARE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS OF THE FUND. THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE DESIGNATED AS NON-FUNDAMENTAL AND MAY BE CHANGED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF SHAREHOLDERS.


1. Pledging. The Fund will not mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any assets of the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings described in limitation (1) above.  Margin deposits, security interests, liens and collateral arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques are not deemed to be a mortgage, pledge or hypothecation of assets for purposes of this limitation.


2. Borrowing. The Fund will not purchase any security while borrowings representing more than one third of its total assets are outstanding.  


3. Margin Purchases. The Fund will not purchase securities or evidences of interest thereon on “margin.”  This limitation is not applicable to short-term credit obtained by the Fund for the clearance of purchases and sales or redemption of securities, or to arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investment techniques.


4. Illiquid Investments. The Fund will not hold 15% or more of its net assets in securities for which there are legal or contractual restrictions on resale and other illiquid securities.


If a restriction on the Fund’s investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of Fund assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Fund’s investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Fund’s total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.


POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS


The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that such disclosure is in the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders.


It is the Trust’s policy to:  (1) ensure that any disclosure of portfolio holdings information is in the best interest of Trust shareholders; (2) protect the confidentiality of portfolio holdings information; (3) have procedures in place to guard against personal trading based on the information; and (4) ensure that the disclosure of portfolio holdings information does not create conflicts between the interests of the Trust’s shareholders and those of the Trust’s affiliates.


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 semi-annual period.  In addition, the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings reports on Form N-CSR and Form N-Q two months after the end of each quarter/semi-annual period.


The Fund may choose to make portfolio holdings available to rating agencies such as Lipper, Morningstar or Bloomberg more frequently on a confidential basis.


Under limited circumstances, as described below, the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be disclosed to, or known by, certain third parties in advance of their filing with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q.  In each case, a determination has been made that such advance disclosure is supported by a legitimate business purpose and that the recipient is subject to a duty to keep the information confidential.




21






· The Adviser . Personnel of the Adviser, including personnel responsible for managing the Fund’s portfolio, may have full daily access to Fund portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for the Adviser to provide its management, administrative, and investment services to the Fund . As required for purposes of analyzing the impact of existing and future market changes on the prices, availability, demand and liquidity of such securities, as well as for the assistance of the portfolio managers in the trading of such securities, Adviser personnel may also release and discuss certain portfolio holdings with various broker-dealers.


· Gemini Fund Services, LLC. Gemini Fund Services, LLC is the transfer agent, fund accountant, administrator and custody administrator for the Fund ; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.


· MUFG Union Bank, N.A. is custodian for the Fund ; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.


· McGladrey LLP is the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings in connection with auditing of the Fund’s annual financial statements and providing assistance and consultation in connection with SEC filings.   


· Dechert LLP. Dechert LLP is counsel to the Fund ; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings in connection with review of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports and SEC filings.


Additions to List of Approved Recipients.  The Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer is the person responsible, and whose prior approval is required, for any disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities at any time or to any persons other than those described above.  In such cases, the recipient must have a legitimate business need for the information and must be subject to a duty to keep the information confidential. There are no ongoing arrangements in place with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings. In no event shall the Fund, the Adviser or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.


Compliance With Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Procedures.  The Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer will report periodically to the Board with respect to compliance with the Fund’s portfolio holdings disclosure procedures, and from time to time will provide the Board any updates to the portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures.


There is no assurance that the Trust’s policies on disclosure of portfolio holdings will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information.


MANAGEMENT


The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board in accordance with the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trust’s By-laws (collectively, 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, but not limited to, a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Chief Compliance 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 Trust’s 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 Mark Gersten, who has served as the Chairman 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, 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.




22






Board Risk Oversight .  The Board of Trustees is comprised entirely of Independent Trustees with an Audit Committee and Valuation Committee, each 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.  Mark Garbin has over 20 years of experience in corporate balance sheet and income statement risk management for large asset managers.  Mr. Garbin has extensive derivatives experience and has provided consulting services to alternative asset managers.  Mr. Garbin is a CFA Charterholder and holds advanced degrees in international business, negotiation and derivatives.  Mark Gersten has over 25 years of business experience in the investment management business with a focus on mutual funds and alternative funds.  He serves as a member of another mutual fund board outside of the Fund Complex and possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate based on his service to this board and extensive experience administering mutual funds.  Mr. Gersten is a certified public account and holds an MBA in accounting.  Neil Kaufman has 28 years of experience as a corporate and securities attorney and possesses a deep understanding of the securities industry in general and financial statements in particular.  Mr. Kaufman has previously served as the Chairman of a NASDAQ-listed technology company and the Chairman of the Banking & Securities Law committee of the Nassau County Bar Association.  Anita Krug has extensive experience as an attorney advising investment advisory firms, particularly those managing hedge funds.  She also has extensive experience as a law professor whose scholarship focuses on investment advisers, hedge funds and mutual funds. 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 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska  68130.



Independent Trustees

Name, Address,

Year of Birth

Position(s) Held with Registrant

Term and Length Served

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios Overseen In The Fund Complex

Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years

Mark Garbin

Year of Birth: 1951

Trustee, Valuation Committee Chairman

Indefinite, Since 2012

Managing Principal, Coherent Capital Management LLC (since 2007); Managing Director, Rabobank International (2006-2007)

9

Forethought Variable Insurance Trust (since 2013) (Lead Independent and Chairman of the Valuation Committee); Northern Lights Fund Trust (since 2013); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2013)



23









Name, Address,

Year of Birth

Position(s) Held with Registrant

Term and Length Served

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios Overseen In The Fund Complex

Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years

Mark D. Gersten

Year of Birth: 1950

Chairman, Trustee, Audit Committee Chairman

Indefinite, Since 2012

Independent Consultant (since 2012); Senior Vice President – Global Fund Administration Mutual Funds & Alternative Funds, AllianceBernstein LP (since 1985)

9

Schroder Global Series Trust  (since 2012); Northern Lights Fund Trust (since 2013); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2013)

Neil M. Kaufman

Year of Birth: 1960

Trustee

Indefinite, Since 2012


Partner, Abrams Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara & Wolf, LLP (since 2011); Partner, Davidoff, Malito & Hutcher, LLP (2004-2010)

9

None

Anita K. Krug

Year of Birth: 1969

Trustee

Indefinite, Since 2012

Assistant Professor, University of Washington School of Law (since 2010); Partner, Howard Rice, P.C. (2007-2010); Associate, Howard Rice, P.C. (2002-2007)

9

None



Officers of the Trust

Name, Address,

Year of Birth

Position(s) Held with Registrant

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios Overseen In The Fund Complex*

Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years

Andrew Rogers

80 Arkay Drive

Hauppauge, NY  11788

Year of Birth: 1969

President

Since Inception

Chief Executive Officer, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2012); President and Manager, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2006 - 2012); Formerly Manager, Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (2006 – 2008); and President and Manager, GemCom LLC (2004 - 2011).

N/A

Northern Lights Fund Trust (since 2013)



24









Name, Address,

Year of Birth

Position(s) Held with Registrant

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios Overseen In The Fund Complex*

Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years

Richard A. Malinowski

80 Arkay Drive

Hauppauge, NY  11788

Year of Birth: 1983

Secretary

Since 2013

Assistant Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, (2012 – present); Vice President and Manager, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US), Inc., (2011-2012); Senior Specialist, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US), Inc.(formerly PNC Global Investment Servicing (US) Inc.) (2008-2011).

N/A

N/A

James Colantino

80 Arkay Drive

Hauppauge, NY  11788

Year of Birth: 1969

Treasurer

Since Inception

Vice President from 2004 to Present; Senior Fund Administrator from 1999 to 2004, Gemini Fund Services, LLC.

N/A

N/A

William B. Kimme

Year of Birth: 1962

Chief Compliance Officer

Since Inception

Senior Compliance Officer, Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (September 2011 - present); Compliance Officer, Mick & Associates (August, 2009 - September 2011); Assistant Director, FINRA (January 2000 – August 2009).

N/A

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, among other things: (i) the selection, retention or termination of the Trust’s independent auditors and approval of audit and non-audit services to be provided by the 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 fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Audit Committee met five times.    


Valuation Committee.  The Board has a Valuation Committee that consists solely of Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Valuation Committee’s responsibilities include, among other things: (i) overseeing and monitoring implementation of the Trust’s Fund Securities Valuation Procedures by Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”) and the Trust’s Fair Value Committee; (ii) reviewing any fair valuation of the Fund’s securities by the Fair Value Committee (a “Fair Value Determination”); (iii) monitoring the Board’s fulfillment of its obligations with respect to the valuation of the Trust’s assets under the 1940 Act, including the rules adopted thereunder and applicable guidance with respect to investment company valuation matters by the SEC; (iv) overseeing the Fair Value Committee’s processes and procedures in making Fair Value Determinations and reporting, or causing to be reported, such Fair Value Determinations to the Board for its consideration periodically; (v) as appropriate, ratifying the Fair Value Committee’s policies and procedures in making and reporting Fair Value Determinations; (vi) reviewing the formulation of, or amendment to, valuation policies and fair value methodologies, including factors to be considered in Fair Value Determinations and how such factors are to be weighed, the valuation proposed by the Fair Value Committee, GFS and/or the respective Fund’s investment adviser and/or sub-adviser (as applicable) and their assessment of the continued appropriateness of the valuation and fair



25






value methodologies, and making recommendations with respect thereto for the consideration, and as appropriate, the adoption of such recommendations by the Board; (vii) periodically reviewing the role of the Fair Value Committee and making recommendations to the Board with respect to any changes or modifications; (viii) reviewing the reports required under the Trust’s Fund Securities Valuation Procedures; and (ix) considering any other matters requested by the Board.  The Valuation Committee operates pursuant to a Valuation Committee Charter.  During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Valuation Committee met five times.    


Compensation of Directors.  Effective January 1, 2014, The Trust pays each Independent Trustee a quarterly fee of $5,000,00, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the meetings, to be paid at the end of each calendar quarter.  In addition, the Chairman of the Board receives an additional annual fee of $2,500.00, the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an additional annual fee of $2,500.00, and the Chairman of the Valuation Committee receives an additional annual fee of $2,500.00.  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.


Prior to January 1, 2014, the Trust paid each Independent Trustee a quarterly fee of 2,500.00, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the meetings, to be paid at the end of each calendar quarter.  In addition, the Chairman of the Board received an additional annual fee of $2,500.00, the Chairman of the Audit Committee received an additional annual fee of $2,500.00, and the Chairman of the Valuation Committee received an additional annual fee of $2,500.00.


The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees received from the Trust during the fiscal year ending October 31, 2013.  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 Garbin

$9,375.00

$9,375.00

Mark Gersten

$11,250.00

$11,250.00

Neil Kaufman

$7,500.00

$7,500.00

Anita Krug

$7,500.00

$7,500.00


*The Trust has multiple series.  Trustees’ fees are allocated equally to each fund in the Trust.


Trustees’ Ownership of Shares in the Fund .  As of December 31, 2013, 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 Garbin

None

None


Mark Gersten

None

None


Neil Kaufman

None

None


Anita Krug

None

None




26






Management Ownership


As of December 31, 2013, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned 0% of the Fund’s outstanding shares.


CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS


A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control.


As of August 7, 2014:


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.

the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned less than one percent of

iii.

the following persons owned of record 5% or more of the Fund’s outstanding share classes:

Name & Address

Percentage of Fund Share Class

Class I Shares

 

CHARLES SCHWAB & CO

211 MAIN STREET

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105

37.57%

WILLIAM TILLEY MARIT  

C/O JACMAR COMPANIES

ALHAMBRA CA 91803-1928

9.35%  

Class A Shares


LPL  

PO BOX 509046

SAN DIEGO, CA 92150-9046

96.09%

Class A1 Shares


 

YOUNG, DAVID

4695 MACARTHUR COURT STE 430

NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660

100.00%

Class C Shares

 

LPL  

PO BOX 509046

SAN DIEGO, CA 92150-9046

99.98%

Class R Shares

 

YOUNG, DAVID

4695 MACARTHUR COURT STE 430

NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660

100.00%

 



27






INVESTMENT ADVISER


Investment Adviser and Investment Advisory Agreement


Anfield Capital Management, LLC (“Adviser or “Anfield”), located at 4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 430, Newport Beach, CA 92660, serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees, Anfield is responsible for the overall management of the Fund’s business affairs.   Anfield is wholly owned by Anfield Group, LLC, which is wholly owned by the David Young and Sandra G. Glain Family Trust.  As of July 31, 2014, Anfield had assets under management of approximately $ 61.7 million.


The Adviser, under the supervision of the Board, agrees to invest the assets of the Fund in accordance with applicable law and the investment objective, policies and restrictions set forth in the Fund’s current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and subject to such further limitations as the Trust may from time to time impose by written notice to the Adviser.   The Adviser shall act as the investment adviser to the Fund and, as such shall (i) obtain and evaluate such information relating to the economy, industries, business, securities markets and securities as it may deem necessary or useful in discharging its responsibilities hereunder, (ii) formulate a continuing program for the investment of the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with its investment objective, policies and restrictions, and (iii) determine from time to time securities to be purchased, sold, retained or lent by the Fund, and implement those decisions, including the selection of entities with or through which such purchases, sales or loans are to be effected; provided, that the Adviser will place orders pursuant to its investment determinations either directly with the  issuer or with a broker or dealer, and if with a broker or dealer, (a) will attempt to obtain the best price and execution of its orders, and (b) may nevertheless in its discretion purchase and sell portfolio securities from and to brokers who provide the Adviser with research, analysis, advice and similar services and pay such brokers in return a higher commission or spread than may be charged by other brokers.   The Adviser also provides necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the Fund’s investments, compensates all officers, Trustees and employees of the Trust who are officers, directors or employees of the Adviser, and all personnel of the Fund or the Adviser performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities. The Investment Advisory Agreement was approved by the Board of the Trust, including by a majority of the Independent Trustees, at a meeting held on February 21, 2014.


Prior to August 11, 2014, Anfield served as investment adviser to the Fund under an interim advisory agreement (the “Interim Advisory Agreement”). The Interim Advisory Agreement, effective March 1, 2014, had substantially the same terms and conditions as the Fund’s prior advisory agreement, except the Interim Advisory Agreement had lower fees and a limited term of 150 days. Anfield had served as the Fund’s sub-adviser since the Fund’s inception. The Board approved the Interim Advisory Agreement because the Fund’s former adviser notified the Board that the adviser would resign as investment adviser to pursue other investment management endeavors.  In addition, the Adviser’s former co-owner was in the process of transitioning from his ownership status.


The following table sets forth the annual management fee rate payable by the Fund to the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

FUND

ADVISORY FEE

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

0.80%


For its services to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to receive an annual fee equal to the percentages of the Fund’s average daily net assets in the table above. In addition to investment advisory fees, the Fund pays other expenses including costs incurred in connection with the maintenance of its securities law registration, printing and mailing prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information to shareholders, certain financial accounting services, taxes or governmental fees, custodial, transfer and shareholder servicing agent costs, expenses of outside counsel and independent accountants, preparation of shareholder reports and expenses of trustee and shareholders meetings.  The fee is computed daily and payable monthly.


The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its advisory fee in the amount of 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets until at least October 31, 2015. The Adviser has also agreed contractually to waive fees and /or to reimburse expenses, other than expenses relating to dividends or interest on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses or extraordinary or non-recurring expenses, at least until October 31, 2015 such that net annual fund operating expenses of the Fund do not exceed the percentages in the table below. Waiver/reimbursement is subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years on a rolling three-year basis (within three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed) if such recoupment can be achieved within the foregoing expense



28





limits. No reimbursement amount will be paid to the Adviser in any fiscal quarter unless the Trust’s Board of Trustees has determined in advance that a reimbursement is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.  Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Fund’s expenses and increase its performance.

 

Fund

Class

Expense Cap

Minimum Duration

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

A

1.55%

October 31, 2015

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

A1

1.70%

October 31, 2015

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

C

2.30%

October 31, 2015

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

I

1.25%

October 31, 2015

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

R

1.95%

October 31, 2015

 

Expenses not expressly assumed by the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement are paid by the Fund.  Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund is responsible for the payment of the following expenses among others: (a) the fees payable to the Adviser, (b) the fees and expenses of Trustees who are not affiliated persons of the Adviser or Distributor (as defined under the section entitled “The Distributor”) (c) the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian (as defined under the section entitled “Custodian”) and Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent (as defined under the section entitled “Transfer Agent”), including the cost of maintaining certain required records of the Fund and of pricing the Fund’s shares, (d) the charges and expenses of legal counsel and independent accountants for the Fund, (e) brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with its securities transactions, (f) all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to governmental agencies, (g) the fees of any trade association of which the Fund may be a member, (h) the cost of share certificates representing shares of the Fund, (i) the cost of fidelity and liability insurance, (j) the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Fund and of shares with the SEC, qualifying its shares under state securities laws, including the preparation and printing of the Fund’s registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes, (k) all expenses of shareholders and Trustees’ meetings (including travel expenses of trustees and officers of the Trust who are directors, officers or employees of the Adviser) and of preparing, printing and mailing reports, proxy statements and prospectuses to shareholders in the amount necessary for distribution to the shareholders and (l) litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.


The Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect for two years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year provided such continuance is approved at least annually by (a) a vote of the majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval and by (b) the majority vote of either all of the Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Agreement may be terminated without penalty on 60 days’ written notice by a vote of a majority of the Trustees, the Adviser, or by holders of a majority of that Trust’s outstanding shares. The Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.  

The table below provides information about the advisory fees paid to the Adviser by the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013:

 

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund 1


Management

Fee

Fees Earned by

the Adviser

Advisory Fees

Waived

Net Fees

Earned by the

Adviser

Expense

Reimbursed

Amount

Subject to

Recoupment

0.95%

$11,420

$11,420

$0

$67,880

$79,300

1  The Fund’s management fee was lowered effective March 1, 2014 to 0.80% from 0.95%.  




29






Codes of Ethics


The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor each have 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 separate code of ethics that 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 Fund; (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.


Proxy Voting Policies


The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Policies”) on behalf of the Trust, which delegate the responsibility for voting proxies to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Adviser vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Policies also require the Adviser to present to the Board, at least annually, the Adviser’s Proxy Policies and a record of each proxy voted by the Adviser on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Adviser as involving a conflict of interest.


Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Adviser’s interests and the Fund’s interests, the Adviser will resolve the conflict by voting in accordance with the policy guidelines or at the client’s directive using the recommendation of an independent third party.  If the third party’s recommendations are not received in a timely fashion, the Adviser will abstain from voting the securities held by that client’s account. A copy of the Adviser’s proxy voting policies is attached hereto as Appendix A .


More information . Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-866-866-4848; and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.


THE DISTRIBUTOR


Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (the “Distributor”) serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Trust pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement with the Trust (the “Underwriting Agreement”). The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer unde--r the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and each state’s securities laws and is a member of FINRA. The offering of the Fund’s shares are continuous. The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Distributor, as agent in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, will use reasonable efforts to facilitate the sale of 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 following table sets forth the total compensation received by the Distributor from the Fund during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013:







30







Fund

Net Underwriting Discounts and Commissions

Compensation on Redemptions and Purchases

Brokerage Commissions

Other Compensation*

Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

$0

$0

$0

$0


*The Distributor will receive 12b-1 fees from the Fund as described under the following section entitled “Rule 12b-1 Plan”.


Rule 12b-1 Plans


The Trust has adopted Distribution Plans pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Plans”) pursuant to which the Fund is authorized to pay the Distributor, as compensation for Distributor’s account maintenance services under Plans, a distribution and shareholder servicing fee at the rate of up to 0.25% for Class A shares, up to 0.40% for Class A1 shares, up to 1.00% for Class C shares and up to 0.50% for Class R shares of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the relevant class.  Such fees are to be paid by the Fund monthly, or at such other intervals as the Board shall determine. Such fees shall be based upon the Fund’s average daily net assets during the preceding month, and shall be calculated and accrued daily. The Fund may pay fees to the Distributor at a lesser rate, as agreed upon by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Distributor. The Rule 12b-1 Plans authorize payments to the Distributor as compensation for providing account maintenance services to Fund shareholders, including arranging for certain securities dealers or brokers, administrators and others (“Recipients”) to provide these services and paying compensation for these services. The Fund will bear its own costs of distribution with respect to its shares. The Distributor or other entities also receive the proceeds and contingent deferred sales charges imposed on certain redemptions of shares, which are separate and apart from payments made pursuant to the Plans.


The services to be provided by Recipients may include, but are not limited to, the following: assistance in the offering and sale of Fund shares and in other aspects of the marketing of the shares to clients or prospective clients of the respective recipients; answering routine inquiries concerning the Fund ; assisting in the establishment and maintenance of accounts or sub-accounts in the Fund and in processing purchase and redemption transactions; making the Fund’s investment plan and shareholder services available; and providing such other information and services to investors in shares of the Fund as the Distributor or the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, may reasonably request. The distribution services shall also include any advertising and marketing services provided by or arranged by the Distributor with respect to the Fund.  


The Distributor is required to provide a written report, at least quarterly to the Board of Trustees of the Trust, specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended pursuant to the Rule 12b-1 Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. Further, the Distributor will inform the Board of any Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Distributor to Recipients.  


The initial term of each Plan is one year and will continue in effect from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and do not have a direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan (“Rule 12b-1 Trustees”) by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on a Plan. A Plan may be terminated at any time by the Trust or the Fund by vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund .


A Rule 12b-1 Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of the Distributor’s compensation to be paid by the Fund, unless such amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected class of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act). All material amendments must be approved by a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and a majority of the Rule 12b- 1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on a Rule 12b-1 Plan. During the term of a Rule 12b-1 Plan, the selection and nomination of non-interested Trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of current non-interested Trustees. The Distributor will preserve copies of each Rule 12b-1 Plan, any related agreements, and all reports, for a period of not less than six years from the date of such document and for at least the first two years in an easily accessible place.  


Any agreement related to a Rule 12b-1 Plan will be in writing and provide that: (a) it may be terminated by the Trust or the Fund at any time upon sixty days’ written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the respective Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or the Fund; (b) it will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act); and (c) it will continue in effect for a period of more than one year from the date



31






of its execution or adoption only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement.


During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund paid $ 0 in distribution related fees pursuant to the Class A Plan.  For the fiscal period indicated below, the Fund incurred the following allocated distribution expenses:


Actual 12b-1 Expenditures Paid by the Fund

During the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2013


 

Class A

Class C

Class R

Advertising/Marketing

$0

$0

$0

Printing/Postage

$0

$0

$0

Payment to distributor

$0

$0

$0

Payment to dealers

$ 0

$0

$0

Compensation to sales personnel

$0

$0

$0

Other

$0

$0

$0

Total

$ 0

$0

$0



PORTFOLIO MANAGERS


The tables below include details about the type, number, and assets under management for the various types of accounts, and total assets in the accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the accounts. The Portfolio Managers were responsible for the management of the following types of accounts in addition to the Fund as of December 31, 2013 (unless otherwise indicated below):  


Cyrille Conseil*


Account Type

Investment Team

Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

Number of Accounts by Type Subject to a Performance Fee

Total assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee

Registered Investment Companies

1

$10.8 million

0

$0

Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

0

$0

0

$0

Other Accounts

0

$0

0

$0

*Mr. Conseil generally utilizes a team based approach to managing other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts. The portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the management of the total assets and number of accounts shown.


Peter van de Zilver*




32









Account Type

Investment Team

Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

Number of Accounts by Type Subject to a Performance Fee

Total assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee

Registered Investment Companies

1

$36.4 million

0

$0

Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

0

$0

0

$0

Other Accounts

9

$25.3 million

0

$0

*Information regarding other accounts managed by Mr. van de Zilver is as of July 31, 2014.


Conflicts of Interest


The Adviser manages assets for other pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts. Accordingly, potential conflicts of interest may be present.  For example, the Adviser may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fees received from the Fund, or receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. In those instances, a portfolio manager has an incentive to favor the higher and/or performance-based fee accounts over the Fund.  In addition, to the extent that the Fund’s Portfolio Manager seeks to purchase or sell the same security for multiple client accounts and the order is only partially filled, the Adviser has an incentive to favor the higher and/or performance-based fee accounts over the Fund. The Adviser has adopted trade allocation and other policies and procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to address these and other conflicts of interest. These policies and procedures will have the effect of foreclosing certain investment opportunities for the Fund from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser will act in the best interest of the Fund in accordance with its fiduciary duty to the Fund.


Compensation


The portfolio managers are paid a base salary and may also be paid a discretionary bonus with equity ownership and/or options thereon.  The discretionary bonus, if any, is based upon the performance of the investments managed by the portfolio manager as well as the overall profitability of Anfield.  In addition, as an equity owner of Anfield, Mr. Conseil receives additional compensation in the form of net profits, if any, that Anfield earns.


Ownership of Securities


The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the portfolio managers in the Fund as of December 31, 2013 (August 7, 2014 with respect to Mr. van de Zilver):  


Name of Portfolio Manager

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund

Cyrille Conseil

None

Peter van de Zilver

None


ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE


Specific decisions to purchase or sell securities for the Fund are made by the portfolio managers, who are employees of the Adviser. The Adviser is authorized by the Trustees to allocate the orders placed by it on behalf of the Fund to brokers or dealers who may, but need not, provide research or statistical material or other services to the Fund or the Adviser for the Fund’s use. Such allocation is to be in such amounts and proportions as the Adviser may determine.  



33







In selecting a broker or dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Adviser will take the following into consideration:

the best net price available;

the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker or dealer;  

the size of and difficulty in executing the order; and

the value of the expected contribution of the broker or dealer to the investment performance of the Fund on a continuing basis.


Brokers or dealers executing a portfolio transaction on behalf of the Fund may receive a commission in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for executing the transaction if the Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of brokerage, research and other services provided to the Fund . In allocating portfolio brokerage, the Adviser may select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage, research and other services to other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion. Some of the services received as the result of Fund transactions may primarily benefit accounts other than those of the Fund, while services received as the result of portfolio transactions effected on behalf of those other accounts may primarily benefit the Fund .


For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund paid $2,590 in brokerage commissions.


PORTFOLIO TURNOVER


The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year. The calculation excludes from both the numerator and the denominator securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by that Fund. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all of the Fund’s portfolio securities were replaced once within a one-year period.  


OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS


Fund Administration, Fund Accounting and Transfer Agent Services


Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), which has its principal office at 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, serves as administrator, fund accountant and transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to the 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 August 29, 2012 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 that the Trust may not assign this agreement without the prior written consent of GFS. The Agreement provides that GFS shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to the Agreement.  


Under the Agreement, GFS performs administrative services for the Fund, 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 Fund’s 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 the 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 Trust’s 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 the Fund’s 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



34






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 the 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 a minimum fee of $30,000.000 for the first 36 months following the effective date of the Fund and a minimum fee of $40,000.000 thereafter, or 0.10% on the first $100 million of net assets, 0.08% on the next $150 million of net assets, 0.06% on the next $250 million of net assets, 0.04% on the next $500 million of net assets, and 0.03% on net assets greater than $1 billion. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund paid $10,864 for administrative services.


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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s custodian and Adviser; and (vii) monitoring and evaluating daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Fund .


For the fund accounting services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement for the first 36 months following the effective date for the Fund, the Fund pays GFS an annual fee of $20,250.00 ; plus $4,500.00 for each additional share class; plus a bond fund fee of $4,500.00; plus a sub-advisory fee of $1,500.00; plus 0.02% on net assets of $25 million to $100 million and 0.01% on net assets greater than $100 million. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.


For the fund accounting services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement after the first 36 months following the effective date for the Fund, the Fund pays GFS an annual fee of $27,000.00 ; plus $6,000.00 for each additional share class; plus a bond fund fee of $6,000.00; plus a sub-advisory fee of $6,000.00; plus 0.02% on net assets of $25 million to $100 million and 0.01% on net assets greater than $100 million. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund paid $4,875 for accounting services.


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 such services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement, the Fund pays GFS a fee equal to the greater of (i) a minimum fee of $13,500.00 per share class for the first 36 months following the effective date for the Fund and a minimum fee of $18,000.00 per share class thereafter, and (ii) $16.00 per open account and $2.00 per closed account. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund paid $5,278 for transfer agency services.


Custodian


MUFG Union Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”) serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets pursuant to a Custody Agreement by and between the Custodian and the Trust on behalf of the Fund . The Custodian’s responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund’s cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, and collecting interest and dividends on the Fund’s investments. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian also maintains original entry documents and books of record and general ledgers; posts cash receipts and disbursements; and records purchases and sales based upon communications from the Adviser. The Fund may employ foreign sub-custodians that are approved by the Board to hold foreign assets. The Custodian’s principal place of business is 350 California Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104.


Chief Compliance Officer


Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), 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.


DESCRIPTION OF SHARES




35






Each share of beneficial interest of the Trust has one vote in the election of Trustees. Cumulative voting is not authorized for the Trust. This means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees if they choose to do so, and, in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will be unable to elect any Trustees.  


Shareholders of the Trust and any other future series of the Trust will vote in the aggregate and not by series except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interest of the shareholders of a particular series or classes. Matters such as ratification of the independent public accountants and election of Trustees are not subject to separate voting requirements and may be acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series.  


The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. Each share has equal dividend, distribution and liquidation rights. There are no conversion or preemptive rights applicable to any shares of the Fund . All shares issued are fully paid and non-assessable.


ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM


The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Trust’s Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.  The Trust’s Secretary serves as its Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.


Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Fund’s Distributor, and Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reported suspicious and/or fraudulent activity and a complete and thorough review of all new opening account applications. The Trust will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.  


As a result of the Program, the Trust may be required to “freeze” the account of a shareholder if the shareholder appears to be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of known terrorists or other suspicious persons, or the Trust may be required to transfer the account or proceeds of the account to a governmental agency.   


PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES


Calculation of Share Price


As indicated in the Prospectus under the heading “How Shares Are Priced,” the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund’s shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund’s portfolio investments and other assets, lass any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of the Fund.


For purposes of calculating the NAV, portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are available are stated at market value. Market value is generally determined on the basis of last reported sales prices, or if no sales are reported, based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers, or pricing services. Securities primarily traded in the NASDAQ National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”). If the NOCP is not available, such securities shall be valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation, or if there has been no sale on such day, at the mean of the last bid and ask price. Certain securities or investments for which daily market quotes are not readily available may be valued, pursuant to guidelines established by the Board, with reference to other securities or indices. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less are generally valued at amortized cost. Exchange traded options, futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the exchange. Other securities for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or persons acting at their direction.  


Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the New York Stock Exchange is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange shares.  


Fund shares are valued at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the “NYSE Close”) on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. For purposes of calculating the NAV, the Fund normally



36






uses pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the NYSE Close and does not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the NYSE Close. Domestic fixed income and foreign (non-U.S.) securities are normally priced using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Information that becomes known to the Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the price of the security or the NAV determined earlier that day.  


In unusual circumstances, instead of valuing securities in the usual manner, the Fund may value securities at fair value or estimate their value as determined in good faith by the Board or their designees, pursuant to procedures approved by the Board. Fair valuation may also be used by the Board if extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the NYSE Close.  


The Trust expects that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) will be closed on the following days: weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  


Purchase of Shares


Orders for shares received by the Fund in good order prior to the close of business on the NYSE on each day during such periods that the NYSE is open for trading are priced at net asset value per share computed as of the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE. Orders received in good order after the close of the NYSE, or on a day it is not open for trading, are priced at the close of such NYSE on the next day on which it is open for trading at the next determined net asset value per share.  


Redemption of Shares  


The Fund will redeem all or any portion of a shareholder’s shares of the Fund when requested in accordance with the procedures set forth in the “Redemptions” section of a prospectus. Under the 1940 Act, a shareholder’s right to redeem shares and to receive payment therefore may be suspended at times:  


(a) when the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings.

(b) when trading on that exchange is restricted for any reason;  

(c) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to fairly determine the value of its net assets, provided that applicable rules and regulations of the SEC (or any succeeding governmental authority) will govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (b) or (c) exist; or

(d) when the SEC by order permits a suspension of the right to redemption or a postponement of the date of payment on redemption.


In case of suspension of the right of redemption, payment of a redemption request will be made based on the net asset value next determined after the termination of the suspension.


Supporting documents in addition to those listed under “Redemptions” in the prospectuses will be required from executors, administrators, Trustees, or if redemption is requested by someone other than the shareholder of record. Such documents include, but are not restricted to, stock powers, Trust instruments, certificates of death, appointments as executor, certificates of corporate authority and waiver of tax required in some states when settling estates.  


TAX STATUS


The following discussion is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. All shareholders should consult a qualified tax adviser regarding their investment in the Fund.  


The Fund intends to qualify and has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and intends to continue to so qualify, which requires compliance with certain requirements concerning the sources of its income, diversification of its assets, and the amount and timing of its distributions to shareholders, as described more fully below. Such qualification does not involve supervision of management or investment practices or policies by any government agency or bureau. By so qualifying, the Fund should not be subject to federal income or excise tax on its investment company taxable income or net capital gain, which are distributed to shareholders in accordance with the applicable timing requirements. Investment company taxable income and net capital gain of the Fund will be computed in accordance with Section 852 of the Code.




37






Investment company taxable income is made up of dividends and interest less expenses, plus any excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses. Net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains over net-short-term capital losses) for a fiscal year is computed by taking into account any capital loss carry forward of the Fund. Capital losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 may now be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. Under previously enacted laws, capital losses could be carried forward to offset any capital gains for eight years, and carried forward as short-term capital, irrespective of the character of the original loss.  Capital loss carry forwards are available to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent that these carry forwards are used to offset future capital gains it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders.


To be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stocks, securities or foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the business of investing in such securities or currencies, and net income from “publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in Section 851(h) of the Code), and (b) diversify its holding so that, at the end of each quarter, (i) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities (for purposes of this calculation, generally limited in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer) and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, or two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or the securities of certain publicly traded partnerships.


If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes to its shareholders each taxable year an amount equal to or exceeding the sum of (i) 90% of its investment company taxable income without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and (ii) 90% of the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest, if any, over certain disallowed deductions, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any income of the Fund, including net capital gain distributed to shareholders.  If, however, the Fund meets such distribution requirements, but chooses to retain a portion of its investment company taxable income or net capital gain, it generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained.


The Fund intends to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and any net capital gains in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Code and therefore should not be required to pay any federal income or excise taxes. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net capital gain will be made after the end of each fiscal year ending October 31, and no later than December 31 of each year. Both types of distributions will be in shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects to receive cash.  


If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M in any fiscal year, it will be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. As such, the Fund would be required to pay income taxes on its investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains, if any, at the rates generally applicable to corporations. Shareholders of the Fund generally would not be liable for income tax on the Fund’s investment company taxable income or net realized capital gains in their individual capacities. Distributions to shareholders, whether from the Fund’s investment company taxable income or net realized capital gains, would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits of the Fund.  


The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on certain undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gain under a prescribed formula contained in Section 4982 of the Code. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund’s ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (i.e., the excess of its capital gains over capital losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year plus 100% of any income that was neither distributed nor taxed to the Fund during the preceding calendar year. Under ordinary circumstances, the Fund expects to time its distributions so as to avoid liability for this tax.  


Dividends or distributions declared in October, November or December as of a record date in such a month, if any, will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of the following year. Redemptions of shares may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements.  In addition, certain other distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Fund may be “spilled back” and treated as paid by the Fund (except for the purposes of the 4% excise tax) during such taxable year.  In such case, shareholders generally will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made.


The following discussion of tax consequences is for the general information of shareholders that are subject to tax. Shareholders that are IRAs or other qualified retirement plans are exempt from income taxation under the Code.  




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Distributions of investment company taxable income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Because the Fund’s income is derived primarily from sources that do not pay “qualified dividend income,” dividends from the Fund generally are not expected to qualify for taxation at the long-term capital gain rates available to individuals on qualified dividend income.  Furthermore, dividends from the Fund generally are not expected to qualify for the dividends-received deduction for shareholders that are corporations. Distributions of net capital gain (“capital gain dividends”) generally are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such shareholders.


Distributions by the Fund in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares and any such amount in excess of that basis will be treated as gain from the sale of shares, as discussed below. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net capital gain will be taxable as described above, whether received in additional cash or shares. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the amount of cash the shareholder could have received.  


A redemption of Fund shares by a shareholder will result in the recognition of taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares. Such gain or loss is treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are held as capital assets. However, any loss realized upon the redemption of shares within six months from the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as capital gain dividends during such six-month period. All or a portion of any loss realized upon the redemption of shares may be disallowed to the extent shares are purchased (including shares acquired by means of reinvested dividends) within 30 days before or after such redemption.   


For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain investment company taxable income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceed certain threshold amounts.


Under the Code, the Fund will be required to report to the Internal Revenue Service all distributions of taxable income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of investment company taxable income and net capital gain and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law, or if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that withholding is required due to an incorrect TIN or a previous failure to report taxable interest or dividends. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.  


Due to recent legislation, the Fund (or its administrative agent) is required to report to the IRS and furnish to shareholders the cost basis information for sale transactions of shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012.  Shareholders may elect to have one of several cost basis methods applied to their account when calculating the cost basis of shares sold, including average cost, FIFO or some other specific identification method.  Unless you instruct otherwise, the Fund will use average cost as its default cost basis method, and will treat sales as first coming from shares purchased prior to January 1, 2012.  If average cost is used for the first sale of shares covered by these new rules, the shareholder may only use an alternative cost basis method for shares purchased prospectively.  Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best cost basis method for their tax situation.  Shareholders that hold their shares through a financial intermediary should contact such financial intermediary with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.


Foreign (Non-U.S.) Shareholders


The foregoing discussion relates only to U.S. federal income tax law as applicable to U.S. persons (i.e., U.S. citizens and residents and domestic corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates).  Shareholders who are not U.S. persons should consult their tax advisers regarding U.S. and foreign (non-U.S.) tax consequences of ownership of shares of the Fund, including the likelihood that distributions to them would be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate under a tax treaty) and the possibility they may be subject to U.S. estate tax. For taxable years beginning before 2014 (or a later date if extended by Congress), a portion of the Fund’s distributions received by a foreign (non-U.S.) shareholder may, however, be exempt from U.S. withholding tax to the extent properly reported by the Fund as attributable to U.S. source interest income and short-term capital gains.



39







Effective January 1, 2014, the Fund will be required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends and (effective January 1, 2017) redemption proceeds made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign (non-U.S.) investment accounts.  Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the Fund to enable the Fund to determine whether withholding is required.


Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements  


To the extent such investments are permissible for the Fund, the Fund’s transactions in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, straddles and foreign (non-U.S.) currencies will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.


Passive Foreign Investment Companies  


Investment by the Fund in a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) could subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF election”), in which case the Fund will be required to include its share of the company’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the company.  


The Fund also may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings “to the market” as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed for the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund’s total return.  


Foreign (Non-U.S.) Currency Transactions


The Fund’s transactions in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, foreign (non-U.S.) currency-denominated fixed income securities and certain foreign (non-U.S.) currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign (non-U.S.) currency concerned.


Foreign (Non-U.S.) Taxation


Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign (non-U.S.) countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties and conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign (non-U.S.) corporations, the Fund may be able to elect to “pass through” to the Fund’s shareholders the amount of eligible foreign (non-U.S.) income and similar taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, a shareholder generally subject to tax will be required to include in gross income (in addition to taxable dividends actually received) his or her pro rata share of the foreign (non-U.S.) taxes paid by the Fund, and may be entitled either to deduct (as an itemized deduction) his or her pro rata share of foreign (non-U.S.) taxes in computing his or her taxable income or to use it as a foreign (non-U.S.) tax credit against his or her U.S. federal income tax liability, subject to certain limitations. In particular, a shareholder must hold his or her shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 more days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign (non-U.S.) tax credit with respect to a gain dividend. No deduction for foreign (non-U.S.) taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. Each shareholder will be notified within 60 days after the close of the Fund’s taxable year whether the foreign (non-U.S.) taxes paid by the Fund will “pass through” for that year.  


Generally, a credit for foreign (non-U.S.) taxes is subject to the limitation that it may not exceed the shareholder’s U.S. tax attributable to his or her total foreign (non-U.S.) source taxable income. For this purpose, if the pass-through election is made, the source of the Fund’s income will flow through to shareholders of the Fund. With respect to the Fund, gains from the sale of securities will be treated



40






as derived from U.S. sources and certain currency fluctuation gains, including fluctuation gains from foreign (non-U.S.) currency-denominated fixed income securities, receivables and payables will be treated as ordinary income derived from U.S. sources. The limitation on the foreign (non-U.S.) tax credit is applied separately to foreign (non-U.S.) source passive income, and to certain other types of income. A shareholder may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of his or her proportionate share of the foreign (non-U.S.) taxes paid by the Fund. The foreign (non-U.S.) tax credit can be used to offset only 90% of the revised alternative minimum tax imposed on corporations and individuals and foreign (non-U.S.) taxes generally are not deductible in computing alternative minimum taxable income.  


Original Issue Discount, Pay-In-Kind and Market Discount Securities  


Investments by the Fund in zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities, other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in income currently) or pay-in-kind securities will require the Fund to accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, generally prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments.  However, the Fund must distribute, at least annually, all or substantially all of its net income, including such accrued income, to shareholders to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code and avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes.  Therefore, the Fund may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate cash to satisfy its distribution requirements.


By holding the foregoing kinds of securities, the Fund may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution, if any, than they would in the absence of such transactions.  

Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund’s shares.  


A brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution accompany each distribution. In January of each year the Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions.  


Shareholders should consult their tax advisers about the application of federal, state and local and foreign (non-U.S.) tax law in light of their particular situation.


INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


McGladrey LLP, located at 555 17th Street, Suite 1000, Denver, CO 80202, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the current fiscal year.  The firm provides services including (i) audit of annual financial statements, (ii) assistance and consultation in connection with SEC filings, and (iii) other audit related and tax services.  


LEGAL COUNSEL


Dechert LLP, located at 2010 Main Street, Suite 500 Irvine, California 92614, serves as the Trust’s legal counsel.


FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


The financial statements of the Fund included in the Fund’s most recent annual reports to shareholders, including the notes thereto and reports of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon, are incorporated by reference to the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013.  These financial statements include the Fund’s schedule of investments, statements of assets and liabilities, statements of operations, statements of changes in net assets, financial highlights and notes. You may obtain a copy of an annual or semi-annual report by calling 1-866-866-4848 .




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APPENDIX A


PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES


ANFIELD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC


Anfield Capital Management, LLC

Proxy Voting Policy


Anfield Capital Management, LLC (“Anfield”) as an investment adviser is a fiduciary that owes each of its client’s duties of care and loyalty with respect to all services undertaken on the client’s behalf. Anfield does not currently have the obligation or authority to vote proxies for securities held by separate account clients, but does vote proxies for securities held by pooled investment vehicles managed by the firm. Anfield has adopted a policy to vote the securities in the best interest of the clients.


Anfield will generally vote for or against proposals as indicated below; however, Anfield will exercise discretion at any time when regular voting practice is inconsistent with client interests. Anfield may refrain from voting a proxy when it is in the best interest of the client, e.g. if Anfield determines that the cost of voting the proxy exceeds the benefit to the client.


Vote For:


·

Routine business decisions.

·

Reverse anti-takeover amendments.

·

Auditors.

·

Directors (however, if we are voting against a management proposal, then the vote may be withheld for Directors).

·

Indemnification of Directors.

·

Elimination or limitation of Director’s liability.

·

Stronger corporate governance measures.


Vote Against:


·

Reincorporation to facilitate takeover defense.

·

Issue of new class of common stock with unequal voting rights.

·

Adoption of fair price amendments.

·

Establishment of a classified Board of Directors.

·

Elimination of cumulative voting.

·

Establishing or increasing preferred stock.

·

Other anti-takeover amendments.

·

Weaker corporate governance measures.


Consider Individually:


·

Increase in authorized common stock.

·

Establish or increase stock option plan (company must present argument for option plans containing over ten percent of the company’s outstanding shares).

·

Reorganization and merger agreements.

·

Dissident proxy battle.

·

Other employee compensation plans.

·

Proposals not specified above.


“Mirror Voting”:


·

ETFs and other investment companies held in Registered Investment Companies advised or sub-advised by Anfield .










It is feasible that from time to time a potential conflict of interest may arise in the voting of proxies. Such conflicts may occur if an adviser manages a pension plan, administers employee benefit plans, or provides brokerage, underwriting, insurance, or banking services to a company whose management is soliciting proxies. Failure to vote in favor of management may harm the adviser’s relationship with the company. The adviser may also have relationships with participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or candidates for directorships. For example, an executive of the adviser may have a spouse or other close relative who serves as a director or executive of a company. Another potential conflict of interest would be voting for an increase in 12b-1 fees when this is a source of compensation for advisers.


It is the policy of Anfield to identify any potential conflicts of interest prior to the voting of any proxies. When reviewing proxy proposals, the CCO will monitor for conflicts of interest. If the proposal falls within our predetermined voting guidelines, we will vote according to the guidelines. If a conflict is identified, Anfield may disclose the conflict to the applicable clients or contact a third party to advise Anfield to determine the vote and/or provide voting recommendations.


Clients may obtain information on how their proxies were voted by contacting Anfield at the address and number below.


Anfield Capital Management, LLC

4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 430

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Phone & Fax (949) 891-0600





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Appendix B

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

A.

Long-Term Ratings


1.

Moody’s Investors Service Long-Term Corporate 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 use Moody’s Global Scale and reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.

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 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.


2.

Standard & Poor s Long-Term Corporate Obligation Ratings (including Preferred Stock



44






Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:

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;

• Nature of and provisions of the obligation;

• 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.


Note:

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



45






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 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.

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 expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period.  The D rating also will be used upon filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.



Note:

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.

3.

Fitch International Long-Term Credit Ratings

International Long-Term Credit Ratings (LTCR) may also be referred to as Long-Term Ratings.  When assigned to most issuers, it is used as a benchmark measure of probability of default and is formally described as an Issuer Default Rating (IDR).  The major exception is within Public Finance, where IDRs will not be assigned as market convention has always focused on timeliness and does not draw analytical distinctions between issuers and their underlying obligations.  When applied to issues or securities, the LTCR may be higher or lower than the issuer rating (IDR) to reflect relative differences in recovery expectations.

The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings:

Investment Grade

AAA

Highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk.  They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments.  This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA

Very high credit quality.  AA ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk.  They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments.  This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A



46






High credit quality.  A ratings denote expectations of low credit risk.  The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong.  This capacity, may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB

Good credit quality.  BBB ratings indicate that there are currently expectations of low credit risk.  The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.  This is the lowest investment grade category.



Speculative Grade

BB

Speculative.  BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.  Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.

B

Highly speculative.  B ratings may indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains.  Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

CCC


Default is a real possibility.  Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions.

CC

Default of some kind appears probable.

C

Default is imminent.

RD

Indicated an entity has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations.

D

Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.  Default generally is defined as one of the following:

• Failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under contractual terms of any financial obligation;

• The bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation, or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor

• The distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.



47






Issuers will be rated D upon default.  Defaulted and distressed obligations typically are rated along the continuum of C to B ratings categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics.  Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full accordance with the terms of the obligation’s documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation may be rated in the B or CCC-C categories.

Default is determined by reference to the terms of the obligations’ documentation.  Fitch will assign default ratings where it has reasonable determined that payment has not been made on a material obligation in accordance with the requirements of the obligation’s documentation, or where it believes that default ratings consistent with Fitch’s published definition of default are the most appropriate ratings to assign.

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 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.)

B.

Preferred Stock Ratings


1.

Moody’s Investors Service


Aaa

An issue which is rated Aaa is considered to be a top-quality preferred stock.  This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stock.

Aa

An issue which is rated Aa is considered a high-grade preferred stock.  This rating indicates that there is a reasonable assurance the earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well-maintained in the foreseeable future.

A

An issue which is rated A is considered to be an upper-medium preferred stock.  While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the Aaa and Aa classification, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.

Baa

An issue which is rated Baa is considered to be a medium-grade preferred stock, neither highly protected nor poorly secured.  Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.

Ba

An issue which is rate Ba is considered to have speculative elements and its future cannot be considered well assured.  Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods.  Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.

B

An issue which is rated B generally lacks the characteristics of a desirable investment.  Assurance of dividend payments and maintenance of other terms of the issue over any long period of time may be small.

Caa

An issue which is rated Caa is likely to be in arrears on dividend payments.  This rating designation does not purport to indicate the future status of payments.

Ca



48






An issues which is rated Ca is speculative in a high degree and is likely to be in arrears on dividends with little likelihood of eventual payments.

C

This is the lowest rated class of preferred or preference stock.  Issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

Note:


Moody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each rating classification.  The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 3 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.

C.

Short Term Ratings


1.

Moody’s Investors Service


Moody’s short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations.  Ratings assigned 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.


2.

Standard & Poor’s


A-1




49






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 regard 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 regard 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.


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 ratings also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition of the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.




50






Note:

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+).


3.

Fitch


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 U.S. 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.

F1

Highest credit quality.  Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

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.

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.


B


Speculative.  Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.


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.

D


Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.


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 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.)





51



 



TWO ROADS SHARED TRUST


PART C

OTHER INFORMATION


Item 28.

 

Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

 

 

(a)

(1)

Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated October 15, 2012 3

 

(2)

Certificate of Trust as filed with the State of Delaware on June 8, 2012 1

 

 

 

(b)

 

Registrant’s By–Laws 1

 

 

 

(c)

 

Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders – see relevant portions of Certificate of Trust and By-Laws

 

 

 

(d)

(1)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Belvedere Asset Management, LLC, with respect to the Belvedere Alternative Income Fund 2

 

(2)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and LJM Funds Management, Ltd. 2

 

(3)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Belvedere Asset Management, LLC, with respect to the Charioteer Mortgage Income Fund 3

 

(4)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Auriga Capital Management, LLC and Belvedere Asset Management, LLC, with respect to the Charioteer Mortgage Income Fund 3

 

(5)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Superfund Advisors, Inc. with respect to the Superfund Managed Futures Strategy Fund 5

 

(6)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and West Shore Group, LLC with respect to the West Shore Real Return Income Fund 6

 

(7)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Larkin Point Investment Advisors LLC with respect to the Larkin Point Equity Preservation Fund 6

 

(8)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Redwood Investment Management, LLC with respect to the Redwood Managed Volatility Fund 6

 

(9)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and IronHorse Capital, LLC with respect to the Conductor Global Fund 7

 

(10)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Dynamic Advisors, LLC, with respect to the Dynamic Total Return Fund 9

 

(11)

Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund 8

 

(12)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund is filed herewith.

 

(13)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Registrant, Dynamic Advisors, LLC and One Oak Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Dynamic Total Return Fund 9

 

(14)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Redwood Investment Management, LLC with respect to the Redwood Managed Volatility Portfolio 11

 

(15)

Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and ES Capital Advisors, LLC with respect to the Belvedere Alternative Income Fund 10

 

(16)

Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement between Registrant, ES Capital Advisors, LLC and Merriman Asset Management Inc.(d/b/a Merriman Wealth Advisors), with respect to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) 10

 

(17)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and ES Capital Advisors, LLC with respect to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) 10

 

(18)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Registrant, ES Capital Advisors, LLC and Merriman Asset Management Inc.(d/b/a Merriman Wealth Advisors), with respect to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) 10

 

 

 

(e)

 

Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC 3

 

 

 

(f)

 

Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts – None

 

 

 

(g)

 

Custodial Agreement between the Registrant and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. (formerly, Union Bank, N.A.) 2

 

 

 

(h)

(1)

Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC 2

 

(2)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Belvedere Asset Management, LLC, with respect to the Belvedere Alternative Income Fund 2

 

(3)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and LJM Funds Management, Ltd., with respect to the LJM Preservation and Growth Fund 8

 

(4)

Consulting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC 2

 

(5)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, Belvedere Asset Management, LLC and Auriga Capital Management, LLC with respect to the Charioteer Mortgage Income Fund 3

 

(6)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and West Shore Group, LLC with respect to the West Shore Real Return Income Fund 6

 

(7)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Larkin Point Investment Advisors LLC with respect to the Larkin Point Equity Preservation Fund 6

 

(8)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Redwood Investment Management, LLC with respect to the Redwood Managed Volatility Fund 6

 

(9)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and IronHorse Capital, LLC with respect to the Conductor Global Fund 7

 

(10)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Dynamic Advisors, LLC, with respect to the Dynamic Total Return Fund 9

 

(11)

Interim Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund 8

 

(12)

Fee Waiver Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund 8

 

(13)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund is filed herewith.

 

(14)

Fee Waiver Agreement between Registrant and Dynamic Advisors, LLC, with respect to the Dynamic Total Return Fund 9

 

(15)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Redwood Investment Management, LLC with respect to the Redwood Managed Volatility Portfolio 11

 

(16)

Interim Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and ES Capital Advisors, LLC with respect to the Belvedere Alternative Income Fund 10

 

(17)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and ES Capital Advisors, LLC with respect to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) 10

 

(18)

Fee Waiver Agreement between Registrant and ES Capital Advisors, LLC with respect to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) 10

 

(19)

Fee Waiver Agreement between Registrant, ES Capital Advisors, LLC and Merriman Asset Management Inc.(d/b/a Merriman Wealth Advisors), with respect to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) 10

 

 

 

(i)

 

Legal Opinion and Consent of Dechert LLP is filed herewith.

 

 

 

(j)

(1)

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is filed herewith.

 

(2)

Powers of Attorney 5

 

 

 

(k)

 

Omitted Financial Statements – None

 

 

 

(l)

 

Subscription Agreement 2

 

 

 

(m)

(1)

Class A Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 6

 

(2)

Class C Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 6

 

(3)

Class R Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 6

 

(4)

Class A1 Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 6

 

(5)

Class N Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 6

 

(6)

Amended Appendix A to Class A Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 10

 

(7)

Amended Appendix A to Class C Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 10

 

(8)

Amended Appendix A to Class R Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 10

 

(9)

Amended Appendix A to Class N Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 11

 

 

 

(n)

(1)

Amended Rule 18f-3 Plan 6

 

(2)

Amended Appendix A to Rule 18f-3 Plan 10

 

 

 

(o)

 

Reserved

 

 

 

(p)

(1)

Code of Ethics for the Trust 2

 

(2)

Code of Ethics for Belvedere Asset Management, LLC 2

 

(3)

Code of Ethics for LJM Funds Management, Ltd 4

 

(4)

Code of Ethics for Northern Lights Distributors, LLC 2

 

(5)

Code of Ethics for Anfield Capital Management, LLC 3

 

(6)

Code of Ethics for Superfund Advisors, Inc. 5

 

(7)

Code of Ethics for West Shore Group, LLC 6

 

8)

Code of Ethics for Larkin Point Investment Advisors LLC 6

 

(9)

Code of Ethics for Redwood Investment Management, LLC 6

 

(10)

Code of Ethics for IronHorse Capital, LLC 7

 

(11)

Code of Ethics for Dynamic Advisors, LLC 9

 

(12)

Code of Ethics for One Oak Capital Management, LLC 9

 

(13)

Code of Ethics for ES Capital Advisors, LLC 10

 

(14)

Code of Ethics for Merriman Asset Management Inc.(d/b/a Merriman Wealth Advisors) 10


1 Previously filed on June 28, 2012 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

2 Previously filed on October 26, 2012 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

3 Previously filed on March 14, 2013 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

4 Previously filed on May 9, 2013 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

5 Previously filed on June 5, 2013 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

6 Previously filed on October 22, 2013 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

7 Previously filed on December 20, 2013 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

8 Previously filed on February 28, 2014 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

9 Previously filed on March 26, 2014 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.

10 Previously filed on August 8, 2014 in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and hereby incorporated by reference.


11 To be filed by amendment.



Item 29. Control Persons.


None.


Item 30. Indemnification.


Article VIII, Section 2(a) of the Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that to the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act of 2002, 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, is required to 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 officer’s or Trustee’s 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 contained in the Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust indemnifies, holds harmless or protects 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 person’s office.


Article VIII, Section 2(b) of the Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that 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 Person’s capacity as Trustee and/or as officer, and such Trustee or officer, as applicable, shall not be personally liable therefore, except as described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of Section 2 of Article VIII.


Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of Delaware law and the Amended Agreement and Declaration of the Registrant or the By-Laws of the Registrant, 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 the 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 Trust 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 the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.



Section 11 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Belvedere Asset Management, LLC (“BAM”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(1), and Section 5 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BAM, incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(4),  provides for the indemnification of BAM against certain losses.


Section 11 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and LJM Funds Management, Ltd. (“LJM”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(2), provides for the indemnification of LJM against certain losses.


Section 11 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Superfund Advisors, Inc. (“Superfund”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(5), provides for the indemnification of Superfund against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and West Shore Group, LLC (“West Shore”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(6), provides for the indemnification of West Shore against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Larkin Point Investment Advisors, LLC (“Larkin Point”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(7), provides for the indemnification of Larkin Point against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Redwood Investment Management, LLC (“Redwood”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(8), provides for the indemnification of Redwood against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and IronHorse Capital, LLC (“IronHorse”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(9), provides for the indemnification of IronHorse against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC (“Anfield”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(11), provides for the indemnification of Anfield against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Dynamic Advisors, LLC (“Dynamic”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(10), provides for the indemnification of Dynamic against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and ES Capital Advisors, LLC (“ES Capital”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(15), provides for the indemnification of ES Capital against certain losses.


Section 5 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and ES Capital Advisors, LLC (“ES Capital”), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(17), provides for the indemnification of ES Capital against certain losses.




The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Registrant agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (NLD), its several officers and directors, and any person who controls NLD within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which NLD, its officers and directors, or any such controlling persons, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon: (i) any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact required to be stated in either any Registration Statement or any Prospectus, (ii) any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus or necessary to make the statements in any of them not misleading, (iii) the Registrant’s  failure to maintain an effective Registration statement and Prospectus with respect to Shares of the Funds that are the subject of the claim or demand, or (iv)  the Registrant’s failure to provide NLD with advertising or sales materials to be filed with the FINRA on a timely basis.


The Fund Services Agreement with Gemini Fund Services, LLC (GFS) provides that the Registrant agrees to indemnify and hold GFS harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to the Registrant’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the Agreement, or which arise out of the Registrant’s lack of good faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Registrant’s performance under or in connection with this Agreement.


The Consulting Agreement with Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (NLCS) provides that the Registrant agree to indemnify and hold NLCS harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to the Trust’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the Agreement, or which arise out of the Trust’s lack of good faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Trust’s performance under or in connection with the Agreement.  NLCS shall not be liable for, and shall be entitled to rely upon, and may act upon information, records and reports generated by the Trust, advice of the Trust, or of counsel for the Trust and upon statements of the Trust’s independent accountants, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such records and reports.



Item 31. Activities of Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser.


Certain information pertaining to the business and other connections of each Adviser of each series of the Trust is hereby incorporated herein by reference to the section of the respective Prospectus captioned “Investment Adviser” and to the section of the respective Statement of Additional Information captioned “Investment Advisory and Other Services.”  The information required by this Item 31 with respect to each director, officer or partner of each Adviser is incorporated by reference to the Adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  Each Adviser’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov, and may be requested by File No. as follows:




LJM Funds Management, Ltd., the Adviser to the LJM Preservation and Growth Fund -- File No. 801-76983


Anfield Capital Management, LLC, the Adviser to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund – File No. 801-77714


Superfund Advisors, Inc., the Adviser to the Superfund Managed Futures Strategy Fund – File No. 801-77984


West Shore Group, LLC, the Adviser to the West Shore Real Return Income Fund – File No. 801-78178


Larkin Point Investment Advisors LLC, the Adviser to the Larkin Point Equity Preservation Fund – File No. 801-78636


Redwood Investment Management, LLC, the Adviser to the Redwood Managed Volatility Fund – File No. 801-78563


IronHorse Capital, LLC, the Adviser to the Conductor Global Fund – File No. 801-78730


Dynamic Advisors, LLC, the Adviser to the Dynamic Total Return Fund – File No. 801-78755


One Oak Capital Management, LLC, the Sub-Adviser to the Dynamic Total Return Fund – File No. 801-79144


ES Capital Advisors, LLC, the Adviser to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) – File No. 801-79638


Merriman Asset Management Inc. (d/b/a Merriman Wealth Advisors), the Sub-Adviser to the Modern Technology Fund (f/k/a Belvedere Alternative Income Fund) – File No. 801-79639



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, AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds, Arrow Investments Trust, Compass EMP Funds Trust, Copeland Trust, Equinox Funds Trust, GL Beyond Income Fund, Miller Investment Trust, Morgan Creek Series Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Nile Capital Investment Trust, North Country Funds, Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust III, Northern Lights ETF Fund Trust, Northern Lights Variable Trust, OCM Mutual Fund, Roge Partners Funds, Resource Real Estate Diversified Income Fund, Multi-Strategy Growth & Income Fund, The Saratoga Advantage Trust, Total Income+ Real Estate Fund, Tributary Funds, Inc., and Vertical Capital Income Fund.


(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 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the following are the members and officers of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC:


Name

Positions and Offices

with Underwriter

Positions and Offices

with the Trust

Brian Nielsen

Manager, CEO, Secretary

None

Bill Wostoupal

President

None

Daniel Applegarth

Treasurer

None

Mike Nielsen

Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer

None


 (c) Not Applicable.


Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.


The following entities prepare, maintain and preserve the records required by Section 31 (a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, for the Registrant.  These services are provided to the Registrant for such periods prescribed by the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act and such records are the property of the entity required to maintain and preserve such records and will be surrendered promptly on request.


1.

MUFG Union Bank, National Association, 350 California Street 6 th  Floor, San Francisco, California 94104 (records relating to its function as custodian)

2.

Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (records relating to its functions as administration, accounting and transfer agent and Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and Minutes)

3.

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (records relating to its function as principal underwriter)

4.

Belvedere Asset Management, LLC, located at 1299 Fourth Street, Suite 200, San Rafael, CA 94901 (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

5.

LJM Funds Management, Ltd., One Financial Place, 440 S. La Salle Street, Suite 2301, Chicago, IL 60605 (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

6.

Superfund Advisors, Inc., Superfund Office Building, Grand Anse P.O. Box 1803 St. Georges, Grenada W.I (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

7.

West Shore Group, LLC, 21 East Euclid Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ 08033 (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

8.

Larkin Point Investment Advisors LLC, 47 West River Road, Suite D, Rumson, NJ 07760 (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

9.

Redwood Investment Management, LLC, 1117 S. Robertson Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90035  (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

10.

IronHorse Capital LLC, The First Capital Building, 555 Perkins Extended, Suite 450, Memphis, TN 38117  (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

11.

Dynamic Advisors, LLC, 1014 Market Street, Suite 100, Kirkland, WA 98033 (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

12.

Anfield Capital Management, LLC, 4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 430, Newport Beach, CA 92660 (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

13.

ES Capital Advisors, LLC, 40 Walnut Street, Wellesley, MA  (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

14.

Merriman Asset Management Inc.(d/b/a Merriman Wealth Advisors), 600 California Street, 9 th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108  (records relating to its function as investment adviser)

Item 34. Management Services. Not Applicable.


Item 35. Undertakings.  Not Applicable.



SIGNATURES



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the 1933 Act and 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 11 th day of August, 2014.


Two Roads Shared Trust


By:_______________________

Andrew Rogers*

President and Principal Executive Officer



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.



Signature

Title

Date

 

 

 

Mark D. Gersten*

_________________________

Trustee & Chairman

August 11, 2014

Mark Garbin*

_________________________

Trustee

August 11, 2014

Neil M. Kaufman*

_________________________

Trustee

August 11, 2014

Anita K. Krug*

_________________________

Trustee

August 11, 2014

Andrew Rogers*

_________________________

President and Principal Executive Officer

August 11, 2014

James Colantino*

 _________________________

Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer

August 11, 2014


*By:  /s/ James P. Ash

James P. Ash- Attorney in fact






Exhibit Index



EX-99

(d)(12)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income

EX-99

(h)(13)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Anfield Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

EX-99

(i)

Legal Opinion and Consent of Dechert LLP

EX-99

(j)(1)

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm








INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT


INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT made as of this 14 th day of May, 2014 by and between Two Roads Shared Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), and Anfield Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”).


1. The Trust is an open-end investment company which has separate investment portfolios. This Agreement shall pertain to the ANFIELD UNIVERSAL FIXED INCOME FUND (the “Fund”). The Trust engages in the business of investing and reinvesting the assets of the Fund in the manner and in accordance with the investment objective and restrictions applicable to the Fund as specified in the Trust’s registration statement, as amended from time to time (the “Registration Statement”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”). Copies of the Registration Statement have been furnished to the Adviser. Any amendments to those documents shall be furnished to the Adviser promptly. Pursuant to a Distribution Contract (the “Distribution Contract”), between the Trust and the Trust’s principal underwriter (the “Distributor”), the Trust has employed the Distributor to serve as principal underwriter for the shares of beneficial interest of the Trust.


2. The Trust hereby appoints the Adviser to provide the investment advisory services specified in this Agreement and the Adviser hereby accepts such appointment.


3. (a) The Adviser shall, at its expense, (i) employ or associate with itself such persons as it believes appropriate to assist it in performing its obligations under this Agreement and (ii) provide all services, equipment and facilities necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Adviser may from time to time seek research assistance and rely on investment management resources available to it through its affiliated companies, but in no case shall such reliance relieve the Adviser of any of its obligations hereunder, nor shall the Trust be responsible for any additional fees or expenses hereunder as a result.


(b) The Trust shall be responsible for all of its expenses and liabilities, including compensation of its Trustees who are not affiliated with the Adviser, the Distributor or any of their affiliates; taxes and governmental fees; interest charges; fees and expenses of the Trust’s independent accountants and legal counsel; trade association membership dues; fees and expenses of any custodian (including maintenance of books and accounts and calculation of the net asset value of shares of the Trust), transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursing agent of the Trust; expenses of issuing, redeeming, registering and qualifying for sale shares of beneficial interest in the Trust; expenses of preparing and printing share certificates, prospectuses and reports to shareholders, notices, proxy statements and reports to regulatory agencies; the cost of office supplies, including stationery; travel expenses of all officers, Trustees and employees; insurance premiums; brokerage and other expenses of executing portfolio transactions; expenses of shareholders’ meetings; organizational expenses; and extraordinary expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may enter into a separate agreement, which shall be controlling over this Agreement, as amended, pursuant to which some or all of the foregoing expenses of this Section 3(b) shall be the responsibility of the other party or parties to that agreement.






4. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Trustees of the Trust, the Adviser will: (a) provide a program of continuous investment management for the Fund with regard to the Fund’s investment of its assets (the “Portfolio”) in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and limitations as stated in the Fund’s Prospectus and statement of additional information included as part of the Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as they may be amended from time to time, copies of which shall be provided to the Adviser by the Trust; (b) make investment decisions for the Fund, including, but not limited to, the selection and management of investment sub-advisers for the Fund, in which case any of the duties of the Adviser set forth herein may be delegated to such investment sub- advisers subject to approval by the Trust’s board of trustees (“Board of Trustees”); (c) if investment sub-advisers are appointed with respect to the Fund, monitor and evaluate the performance of the investment sub-advisers under their respective sub-advisory agreements in light of the investment objectives and policies of the Fund, and render to the Trustees such periodic and special reports related to such performance monitoring as the Trustees may reasonably request, and analyze and recommend changes in investment sub-advisers as the Adviser may deem appropriate; (d) place orders to purchase and sell investments for the Fund; and (e) provide office space, secretarial and clerical services and wire and telephone services necessary to provide the investment advisory duties set forth in this Section 4.


In performing its investment management services to the Fund under the terms of this Agreement, the Adviser will provide the Fund with ongoing investment guidance and policy direction.


The Adviser further agrees that, in performing its duties hereunder, it will:


(a) comply with the 1940 Act and all rules and regulations thereunder, the Advisers Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations, and with any applicable procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees;


(b) use reasonable efforts to manage the Portfolio so that the Fund will qualify, and continue to qualify, as regulated investment companies under Subchapter M of the Code and regulations issued thereunder;


(c) place orders pursuant to its investment determinations for the Fund in accordance with applicable policies expressed in the Fund’s Registration Statement, established through written guidelines determined by the Trust and provided to the Adviser, and in accordance with applicable legal requirements;


(d) furnish to the Trust whatever statistical information the Trust may reasonably request with respect to the Fund. In addition, the Adviser will keep the Trust and the Trustees informed of developments materially affecting the Fund and shall, on the Adviser’s own initiative, furnish to the Trust from time to time whatever information the Adviser believes appropriate for this purpose;


(e) make available to the Trust, promptly upon its request, such copies of its investment records and ledgers with respect to the Fund as may be required to assist the Trust in






its compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The Adviser will furnish the Trustees with such periodic and special reports regarding the Fund as they may reasonably request;


(f) meet quarterly with the Trust’s Board of Trustees to explain its investment management activities, and any reports related to the Fund as may reasonably be requested by the Trust;


(g) immediately notify the Trust in the event that the Adviser or any of its affiliates:

(1) becomes aware that it is subject to a statutory disqualification that prevents the Adviser from serving as investment adviser pursuant to this Agreement; or (2) becomes aware that it is the subject of an administrative proceeding or enforcement action by the SEC or other regulatory authority. The Adviser further agrees to notify the Trust immediately of any material fact known to the Adviser respecting or relating to the Adviser that is not contained in the Registration Statement regarding the Fund, or any amendment or supplement thereto, but that is required to be disclosed therein, and of any statement contained therein that becomes untrue in any material respect;


(h) in making investment decisions for the Fund, use no material non-public information that may be in its possession or in the possession of any of its affiliates, nor will the Adviser seek to obtain any such information; and


(i) comply with any procedures adopted by the Trust, including the Trust’s policy on the disclosure of portfolio holdings of the Fund (the “Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policy”), as provided in writing to the Adviser and as may be amended from time to time. Compliance with the Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policy includes the requirement that information disclosed to third parties, whether on an ongoing or ad hoc basis, is disclosed subject to conditions designed to protect the confidentiality of such information.


5. The Adviser shall give the Trust the benefit of the Adviser’s best judgment and efforts in rendering services under this Agreement. The Adviser may rely on information reasonably believed by it to be accurate and reliable. As an inducement for the Adviser’s undertaking to render services under this Agreement, the Trust agrees that neither the Adviser nor its members, officers, directors, or employees shall be subject to any liability for, or any damages, expenses or losses incurred in connection with, any act or omission or mistake in judgment connected with or arising out of any services rendered under this Agreement, except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in performance of the Adviser’s duties, or by reason of reckless disregard of the Adviser’s obligations and duties under this Agreement. This provision shall govern only the liability to the Trust of the Adviser and that of its members, officers, directors, and employees, and shall in no way govern the liability to the Trust or the Adviser or provide a defense for any other person including persons that provide services for the Fund as described in this Agreement.


6. In consideration of the services to be rendered by the Adviser under this Agreement, the Fund shall pay the Adviser a monthly fee on the first business day of each month, based upon the average daily value (as determined on each business day at the time set forth in the Prospectus for determining net asset value per share) of the net assets of the Fund, during the preceding month, at the annual rates provided for in Exhibit A, as such Exhibit A may be amended from time to time.

 

 




 

 


If the fees payable to the Adviser pursuant to this Section 6 begin to accrue before the end of any month or if this Agreement terminates before the end of any month, the fees for the period from that date to the end of that month or from the beginning of that month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion which the period bears to the full month in which the effectiveness or termination occurs. For purposes of calculating the monthly fees, the value of the net assets of the Fund shall be computed in the manner specified in the Prospectus for the computation of net asset value. For purposes of this Agreement, a “business day” is any day a Fund is open for business or as otherwise provided in the Trust’s Prospectus.


7. (a) This Agreement shall become effective with respect to the Fund by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund (and, with respect to any amendment, the date of the amendment) and shall continue in effect with respect to the Fund for a period of more than two years from that date and shall continue thereafter only so long as the continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or by the Trust’s Board of Trustees and (ii) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose, of a majority of the Trust’s trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party.


(b) This Agreement may be terminated with respect to the Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or by a vote of a majority of the Trust’s entire Board of Trustees on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust. This Agreement (or any supplement hereto) shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).



8. Except to the extent necessary to perform the Adviser’s obligations under this Agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right of the Adviser, or any affiliate of the Adviser, or any employee of the Adviser, to engage in any other business or to devote time and attention to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.


9. The investment management services of the Adviser to the Trust under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive as to the Adviser and the Adviser will be free to render similar services to others.


10. It is understood that the names “Anfield Capital Management, LLC” or “Anfield” or any derivative thereof or logo associated with those names and other servicemarks and trademarks owned by the Adviser or its affiliates are the valuable property of the Adviser and its affiliates, and that the Trust and/or the Fund may use such names (or derivatives or logos) only as permitted by the Adviser.


11. Notices of any kind to be given to the Adviser by the Trust shall be in writing and shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to the Adviser at 4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 430, Newport Beach, CA 92660, or to such other address or to such individual as shall be specified by the Adviser. Notices of any kind to be given to the Trust by the Adviser shall be in writing and shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, or to such other address or to such individual as shall be specified by the Trust.

 

 





12. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original.


13. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, provided that nothing herein shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act.


(a) If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby and, to this extent, the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to be severable. To the extent that any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise with regard to any party hereunder, such provisions with respect to other parties hereto shall not be affected thereby.


(b) The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience only and in no way define any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.





[The remainder of this page is intentionally blank.]






IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized officers as of the day and year first written above.





TWO ROADS SHARED TRUST,

On behalf of the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund


By: /s/ Andrew Rogers

Name: Andrew Rogers

Title: President




ANFIELD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC




By:  /s/ David Young

Name: David Young

Title: Chief Executive Officer












Investment Advisory Agreement

EXHIBIT A

(as of February 21, 2014)

Two Roads Shared Trust







Fund                                                                                                              Investment Advisory Fee


Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund

0.80%





AMENDED AND RESTATED OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is effective as of July 1, 2014, by and between TWO ROADS SHARED TRUST, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), on behalf of the ANFIELD UNIVERSAL FIXED INCOME FUND (the “Fund”), a series of the Trust, and the Adviser to the Fund, Anfield Capital Management, LLC (“Anfield” or the “Adviser”).

RECITALS:

WHEREAS , Anfield renders advice and services to the Fund pursuant to the terms and provisions of an Investment Management Agreement between the Trust and Anfield dated as of the 14 th day of  May, 2014 (the “Advisory Agreement”); and

WHEREAS , the Fund is responsible for, and has assumed the obligation for, payment of certain expenses pursuant to the Advisory Agreement that have not been assumed by Anfield, and

WHEREAS , the Adviser desires to limit the Fund’s Operating Expenses (as that term is defined in Paragraph 2 of this Agreement) pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Trust (on behalf of the Fund) desires to allow the Adviser to implement those limits; and

WHEREAS , as a condition to the continuation of its contractual relationships with the Adviser, the Trust has required that the Adviser grant to the Trust a continuing security interest in and to a designated account of the Adviser established with Gemini Fund Services, LLC, Transfer Agent to the Fund, or its successor and assigns (the “Securities Intermediary”), for so long the Fund’s assets remain below $10 million;

NOW THEREFORE , in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties, intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:

1.   Limit on Operating Expenses .  The Adviser hereby, jointly and severally, agrees to limit the Fund’s current Operating Expenses to an annual rate, expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the month, to the amounts listed in Appendix A (the “Annual Limit”).  In the event that the current Operating Expenses of the Fund, as accrued each month, exceed its Annual Limit, the Adviser will pay to the Fund, on a monthly basis, the excess expense within the first ten days of the month following the month in which such Operating Expenses were incurred (each payment, a “Fund Reimbursement Payment”).  

2.   Definition .  For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Operating Expenses” with respect to the Fund is defined to include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the operation of the Fund and including Anfield’s investment advisory or management fee detailed in the Advisory Agreement, any Rule 12b-l fees and/or shareholder services fees and other expenses described in the Advisory Agreement, but does not include:  (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iii) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); (iv) taxes; and (v) extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser)).



3.   Reimbursement of Fees and Expenses .  The Adviser retains its right to receive in future years on a rolling three year basis, reimbursement from the Fund of any Fund Reimbursement Payments paid by such Adviser pursuant to this Agreement, if such reimbursement can be achieved within the Operating Expense Limitations listed in Appendix A.

4.   Collateral Account and Security Interest .  At any time when the Fund’s assets are below $10 million, the Adviser, for value received, hereby pledges, assigns, sets over and grants to the Trust a continuing security interest in and to an account to be established and maintained by the Adviser with the Securities Intermediary and designated as a collateral account (the “Collateral Account”), including any replacement account established with any successor, together with all dividends, interest, stock-splits, distributions, profits and all cash and non-cash proceeds thereof and any and all other rights as may now or hereafter derive or accrue therefrom (collectively, the “Collateral”) to secure the payment of any required Fund Reimbursement Payment or Liquidation Expenses (as defined in Paragraph 5 of this Agreement).  For so long as this Agreement is in effect, any transfers or conveyances of Collateral to any party shall require the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”), except as specified in Section 7(a)(ii) of this Agreement, below.  In addition, the Trust will not issue entitlement orders, redeem or otherwise take any action with respect to the Collateral or Collateral Account unless a Collateral Event (defined below under Section 5 of this Agreement) has occurred or is continuing.

5.   Collateral Event .  In the event that either (a) the Adviser does not make the Fund Reimbursement Payment due in connection with a particular calendar month by the tenth day of the following calendar month or (b) the Board enacts a resolution calling for the liquidation of the Fund (either (a) or (b), a “Collateral Event”), then, in either event, the Board shall have absolute discretion to redeem any shares or other Collateral held in the Collateral Account and utilize the proceeds from such redemptions or such other Collateral to make any required Fund Reimbursement Payment, or to cover any costs or expenses which the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, reasonably estimates will be required in connection with the liquidation of the Fund (the “Liquidation Expenses”).  Pursuant to the terms of Paragraph 6 of this Agreement, upon authorization from the Board, but subject to the provisions of the Control Agreement (defined below under Section 6), no further instructions shall be required from the Adviser for the Securities Intermediary to transfer any Collateral from the Collateral Account to the Fund.  The Adviser acknowledges that in the event the Collateral available in the Collateral Account is insufficient to cover the full cost of any Fund Reimbursement Payment or Liquidation Expenses, the Fund shall retain the right to receive from the Adviser any costs in excess of the value of the Collateral.

6.   Control Agreement; Appointment of Attorney-in-Fact .  The Adviser agrees to execute and deliver to the Board, in form and substance satisfactory to the Board, a Control Agreement by, between and among the Trust, the Adviser and the Securities Intermediary (the “Control Agreement”) pursuant to and consistent with Section 8-106(c) of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, which shall terminate when the Collateral Account is no longer required under this Agreement.  Without limiting the foregoing, for so long as the Collateral Account is required under the Agreement,  the Adviser hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints the Trust, through any officer thereof, with full power of substitution, as the Adviser’s true and lawful Attorney-in-Fact, with full irrevocable power and authority in place and stead of the Adviser and in the name of the Adviser or in the Trust's own name, from time to time, for the purpose of carrying out the terms of this Agreement, to take any and all appropriate actions and to execute and deliver any



and all documents and instruments which the Board deems necessary to accomplish the purpose of this Agreement, which power of attorney is coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Trust shall have the right and power following any Collateral Event to receive, endorse and collect all checks and other orders for the payment of money made payable to the Adviser representing any interest payment, dividend, or other distribution payable in respect of or to the Collateral, or any part thereof, and to give full discharge for the same.  So long as a Collateral Event has occurred and is continuing, the Board, in its discretion, may direct the Adviser or the Adviser’s agent to transfer the Collateral in certificated or uncertificated form into the name and account of the Trust or its designee.

7.   Covenants .  So long as this Agreement shall remain in effect, the Adviser represents and covenants as follows:

(a)  No later than 120 days after the Fund becomes operational, the Adviser shall invest at least $30,000 in the Collateral Account, unless the Fund’s assets have reached $10 million by that time (in which case no Collateral Account is required until Fund assets fall below $10 million for more than 30 days).  Once the Collateral Account is established:  (i) the Adviser will maintain at least $30,000 in said account, such that additional amounts will be deposited by the Adviser where Fund outflows or negative Fund performance reduce the Collateral Account below $30,000 for a period of more than thirty days; (ii) when the Fund reaches $10 million or more in net assets, the Adviser may withdraw all assets from said account, less the minimum amount required to maintain the account open; and (iii) the Adviser hereby agrees to deposit and maintain $30,000 in the Collateral Account within 30 days of Fund assets falling below $10 million, where assets have not risen above $10 million at the end of that 30-day period.  The Collateral Account may be closed completely, and any Collateral in the Collateral Account distributed to the Adviser, upon the Fund assets reaching $20 million.

(b)  To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Adviser agrees not to challenge any action taken by the Board or the Trust in executing the terms of this Agreement; provided that the action does not constitute willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties of the Board under this Agreement, the Advisory Agreement, or to Fund shareholders.

(c)  The Trust will not issue entitlement orders, redeem or otherwise take any action with respect to the Collateral or Collateral Account unless a Collateral Event (defined above under Section 5 of this Agreement) has occurred or is continuing.

8.   Term .  This Agreement shall become effective on the date first above written and shall remain in effect for at least one year following the date the Fund’s registration statement becomes effective, unless sooner terminated as provided in Paragraph 9 of this Agreement.  Upon mutual written consent of Anfield and the Trust, the Agreement shall continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust.

9.   Termination .  This Agreement may be terminated at any time, and without payment of any penalty, by the Board, on behalf of the Fund, upon sixty (60) days’ written notice Anfield.  This Agreement may not be terminated by Anfield without the consent of the Board and the other party.  This Agreement and the Control Agreement will automatically terminate, with



 

respect to the Fund listed in Appendix A, if the Advisory Agreement for the Fund is terminated and the Fund continues to operate under the management of a new investment adviser, with such termination effective upon the effective date of the Advisory Agreement’s termination for the Fund.

10.   Assignment .  This Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned without the written consent of the other party.

11.   Severability .  If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

12.   Governing Law .  This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(Signature Page follows)





IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and year first above written.


TWO ROADS SHARED TRUST,

On behalf of the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund



By:  /s/ Andrew Rogers

 Name: Andrew Rogers

Title: President





ANFIELD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC



By:  /s/ David Young

 Name: David Young

Title: Chief Executive Officer






Appendix A

Fund

Operating Expense Limit

ANFIELD UNIVERSAL FIXED INCOME FUND

 

Class A

1.20%

Class A1

1.35%

Class C

1.95%

Class I

0.95%

Class R

1.45%

 






[LOGO002.GIF]

2010 Main Street
Suite 500
Irvine, CA  92614-7269

+1  949  442  6000  Main

+1  949  442  6010  Fax

www.dechert.com


August 11, 2014  


Two Roads Shared Trust

17605 Wright Street

Omaha, Nebraska  68130


Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:


This opinion is given in connection with the filing by Two Roads Shared Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), of Post-Effective Amendment No. 36 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (“Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”) and Amendment No. 39 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) relating to an indefinite amount of shares of beneficial interest of the Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund, a series of the Trust (the “Fund”). The shares of beneficial interest of the Fund are hereinafter referred to as the “Shares.”


We have examined the following Trust documents: (1) the Trust’s Declaration of Trust; (2) the Trust’s By-Laws; (3) the Fund’s registration statement filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”); (4) pertinent provisions of the laws of the State of Delaware; and (5) such other Trust records, certificates, documents and statutes that we have deemed relevant in order to render the opinions expressed herein.


Based on such examination, we are of the opinion that:


1.

The Trust is a statutory trust duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware; and


2.

The Shares to be offered for sale by the Trust, when issued in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.


This letter expresses our opinion as to the Delaware statutory trust law governing matters such as the due organization of the Trust and the authorization and issuance of the Shares, but does not extend to the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the State of Delaware or to federal securities or other laws.


The opinions expressed herein are solely for your benefit and may not be relied on in any manner or for any purpose by any other person. We express no opinion as to any other matter other than






as expressly set forth above and no other opinion is intended or may be inferred herefrom. The opinions expressed herein are given as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation and hereby disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change after the date of this opinion pertaining to any matter referred to herein.


We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to Dechert LLP as counsel to the Registrant in the Fund’s Registration Statement and in any revised or amended versions thereof, until such time as we revoke such consent. In giving such consent, however, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.


Very truly yours,


/s/ Dechert LLP


Dechert LLP



Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment to Registration Statement (No. 333-182417) on Form N-1A of Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund, a separate series of the Two Roads Shared Trust, of our report dated December 30, 2013, relating to our audit of the financial statements and financial highlights, which appear in the Annual Report on Form N-CSR of Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund, a separate series of the Two Roads Shared Trust, for the period from June 28, 2013 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013.

We also consent to the references to our firm under the captions “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” appearing in the Statement of Additional Information and “Independent Registered Public Accountant” appearing in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.

/s/ McGladrey LLP

Denver, Colorado

August 11, 2014