FILE NOS. 333-160595 AND 811-22311
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2010
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
þ
Post-Effective Amendment No. 4
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
þ
Amendment No. 6
SCHWAB STRATEGIC TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip code)
(800) 648-5300
(Registrants Telephone Number, including Area Code)
Randall W. Merk
211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies of communications to:
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Koji Felton, Esq
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Douglas P. Dick, Esq.
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Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
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Dechert LLP
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211 Main Street
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1775 I Street, N.W.
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SF211MN-05-489
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Washington, D.C. 20006-2401
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San Francisco, CA 94105
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It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
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Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
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On (date), pursuant to paragraph (b)
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60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
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On (date), pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
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þ
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75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
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On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
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If appropriate, check the following box:
This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed
post-effective amendment.
Schwab U.S. ETFs
(SCHWAB FUNDS LOGO)
Prospectus
December ____, 2010
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Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
tm
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SCHB
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Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
tm
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SCHX
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Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
tm
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SCHG
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Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
tm
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SCHV
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Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
tm
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SCHM
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Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
tm
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SCHA
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Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
As with all exchange traded funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved
these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate and accurate.
Anyone who indicates otherwise is committing a federal crime.
(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
tm
Ticker Symbol:
SCHB
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index
sm
.1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
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Management fees
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0.06
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Other expenses
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None
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Total annual operating expenses
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0.06
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Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
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1 year
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3 years
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5 years
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10 years
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$6
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$19
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$XXX
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$XXX
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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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of November 3, 2009 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average
value of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
The
index includes the largest 2,500 publicly traded U.S. companies for which pricing information is
readily available. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that reflects
the shares of securities actually available to investors in the marketplace. As of _________, 2010,
the index was composed of __________ stocks.
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1
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Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF is not
sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation
regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
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It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this
policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However,
when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
,
purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, capitalization,
dividend yield, price/earnings ratio, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The
fund generally expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the
index, but reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the
funds investment objective. The fund generally expects that its industry weightings, dividend
yield and price/earnings ratio will be similar to those of the index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of
which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Large-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk.
Both large- and mid-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on
market and economic conditions. However, stocks of mid-cap companies tend to be more vulnerable to
adverse business or economic events than larger more established companies. During a period when
large- and mid-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments small-cap stocks, for
instance the funds large- and mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Small-Cap Risk.
Historically, small-cap stocks have been riskier than large- and mid-cap stocks,
and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. Small-cap
companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic
events than larger, more established companies. During a period when small-cap stocks fall behind
other types of investments large-cap and mid-cap stocks, for instance the funds small-cap
holdings could reduce performance.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund may not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives
Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the
risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments and could
cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition, investments in
derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives
can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can
be no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2009.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2009.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
tm
Ticker Symbol:
SCHX
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
.
1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
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|
|
Management fees
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0.08
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Other expenses
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None
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Total annual operating expenses
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0.08
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Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
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1 year
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3 years
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5 years
|
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10 years
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$8
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$26
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$XXX
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$XXX
|
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of November 3, 2009 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average value
of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
The index
includes the large-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
sm
actually available to investors in the marketplace
.
The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
includes the components ranked 1-750 by full market capitalization. The
index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of _____________, 2010, the
index was composed of _________ stocks.
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|
1
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are paid by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
, is not
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sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation
regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this
policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However,
when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
,
purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The fund will principally invest in large-cap segments of the U.S. stock market.
Large-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a
period when large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments mid- or small-cap
stocks, for instance the funds large-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the
risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments and could
cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount
invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small
percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the
fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2009.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2009.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
tm
Ticker Symbol:
SCHG
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index
sm
.1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
Management fees
|
|
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
|
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 year
|
|
3 years
|
|
5 years
|
|
10 years
|
$13
|
|
$42
|
|
$XXX
|
|
$XXX
|
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of December 11, 2009 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average value
of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
The index
includes the large-cap growth portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market
Index
sm
actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S.
Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index
sm
includes the components ranked
1-750 by full market capitalization and that are classified as growth based on a number of
factors. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of _____________,
2010, the index was composed of _________ stocks.
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1
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|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are paid by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total
Stock Market
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow
Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this
policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However,
when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
,
purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The fund will principally invest in large-cap segments of the U.S. stock market.
Large-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a
period when large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments mid- or small-cap
stocks, for instance the funds large-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Growth Investing Risk.
Growth stocks can be volatile. Growth companies usually invest a high
portion of earnings in their businesses and may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion
stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth stocks are based largely on projections of
the issuers future earnings and revenues. If a companys earnings or revenues fall short of
expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. Growth stocks may also be more expensive
relative to their earnings or assets compared to value or other stocks.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested.
In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of
assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2009.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2009.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical
matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when
aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
tm
Ticker Symbol:
SCHV
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market Index
SM
.1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
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Management fees
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0.13
|
|
|
|
|
Other expenses
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None
|
|
|
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|
Total annual operating expenses
|
|
|
0.13
|
|
|
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|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
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1 year
|
|
3 years
|
|
5 years
|
|
10 years
|
$13
|
|
$42
|
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$XXX
|
|
$XXX
|
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of December 11, 2009 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average value
of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
The
index includes the large-cap value portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
SM
actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total
Stock Market Index
SM
includes the components ranked 1-750 by full market capitalization
and that are classified as value based on a number of factors. The index is a float-adjusted
market capitalization weighted index. As of _____________, 2010, the index was composed of
_________ stocks.
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are paid by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total
Stock Market Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow
Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such
product.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this
policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However,
when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
,
purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The fund will principally invest in large-cap segments of the U.S. stock market.
Large-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a
period when large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments mid- or small-cap
stocks, for instance the funds large-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Value Investing Risk.
The fund emphasizes a value style of investing, which targets undervalued
companies with characteristics for improved valuations. This style of investing is subject to the
risk that the valuations never improve or that the returns on value securities may not move in
tandem with the returns on other styles of investing or the stock market in general.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount
invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small
percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the
fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2009.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2009.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
tm
Ticker Symbol:
SCHM
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index
SM
.
1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
Management fees
|
|
|
XX
|
|
|
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
|
|
XX
|
|
|
|
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
The fund is new and therefore does not have a historical portfolio turnover rate.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in securities that are included in the index.
The
index includes the mid-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
SM
actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
SM
includes the components ranked 501-1000 by full market capitalization. The
index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of ________, 2010, the index
was composed of ________ stocks.
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for
use for certain purposes by CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or
promoted by Dow Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading
in such product.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in securities included in the index. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given
security as the index does. However, when the adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as
to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a
security), for tax considerations, or to address liquidity considerations with respect to a
security, the adviser may cause the funds weighting of a security to be more or less than the
indexs weighting of the security. The fund may sell securities that are represented in the index
in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those that the adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the adviser anticipates will be added to or as necessary to reflect
various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies, and (c)
derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, timing variances, corporate actions
(such as mergers and spin-offs) and differences between the funds portfolio and the index
resulting from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but
not to the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Mid-Cap Risk.
Historically, mid-cap stocks have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid-cap
companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger,
more established companies. Stock prices of mid sized companies may be based in substantial part on
future expectations rather than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market
upturns and downturns. During a period when mid-cap stocks fall behind other types of investments
bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance the funds mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested.
In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of
assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2011.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2011.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2011.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
tm
Ticker Symbol:
SCHA
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
.1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
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Management fees
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0.13
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Other expenses
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None
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Total annual operating expenses
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0.13
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Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
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1 year
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3 years
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5 years
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10 years
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$13
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$42
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$XXX
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$XXX
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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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of November 3, 2009 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average value
of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
The
index includes the small-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market
Index
sm
actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S.
Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
includes the components ranked 751-2500 by
full market capitalization. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As
of _____________, 2010, the index was composed of _________ stocks.
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1
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are payable by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow
Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this
policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However,
when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
,
purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, capitalization,
dividend yield, price/earnings ratio, industry factors risk factors and other characteristics. The
fund generally expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the
index, but reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the
funds investment objective. The fund generally expects that its industry weightings, dividend
yield and price/earnings ratio will be similar to those of the index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Small-Cap Risk.
Historically, small-cap stocks have been riskier than large- and mid-cap stocks,
and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. Small-cap
companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more
established companies. During a period when small-cap stocks fall behind other types of
investments large-cap and mid-cap stocks, for instance the funds small-cap holdings could
reduce performance.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund may not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested.
In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of
assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2009.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2009.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
About the funds
The funds described in this Prospectus are advised by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
(CSIM or the investment adviser). Each of the funds is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). ETFs
are funds that trade like other publicly-traded securities. The funds in this prospectus are index
funds and are designed to track the performance of an index. Because the composition of an index
tends to be comparatively stable, index funds historically have shown low portfolio turnover
compared to actively managed funds.
This strategy distinguishes an index fund from an actively managed fund. Instead of choosing
investments for the fund based on portfolio managements judgment, an index is used to determine
which securities the fund should own.
Unlike shares of a mutual fund, shares of the funds are listed on a national securities exchange
and trade at market prices that change throughout the day. The market price for each of the funds
shares may be different from its net asset value per share or NAV. The funds have their own CUSIP
numbers and trade on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the following tickers:
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Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
TM
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SCHB
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
TM
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SCHX
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
TM
|
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SCHG
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
TM
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SCHV
|
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
TM
|
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SCHM
|
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
TM
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SCHA
|
The funds issue and redeem shares at their NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors
purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the funds
are not redeemable securities.
A note to retail investors
Shares can be purchased directly from the funds only in exchange for a basket of securities that is
expected to be worth several million dollars. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be
able to purchase shares directly from the funds. Instead, these investors will purchase shares in
the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker. Thus, some of
the information contained in this Prospectus such as information about purchasing and redeeming
shares from the funds and references to transaction fees imposed on purchases and redemptions is
not relevant to most individual investors. Shares purchased or sold through a brokerage account or
with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.
Except as explicitly described otherwise, the investment objective, the benchmark index and the
investment policies of each of the funds may be changed without shareholder approval.
The funds performance will fluctuate over time and, as with all investments, future performance
may differ from past performance.
Fund details
Investment objectives, strategies and risks
Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index
sm
.1 The funds investment
objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of trustees without
shareholder approval.
Index
The funds benchmark index includes the largest 2,500 publicly traded U.S. companies for which
pricing information is readily available.
The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization
weighted index that reflects the shares of securities actually available to investors in the
marketplace. As of _____________, 2010, the index was composed of _________ stocks.
Investment strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However, when the
Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing
less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a
stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that
are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, capitalization,
dividend yield, price/earnings ratio, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The
fund generally expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the
index, but reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the
funds investment objective. The fund generally expects that its industry weightings, dividend
yield and price/earnings ratio will be similar to those of the index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
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1
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Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are paid by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market
Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and
Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
|
|
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk.
Although the index encompasses stocks from many different sectors of
the economy, its performance primarily reflects that of large- and mid-cap segments of the U.S.
stock market. Both large- and mid-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and
economic conditions. However, stocks of mid-cap companies tend to be more volatile than those of
large-cap companies because mid-cap companies tend to be more susceptible to adverse business or
economic events than larger more established companies. During a period when large- and mid-cap
U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments bonds or small-cap stocks, for instance the
funds performance also will lag those investments.
Small-Cap Risk.
Historically, small-cap stocks have been riskier than large- and mid-cap stocks.
Stock prices of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather
than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.
Small-cap companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than
larger, more established companies. During a period when small-cap stocks fall behind other types
of investments bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag
those investments.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund does not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the Advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results. Because the fund utilizes a sampling approach it may not
track the return of the index as well as it would if the fund purchased all of the equity
securities in the index.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while
the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. A
futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a
specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly
greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional
investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk and liquidity risk, are
discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk,
liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit
risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual
obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be
available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk
that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes
in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or
index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher
amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose more than the
principal amount invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
.2
The funds
investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of
trustees without shareholder approval.
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2
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Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are paid by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow
Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
|
|
Index
The funds benchmark index includes the large-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market
Index
sm
actually available to investors in the marketplace.
The Dow Jones U.S.
Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
includes the components ranked 1-750 by
full market capitalization. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As
of _____________, 2010, the index was composed of _________ stocks.
Investment strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However, when the
Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing
less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a
stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that
are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your
investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The indexs performance primarily reflects that of the large-cap segment of the
U.S. stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic
conditions. During a period when large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments
bonds or small-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag those investments.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in
tracking error. The fund may attempt to offset the effects of not being invested in certain index
securities by making substitute investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also
incurs fees and expenses while the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. A
futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a
specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly
greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional
investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk and liquidity risk, are
discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk,
liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit
risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual
obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be
available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk
that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes
in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or
index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher
amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose more than the
principal amount invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency.
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index
sm
.3 The funds
investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of
trustees without shareholder approval.
Index
The funds benchmark index includes the large-cap growth portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock
Market Index
sm
actually available to investors in the marketplace.
The Dow
Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index
sm
includes the components
ranked 1-750 by full market capitalization and that are classified as growth based on a number of
factors. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of _____________,
2010, the index was composed of _________ stocks.
Investment strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However, when the
Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing
less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a
stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that
are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
|
|
|
3
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are paid by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total
Stock Market Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow
Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such
product.
|
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The indexs performance primarily reflects that of the large-cap segment of the
U.S. stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic
conditions. During a period when large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments
bonds or small-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag those investments.
Growth Risk.
The fund emphasizes a growth style of investing. The market values of growth stocks
may be more volatile than other types of investments. Prices of growth stocks tend to reflect
future expectations, and when those expectations are not met or change, share prices generally
fall. The returns on growth securities may not move in tandem with the returns on other styles of
investing or the stock market in general.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while
the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. A
futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a
specific price on a specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different
from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and
other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk and
liquidity risk, are discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also
subject to credit risk, liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk
and tax risk. Credit risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not
fulfill its contractual obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative
transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes.
Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk
is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the
underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the
fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose
more than the principal amount invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes
that, under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency.
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market Index
SM4
The funds investment
objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of trustees without
shareholder approval.
Index
The funds benchmark index includes the large-cap value portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock
Market Index
SM
actually available to investors in the marketplace.
The Dow Jones U.S.
Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market Index
SM
includes the components ranked 1-750 by full
market capitalization and that are classified as value based on a number of factors. The index is
a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of _____________, 2010, the index was
composed of _________ stocks.
Investment strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However, when the
Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing
less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a
stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that
are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
|
|
|
4
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are paid by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total
Stock Market Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow
Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such
product.
|
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The indexs performance primarily reflects that of the large-cap segment of the
U.S. stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic
conditions. During a period when large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments
bonds or small-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag those investments.
Value Risk.
The fund emphasizes a value style of investing, which targets undervalued companies
with characteristics for improved valuations. This style of investing is subject to the risk that
the valuations never improve or that the returns on value securities may not move in tandem with
the returns on other styles of investing or the stock market in general.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while
the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. A
futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a
specific day.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than,
the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments.
Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk and liquidity risk, are discussed
elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk, liquidity
risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit risk is the
risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations.
Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be available in
all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk that a
particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the
value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Tax
risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of
short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount
invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency.
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
TM
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index.
SM
5
The funds investment objective
is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of trustees without shareholder
approval.
Index
The funds benchmark index includes the mid-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market
Index
SM
actually available to investors in the marketplace.
The Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap
Total Stock Market Index
SM
includes the components ranked 501-1000 by full market
capitalization. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of
________, 2010, the index was
composed of ________ stocks.
Investment strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund primarily invests in securities that are included in the index.
It is
the funds policy that, under normal circumstances, it will invest at least 90% of its net assets
in securities included in the index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before
changing this policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given security as the index
does. However, when the adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing
odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax
considerations, or to address liquidity considerations with respect to a security, the adviser may
cause the funds weighting of a security to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the
security. The fund may sell securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their
removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those that the adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the adviser anticipates will be added to or as necessary to reflect
various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies, and (c)
derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
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5
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF is not sponsored,
endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the
advisability of trading in such product. .
|
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number
of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, timing variances, corporate actions
(such as mergers and spin-offs) and differences between the funds portfolio and the index
resulting from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but
not to the index.
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund invests in mid-sized companies within the U.S. stock market, as
measured by the index. It follows these stocks during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its
indexing strategy, the fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects
of a declining market, even though these stocks may go in and out of favor based on market and
economic conditions. As a result, during a period when these stocks fall behind other types of
investments bonds or large-cap
stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag those investments. In addition, because
of the funds expenses, the funds performance may be below that of the index.
At times the segment of the equity markets represented by the index may underperform other market
segments. A significant percentage of the index may be composed of securities in a single industry
or sector of the economy. If the fund is focused in an industry or sector, it may present more
risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy.
Because of the way the index is composed, the index may perform differently or worse than an equity
index that is based solely on market capitalization.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Mid-Cap Risk.
Historically, mid-cap stocks have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid-cap
companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger,
more established companies. Stock prices of mid-sized companies may be based in substantial part on
future expectations rather than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market
upturns and downturns. During a period when mid-cap stocks fall behind other types of investments
bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance the funds mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant. For example, the fund may not invest in
certain securities in its benchmark index, match the securities weighting to the benchmark, or the
fund may invest in securities not in the index, due to regulatory, operational, custodial or
liquidity constraints; corporate transactions; asset valuations; transaction costs and timing; tax
considerations; and index rebalancing, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. In addition, cash flows into and out of the
fund, operating expenses and trading costs all affect the ability of the fund to match the
performance of its benchmark index, because the benchmark index does not have to manage cash flows
and does not incur any costs.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Derivatives risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. A
futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a
specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly
greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional
investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk and liquidity risk, are
discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk,
liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit
risk is the risk
that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual
obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be
available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk
that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes
in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or
index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher
amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose more than the
principal amount invested.
Liquidity Risk.
Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or
sell. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the
conditions of a particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the
issuer. The funds investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the fund because it
may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Further,
transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that are higher than those for
transactions in liquid securities.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or
interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
.6 The funds
investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of
trustees without shareholder approval.
Index
The funds benchmark index includes the small-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market
Index
sm
actually available to investors in the marketplace.
The Dow Jones U.S.
Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
includes the components ranked 751-2500 by
full market capitalization. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As
of _____________, 2010, the index was composed of _________ stocks.
Investment strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However, when the
Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing
less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a
stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that
are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund will use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its
securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund
and its corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, capitalization,
dividend yield, price/earnings ratio, industry factors risk factors and other characteristics. The
fund generally expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the
index, but reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the
funds investment objective. The fund generally expects that its industry weightings, dividend
yield and price/earnings ratio will be similar to those of the index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
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6
|
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Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by CSIM. Fees payable under the license are payable by
CSIM. The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF, based on The Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow
Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
|
Principal investment Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Small-Cap Risk.
Historically, small-cap stocks have been riskier than large- and mid-cap stocks.
Stock prices of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather
than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.
Small-cap companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than
larger, more established companies. During a period when small-cap stocks fall behind other types
of investments bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag
those investments.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund does not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the Advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results. Because the fund utilizes a sampling approach it may not
track the return of the index as well as it would if the fund purchased all of the equity
securities in the index.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while
the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. A
futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a
specific day.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than,
the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments.
Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk and liquidity risk, are discussed
elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk, liquidity
risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit risk is the
risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations.
Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be available in
all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk that a
particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the
value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Tax
risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of
short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount
invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there
may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of a funds
portfolio securities is available in the Statement of Additional Information.
Financial highlights
This section provides further details about each funds financial history for the past five years
or, if shorter, for its period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a
single fund share. Total return shows the percentage that an investor in a fund would have earned
or lost during a given period, assuming all distributions were reinvested. Each funds independent
registered public accounting firm, _______, audited these figures. Their full report is included in the
funds annual report (see back cover).
Fund management
The investment adviser for the Schwab U.S. ETFs is Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.,
(CSIM) 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Founded in 1989, the firm today serves as
investment adviser for all of the Schwab Funds
®
and Laudus Funds
®
. The firm
has more than $___________ billion under management. (All figures on this page are as of 08/31/10.)
As the investment adviser, the firm oversees the asset management and administration of the funds.
As compensation for these services, the firm receives a management fee from the funds, expressed as
a percentage of each funds average daily net assets.
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Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
TM
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0.06
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
TM
|
|
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0.08
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
TM
|
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0.13
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
TM
|
|
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0.13
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
TM
|
|
X.XX
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Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
TM
|
|
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0.13
|
%
|
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees approval of the funds investment
advisory agreements will be available in the funds annual and/or semi-annual report.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and each fund, the Adviser will
pay the operating expenses of the fund, excluding interest expense, taxes, any brokerage expenses,
and extraordinary or non-routine expenses.
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the Adviser, oversees the investment advisers
management of ETFs. Prior to joining the firm in May 2009, he worked for two years as director of
ETF product management and development at a major financial institution focused on asset and wealth
management. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager for institutional clients at a financial
services firm for three years. In addition, he held roles in portfolio operations and product
management at a large asset management firm for more than 6 years.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the funds. Prior to joining the firm in
September 2009, she worked for more than 5 years as a portfolio manager for a major asset
management firm.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the funds. Prior to joining the firm in May 2010, he
was a portfolio manager at a major asset management firm for three years. Before that position, he
was a senior business analyst at major financial firm for nearly two years. In addition, he was a
senior financial analyst at a regional banking firm for four years.
Additional information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by the
portfolio managers and the portfolio managers ownership of securities in the funds is available in
the Statement of Additional Information.
Other Considerations
Distributor.
The funds Distributor is SEI Investments Distribution Co. The Distributor, located at
1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the funds and does not
maintain a secondary market in shares of the funds.
Investing in the funds
On the following pages, you will find information on buying and selling shares. Most investors will
invest in the funds through an intermediary by placing orders through their brokerage account at
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or an account with another broker/dealer or other
intermediary. Authorized Participants (as defined in Purchase and redemption of creation units,
below) may invest directly in the funds by placing orders for Creation Units through the funds
Distributor (direct orders). Helpful information on taxes is included as well.
Shares of the funds trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the trading day and
can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling shares through a broker most investors will incur customary brokerage
commissions and charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the spread that is, any
difference between the bid price and the ask price.
Shares of the funds trade under the following trading symbols:
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Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
TM
|
|
SCHB
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
TM
|
|
SCHX
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
TM
|
|
SCHG
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
TM
|
|
SCHV
|
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
TM
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SCHM
|
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
TM
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SCHA
|
Shares of the funds may be acquired or redeemed directly from the funds only in Creation Units or
multiples thereof; as discussed in the Creation and Redemption section below. Once created,
shares of the funds trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The funds
do not impose any minimum investment for shares of the funds purchased on an exchange or in the
secondary market. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the funds.
Share trading prices
As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be
affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The
price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more (a
premium) or less (a discount) than the NAV of such shares.
The approximate value of shares of the funds are disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the
trading day by the national securities exchange on which the funds are listed or by other
information providers. This approximate value should not be viewed as a real-time update of the
NAV, because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is
computed once per day. The approximate value generally is determined by using current market
quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio
securities held by the funds. The funds and Adviser are not involved in, or responsible for, the
calculation or dissemination of the approximate value and make no warranty as to its accuracy.
Determination of net asset value
The NAV of the funds shares is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading (each, a
Business Day). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the funds net assets by the number of the
funds shares outstanding.
In valuing their securities, the funds use market quotes or official closing prices if they are
readily available. In cases where quotes are not readily available, the funds may value securities
based on fair values developed using methods approved by the funds Board of Trustees (described
below).
The funds Board of Trustees has adopted procedures, which include fair value methodologies, to
fair value the funds securities when market prices are not readily available or are unreliable.
For example, the funds may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is
halted or suspended; when a securitys primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a
price; when a securitys primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a
securitys value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the securitys
primary trading market. By fair valuing securities whose prices may have been affected by events
occurring after the close of trading, the funds seek to establish prices that investors might
expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. The funds fair value methodologies
seek to ensure that the prices at which the funds shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and
do not result in dilution of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders. Generally, when
fair valuing a security, the funds will take into account all reasonably available information that
may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical
data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuers business, recent trades or offers
of the security, general and specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the
need to fair value the security. The funds make fair value determinations in good faith and in
accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board adopted valuation procedures.
Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the
funds could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly
from the funds in Creation Units. Fund shares that are purchased or sold on a national securities
exchange will be effected at prevailing market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV, and
may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges. As described below, purchases and redemptions
of Creation Units will be priced at the NAV next determined after receipt of the purchase or
redemption order.
Purchase and redemption of creation units
Creation and redemption
The shares that trade in the secondary market are created at NAV. The funds issue and redeem
shares only in Creation Units, which are large blocks of shares, typically 50,000 shares or more.
Only institutional investors, who have entered into an authorized participant agreement (known as
Authorized Participants), may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are
issued and redeemed in exchange for a specified basket of securities approximating the holdings of
the funds and a designated amount of cash. Each Business Day, prior to the opening of trading, the
funds publish the specific securities and designated amount of cash included in that days basket
for the funds through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or other method of
public dissemination. The funds reserve the right to accept or pay out a basket of securities or
cash that differs from the published basket. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur
are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received and deemed acceptable by the
Distributor. Orders from Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be
accepted on a Business Day and are also subject to acceptance by the funds and the Distributor.
Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant or through a firm that is
either a member of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC or a Depository Trust Company
participant, and in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to
creations and redemptions of Creation Unit aggregations. Information about the procedures regarding
creation and redemption of Creation Units is included in the funds Statement of Additional
Information (SAI).
Authorized participants and the continuous offering of shares
Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of
the funds, a distribution, as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act),
may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part
may, depending on the circumstances, result in them being deemed participants in a distribution in
a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus-delivery and
liability provisions of the Securities Act. Nonetheless, any determination of whether one is an
underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular
case.
Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not underwriters, but are participating in a
distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that
are part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act,
would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of
the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery
mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a
national securities exchange.
Creation and redemption transaction fees for creation units
The funds may impose a creation transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee to offset transfer
and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units of
shares. The creation and redemption transaction fees applicable to the funds are listed below. The
standard creation transaction fee is charged to each purchaser on the day such purchaser creates a
Creation Unit. The standard fee is a single charge and will be the amount indicated below
regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by an investor on the same day. Similarly, the
standard redemption transaction fee will be the amount indicated regardless of the number of
Creation Units redeemed that day. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units for cash will be
subject to an additional variable charge up to the maximum amount shown in the table below. This
additional variable charge will offset the transaction costs to the funds of buying or selling
portfolio securities. In addition, purchasers and redeemers of shares in Creation Units are
responsible for payment of the costs of transferring securities to or out of the funds. From time
to time, the Adviser may cover the cost of any transaction fees when believed to be in the best
interests of the funds.
The following table shows, as of ____________, 2010, the approximate value of one Creation Unit of
the funds, including the standard and maximum additional creation and redemption transaction fee.
These fees are payable only by investors who purchase shares directly from the funds. Retail
investors who purchase shares through their brokerage account will not pay these fees. Investors
who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may pay fees for such services.
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Standard
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Maximum Additional
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Maximum Additional
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Approximate Value
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Creation/Redemption
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Creation
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|
Redemption
|
Name of Fund
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of One Creation Unit
|
|
Transaction Fee
|
|
Transaction Fee *
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|
Transaction Fee *
|
Schwab U.S. Broad Market
ETF
TM
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap
ETF
TM
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth
ETF
TM
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value
ETF
TM
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
TM
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
____
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap
ETF
TM
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
As a percentage of total amount invested or redeemed.
|
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Transaction policies
Policy regarding short-term or excessive trading.
The funds have adopted policies and procedures
with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Creation Units of fund shares. However,
because the funds are ETFs, only Authorized Participants are authorized to purchase and redeem
shares directly with the funds. Because purchase and redemption transactions with Authorized
Participants are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep ETF trading prices in line with
NAV, the funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Authorized Participants. Frequent
purchases and redemptions for cash may increase index tracking error and portfolio transaction
costs and may lead to realization of capital gains. Frequent in-kind creations and redemptions do
not give rise to these concerns. The funds reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any
time.
The funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
Such trading is defined by the funds as purchases and sales of fund shares in amounts and frequency
determined by the funds to be significant and in a pattern of activity that can potentially be
detrimental to the funds and their shareholders, such as by diluting the value of the shareholders
holdings, increasing fund transaction costs, disrupting portfolio management strategy, incurring
unwanted taxable gains, or forcing funds to hold excess levels of cash. The funds may reject
purchase or redemption orders in such instances. The funds also impose a transaction fee on
Creation Unit transactions that is designed to offset the funds transfer and other transaction
costs associated with the issuance and redemption of the Creation Units. Although the funds have
adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage disruptive, excessive or short-term trading,
there can be no guarantee that the funds will be able to identify and restrict investors that
engage in such activities or eliminate the risks associated with such activities. In addition, the
decisions to restrict trading are inherently subjective and involve judgment in their application.
The funds may amend these policies and procedures in response to changing regulatory requirements
or to enhance their effectiveness.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies.
Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of
1940 restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment
companies, including shares of the funds. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest
in the funds beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and
conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Schwab Strategic Trust, including that
such investment companies enter into an agreement with the funds.
Distributions and taxes
Any investment in the funds typically involves several tax considerations
. The information below is
meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Because each persons tax situation is
different, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of your investment in a
fund. You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) web site at www.irs.gov.
As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the dividends and gains your fund earns
.
Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid quarterly by each
fund. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a
year, although the funds may do so more frequently as determined by the Board of Trustees. Each
fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such
action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a regulated investment company or to
avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or realized gains. Dividends and
other distributions on shares of the funds are distributed on a pro rata basis to beneficial owners
of such shares. During the fourth quarter of the year, typically in early November, an estimate of
the funds year-end distribution, if any, may be made available on the funds website
www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus.
Unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged retirement account, your
fund distributions generally have tax consequences
. Each funds net investment income and
short-term capital gains are distributed as dividends and will be taxable as ordinary income or
qualified dividend income. Other capital gain distributions are taxable as long-term capital gains,
regardless of how long you have held your shares in the fund. Distributions generally are taxable
in the tax year in which they are declared, whether you reinvest them or take them in cash.
Generally, any sale of your shares is a taxable event
. A sale of your shares may give rise to a
gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be
treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months.
Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term
capital gain or loss. Absent further legislation, the reduced maximum rates on qualified dividend
income and long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years beginning after
December 31, 2010. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or
less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital
gain distributions received (or deemed received) by you with respect to the shares. All or a
portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if you
purchase other substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In
such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed
loss.
At the beginning of every year, the funds provide shareholders with information detailing the tax
status of any distributions the funds paid during the previous calendar year.
Schwab customers also
receive information on distributions and transactions in their monthly account statements.
More on qualified dividend income and distributions.
Dividends that are designated by the funds as
qualified dividend income are eligible for a reduced maximum tax rate. Qualified dividend income
is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign
corporations. The funds expect that a portion of the funds ordinary income distributions will be
eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income subject to the reduced tax rates.
If you are investing through a taxable account and purchase shares of the funds just before it
declares a distribution, you may receive a portion of your investment back as a taxable
distribution. This is because when the funds make a distribution, the share price is reduced by the
amount of the distribution.
You can avoid buying a dividend, as it is often called, by finding out if a distribution is
imminent and waiting until afterwards to invest. Of course, you may decide that the opportunity to
gain a few days of investment performance outweighs the tax consequences of buying a dividend.
Taxes on creation and redemption of creation units
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a
gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time
of the exchange and the sum of the exchangers aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and
the cash component paid. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or
loss equal to the difference between the exchangers basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the
aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received for such Creation Units.
The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of
securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing wash sales,
or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging
securities for Creation Units should consult a tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules
apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally
treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the funds shares (or securities surrendered) have
been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares (or
securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.
If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how
many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units
should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or
redemption transaction.
Index provider
Dow Jones Indexes, a business unit of Dow Jones & Company, Inc., is a full service index provider
which develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment
products. Dow Jones & Company is a News Corporation company (NYSE: NWS). Dow Jones is a leading
provider of global business news and information services.
CSIM has entered into a license agreement with Dow Jones to use the Indexes (as defined below).
Fees payable under the license agreement are paid by CSIM. Dow Jones has no obligation to continue
to provide the Indexes to CSIM beyond the term of the license agreement.
Disclaimers
The funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones. Dow Jones makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the funds or any member
of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the funds. Dow Jones only relationship to
CSIM is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Dow Jones U.S.
Broad Stock Market Index
sm
, Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
sm
, Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market
Index
sm
, Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market
Index
sm
, and Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index
sm
(the Indexes) which are determined, composed and calculated by Dow Jones without regard to
CSIM or the funds. Dow Jones has no obligation to take the needs of CSIM or the owners of shares of
the funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Indexes. Dow Jones is not
responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or
quantities of the shares of the funds to be listed or in the determination or calculation of the
equation by which the shares of the funds are to be redeemable for cash. Dow Jones has no
obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the funds.
DOW JONES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEXES OR ANY DATA
INCLUDED THEREIN AND DOW JONES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS
THEREIN. DOW JONES MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY CSIM,
OWNERS OF THE SHARES OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF INDEXES OR ANY
DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. DOW JONES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS
ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE
INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN, WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL DOW
JONES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO
THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN DOW JONES AND CSIM.
Shares of the funds are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the funds or any
member of the public regarding the ability of a fund to track the total return performance of its
underlying index or the ability of the underlying index to track stock market performance. NYSE
Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or
the calculation of any underlying index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or
quantities of shares of the funds to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the
equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of
the shares of the funds in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares
of the funds.
NYSE Arca shall have no liability for damages, claims, losses or expenses caused by any errors,
omissions, or delays in calculating or disseminating any current index or portfolio value; the
current value of the portfolio of securities required to be deposited to the funds; the amount of
any dividend equivalent payment or cash distribution to holders of shares of the funds; net asset
value; or other information relating to the creation, redemption or trading of shares of the funds,
resulting from any negligent act or omission by
NYSE Arca, or any act, condition or cause beyond the reasonable control of NYSE Arca, including,
but not limited to, an act of God; fire; flood; extraordinary weather conditions; war;
insurrection; riot; strike; accident; action of government; communications or power failure;
equipment or software malfunction; or any error, omission or delay in the reporting of transactions
in one or more underlying securities. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to
results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of any underlying index or data
included therein and NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties, and disclaims all warranties
of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to shares of the funds or any
underlying index or data included therein.
The funds and CSIM do not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the indexes or any data
included therein and shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein.
The funds and CSIM make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the funds,
or any other person or entity from the use of indexes or any data included therein. The funds and
CSIM make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties, of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the indexes or any data
included therein, without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the funds and CSIM have
any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages
(including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
To learn more
This prospectus contains important information on the funds and should be read and kept for
reference. You also can obtain more information from the following sources.
Annual and semi-annual reports,
which are mailed to current fund investors, contain more
information about the funds holdings and detailed financial information about the funds. Annual
reports also contain information from the funds managers about strategies, recent market
conditions and trends and their impact on fund performance.
The
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
includes a more detailed discussion of investment
policies and the risks associated with various investments. The SAI is incorporated by reference
into the prospectus, making it legally part of the prospectus.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about
the funds, call Schwab ETFs
tm
at 1-800-435-4000. In addition, you may visit
Schwab ETFs web site at www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI or an
annual or semi-annual report.
The SAI, the funds annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from
the EDGAR Database on the SECs web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this
information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov
or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also
review and copy information about the funds, including the funds SAI, at the SECs Public
Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the
SECs Public Reference Room.
SEC File Number
|
|
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|
|
|
Schwab Strategic Trust
|
|
811-22311
|
REG51682FLT-03
Schwab U.S. ETFs
Prospectus
December ____, 2010
(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
Schwab International ETFs
(SCHWABETF LOGO)
Prospectus
December ____, 2010
|
|
|
Schwab International Equity ETF
TM
|
|
SCHF
|
|
|
|
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
tm
|
|
SCHC
|
|
|
|
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
tm
|
|
SCHE
|
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
As with all exchange traded funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved
these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate and accurate.
Anyone who indicates otherwise is committing a federal crime.
(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
Schwab International ETFs
Schwab International Equity ETF
tm
Ticker symbol: SCHF
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the FTSE Developed ex-US Index. 1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
|
Management fees
|
|
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
|
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
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|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
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1 year
|
|
|
3 years
|
|
5 years
|
|
10 years
|
$13
|
|
|
|
|
$42
|
|
|
$XXX
|
|
$XXX
|
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of November 3, 2009 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average value
of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index. The
index is comprised of large and mid capitalization companies in developed countries outside the
United States, as defined by the index provider.
The index defines the large and mid capitalization
universe as approximately the top 90% of the eligible universe. As of ________________, 2010, the
index was composed of ______ stocks in _________ developed market countries.
|
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1
|
|
Index ownership FTSE
®
is a trademark of The Financial Times Limited (FT) and
the London Stock Exchange plc (the Exchange) and is used by the fund under license. The
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FT
or the Exchange and FT and the Exchange do not make any representation regarding the
advisability of investing in shares of the fund. Fees payable under the license are paid by
the Adviser.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks, including depositary receipts representing securities of the index; which
may be in the form of American Depositary receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary receipts (GDRs)
and European Depositary receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days
before changing this policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the
index does. However, when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid
purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security),
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, for tax considerations or when
purchasing ADRs, GDRs or EDRs in lieu of local securities, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index. The
fund does not hedge its exposure to foreign currencies beyond using forward foreign currency
contracts to lock in exchange rates for the portfolio securities purchased or sold, but awaiting
settlement. These transactions establish a rate of exchange that can be expected to be received
upon settlement of the securities.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts. The
fund will may futures contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds
otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it better track the index. The fund may use forward
foreign currency contracts principally to better manage exposure to a foreign currency
fluctuations. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its securities to
minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund and its
corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques. These
techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken together,
are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on a variety
of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, country weightings,
capitalization, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The fund generally
expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the index, but
reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the funds
investment objective.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Large-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk.
Both large- and mid-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on
market and economic conditions. However, stocks of mid-cap companies tend to be more vulnerable to
adverse business or economic events than larger more established companies. During a period when
large- and mid-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments small-cap stocks, for
instance the funds large- and mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The funds investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve
certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of
U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and
other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including
limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial
reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher
transaction costs. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging
markets. Foreign securities also include ADRs, GDRs, and EDRs, which are receipts issued by U.S.
and foreign banks that represent shares of foreign-based corporations. Investment in ADRs, GDRs
and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs,
many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund may not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested.
In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of
assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2009.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2009.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the FTSE Developed Small Cap ex-US Liquid Index. 1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
Management fees
|
|
|
0.35
|
|
|
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
|
|
0.35
|
|
|
|
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 year
|
|
3 years
|
|
5 years
|
|
10 years
|
|
|
$
|
36
|
|
|
$
|
113
|
|
|
$XXX
|
|
$XXX
|
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of January 14, 2010 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average value
of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
The index
is comprised of small capitalization companies in developed countries outside the United States, as
defined by the index provider. The index defines the small capitalization universe as approximately
the bottom 10% of the eligible universe with a minimum free float capitalization of $150 million.
As of ________________, 2010, the
index was composed of ______ stocks in _________ developed market
countries.
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
Index ownership FTSE
®
is a trademark of The Financial Times Limited (FT) and
the London Stock Exchange plc (the Exchange) and is used by the fund under license. The
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FT
or the Exchange and FT and the Exchange do not make any representation regarding the
advisability of investing in shares of the fund. Fees payable under the license are paid by
the Adviser.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks, including depositary receipts representing securities of the index; which
may be in the form of American Depositary receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary receipts (GDRs)
and European Depositary receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days
before changing this policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the
index does. However, when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid
purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security),
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, for tax considerations or when
purchasing ADRs, GDRs or EDRs in lieu of local securities, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index. The
fund does not hedge its exposure to foreign currencies beyond using forward foreign currency
contracts to lock in exchange rates for the portfolio securities purchased or sold, but awaiting
settlement. These transactions establish a rate of exchange that can be expected to be received
upon settlement of the securities. The fund generally expects that its country weightings will be
similar to those of the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts. The
fund may use futures contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds
otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it better track the index. The fund may use forward
foreign currency contracts principally to better manage exposure to a foreign currency
fluctuations. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its securities to
minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund and its
corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, country weightings,
capitalization, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The fund generally
expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the index, but
reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the funds
investment objective.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Small-Cap Risk.
Historically, small-cap stocks have been riskier than large- and mid-cap stocks,
and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. Small-cap
companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more
established companies. During a period when small-cap stocks fall behind other types of
investments large-cap and mid-cap stocks, for instance the funds small-cap holdings could
reduce performance.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The funds investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve
certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of
U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and
other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including
limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial
reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher
transaction costs. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging
markets. Foreign securities also include ADRs, GDRs, and EDRs, which are receipts issued by U.S.
and foreign banks that represent shares of foreign-based corporations. Investment in ADRs, GDRs
and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs,
many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund may not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested.
In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of
assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2010.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2010.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the FTSE All-Emerging Index. 1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
Management fees
|
|
|
0.25
|
|
|
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
|
|
0.25
|
|
|
|
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 year
|
|
3 years
|
|
5 years
|
|
10 years
|
|
|
$
|
26
|
|
|
$
|
80
|
|
|
$XXX
|
|
$XXX
|
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
For the period of January 14, 2010 (the date on which the fund commenced operations) to the end of
the funds most recent fiscal year, the funds portfolio turnover rate was __% of the average value
of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
The
index is comprised of large and mid capitalization companies in emerging market countries, as
defined by the index provider. The index defines the large and mid capitalization universe as
approximately the top 90% of the eligible universe. As of ________________, 2010, the index was
composed of ______ stocks in _________ emerging market countries.
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
Index ownership FTSE
®
is a trademark of The Financial Times Limited (FT) and
the London Stock Exchange plc (the Exchange) and is used by the fund under license. The
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FT or the
Exchange and FT and the Exchange do not make any representation regarding the advisability of
investing in shares of the fund. Fees payable under the license are paid by the Adviser.
|
|
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in these stocks, including depositary receipts representing securities of the index; which
may be in the form of American Depositary receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary receipts (GDRs)
and European Depositary receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days
before changing this policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the
index does. However, when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid
purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security),
to address liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, for tax considerations or when
purchasing ADRs, GDRs or EDRs in lieu of local securities, the Adviser may cause the funds
weighting of a stock to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell
securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index. The
fund does not hedge its exposure to foreign currencies beyond using forward foreign currency
contracts to lock in exchange rates for the portfolio securities purchased or sold, but awaiting
settlement. These transactions establish a rate of exchange that can be expected to be received
upon settlement of the securities.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts. The
fund may use futures contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds
otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it better track the index. The fund may use forward
foreign currency contracts principally to better manage exposure to a foreign currency
fluctuations. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its securities to
minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund and its
corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, country weightings,
capitalization, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The fund generally
expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the index, but
reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the funds
investment objective.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In
addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or
extended periods of time.
Large-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk.
Both large- and mid-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on
market and economic conditions. However, stocks of mid-cap companies tend to be more vulnerable to
adverse business or economic events than larger more established companies. During a period when
large- and mid-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments small-cap stocks, for
instance the funds large- and mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The funds investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve
certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of
U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and
other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including
limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial
reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher
transaction costs. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging
markets. Foreign securities also include ADRs, GDRs, and EDRs, which are receipts issued by U.S.
and foreign banks that represent shares of foreign-based corporations. Investment in ADRs, GDRs
and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs,
many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.
Emerging Markets Risk.
Emerging markets may be more likely to experience political turmoil or
rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market
countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements, unreliable
securities valuation and greater risk associated with the custody of securities. It is sometimes
difficult to obtain and enforce court judgments in such countries, and there is often a greater
potential for nationalization and/or expropriation of assets by the government of an emerging
market country. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging
market countries may be more precarious than in other countries. As a result, there will tend to be
an increased risk of price volatility associated with the funds investments in emerging market
countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund may not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results.
Tracking Error Risk.
As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of its benchmark
index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the
fund and its benchmark index, positive or negative, is called tracking error. Tracking error can
be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested.
In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of
assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2010.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2010.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2010.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
50,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions
or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units,
shares of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
About the funds
The funds described in this Prospectus are advised by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
(CSIM or the investment adviser). Each of the funds is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). ETFs
are funds that trade like other publicly-traded securities. The funds in this prospectus are index
funds and are designed to track the performance of an index. Because the composition of an index
tends to be comparatively stable, index funds historically have shown low portfolio turnover
compared to actively managed funds.
This strategy distinguishes an index fund from an actively managed fund. Instead of choosing
investments for the fund based on portfolio managements judgment, an index is used to determine
which securities the fund should own.
Unlike shares of a mutual fund, shares of the funds are listed on a national securities exchange
and trade at market prices that change throughout the day. The market price for each of the funds
shares may be different from its net asset value per share or NAV. The funds have their own CUSIP
numbers and trade on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the following tickers:
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Schwab International Equity ETF
tm
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SCHF
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Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
tm
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SCHC
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Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
tm
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SCHE
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The funds issue and redeem shares at their NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically
100,000 shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket
of securities and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors
purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the funds
are not redeemable securities.
A note to retail investors
Shares can be purchased directly from the funds only in exchange for a basket of securities that is
expected to be worth several million dollars. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be
able to purchase shares directly from the funds. Instead, these investors will purchase shares in
the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker. Thus, some of
the information contained in this Prospectus such as information about purchasing and redeeming
shares from the funds and references to transaction fees imposed on purchases and redemptions is
not relevant to most individual investors. Shares purchased or sold through a brokerage account or
with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.
Except as explicitly described otherwise, the investment objective, the benchmark index and the
investment policies of each of the funds may be changed without shareholder approval.
The funds performance will fluctuate over time and, as with all investments, future performance
may differ from past performance.
Fund details
Investment objectives, strategies and risks
Schwab International Equity ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the FTSE Developed ex-US Index. 1
Index
The funds benchmark index is comprised of large and mid capitalization companies in developed
countries outside the United States, as defined by the index provider.
The index defines the large
and mid capitalization universe as approximately the top 90% of the eligible universe. As of
________________, 2010, the index was
composed of ______ stocks in _________ developed market
countries.
Investment Strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks, including depositary receipts representing securities of the index; which may be in
the form of American Depositary receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary receipts (GDRs) and European
Depositary receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before
changing this policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index
does. However, when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing
odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, for tax considerations or when purchasing ADRs,
GDRs or EDRs in lieu of local securities, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a stock to
be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that are
represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index. The fund does not hedge
its exposure to foreign currencies beyond using forward foreign currency contracts to lock in
exchange rates for the portfolio securities purchased or sold, but awaiting settlement. These
transactions establish a rate of exchange that can be expected to be received upon settlement of
the securities.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts. The
fund may use futures contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds
otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it better track the index. The fund may use forward
foreign currency contracts principally to better manage exposure to a foreign currency
fluctuations. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its securities to
minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund and its
corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques. These
techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken together,
are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on a variety
of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, country weightings,
capitalization, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The fund generally
expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the index, but
reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the funds
investment objective.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
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1
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Index ownership FTSE
®
is a trademark of The Financial Times Limited (FT) and
the London Stock Exchange plc (the Exchange) and is used by the fund under license. The
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FT
or the Exchange and FT and the Exchange do not make any representation regarding the
advisability of investing in shares of the fund. Fees payable under the license are paid by
the Adviser.
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The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk.
Although the index encompasses stocks from many different sectors of
the economy, its performance primarily reflects that of large- and mid-cap stocks. Both large- and
mid-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. However,
stocks of mid-cap companies tend to be more volatile than those of large-cap companies because
mid-cap companies tend to be more susceptible to adverse business or economic events than larger
more established companies. During a period when large- and mid-cap stocks fall behind other types
of investments- bonds or small-cap stocks, for instance-the funds performance also will lag those
investments.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The funds investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain
risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These
include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions,
or changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on
currency movements and exchanges). In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may
be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States. The
securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities
of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in value
as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities
markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies
representing a small number of industries. There also is the risk that the cost of buying, selling,
and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and custody costs, may be higher than
those involved in domestic transactions.
Currency Risk.
As a result of its investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving
revenues in, foreign currencies, the fund will be subject to currency risk. This is the risk that
those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, or, in the case of hedging
positions, that the U.S. Dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either
event, the dollar value of an investment in the fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange
rates may fluctuate in response to factors extrinsic to that countrys economy, which makes the
forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries
may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes
in interest rates, intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central
banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of
currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. These can result
in losses to the fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in settlement of
obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in
full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Forward contracts on foreign
currencies are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal
in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a particular currency for the funds
account. The fund is subject to the risk of a principals failure, inability or refusal to perform
with respect to such contracts.
Depositary Receipt Risk.
Foreign securities also include ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated
receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust
companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the
underlying foreign shares. Foreign securities also include GDRs, which are similar to ADRs, but are
shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets
around the world. In addition, foreign securities includes EDRs, similar to GDRs, are shares of
foreign-based corporations generally issued by European banks that trade on exchanges outside of
the banks home country. Investment in ADRs, GDRs and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying
shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging
markets, may be more volatile.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund does not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the Advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results. Because the fund utilizes a sampling approach it may not
track the return of the index as well as it would if the fund purchased all of the equity
securities in the index.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while
the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts and
forward foreign currency contracts. A future is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument
at a specific price on a specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks
different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities
and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk, and
liquidity risk are discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also
subject to credit risk, liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk
and tax risk. Credit risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not
fulfill its contractual obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative
transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes.
Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk
is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the
underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the
fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose
more than the principal amount invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to
buy or sell fund shares. Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if
exchange officials deem such action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of
marketwide circuit breakers halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the
fund may seek to list its shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at
NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the FTSE Developed Small Cap ex-US Liquid Index. 2
Index
The funds benchmark index is comprised of small capitalization companies in developed countries
outside the United States, as defined by the index provider.
The index defines the small
capitalization universe as approximately the bottom 10% of the eligible universe with a minimum
free float capitalization of $150 million. As of ________________, 2010, the index was composed of
______ stocks in _________ developed market countries.
Investment Strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks, including depositary receipts representing securities of the index; which may be in
the form of American Depositary receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary receipts (GDRs) and European
Depositary receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before
changing this policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index
does. However, when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing
odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, for tax considerations or when purchasing ADRs,
GDRs or EDRs in lieu of local securities, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a stock to
be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that are
represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index. The fund does not hedge
its exposure to foreign currencies beyond using forward foreign currency contracts to lock in
exchange rates for the portfolio securities purchased or sold, but awaiting settlement. These
transactions establish a rate of exchange that can be expected to be received upon settlement of
the securities. The fund generally expects that its country weightings will be similar to those of
the index.
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2
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Index ownership FTSE
®
is a trademark of The Financial Times Limited (FT) and
the London Stock Exchange plc (the Exchange) and is used by the fund under license. The
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FT
or the Exchange and FT and the Exchange do not make any representation regarding the
advisability of investing in shares of the fund. Fees payable under the license are paid by
the Adviser.
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Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate
actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies, and (c) derivatives,
principally futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts. The fund may use futures
contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash
assets to help it better track the index. The fund may use forward foreign currency contracts
principally to better manage exposure to a foreign currency or shift exposure to foreign currency
fluctuations from one country to another. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents,
and may lend its securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between
an index fund and its corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, country weightings,
capitalization, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The fund generally
expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the index, but
reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the funds
investment objective.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Small-Cap Risk.
Historically, small-cap stocks have been riskier than large- and mid-cap stocks.
Stock prices of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather
than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.
Small-cap companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than
larger, more established companies. During a period when small-cap stocks fall behind other types
of investments bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag
those investments.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The funds investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain
risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These
include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions,
or changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on
currency movements and exchanges). In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may
be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States. The
securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities
of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in value
as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities
markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies
representing a small number of industries. There also is the risk that the cost of
buying, selling, and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and custody costs, may
be higher than those involved in domestic transactions.
Currency Risk.
As a result of its investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving
revenues in, foreign currencies, the fund will be subject to currency risk. This is the risk that
those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, or, in the case of hedging
positions, that the U.S. Dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either
event, the dollar value of an investment in the fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange
rates may fluctuate in response to factors extrinsic to that countrys economy, which makes the
forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries
may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes
in interest rates, intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central
banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of
currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. These can result
in losses to the fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in settlement of
obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in
full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Forward contracts on foreign
currencies are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal
in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a particular currency for the funds
account. The fund is subject to the risk of a principals failure, inability or refusal to perform
with respect to such contracts.
Depositary Receipt Risk.
Foreign securities also include ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated
receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust
companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the
underlying foreign shares. Foreign securities also include GDRs, which are similar to ADRs, but are
shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets
around the world. In addition, foreign securities includes EDRs, similar to GDRs, are shares of
foreign-based corporations generally issued by European banks that trade on exchanges outside of
the banks home country. Investment in ADRs, GDRs and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying
shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging
markets, may be more volatile.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund does not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the Advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results. Because the fund utilizes a sampling approach it may not
track the return of the index as well as it would if the fund purchased all of the equity
securities in the index.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while
the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts and
forward foreign currency contracts. A future is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument
at a specific price on a specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks
different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities
and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk, and
liquidity risk are discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also
subject to credit risk, liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk
and tax risk. Credit risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not
fulfill its contractual obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative
transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes.
Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk
is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the
underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the
fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose
more than the principal amount invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency.
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the FTSE All-Emerging Index. 3
Index
The funds benchmark index is comprised of large and mid capitalization companies in emerging
market countries, as defined by the index provider.
The index defines the large and mid
capitalization universe as approximately the top 90% of the eligible universe. As of
________________, 2010, the index was composed of ______ stocks in _________ emerging market
countries.
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3
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Index ownership FTSE
®
is a trademark of The Financial Times Limited (FT) and
the London Stock Exchange plc (the Exchange) and is used by the fund under license. The
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FT or the
Exchange and FT and the Exchange do not make any representation regarding the advisability of
investing in shares of the fund. Fees payable under the license are paid by the Adviser.
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Investment Strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the index.
It is the
funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these stocks, including depositary receipts representing securities of the index; which may be in
the form of American Depositary receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary receipts (GDRs) and European
Depositary receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before
changing this policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given stock as the index
does. However, when the Adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing
odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), to address
liquidity considerations with respect to a stock, for tax considerations or when purchasing ADRs,
GDRs or EDRs in lieu of local securities, the Adviser may cause the funds weighting of a stock to
be more or less than the indexs weighting of the stock. The fund may sell securities that are
represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index. The fund does not hedge
its exposure to foreign currencies beyond using forward foreign currency contracts to lock in
exchange rates for the portfolio securities purchased or sold, but awaiting settlement. These
transactions establish a rate of exchange that can be expected to be received upon settlement of
the securities.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those which the Adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the Adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to
reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), (b) other investment companies,
and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts. The
fund may use futures contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds
otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it better track the index. The fund may use forward
foreign currency contracts principally to better manage exposure to a foreign currency
fluctuations. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, and may lend its securities
to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund and its
corresponding index.
Because it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the stocks in the index, the
Adviser may seek to track the total return of the index by using statistical sampling techniques.
These techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities which, when taken
together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on
a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, country weightings,
capitalization, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. The fund generally
expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the index, but
reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the funds
investment objective.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The Adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and
spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the funds portfolio and the index resulting
from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to
the index.
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock markets rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to
these markets, the value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could
lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the stocks
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk.
Although the index encompasses stocks from many different sectors of
the economy, its performance primarily reflects that of large- and mid-cap stocks. Both large- and
mid-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. However,
stocks of mid-cap companies tend to be more volatile than those of large-cap companies because
mid-cap companies tend to be more susceptible to adverse business or economic events than larger
more established companies. During a period when large- and mid-cap stocks fall behind other types
of investments- bonds or small-cap stocks, for instance-the funds performance also will lag those
investments.
Emerging Markets Risk.
Emerging market countries may be more likely to experience political turmoil
or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market
countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements, unreliable
securities valuation and greater risk associated with the custody of securities. It is sometimes
difficult to obtain and enforce court judgments in such countries and there is often a greater
potential for nationalization and/or expropriation of assets by the government of an emerging
market country. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging
market countries may be more precarious than in other countries. As a result, there will tend to be
an increased risk of price volatility associated with the funds investments in emerging market
countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The funds investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain
risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These
include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions,
or changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on
currency movements and exchanges). In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may
be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States. The
securities of some foreign issuers may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities
of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in value
as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities
markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies
representing a small number of industries. There also is the risk that the cost of buying, selling,
and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and custody costs, may be higher than
those involved in domestic transactions.
Currency Risk.
As a result of its investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving
revenues in, foreign currencies, the fund will be subject to currency risk. This is the risk that
those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, or, in the case of hedging
positions, that the U.S. Dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either
event, the dollar value of an investment in the fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange
rates may fluctuate in response to factors extrinsic to that countrys economy, which makes the
forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries
may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes
in interest rates, intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central
banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of
currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. These can result
in losses to the fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in settlement of
obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in
full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Forward contracts on foreign
currencies are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal
in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a particular currency for the funds
account. The fund is subject to the risk of a principals failure, inability or refusal to perform
with respect to such contracts.
Depositary Receipt Risk.
Foreign securities also include ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated
receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust
companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the
underlying foreign shares. Foreign securities also include GDRs, which are similar to ADRs, but are
shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets
around the world. In addition, foreign securities includes EDRs, similar to GDRs, are shares of
foreign-based corporations generally issued by European banks that trade on exchanges outside of
the banks home country. Investment in ADRs, GDRs and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying
shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging
markets, may be more volatile.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk.
The fund does not fully replicate the index and may hold securities
not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the Advisers
investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints,
may not produce the intended results. Because the fund utilizes a sampling approach it may not
track the return of the index as well as it would if the fund purchased all of the equity
securities in the index.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the
divergence of the funds performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in
certain securities in its benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due
to regulatory, operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund
may attempt to offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making
substitute investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and
expenses while the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts and
forward foreign currency contracts. A future is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument
at a specific price on a specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks
different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities
and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk, and
liquidity risk are discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also
subject to credit risk, liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk
and tax risk. Credit risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not
fulfill its contractual obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative
transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes.
Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk
is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the
underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the
fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose
more than the principal amount invested.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The Adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of a funds
portfolio securities is available in the Statement of Additional Information.
Financial highlights
This section provides further details about each funds financial history for the past five years
or, if shorter, for its period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a
single fund share. Total return shows the percentage that an investor in a fund would have earned
or lost during a given period, assuming all distributions were reinvested. Each funds independent
registered public accounting firm, ______, audited these figures. Their full report is included in the
funds annual report (see back cover).
Fund management
The investment adviser for the Schwab International ETFs is Charles Schwab Investment Management,
Inc., (CSIM) 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Founded in 1989, the firm today serves as
investment adviser for all of the Schwab Funds
®
and Laudus Funds
®
. The firm
has more than $____ billion under management. (All figures on this page are as of 08/31/10.)
As the investment adviser, the firm oversees the asset management and administration of the fund.
As compensation for these services, the firm receives a management fee from the funds, expressed as
a percentage of each funds average daily net assets.
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Schwab International Equity ETF
tm
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0.13
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%
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Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
tm
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0.35
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%
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Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
tm
|
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0.25
|
%
|
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees approval of the funds investment
advisory agreements will be available in the funds annual and/or semi-annual report.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and each fund, the Adviser will
pay the operating expenses of the fund, excluding interest expense, taxes, any brokerage expenses,
and extraordinary or non-routine expenses.
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the Adviser, oversees the investment advisers
management of ETFs. Prior to joining the firm in May 2009, he worked for two years as director of
ETF product management and development at a major financial institution focused on asset and wealth
management. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager for institutional clients at a financial
services firm for three years. In addition, he held roles in portfolio operations and product
management at a large asset management firm for more than 6 years.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the funds. Prior to joining the firm in
September 2009, she worked for more than 5 years as a portfolio manager for a major asset
management firm.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the funds. Prior to joining the firm in May
2010, he was a portfolio manager at a major asset management firm for three years. Before that
position, he was a senior business analyst at major financial firm for nearly two years. In
addition, he was a senior financial analyst at a regional banking firm for four years.
Additional information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by the
portfolio managers and the portfolio managers ownership of securities in the funds is available in
the Statement of Additional Information.
Other considerations
Distributor.
The Funds Distributor is SEI Investments Distribution Co. The Distributor, located at
1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the funds and does not
maintain a secondary market in shares of the funds.
Investing in the funds
On the following pages, you will find information on buying and selling shares. Most investors will
invest in the funds through an intermediary by placing orders through their brokerage account at
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or an account with another broker/dealer or other intermediary.
Authorized Participants (as defined in Purchase and redemption of creation units, below) may
invest directly in the funds by placing orders for Creation Units through the funds Distributor.
Helpful information on taxes is included as well.
Shares of the funds trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the trading day and
can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling shares through a broker most investors will incur customary brokerage
commissions and charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the spread that is, any
difference between the bid price and the ask price.
Shares of the funds trade under the following trading symbols:
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Schwab International Equity ETF
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SCHF
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Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
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SCHC
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Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
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SCHE
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Shares of the funds may be acquired or redeemed directly from the funds only in Creation Units or
multiples thereof; as discussed in the Creation and redemption section below. Once created,
shares of the fund trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The funds do
not impose any minimum investment for shares of the funds purchased on an exchange or in the
secondary market. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the funds.
Share trading prices
As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be
affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The
price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more (a
premium) or less (a discount) than the NAV of such shares.
The approximate value of shares of the funds are disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the
trading day by the national securities exchange on which the funds are listed or by other
information providers. This approximate value should not be viewed as a real-time update of the
NAV, because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is
computed once per day. The approximate value generally is determined by using current market
quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio
securities held by the funds. The funds and Adviser are not involved in, or responsible for, the
calculation or dissemination of the approximate value and make no warranty as to its accuracy.
Determination of net asset value
The NAV of the funds shares is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading (each, a
Business Day). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the funds net assets by the number of the
funds shares outstanding.
In valuing their securities, the funds use market quotes or official closing prices if they are
readily available. In cases where quotes are not readily available, the funds may value securities
based on fair values developed using methods approved by the funds Board of Trustees (described
below).
The funds Board of Trustees has adopted procedures, which include fair value methodologies, to
fair value the funds securities when market prices are not readily available or are unreliable.
For example, the funds may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is
halted or suspended; when a securitys primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a
price; when a securitys primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a
securitys value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the securitys
primary trading market.
Investing in the funds
By fair valuing securities whose prices may have been affected by events occurring after the close
of trading, the funds seek to establish prices that investors might expect to realize upon the
current sales of these securities. The funds fair value methodologies seek to ensure that the
prices at which the funds shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and do not result in dilution
of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders. Generally, when fair valuing a security, the
funds will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a
particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the
issuer, information relating to the issuers business, recent trades or offers of the security,
general and specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value
the security. The funds make fair value determinations in good faith and in accordance with the
fair value methodologies included in the Board adopted valuation procedures. Due to the subjective
and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the funds could obtain
the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Shareholders of the funds should be aware that because foreign markets are often open on weekends
and other days when the funds are closed, the value of the funds portfolios may change on days
when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of the funds.
Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly
from the funds in Creation Units. Fund shares that are purchased or sold on a national securities
exchange will be effected at prevailing market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV, and
may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges. As described below, purchases and redemptions
of Creation Units will be priced at the NAV next determined after receipt of the purchase or
redemption order.
Purchase and redemption of creation units
Creation and redemption
The shares that trade in the secondary market are created at NAV. The funds issue and redeem
shares only in Creation Units, which are large blocks of shares, typically 100,000 shares or more.
Only institutional investors, who have entered into an authorized participant agreement (known as
Authorized Participants), may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are
issued and redeemed in exchange for a specified basket of securities approximating the holdings of
the funds and a designated amount of cash. Each Business Day, prior to the opening of trading, the
funds publish the specific securities and designated amount of cash included in that days basket
for the funds through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or other method of
public dissemination. The funds reserve the right to accept or pay out a basket of securities or
cash that differs from the published basket. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur
are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received and deemed acceptable by the
Distributor. Orders from Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be
accepted on a Business Day and are also subject to acceptance by the funds and the Distributor.
Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant or through a firm that is
either a member of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC or a Depository Trust Company
participant, and in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to
creations and redemptions of Creation Unit aggregations. Information about the procedures regarding
creation and redemption of Creation Units is included in the funds Statement of Additional
Information (SAI).
Authorized participants and the continuous offering of shares
Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of
the funds, a distribution, as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act),
may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part
may, depending on the circumstances, result in them being deemed participants in a distribution in
a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus-delivery and
liability provisions of the Securities Act. Nonetheless, any determination of whether one is an
underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular
case.
Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not underwriters, but are participating in a
distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that
are part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act,
would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of
the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery
mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a
national securities exchange.
Creation and redemption transaction fees for creation units
The funds may impose a creation transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee to offset transfer
and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units of
shares. The creation and redemption transaction fees applicable to the funds are listed below. The
standard creation transaction fee is charged to each purchaser on the day such purchaser creates a
Creation Unit. The standard fee is a single charge and will be the amount indicated below
regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by an investor on the same day. Similarly, the
standard redemption transaction fee will be the amount indicated regardless of the number of
Creation Units redeemed that day. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units for cash will be
subject to an additional variable charge up to the maximum amount shown in the table below. This
additional variable charge will offset the transaction costs to the funds of buying or selling
portfolio securities. In addition, purchasers and redeemers of shares in Creation Units are
responsible for payment of the costs of transferring securities to or out of the funds. From time
to time, the Adviser may cover the cost of any transaction fees when believed to be in the best
interests of the funds.
The following table shows, as of ___________ 2010, the approximate value of one Creation Unit of
the funds, including the standard and maximum additional creation and redemption transaction fee.
These fees are payable only by investors who purchase shares directly from the funds. Retail
investors who purchase shares through their brokerage account will not pay these fees. Investors
who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may pay fees for such services.
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Maximum
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Standard
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Maximum
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Additional
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Approximate Value
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Creation/Redemption
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Additional Creation
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Redemption
|
Name of Fund
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of One Creation Unit
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Transaction Fee
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Transaction Fee *
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Transaction Fee *
|
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Schwab
International
Equity ETF
|
|
$
|
2,500,000
|
|
|
$
|
15,000
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab
International
Small-Cap Equity
ETF
|
|
$
|
2,500,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab Emerging
Markets Equity ETF
|
|
$
|
2,500,000
|
|
|
$
|
8,000
|
|
|
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3.0
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%
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2.0
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%
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*
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|
As a percentage of total amount invested or redeemed
|
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Transaction policies
Policy regarding short-term or excessive trading.
The funds have adopted policies and procedures
with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Creation Units of fund shares. However,
because the funds are ETFs, only Authorized Participants are authorized to purchase and redeem
shares directly with the funds. Because purchase and redemption transactions with Authorized
Participants are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep ETF trading prices in line with
NAV, the funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Authorized Participants. Frequent
purchases and redemptions for cash may increase index tracking error and portfolio transaction
costs and may lead to realization of capital gains. Frequent in-kind creations and redemptions do
not give rise to these concerns. The funds reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any
time.
The funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
Such trading is defined by the funds as purchases and sales of fund shares in amounts and frequency
determined by the funds to be significant and in a pattern of activity that can potentially be
detrimental to the funds and their shareholders, such as by diluting the value of the shareholders
holdings, increasing fund transaction costs, disrupting portfolio management strategy, incurring
unwanted taxable gains, or forcing funds to hold excess levels of cash. The funds may reject
purchase or redemption orders in such instances. The funds also impose a transaction fee on
Creation Unit transactions that is designed to offset the funds transfer and other transaction
costs associated with the issuance and redemption of the Creation Units. Although the funds have
adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage disruptive, excessive or short-term trading,
there can be no guarantee that the funds will be able to identify and restrict investors that
engage in such activities or eliminate the risks associated with such activities. In addition, the
decisions to restrict trading are inherently subjective and involve judgment in their application.
The funds may amend these policies and procedures in response to changing regulatory requirements
or to enhance their effectiveness.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies.
Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of
1940 restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment
companies, including shares of the funds. Registered
investment companies are permitted to invest in the funds beyond the limits set forth in
section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order
issued to the Schwab Strategic Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an
agreement with the funds.
Portfolio holdings information
A description of the funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the funds
portfolio securities is available in the funds SAI.
Distributions and taxes
Any investment in the funds typically involves several tax considerations
. The information below is
meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Because each persons tax situation is
different, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of your investment in a
fund. You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) web site at www.irs.gov.
As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the dividends and gains your fund earns
. Each
fund distributes to its shareholders substantially all of its net investment income and net capital
gains, if any, annually, although it may do so more frequently as determined by the Board of
Trustees. These distributions typically are paid in December to all shareholders of record. During
the fourth quarter of the year, typically in early November, an estimate of the funds year-end
distribution, if any, may be made available on the funds website www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus.
Each fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion,
such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a regulated investment company or
to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or realized gains. Dividends
and other distributions on shares of the funds are distributed on a pro rata basis to beneficial
owners of such shares.
Unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged retirement account, your
fund distributions generally have tax consequences
. Each funds net investment income and
short-term capital gains are distributed as dividends and will be taxable as ordinary income or
qualified dividend income. Other capital gain distributions are taxable as long-term capital gains,
regardless of how long you have held your shares in the fund. Distributions generally are taxable
in the tax year in which they are declared, whether you reinvest them or take them in cash.
Generally, any sale of your shares is a taxable event
. A sale of your shares may give rise to a
gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be
treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months.
Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term
capital gain or loss. Absent further legislation, the reduced maximum rates on qualified dividend
income and long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years beginning after
December 31, 2010. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or
less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital
gain distributions received (or deemed received) by you with respect to the shares. All or a
portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if you
purchase other substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In
such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed
loss.
At the beginning of every year, the funds provide shareholders with information detailing the tax
status of any distributions the funds paid during the previous calendar year.
Schwab customers also
receive information on distributions and transactions in their monthly account statements.
More on qualified dividend income and distributions.
Dividends that are designated by the funds as
qualified dividend income are eligible for a reduced maximum tax rate. Qualified dividend income
is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign
corporations. The funds expect that a portion of the funds ordinary income distributions will be
eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income subject to the reduced tax rates.
If you are investing through a taxable account and purchase shares of the funds just before it
declares a distribution, you may receive a portion of your investment back as a taxable
distribution. This is because when the funds make a distribution, the share price is reduced by the
amount of the distribution.
You can avoid buying a dividend, as it is often called, by finding out if a distribution is
imminent and waiting until afterwards to invest. Of course, you may decide that the opportunity to
gain a few days of investment performance outweighs the tax consequences of buying a dividend.
Shareholders in the funds may have additional tax considerations as a result of foreign tax
payments made by the funds.
Typically, these payments will reduce the funds dividends but will
still be included in your taxable income. You may be able to claim a tax credit or deduction for
your portion of foreign taxes paid by a fund, however.
Taxes on Creation and Redemption of Creation Units
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a
gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time
of the exchange and the sum of the exchangers aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and
the cash component paid. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or
loss equal to the difference between the exchangers basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the
aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received for such Creation Units.
The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of
securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing wash sales,
or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging
securities for Creation Units should consult a tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules
apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally
treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the funds shares (or securities surrendered) have
been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares (or
securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.
If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how
many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units
should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or
redemption transaction.
Index provider
FTSE International Limited (FTSE) is an independent company whose sole business is the creation
and management of indexes and associated data services. FTSE is a joint venture between The
Financial Times (FT) and the London Stock Exchange Plc (the Exchange). FTSE calculates more
than 60,000 indexes daily, including more than 600 real-time indexes. FTSE
tm
is a trademark jointly owned by the Exchange and FT and is used by FTSE under license. FTSE is not
affiliated with the funds, CSIM, the Distributor or any of their respective affiliates.
CSIM has entered into a license agreement with FTSE to use the FTSE Developed ex-US Index, FTSE
All-Emerging Index and FTSE Developed Small Cap ex-US Liquid Index (the Indexes). Fees payable
under the license agreement are paid by CSIM. FTSE has no obligation to continue to provide the
Indexes to CSIM beyond the term of the license agreement.
Disclaimers
The funds are not in any way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FTSE, FT or by the Exchange
(together the Licensor Parties) and none of the Licensor Parties make any warranty or
representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, either as to the results to be obtained from the
use of the Indexes and/or the figure at which the said Index stands at any particular time on any
particular day or otherwise. The Licensor Parties make no representation or warranty, express or
implied, to the owners of shares of the funds or any member of the public regarding the
advisability of trading in the funds. The Indexes are compiled and calculated by FTSE. None of the
Licensor Parties shall be liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) to any person for any error
in the Indexes and none of the Licensor Parties shall be under any obligation to advise any person
of any error therein. FTSE
®
, FT-SE
®
, Footsie
®
,
FTSE4Good
®
and techMARK
®
are trade marks of the Exchange and FT and are used
by FTSE under license. All-World
®
, All-Share
®
and All-Small
®
are
trade marks of FTSE.
Shares of the funds are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the funds or any
member of the public regarding the ability of a fund to track the total return performance of its
underlying index or the ability of the underlying index to track stock market performance. NYSE
Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or
the calculation of any underlying index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or
quantities of shares of the funds to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of
the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners
of the shares of the funds in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the
shares of the funds.
NYSE Arca shall have no liability for damages, claims, losses or expenses caused by any errors,
omissions, or delays in calculating or disseminating any current index or portfolio value; the
current value of the portfolio of securities required to be deposited to the funds; the amount of
any dividend equivalent payment or cash distribution to holders of shares of the funds; net asset
value; or other information relating to the creation, redemption or trading of shares of the funds,
resulting from any negligent act or omission by NYSE Arca, or any act, condition or cause beyond
the reasonable control of NYSE Arca, including, but not limited to, an act of God; fire; flood;
extraordinary weather conditions; war; insurrection; riot; strike; accident; action of government;
communications or power failure; equipment or software malfunction; or any error, omission or delay
in the reporting of transactions in one or more underlying securities. NYSE Arca makes no warranty,
express or implied, as to results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of any
underlying index or data included therein and NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties, and
disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to
shares of the funds or any underlying index or data included therein.
The funds and CSIM do not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the indexes or any data
included therein and shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein.
the funds and CSIM make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the funds,
or any other person or entity from the use of indexes or any data included therein. the funds and
CSIM make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties, of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the indexes or any data
included therein, without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the funds and CSIM have
any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages
(including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
To learn more
This prospectus contains important information on the funds and should be read and kept for
reference. You also can obtain more information from the following sources.
Annual and semi-annual reports,
which are mailed to current fund investors, contain more
information about the funds holdings and detailed financial information about the funds. Annual
reports also contain information from the funds managers about strategies, recent market
conditions and trends and their impact on fund performance.
The
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
includes a more detailed discussion of investment
policies and the risks associated with various investments. The SAI is incorporated by reference
into the prospectus, making it legally part of the prospectus.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about
the funds, call Schwab ETFs
tm
at 1-800-435-4000. In addition, you may visit
Schwab ETFs web site at www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI or an
annual or semi-annual report.
The SAI, the funds annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from
the EDGAR Database on the SECs web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this
information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov
or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also
review and copy information about the funds, including the funds SAI, at the SECs Public
Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the
SECs Public Reference Room.
SEC File Number
|
|
|
|
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|
|
Schwab Strategic Trust
|
|
811-22311
|
|
REG51683FLT-03
Schwab International ETFs
Prospectus
December ____, 2010
(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
(SCHWAB ETF LOGO)
Prospectus
December ____, 2010
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
tm
SCHH
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
As with all exchange traded funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved
these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate and accurate.
Anyone who indicates otherwise is committing a federal crime.
(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
|
|
|
Fund summaries
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
13
|
|
|
13
|
|
|
13
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
15
|
|
|
16
|
2
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
tm
Ticker Symbol:
SCHH
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index.
SM1
Fund fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The
table does not reflect brokerage commissions you may incur when buying or selling fund shares.
Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your
investment)
|
|
|
|
|
Management fees
|
|
0.XX
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total annual operating expenses
|
|
0.XX
|
|
|
|
|
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of
investing in other 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 time periods. The example
also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses
remain the same. This example does not reflect any brokerage commissions you may incur when buying
or selling fund shares. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses on a $10,000 investment
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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance.
The fund is new and therefore does not have a historical portfolio turnover rate.
Principal investment strategies
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in securities that are included in the index.
The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index comprised of real
estate investment trusts (REITs). The index generally includes REITs that
both own and operate income producing commercial and/or residential real estate, derive
at least 75% of the REITs total revenue from the ownership and operation of real estate
assets, and have a minimum total market capitalization of $200 million at the time of its
inclusion. The index excludes mortgage REITs, net-lease REITs, real estate finance
companies, mortgage brokers and bankers, commercial and residential real estate brokers
and estate agents, home builders, large landowners and subdividers of unimproved land,
hybrid REITs, timber REITs, and companies that have more than 25% of their assets in
direct mortgage investments. As of _______________, 2010, the index was composed of
_________ REITs.
|
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1
|
|
Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for
use for certain purposes by the funds investment adviser. The Schwab U.S. REIT ETF is not
sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow Jones makes no representation regarding
the advisability of trading in such product.
|
3
It is the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net
assets in securities included in the index. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given
security as the index does. However, when the adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as
to avoid purchasing odd-lots (
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a
security), for tax considerations, or to address liquidity considerations with respect to a
security, the adviser may cause the funds weighting of a security to be more or less than the
indexs weighting of the security. The fund may sell securities that are represented in the index
in anticipation of their removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those that the adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the adviser anticipates will be added to or removed from the index;
(b) investment companies, including money market funds, and (c) derivatives, principally futures
contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on
the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it better track the index. The fund may also
invest in cash and cash equivalents, enter into repurchase agreements, and may lend its securities
to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund and its
corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, timing variances, and differences
between the funds portfolio and the index resulting from legal restrictions (such as
diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to the index.
Principal risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The funds
principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Stock and bond markets and the values of securities held by the fund rise and fall
daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of your
investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could lose money.
Investment Style Risk.
The fund is not actively managed. Therefore, the fund follows the securities
included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the
fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market.
In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance is normally below that of the
index.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may
result from factors affecting individual
companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move
in cycles which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The fund will invest in large-cap segments of the U.S. stock market. Large-cap
stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when
large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments mid- or small-cap stocks, for
instance the funds large-cap holdings could reduce performance
Small- and Mid-Cap Risk.
REITs and other real estate companies may be small- to medium-sized
companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Historically, mid- and small-cap stocks
have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid and small-cap companies themselves may be more
vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. Stock
prices of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than
current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. During a
period when mid- and small cap stocks fall behind other types of investmentsbonds or large-cap
stocks, for instancethe funds small- and mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
REITs Risk.
In addition to the risks associated with investing in securities of real estate
companies and real estate related companies,
REITs are subject to certain additional risks. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value
of the underlying properties owned by the trusts, and mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality
of any credit extended. Further, REITs are dependent upon
4
specialized management skills and may have their investments in relatively few properties, or in a
small geographic area or a single property type. Failure of a company to qualify as a REIT under
federal tax law may have adverse consequences to the fund. In addition, REITs have their own
expenses, and the fund will bear a proportionate share of those expenses.
Real Estate Investment Risk.
The fund has a policy of concentrating its investments in real estate
companies and companies related to the real estate industry. As such, the fund is subject to risks
associated with the direct ownership of real estate securities and an investment in the fund will
be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets. These risks include, among others,
declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions;
possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital
markets; defaults by borrowers or tenants, particularly during an economic downturn; and changes in
interest rates.
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index due to differences
between the funds securities and those in the index. Tracking error also may be attributable to
the funds inability to match the securities weighting to the index or due to other regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while the index does
not, which may result in tracking error.
Non-Diversification Risk.
The fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest in securities
of relatively few issuers. As a result, a single adverse economic, political or regulatory
occurrence may have a more significant effect on the funds investments, and the fund may
experience increased volatility.
Derivatives Risk.
The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or
possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other
traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested.
In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of
assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the fund.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Liquidity Risk.
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be
unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral
or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or
becomes insolvent.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
Fund shares may be bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of
the fund will approximate the funds net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market
price and the NAV vary significantly. You may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund please see the Fund details section in
the prospectus.
Performance
The fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history. Once the fund has completed a
full calendar year of operations a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the funds returns
and comparing the funds performance to the index.
5
Investment adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio managers
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETFs). He has managed the fund since 2011.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2011.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2011.
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically 50,000
shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of
securities included in the index and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or
large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares
of the fund are not redeemable securities.
Individual shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the
trading day and can only be bought and sold at market prices throughout the trading day through a
broker-dealer. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a
price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
Tax information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as
ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other
tax-advantaged account.
6
About the fund
The fund described in this Prospectus is advised by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
(CSIM or the investment adviser). The fund is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). ETFs are funds
that trade like other publicly-traded securities. The fund is an index fund and is designed to
track the performance of an index. Because the composition of an index tends to be comparatively
stable, index funds historically have shown low portfolio turnover compared to actively managed
funds.
This strategy distinguishes an index fund from an actively managed fund. Instead of choosing
investments for the fund based on portfolio managements judgment, an index is used to determine
which securities the fund should own.
Unlike shares of a mutual fund, shares of the fund are listed on a national securities exchange and
trade at market prices that change throughout the day. The market price for the funds shares may
be different from its net asset value per share or NAV. The fund has its own CUSIP number and
trades on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the following ticker:
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Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
TM
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SCHH_
|
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares, typically 50,000
shares or more (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of
securities and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors
purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the fund are
not redeemable securities.
A note to retail investors
Shares can be purchased directly from the fund only in exchange for a basket of securities that is
expected to be worth several million dollars. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be
able to purchase shares directly from the fund. Instead, these investors will purchase shares in
the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker. Thus, some of
the information contained in this Prospectus such as information about purchasing and redeeming
shares from the fund and references to transaction fees imposed on purchases and redemptions is
not relevant to most individual investors. Shares purchased or sold through a brokerage account or
with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.
Except as explicitly described otherwise, the investment objective, the benchmark index and the
investment policies of the funds may be changed without shareholder approval.
The funds performance will fluctuate over time and, as with all investments, future performance
may differ from past performance.
7
Fund details
Investment objectives, strategies and risks
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
tm
Investment objective
The funds goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of
the Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index
sm
. 1 The funds investment objective is
not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of trustees without shareholder
approval.
Index
The funds benchmark index includes the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) sector of the Dow
Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
SM
.
The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index comprised of real
estate investment trusts (REITs). The index generally includes REITs that
both own and operate income producing commercial and/or residential real estate, derive
at least 75% of the REITs total revenue from the ownership and operation of real estate
assets, and have a minimum total market capitalization of $200 million at the time of its
inclusion. The index excludes mortgage REITs, net-lease REITs, real estate finance
companies, mortgage brokers and bankers, commercial and residential real estate brokers
and estate agents, home builders, large landowners and subdividers of unimproved land,
hybrid REITs, timber REITs, and companies that have more than 25% of their assets in
direct mortgage investments. As of _______________, 2010, the index was composed of
_________ REITs.
Investment strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in securities that are included in the index.
It is
the funds policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 90% of its net assets in
these securities. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this
policy. The fund will generally give the same weight to a given security as the index does.
However, when the adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots
(
i.e.
, purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax
considerations, or to address liquidity considerations with respect to a security, the adviser may
cause the funds weighting of a security to be more or less than the indexs weighting of the
security. The fund may sell securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their
removal from the index.
Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities not
included in its index. The principal types of these investments include those that the adviser
believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not
represented in the index but the adviser anticipates will be added to or removed from the index;
(b) investment companies, including money market funds; and (c) futures contracts. The fund may use
futures contracts primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help
it better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, enter into
repurchase agreements, and may lend its securities to minimize the difference in performance that
naturally exists between an index fund and its corresponding index.
The fund will concentrate its investments (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that its index
is so concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including
its agencies and instrumentalities), and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government
securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
The adviser seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the funds performance and that of
its index, before fees and expenses, of 95% or better. However, there can be no guarantee that the
fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with the index. A number of factors may affect the
funds ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund
utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index
may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, timing variances, and differences
between the funds portfolio and the index resulting from legal restrictions (such as
diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to the index
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1
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Index ownership Dow Jones and The Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT
Index
sm
are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been
licensed for use for certain purposes by the funds investment adviser. The Schwab U.S. REIT
ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow Jones makes no
representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product.
|
Principal investment risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk.
Stock and bond markets and the values of securities held by the fund rise and fall
daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of your
investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that you could lose money.
8
Investment Style Risk.
The fund invests in mid-sized companies within the U.S. stock market, as
measured by the index. It follows these stocks during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its
indexing strategy, the fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects
of a declining market, even though these stocks may go in and out of favor based on market and
economic conditions. As a result, during a period when these stocks fall behind other types of
investments bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag
those investments. In addition, because of the funds expenses, the funds performance may be below
that of the index.
At times the segment of the equity markets represented by the index may underperform other market
segments. A significant percentage of the index may be composed of securities in a single industry
or sector of the economy. If the fund is focused in an industry or sector, it may present more
risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy.
Because of the way the index is composed, the index may perform differently or worse than an equity
index that is based solely on market capitalization.
Equity Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result
from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole.
Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to
fall over short or extended periods of time.
Large-Cap Risk.
The indexs performance primarily reflects that of the large-cap segment of the
U.S. stock market. Large-cap stocks tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic
conditions. During a period when large-cap U.S. stocks fall behind other types of investments
bonds or small-cap stocks, for instance the funds performance also will lag those investments.
Small- and Mid-Cap Risk.
REITs and other real estate companies, may be small- to medium-sized
companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Real estate equity share prices therefore
can be more volatile than, and perform differently from, those of larger company stocks.
Historically, mid- and small-cap stocks have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid- and small-cap
companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger,
more established companies. Stock prices of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on
future expectations rather than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market
upturns and downturns. In addition, there may be less activity in smaller company stocks than in
larger company stocks and, as a result, trading may have a greater impact on the stock price of
smaller companies. During a period when mid- and small cap stocks fall behind other types of
investments bonds or large-cap stocks, for instancethe funds small- and midcap holdings could
reduce performance.
REITs Risk.
In addition to the risks associated with investing in securities of real estate
companies and real estate related companies, REITs are subject to certain additional risks. Equity
REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the trusts.
Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills and may have their investments in
relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single property type. REITs are also
subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition,
REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue
Code, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The failure of a company to qualify as a REIT under federal tax law may have adverse consequences
to the fund. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrowers or a lessees ability to meet
its obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may
experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs
associated with protecting its investments. In addition, REITs have their own expenses, and the
fund will bear a proportionate share of those expenses.
Real Estate Investment Risk.
Although the fund does not invest directly in real estate, the fund
has a policy of concentrating its investments in securities of real estate companies and companies
related to the real estate industry. As such, the fund is subject to risks associated with the
direct ownership of real estate securities and an investment in the fund will be closely linked to
the performance of the real estate markets. These risks include, among others, declines in the
value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of
availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital markets;
overbuilding; extended vacancies of properties; defaults by borrowers or tenants, particularly
during an economic downturn; increasing competition; increases in property taxes and operating
expenses; changes in zoning laws; losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental
problems; liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems; casualty or
condemnation losses; limitations on rents; changes in market and sub-market values and the appeal
of properties to tenants; and changes in interest rates.
9
Tracking Error Risk.
The funds return may not match the return of the index. For example,
differences between the funds securities and those in the index, rounding of prices, changes to
the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the funds
performance from that of its index. The fund may not be able to invest in certain securities in its
benchmark index, or match the securities weighting to the benchmark, due to regulatory,
operational or liquidity constraints, which may result in tracking error. The fund may attempt to
offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute
investments, but these efforts may not be successful. The fund also incurs fees and expenses while
the index does not, which may result in tracking error.
Non-Diversification Risk.
The fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest in the
securities of relatively few issuers. As a result, a single adverse economic, political or
regulatory occurrence may have a more significant effect on the funds investments, and the fund
may experience increased volatility.
Derivatives Risk.
The principal types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. A
futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a
specific day. The funds use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly
greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional
investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk and liquidity risk, are
discussed elsewhere in this section. The funds use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk,
liquidity risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit
risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual
obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be
available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk
that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes
in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or
index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher
amounts of short-term capital gain. These risks could cause the fund to lose more than the
principal amount invested.
Concentration Risk.
To the extent that the funds or the indexs portfolio is concentrated in the
securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class,
the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to
increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Liquidity Risk.
Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or
sell. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the
conditions of a particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the
issuer. The funds investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the fund because it
may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Further,
transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that are higher than those for
transactions in liquid securities.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, may give rise to a form of leverage
and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or
increase in the value of the funds portfolio securities. 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.
Securities Lending Risk.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other
financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is
fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will
continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a
fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the
collateral or delay in recover of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security
loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities
acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.
Market Trading Risk.
Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be
no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an
active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.
Trading of shares of the fund on a stock exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such
action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide circuit breakers
halts stock trading generally. If the funds shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its
shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.
As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of
the shares of the fund will approximate the funds NAV, there may be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the fund in
the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary
market.
10
The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded
security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares is likely to be larger on
ETFs that are traded less frequently. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the
bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded
at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling
fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares. The adviser believes that,
under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be
sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Lack of Governmental Insurance or Guarantee.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and it
is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other
government agency.
Portfolio holdings
A description of the funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the funds
portfolio securities is available in the Statement of Additional Information.
11
Fund management
The investment adviser for the Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
TM
is Charles Schwab Investment
Management, Inc. (CSIM or the investment adviser), 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Founded in 1989, the firm today serves as investment adviser for all of the Schwab
Funds
®
, Laudus Funds
®
and Schwab ETFs
tm
. The firm has
more than $___ billion under management. (All figures on this page are as of 8/31/10.)
As the investment adviser, the firm oversees the asset management and administration of the fund.
As compensation for these services, the firm receives a management fee from the fund, expressed as
a percentage of the funds average daily net assets.
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Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
TM
|
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0.XX%
|
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees approval of the funds investment
advisory agreement will be available in the funds first annual and/or semi-annual report.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the adviser and each fund, the adviser will
pay the operating expenses of the fund, excluding interest expense, taxes, any brokerage expenses,
and extraordinary or non-routine expenses.
Dustin Lewellyn, CFA,
a managing director of the investment adviser, oversees the investment
advisers management of exchange traded funds (ETF(s)). Prior to joining the firm in May 2009, he
worked for two years as director of ETF product management and development at a major financial
institution focused on asset and wealth management. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager for
institutional clients at a financial services firm for three years. In addition, he held roles in
portfolio operations and product management at a large asset management firm for more than 6 years.
Agnes Hong, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for the co-management of the fund. Prior to joining the firm in September
2009, she worked for more than 5 years as a portfolio manager for a major asset management firm.
Ferian Juwono, CFA,
a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has
day-to-day responsibility for co-management of the fund. Prior to joining the firm in May 2010, he
was a portfolio manager at a major asset management firm for three years. Before that position, he
was a senior business analyst at major financial firm for nearly two years. In addition, he was a
senior financial analyst at a regional banking firm for four years.
Additional information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by the
portfolio managers and the portfolio managers ownership of securities in the fund is available in
the Statement of Additional Information.
Distributor.
The funds Distributor is SEI Investments Distribution Co. The Distributor, located at
1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the funds and does not
maintain a secondary market in shares of the fund.
12
Investing in the funds
On the following pages, you will find information on buying and selling shares. Most investors will
invest in the fund by placing orders through their brokerage account at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
(Schwab) or an account with another broker/dealer or other intermediary. Authorized Participants
(as defined in Purchase and redemption of creation units, below) may invest directly in the fund
by placing orders for Creation Units through the funds Distributor (direct orders). Helpful
information on taxes is included as well.
Shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the trading day and
can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling shares through a broker most investors will incur customary brokerage
commissions and charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the spread that is, any
difference between the bid price and the ask price.
Shares of the fund trade under the following trading symbol:
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Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
TM
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SCHH
|
Shares of the fund may be acquired or redeemed directly from the fund only in Creation Units or
multiples thereof; as discussed in the Creation and redemption section below. Once created,
shares of the fund trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The fund
does not impose any minimum investment for shares of the fund purchased on an exchange or in the
secondary market. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the fund.
Share trading prices
As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be
affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The
price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more (a
premium) or less (a discount) than the NAV of such shares.
The approximate value of shares of the fund is disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the
trading day by the national securities exchange on which the fund is listed or by other information
providers. This approximate value should not be viewed as a real-time update of the NAV, because
the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once
per day. The approximate value generally is determined by using current market quotations and/or
price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio securities held by
the fund. The fund and adviser are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or
dissemination of the approximate value and make no warranty as to its accuracy.
Determination of net asset value
The NAV of the funds shares is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading (each, a
Business Day). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the funds net assets by the number of the
funds shares outstanding.
In valuing their securities, the fund uses market values if they are readily available. In cases
where market values are not readily available, the fund may value securities based on fair values
developed using methods approved by the funds Board of Trustees (described below).
13
The funds Board of Trustees has adopted procedures, which include fair value methodologies, to
fair value the funds securities when market prices are not readily available or are unreliable.
For example, the fund may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is
halted or suspended; when a securitys primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a
price; when a securitys primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a
securitys value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the securitys
primary trading market. By fair valuing securities whose prices may have been affected by events
occurring after the close of trading, the fund seeks to establish prices that investors might
expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. The funds fair value methodology
seeks to ensure that the prices at which the funds shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and
do not result in dilution of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders. Generally, when
fair valuing a security, the fund will take into account all reasonably available information that
may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical
data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuers business, recent trades or offers
of the security, general and specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the
need to fair value the security. The fund makes fair value determinations in good faith and in
accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board adopted valuation procedures.
Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the
fund could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly
from the fund in Creation Units. Fund shares that are purchased or sold on a national securities
exchange will be effected at prevailing market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV, and
may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges. As described below, purchases and redemptions
of Creation Units will be priced at the NAV next determined after receipt of the purchase or
redemption order.
Purchase and redemption of creation units
Creation and redemption
The shares that trade in the secondary market are created at NAV. The fund issues and redeems
shares only in Creation Units, which are large blocks of shares, typically 50,000 shares or more.
Only institutional investors, who have entered into an authorized participant agreement (known as
Authorized Participants) may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are
issued and redeemed in exchange for a specified basket of securities approximating the holdings of
the fund and a designated amount of cash. Each Business Day, prior to the opening of trading, the
fund publishes the specific securities and designated amount of cash included in that days basket
for the fund through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or other method of
public dissemination. The fund reserves the right to accept or pay out a basket of securities or
cash that differs from the published basket. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur
are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received and deemed acceptable by the
Distributor. Orders from Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be
accepted on a Business Day and are also subject to acceptance by the fund and the Distributor.
Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant or through a firm that is
either a member of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC or a Depository Trust Company
participant, and in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to
creations and redemptions of Creation Unit aggregations. More information about the procedures
regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units is included in the funds Statement of
Additional Information (SAI).
Authorized participants and the continuous offering of shares
Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of
the fund, a distribution, as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act),
may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part
may, depending on the circumstances, result in them being deemed participants in a distribution in
a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus-delivery and
liability provisions of the Securities Act. Nonetheless, any determination of whether one is an
underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular
case.
Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not underwriters, but are participating in a
distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that
are part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act,
would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of
the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery
mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a
national securities exchange.
14
Creation and redemption transaction fees for creation units
The fund may impose a creation transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee to offset transfer
and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The
creation and redemption transaction fees applicable to the fund is listed below. The standard
creation transaction fee is charged to each purchaser on the day such purchaser creates a Creation
Unit. The standard fee is a single charge and will be the amount indicated below regardless of the
number of Creation Units purchased by an investor on the same day. Similarly, the standard
redemption transaction fee will be the amount indicated regardless of the number of Creation Units
redeemed that day. The fund does not charge a standard creation or redemption transaction fee, but
may do so in the future. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units for cash will be subject to an
additional variable charge up to the maximum amount shown in the table below. This additional
variable charge will offset the transaction costs to the fund of buying or selling portfolio
securities. In addition, purchasers and redeemers of shares in Creation Units are responsible for
payment of the costs of transferring securities to or out of the fund. From time to time, the
adviser may cover the cost of any transaction fees when believed to be in the best interests of the
funds.
The following table shows, as of _______________, 2010, the approximate value of one Creation Unit
of the fund, including the standard and maximum additional creation and redemption transaction fee.
These fees are payable only by investors who purchase shares directly from the fund. Retail
investors who purchase shares through their brokerage account will not pay these fees. Investors
who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may pay fees for such services.
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Standard
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Maximum
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Maximum
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Approximate Value
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Creation/Redemption
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Additional Creation
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Additional Redemption
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Name of Fund
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of One Creation Unit
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Transaction Fee
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Transaction Fee *
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Transaction Fee *
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Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
TM
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$
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1,250,000
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$
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3.0
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%
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2.0
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%
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*
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As a percentage of total amount invested or redeemed.
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Transaction policies
Policy regarding short-term or excessive trading.
The fund has adopted policies and procedures with
respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. However, because the fund is an
ETF, only Authorized Participants are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly with the
fund. Because purchase and redemption transactions with Authorized Participants are an essential
part of the ETF process and help keep ETF trading prices in line with NAV, the fund accommodates
frequent purchases and redemptions by Authorized Participants. Frequent purchases and redemptions
for cash may increase index tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to
realization of capital gains. Frequent in-kind creations and redemptions do not give rise to these
concerns. The fund reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
The fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.
Such trading is defined by the fund as purchases and sales of fund shares in amounts and frequency
determined by the fund to be significant and in a pattern of activity that can potentially be
detrimental to the fund and its shareholders, such as by diluting the value of the shareholders
holdings, increasing fund transaction costs, disrupting portfolio management strategy, incurring
unwanted taxable gains, or forcing funds to hold excess levels of cash. The fund may reject
purchase or redemption orders in such instances. The fund also imposes a transaction fee on
Creation Unit transactions that is designed to offset the funds transfer and other transaction
costs associated with the issuance and redemption of the Creation Units. Although the fund has
adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage disruptive, excessive or short-term trading,
there can be no guarantee that the fund will be able to identify and restrict investors that engage
in such activities or eliminate the risks associated with such activities. In addition, the
decisions to restrict trading are inherently subjective and involve judgment in their application.
The fund may amend these policies and procedures in response to changing regulatory requirements or
to enhance their effectiveness.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies.
Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of
1940 restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment
companies, including shares of the fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in
the fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions
set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Schwab Strategic Trust, including that such
investment companies enter into an agreement with the fund.
15
Distributions and taxes
Any investment in the fund typically involves several tax considerations.
The information below is
meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Because each persons tax situation is
different, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of your investment in the
fund. You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) web site at www.irs.gov.
As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the dividends and gains your fund earns.
Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid quarterly for the
fund. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a
year, although the fund may do so more frequently as determined by the Board of Trustees. Although
it is not generally expected, if the funds distributions exceed its realized taxable income and
capital gains during a taxable year, then all or a portion of the distributions made during that
year may be characterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution
generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholders cost basis and result in a higher
capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are
sold. The fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable
discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a regulated investment
company or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or realized gains.
Dividends and other distributions on shares of the fund are distributed on a pro rata basis to
beneficial owners of such shares. During the fourth quarter of the year, typically in early
November, an estimate of the funds year-end distributions, if any, may be made available on the
funds website www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus.
Unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged retirement account, your
fund distributions generally have tax consequences.
The funds net investment income and
short-term capital gains are distributed as dividends and will be taxable as ordinary income. Other
capital gain distributions are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have
held your shares in the fund. Distributions generally are taxable in the tax year in which they are
declared, whether you reinvest them or take them in cash.
Generally, any sale of your shares is a taxable event.
A sale of your shares may give rise to a
gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be
treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months.
Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term
capital gain or loss. Absent further legislation, the reduced maximum rates on qualified dividend
income and long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years beginning after December
31, 2010. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will
be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain
distributions received (or deemed received) by you with respect to the shares. All or a portion of
any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if you purchase other
substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the
basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
At the beginning of every year, the fund provides shareholders with information detailing the tax
status of any distributions the fund paid during the previous calendar year.
Schwab customers also
receive information on distributions and transactions in their monthly account statements. REITs
in which the fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to the fund until
after the time that the fund issues the tax reporting statement. As a result, the fund may at times
find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it
issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the fund will send
you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect reclassified information. If you receive a
corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the
previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.
If you are investing through a taxable account and purchase shares of the fund just before it
declares a distribution, you may receive a portion of your investment back as a taxable
distribution. This is because when the fund makes a distribution, the share price is reduced by the
amount of the distribution. You can avoid buying a dividend, as it is often called, by finding
out if a distribution is imminent and waiting until afterwards to invest. Of course, you may decide
that the opportunity to gain a few days of investment performance outweighs the tax consequences of
buying a dividend.
Taxes on creation and redemption of creation units
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a
gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time
of the exchange and the sum of the exchangers aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and
the cash component paid. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or
loss equal to the difference between the exchangers basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the
aggregate market value of the securities
16
and the amount of cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may
assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted
currently under the rules governing wash sales, or on the basis that there has been no
significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities for Creation Units should
consult a tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be
deductible.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally
treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the funds shares (or securities surrendered) have
been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares (or
securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.
If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how
many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units
should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or
redemption transaction.
Index provider
Dow Jones Indexes, a business unit of Dow Jones & Company, Inc., is a full service index provider
which develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment
products. Dow Jones & Company is a News Corporation company (NYSE: NWS). Dow Jones is a leading
provider of global business news and information services.
CSIM has entered into a license agreement with Dow Jones to use the Indexes (as defined below).
Fees payable under the license agreement are paid by CSIM. Dow Jones has no obligation to continue
to provide the Indexes to CSIM beyond the term of the license agreement.
Disclaimers
The fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones. Dow Jones makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the fund or any member
of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the fund. Dow Jones only relationship to
CSIM is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Dow Jones U.S.
Select REIT Index
sm
, (the Index) which is determined, composed and calculated
by Dow Jones without regard to CSIM or the fund. Dow Jones has no obligation to take the needs of
CSIM or the owners of shares of the fund into consideration in determining, composing or
calculating the Indexes. Dow Jones is not responsible for and has not participated in the
determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the shares of the fund to be listed or
in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares of the fund are to be
redeemable for cash. Dow Jones has no obligation or liability in connection with the
administration, marketing or trading of the fund.
DOW JONES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED
THEREIN AND DOW JONES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN.
DOW JONES MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY CSIM, OWNERS OF
THE SHARES OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED
THEREIN. DOW JONES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES,
OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE INDEX OR ANY DATA
INCLUDED THEREIN, WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL DOW JONES HAVE ANY
LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING
LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY
BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN DOW JONES AND CSIM.
Shares of the fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the fund or any
member of the public regarding the ability of a fund to track the total return performance of its
underlying index or the ability of the underlying index to track stock market performance. NYSE
Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or
the calculation of any underlying index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or
quantities of shares of the fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the
equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of
the shares of the fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of
the fund.
17
NYSE Arca shall have no liability for damages, claims, losses or expenses caused by any errors,
omissions, or delays in calculating or disseminating any current index or portfolio value; the
current value of the portfolio of securities required to be deposited to the fund; the amount of
any dividend equivalent payment or cash distribution to holders of shares of the fund; net asset
value; or other information relating to the creation, redemption or trading of shares of the fund,
resulting from any negligent act or omission by NYSE Arca, or any act, condition or cause beyond
the reasonable control of NYSE Arca, including, but not limited to, an act of God; fire; flood;
extraordinary weather conditions; war; insurrection; riot; strike; accident; action of government;
communications or power failure; equipment or software malfunction; or any error, omission or delay
in the reporting of transactions in one or more underlying securities. NYSE Arca makes no warranty,
express or implied, as to results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of any
underlying index or data included therein and NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties, and
disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to
shares of the fund or any underlying index or data included therein.
The fund and CSIM do not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the indexes or any data
included therein and shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein.
The fund and CSIM make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the fund,
or any other person or entity from the use of indexes or any data included therein. The fund and
CSIM make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties, of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the indexes or any data
included therein, without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the fund and CSIM have
any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages
(including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
18
To learn more
This prospectus contains important information on the fund and should be read and kept for
reference. You also can obtain more information from the following sources.
Annual and semi-annual reports,
which are mailed to current fund investors, contain more
information about the funds holdings and detailed financial information about the fund. Annual
reports also contain information from the funds managers about strategies, recent market
conditions and trends and their impact on fund performance.
The
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
includes a more detailed discussion of investment
policies and the risks associated with various investments. The SAI is incorporated by reference
into the prospectus, making it legally part of the prospectus.
For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information or ask questions about
the fund, call Schwab
ETFs
tm
at 1-800-435-4000. In addition, you may visit Schwab ETFs web site at www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus
for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI or an annual or semi-annual report.
The SAI, the funds annual and semi-annual reports and other related materials are available from
the EDGAR Database on the SECs web site (http://www.sec.gov). You can obtain copies of this
information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov
or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can also
review and copy information about the funds, including the funds SAI, at the SECs Public
Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the
SECs Public Reference Room.
SEC File Number
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Schwab Strategic Trust
|
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811-22311
|
REG_____________
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
TM
Prospectus
December 17, 2010
(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Schwab ETFs
TM
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Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
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SCHB
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Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
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SCHX
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Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
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|
SCHG
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Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
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SCHV
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Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
TM
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SCHM
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Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
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SCHA
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Schwab International Equity ETF
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SCHF
|
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
|
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SCHC
|
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
|
|
SCHE
|
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
December ___, 2010
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction
with the funds prospectuses, each dated December 17, 2010 (as amended from time to time). To
obtain a free copy of any of the prospectuses, please contact Schwab ETFs at 1-800-435-4000. For
TDD service call 1-800-345-2550. The prospectus also may be available on the Internet at:
http://www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus.
Each fund is a series of the Schwab Strategic Trust (the trust). The funds are part of the Schwab
complex of funds.
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2
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22
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22
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27
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27
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28
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31
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34
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35
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36
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40
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APPENDIX DESCRIPTION OF PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
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REG50329-09
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES, RISKS AND LIMITATIONS
Investment Objectives
Each funds investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds
board of trustees without shareholder approval.
The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses,
the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index
SM
.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the
total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index
SM
.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and
expenses, the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market
Index
SM
.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and
expenses, the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market
Index
SM
.
The Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the
total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index
SM
.
The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the
total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index
SM
.
The Schwab International Equity ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and
expenses, the total return of the FTSE Developed ex-US Index.
The Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees
and expenses, the total return of the FTSE Developed Small Cap ex-US Liquid Index.
The Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and
expenses, the total return of the FTSE All-Emerging Index.
There is no guarantee the funds will achieve their investment objectives.
Description of Benchmark Indices
The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETFs benchmark index, Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market
Index
SM,
includes the largest 2,500 publicly traded U.S. companies for which pricing
information is readily available. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted
index that reflects the shares of securities actually available to investors in the marketplace. As
of August 31, 2010, the index was composed of 2,493 stocks.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETFs benchmark index, Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
SM,
includes the large-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market
Index includes the components ranked 1-750 by full market capitalization. The index is a
float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of August 31, 2010, the index was composed
of 743 stocks.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETFs benchmark index, Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock
Market Index
SM,
includes the large-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market
Index actually available to investors in
the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index includes the
components ranked 1-750 by full market capitalization and that are classified as growth based on
a number of factors. The index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of
August 31, 2010, the index was composed of 433 stocks.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETFs benchmark index, Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock
Market Index
SM,
includes the large-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market
Index actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total
Stock Market Index includes the components ranked 1-750 by full market capitalization and that are
classified as value based on a number of factors. The index is a float-adjusted market
capitalization weighted index. As of August 31, 2010, the index was composed of 310 stocks.
The Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETFs benchmark index, Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
SM
, includes the mid-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market
Index includes the components ranked 501-1000 by full market capitalization. The index is a
float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of August 31, 2010, the index was composed
of ________stocks.
The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETFs benchmark index, Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market
Index
SM
, includes the small-cap portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
actually available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market
Index includes the components ranked 751-2500 by full market capitalization. The index is a
float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. As of August 31, 2010, the index was composed
of 1,750 stocks.
The Schwab International Equity ETFs benchmark, the FTSE Developed ex-US Index, is comprised of
large and mid capitalization companies in developed countries outside the United States, as defined
by the index provider. The index defines the large and mid capitalization universe as approximately
the top 90% of the eligible universe. As of August 31, 2010, the index was composed of 1,325 stocks
in 23 developed market countries.
The Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETFs benchmark, the FTSE Developed Small Cap ex-US
Liquid Index, is comprised of small capitalization companies in developed countries outside the
United States, as defined by the index provider. The index defines the small capitalization
universe as approximately the bottom 10% of the eligible universe with a minimum free float
capitalization of $150 million. As of August 31, 2010, the index was composed of 1820 stocks in 23
developed market countries.
The Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETFs benchmark, the FTSE All-Emerging Index, is comprised of
large and mid capitalization companies in emerging market countries, as defined by the index
provider. The index defines the large and mid capitalization universe as approximately the top 90%
of the eligible universe. As of August 31, 2010, the index was composed of 824 stocks in 23
emerging market countries.
Index Providers and Disclaimers
Dow Jones Indexes, a business unit of Dow Jones & Company, Inc., is a full service index provider
that develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment
products. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. is a News Corporation company (NYSE: NWS). Dow Jones is a
leading provider of global business news and information services. Dow Jones only relationship to
the funds and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM) is the licensing of certain
trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market
Index
SM,
Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index
SM,
Dow Jones U.S.
Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index
SM,
Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock
Market Index
SM,
and Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index
SM
, and
Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index
SM
(the Dow Jones Indexes). The funds
are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones.
Dow Jones does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Dow Jones indexes or any
data included therein and Dow Jones shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or
interruptions therein. Dow Jones makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be
obtained by CSIM, owners of the shares of the funds, or any other person or entity from the use of
Dow Jones indexes or any data included therein. Dow Jones makes no express or implied warranties,
and expressly disclaims all warranties, of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or
use with respect to the Dow Jones indexes or any data included therein, without limiting any of the
foregoing, in no event shall Dow Jones have any liability for any lost profits or indirect,
punitive, special or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the
possibility of such damages. There are no third party beneficiaries of any agreements or
arrangements between Dow Jones and CSIM.
FTSE International Limited (FTSE) is an independent company whose sole business is the creation
and management of indexes and associated data services. FTSE is a joint venture between The
Financial Times Limited (FT) and the London Stock Exchange Plc (the Exchange). FTSE calculates
more than 60,000 indexes daily, including more than 600 real-time indexes.
FTSE
tm
is a trademark jointly owned by the Exchange and FT and is used by
FTSE under license. FTSE is not affiliated with the funds, CSIM (as defined herein), the
Distributor (as defined herein) or any of their respective affiliates. The funds are not sponsored,
endorsed, sold or promoted by FTSE, FT or the Exchange. FTSE, FT and the Exchange make no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the funds or any member
of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the funds, and make no warranty or
representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, either as to the results to be obtained from the
use of the FTSE Indexes and/or the figure at which the said FTSE Index stands at any particular
time on any particular day or otherwise.
Shares of the funds are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca Inc. NYSE Arca makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the funds or any
member of the public regarding the ability of the funds to track the total return performance of
any underlying index or the ability of the underlying index to track stock market performance. NYSE
Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or
the calculation of an underlying index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or
quantities of shares of the funds to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the
equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of
the shares of the funds in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares
of the funds.
NYSE Arca shall have no liability for damages, claims, losses or expenses caused by any errors,
omissions, or delays in calculating or disseminating any current index or portfolio value the
current value of the portfolio of securities required to be deposited to the funds; the amount of
any dividend equivalent payment or cash distribution to holders of shares of the funds; net asset
value; or other information relating to the creation, redemption or trading of shares of the funds,
resulting from any negligent act or omission by NYSE Arca, or any act, condition or cause beyond
the reasonable control of NYSE Arca, including, but not limited to, an act of God; fire; flood;
extraordinary weather conditions; war; insurrection; riot; strike; accident; action of government;
communications or power failure; equipment or software malfunction; or any error, omission or delay
in the reporting of transactions in one or more underlying securities. NYSE Arca makes no warranty,
express or implied, as to results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of any
underlying index or data included therein and NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties, and
disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to
shares of the funds or any underlying index or data included therein.
Fund Investment Policies
The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its net
assets in the stocks of its benchmark index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days
before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its net
assets in the stocks of its benchmark index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days
before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its
net assets in the stocks of its benchmark index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60
days before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its
net assets in the stocks of its benchmark index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60
days before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its net
assets in the stocks of its benchmark index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days
before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its net
assets in the stocks of its benchmark index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days
before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab International Equity ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its
net assets in the stocks of its benchmark index, including depositary receipts representing
securities of the index; which may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global
Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its
shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets
mean net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least
90% of its net assets in the stocks of its benchmark index, including depositary receipts
representing securities of the index; which may be in the form of ADRs, GDRs and EDRs. The fund
will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy. For purposes of this
policy, net assets mean net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
The Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of
its net assets in the stocks of its benchmark index, including depositary receipts representing
securities of the index; which may be in the form of ADRs, GDRs and EDRs. The fund will notify its
shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets
mean net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
Investments, Risks and Limitations
The following investment strategies, risks and limitations supplement those set forth in the
prospectus and may be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted. Also, policies
and limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or
other asset, or that set forth a quality standard, shall be measured immediately after and as a
result of a funds acquisition of such security or asset unless otherwise noted. Thus, except with
respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent change in
values, net assets or other circumstances does not require a fund to sell an investment if it could
not then make the same investment.
Principal Investment Strategy Investments
Unless otherwise indicated, the following investments may be used as part of each funds
principal investment strategy.
Concentration
means that substantial amounts of assets are invested in a particular industry or
group of industries. Concentration increases investment exposure to industry risk. For example, the
automobile industry may have a greater
exposure to a single factor, such as an increase in the price of oil, which may adversely affect
the sale of automobiles and, as a result, the value of the industrys securities. As part of each
funds principal investment strategy, each fund will not concentrate its investments in a
particular industry or group of industries, except that each fund will concentrate to approximately
the same extent that its benchmark index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry
or group of industries.
Depositary Receipts
(Principal investments for the Schwab International Equity ETF, Schwab
International Small-Cap Equity ETF and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF. Permissible
non-principal investments for each other fund). Depositary receipts include American Depositary
Receipts (ADRs) as well as other hybrid forms of ADRs, such as European Depositary Receipts
(EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of
a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are
issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or
elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial
institution in the issuers home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the
underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding
dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the
underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to
be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject a fund to investment risks that differ
in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks
include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding
taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible
establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to
changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices
different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information
publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking,
subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are
those in the United States.
Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar,
there are differences regarding a holders rights and obligations and the practices of market
participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or
acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of
non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored
depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges
fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into
U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of
other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to
distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting
rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.
Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored
facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and
the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and
responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With
sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary
receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary
receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored
depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and
other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the
underlying issuers request.
Derivative Instruments
are commonly defined to include securities or contracts whose values depend
on (or derive from) the value of one or more other assets such as securities, currencies, or
commodities. These other assets are commonly referred to as underlying assets. The principal
types of derivatives used by the funds are futures contracts and, with respect to the Schwab
International Equity ETF, Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF and Schwab Emerging Markets
Equity ETF, forward foreign currency contracts. Each fund may use futures contracts and other
derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it
better track the index, and, for the Schwab International Equity ETF, Schwab International
Small-Cap Equity ETF and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF, to better manage exposure to foreign
currency fluctuations. Additional risk management strategies include investment techniques designed
to facilitate the sale of portfolio securities, manage the average duration of the portfolio or
create or alter exposure to certain asset classes, such as equity, other debt or foreign
securities. The fund may allocate up to 10% of its net assets to derivatives investments.
Diversification
involves investing in a wide range of securities and thereby spreading and reducing
the risks of investment. Each fund is a series of an open-end investment management company with
limited redeemability. The funds are diversified exchange traded funds. Diversification does not
eliminate the risk of market loss.
Emerging or Developing Markets
(Principal investment for the Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
only. Permissible non-principal investment for all other funds.) Emerging or developing markets
exist in countries that are considered to be in the initial stages of industrialization. The risks
of investing in these markets are similar to the risks of international investing in general,
although the risks are greater in emerging and developing markets. Countries with emerging or
developing securities markets tend to have economic structures that are less stable than countries
with developed securities markets. This is because their economies may be based on only a few
industries and their securities markets may trade a small number of securities. Prices on these
exchanges tend to be volatile, and securities in these countries historically have offered greater
potential for gain (as well as loss) than securities of companies located in developed countries.
Equity Securities
represent ownership interests in a company, and are commonly called stocks.
Equity securities historically have outperformed most other securities, although their prices can
fluctuate based on changes in a companys financial condition, market conditions and political,
economic or even company-specific news. When a stocks price declines, its market value is lowered
even though the intrinsic value of the company may not have changed. Sometimes factors, such as
economic conditions or political events, affect the value of stocks of companies of the same or
similar industry or group of industries, and may affect the entire stock market.
Types of equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities,
warrants, ADRs, EDRs, and interests in real estate investment trusts, (for more information on real
estate investment trusts, REITs, see the section entitled Real Estate Investment Trusts).
Common stocks, which are probably the most recognized type of equity security, represent an equity
or ownership interest in an issuer and usually entitle the owner to voting rights in the election
of the corporations directors and any other matters submitted to the corporations shareholders
for voting, as well as to receive dividends on such stock. The market value of common stock can
fluctuate widely, as it reflects increases and decreases in an issuers earnings. In the event an
issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners, other debt holders and
owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of common stock owners.
Preferred stocks are a permissible non-principal investment for each fund. Preferred stocks
represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer but do not ordinarily carry voting rights,
though they may carry limited voting rights. Preferred stocks normally have preference over the
corporations assets and earnings, however. For example, preferred stocks have preference over
common stock in the payment of dividends. Preferred stocks normally pay dividends at a specified
rate. However, preferred stock may be purchased where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of
omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital
appreciation potential. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of
bond owners take precedence over the claims of preferred and common stock owners. Certain classes
of preferred stock are convertible into shares of common stock of the issuer. By holding
convertible preferred stock, a fund can receive a steady stream of dividends and still have the
option to convert the preferred stock to common stock. Preferred stock is subject to many of the
same risks as common stock and debt securities.
Convertible securities are a permissible non-principal investment for each fund. Convertible
securities are typically preferred stocks or bonds that are exchangeable for a specific number of
another form of security (usually the issuers common stock) at a specified price or ratio. A
convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on bonds or
the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed,
converted or exchanged. A corporation may issue a convertible security that is subject to
redemption after a specified date, and usually under certain circumstances. A holder of a
convertible security that is called for redemption would be required to tender it for redemption to
the issuer, convert it to the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. The convertible
structure allows the holder of the convertible bond to participate in share price movements in the
companys common stock. The actual return on a convertible bond may exceed its stated yield if the
companys common stock appreciates in value and the option to convert to common stocks becomes more
valuable.
Convertible securities typically pay a lower interest rate than nonconvertible bonds of the same
quality and maturity because of the convertible feature. Convertible securities are also rated
below investment grade (high yield) or are not rated, and are subject to credit risk.
Prior to conversion, convertible securities have characteristics and risks similar to
nonconvertible debt and equity securities. In addition, convertible securities are often
concentrated in economic sectors, which, like the stock market in general, may experience
unpredictable declines in value, as well as periods of poor performance, which may last for several
years. There may be a small trading market for a particular convertible security at any given time,
which may adversely impact market price and a funds ability to liquidate a particular security or
respond to an economic event, including deterioration of an issuers creditworthiness.
Convertible preferred stocks are nonvoting equity securities that pay a fixed dividend. These
securities have a convertible feature similar to convertible bonds, but do not have a maturity
date. Due to their fixed income features, convertible securities provide higher income potential
than the issuers common stock, but typically are more sensitive to interest rate changes than the
underlying common stock. In the event of a companys liquidation, bondholders have claims on
company assets senior to those of shareholders; preferred shareholders have claims senior to those
of common shareholders.
Convertible securities typically trade at prices above their conversion value, which is the current
market value of the common stock received upon conversion, because of their higher yield potential
than the underlying common stock. The difference between the conversion value and the price of a
convertible security will vary depending on the value of the underlying common stock and interest
rates. When the underlying value of the common stocks declines, the price of the issuers
convertible securities will tend not to fall as much because the convertible securitys income
potential will act as a price support. While the value of a convertible security also tends to rise
when the underlying common stock value rises, it will not rise as much because their conversion
value is more narrow. The value of convertible securities also is affected by changes in interest
rates. For example, when interest rates fall, the value of convertible securities may rise because
of their fixed income component.
Warrants are a permissible non-principal investment for each fund. Warrants are types of securities
usually issued with bonds and preferred stock that entitle the holder to purchase a proportionate
amount of common stock at a specified price for a specific period of time. The prices of warrants
do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying common stock. Warrants have no
voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer. If
a warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it will become worthless and a fund
will lose the purchase price it paid for the warrant and the right to purchase the underlying
security.
Initial Public Offering.
As part of its non-principal investment strategy, each fund may purchase
shares issued as part of, or a short period after, a companys initial public offering (IPOs),
and may at times dispose of those shares shortly after their acquisition. A funds purchase of
shares issued in IPOs exposes it to the risks associated with companies that have little operating
history as public companies, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where
these new
issuers operate. The market for IPO issuers has been volatile, and share prices of newly-public
companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time.
Master Limited Partnerships
(MLPs). As part of its non-principal investment strategy, each fund
may purchase units of MLPs. MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose
partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities
exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To
qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its
income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the Code). These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration,
development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of
mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and
limited partners. MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous
classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to
general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to
members. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the
direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general
partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general
partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of
as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units.
Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited
role in the MLPs operations and management.
MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first
priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (minimum
quarterly distributions or MQD). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in
distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have
been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units
do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and
subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata
basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general
partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit
surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the
limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental
cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where
it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These
incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital
expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnerships cash flow and raise the
quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security
holders of the MLP.
General partner interests of MLPs are typically retained by an MLPs original sponsors, such as its
founders, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the MLP and investors such as us. A
holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater
than the amount of the holders investment in the general partner interest. General partner
interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over
the MLP. These interests themselves are not publicly traded, although they may be owned by publicly
traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLPs
aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In
addition, holders of general partner interests typically hold incentive distribution rights, which
provide them with a larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions to
limited partner unit holders are increased to prescribed levels. General partner interests
generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by
the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority
vote by limited partner unitholders.
Exchange Traded Funds
(ETFs) such as the funds or Standard and Poors Depositary Receipts
(SPDRs) Trusts, are investment companies that typically are registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) as open-end fund as is the funds case or unit investment trusts
(UITs). ETFs are actively traded on national securities exchanges and are generally based on
specific domestic and foreign market indices. Shares of an ETF may be bought and sold through the
day at market prices, which may be higher or lower than the shares net asset value. An
index-based ETF seeks to
track the performance of an index holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a
representative sample of the securities in the index. Because ETFs are based on an underlying
basket of stocks or an index, they are subject to the same market fluctuations as these types of
securities in volatile market swings. ETFs, like mutual funds, have expenses associated with their
operation, including advisory fees. When a fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing
expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETFs expenses.
As with any exchange listed security, ETF shares purchased in the secondary market are subject to
customary brokerage charges.
Foreign Securities
(Principal investment of the Schwab International Equity ETF, Schwab
International Small-Cap Equity ETF and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF only. Permissible
non-principal investment for all other funds). Foreign securities involve additional risks,
including foreign currency exchange rate risks, because they are issued by foreign entities,
including foreign governments, banks and corporations or because they are traded principally
overseas. A funds investments in foreign securities may include securities of issuers
domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction but which are listed on a U.S. exchanges and included in the
funds index, as well as securities generally available in foreign markets. Foreign
securities in which a fund may invest include foreign entities that are not subject to uniform
accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to
those applicable to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less publicly available
information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal developments, as well as
fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates and withholding taxes, could have more dramatic effects
on the value of foreign securities. For example, conditions within and around foreign countries,
such as the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability,
diplomatic developments, change of government or war could affect the value of foreign investments.
Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in
such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment,
resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.
Foreign securities typically have less volume and are generally less liquid and more volatile than
securities of U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally
higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although a fund will endeavor to achieve the
most favorable overall results on portfolio transactions. There is generally less government
supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies
than in the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio
transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. There may be difficulties in
obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign issuers as well. These factors and others may
increase the risks with respect to the liquidity of a fund, and its ability to meet a large number
of shareholder redemption requests.
Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures and, in certain markets,
there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities
transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could
result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a fund is uninvested and no return is
earned thereon. The inability to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could
cause a fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Losses to a fund arising out of the
inability to fulfill a contract to sell such securities also could result in potential liability
for a fund.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may be made and held in foreign currencies. In
addition, a fund may hold cash in foreign currencies. These investments may be affected favorably
or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, and may cause a
fund to incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The rate of exchange
between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in
the foreign exchange market as well as by political and economic factors. Changes in the foreign
currency exchange rates also may affect the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and
losses realized on the sale of securities, and net investment income and gains, if any, to be
distributed to shareholders by a fund.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
(Principal investment of the Schwab International
Equity ETF, Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF only)
involve the purchase or sale of foreign currency at an established exchange rate, but with payment
and delivery at a specified future time. Many
foreign securities markets do not settle trades within a time frame that would be considered
customary in the U.S. stock market. Therefore, a fund may engage in forward foreign currency
exchange contracts in order to secure exchange rates for portfolio securities purchased or sold,
but awaiting settlement. These transactions do not seek to eliminate any fluctuations in the
underlying prices of the securities involved. Instead, the transactions simply establish a rate of
exchange that can be expected when a fund settles its securities transactions in the future.
A fund may also use forward foreign currency exchange contracts to increase exposure to a foreign
currency, to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another or to
protect the value of specific portfolio positions, which is called position hedging. When
engaging in position hedging, a fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts to
protect against a decline in the values of the foreign currencies in which portfolio securities are
denominated (or against an increase in the value of currency for securities that a fund expects to
purchase). A fund will earmark or segregate assets for any open positions in forwards used for
non-hedging purposes and mark to market daily as may be required under the federal securities laws.
Buying and selling forward foreign currency exchange contracts involves costs and may result in
losses. The ability of a fund to engage in these transactions may be limited by tax considerations.
Although these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to declines in the value of the
hedged currency, they tend to limit any potential gain that might result from an increase in the
value of such currency. Transactions in these contracts involve certain other risks. Unanticipated
fluctuations in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for a fund than if it
had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between a
funds holdings of securities denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts into which
a fund enters. Such imperfect correlation may cause a fund to sustain losses, which will prevent it
from achieving a complete hedge or expose it to risk of foreign exchange loss.
Suitable hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no
assurance that a fund will engage in such transactions at any given time or from time to time.
Also, such transactions may not be successful and may eliminate any chance for a fund to benefit
from favorable fluctuations in relevant foreign currencies.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts will be used primarily to adjust the foreign exchange
exposure of a fund with a view to protecting the outlook, and a fund might be expected to enter
into such contracts under the following circumstances:
Lock In.
When the investment adviser desires to lock in the U.S. dollar price on the purchase or
sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency.
Cross Hedge.
If a particular currency is expected to decrease against another currency, a fund may
sell the currency expected to decrease and purchase a currency which is expected to increase
against the currency sold in an amount approximately equal to some or all of a funds portfolio
holdings denominated in the currency sold.
Direct Hedge.
If the investment adviser wants to a eliminate substantially all of the risk of
owning a particular currency, it may employ a direct hedge back into the U.S. dollar. In such case,
a fund would enter into a forward contract to sell the currency in which a portfolio security is
denominated and purchase U.S. dollars at an exchange rate established at the time it initiated the
contract. The cost of the direct hedge transaction may offset most, if not all, of the yield
advantage offered by the foreign security, but a fund would benefit from an increase in value of
the security.
Proxy Hedge.
The investment adviser might choose to use a proxy hedge, which may be less costly
than a direct hedge. In this case, a fund, having purchased a security, will sell a currency whose
value is believed to be closely linked to the currency in which the security is denominated.
Interest rates prevailing in the country whose currency was sold would be expected to be closer to
those in the U.S. and lower than those of securities denominated in the currency of the original
holding. This type of hedging entails greater risk than a direct hedge because it is dependent on a
stable relationship between the two currencies paired as proxies and the relationships can be very
unstable at times.
Costs of Hedging.
When a fund purchases a foreign security with a higher interest rate than is
available on U.S. securities, the additional yield on the foreign security could be substantially
reduced or lost if a fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and
purchasing the U.S. dollar. This is what is known as the cost of hedging. Proxy hedging attempts
to reduce this cost through an indirect hedge back to the U.S. dollar. It is important to note that
hedging costs are treated as capital transactions and are not, therefore, deducted from a funds
dividend distribution and are not reflected in its yield. Instead such costs will, over time, be
reflected in a funds net asset value per share.
Tax Consequences of Hedging.
Under applicable tax law, a fund may be required to limit its gains
from hedging in forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Although a fund is expected to comply
with such limits, the extent to which these limits apply is subject to tax regulations as yet
unissued. Hedging may also result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions
of the Internal Revenue Code. Those provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in the
amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are
classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Futures Contracts
are instruments that represent an agreement between two parties that obligates
one party to buy, and the other party to sell, specific instruments at an agreed-upon price on a
stipulated future date. In the case of futures contracts relating to an index or otherwise not
calling for physical delivery at the close of the transaction, the parties usually agree to deliver
the final cash settlement price of the contract. A fund may purchase and sell futures contracts
based on securities, securities indices and foreign currencies, interest rates, or any other
futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that the Commodities Future Trading
Commission (CFTC) licenses and regulates on foreign exchanges. Consistent with CFTC regulations,
the trust has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under
the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool
operator under the Commodity Exchange Act.
A fund must maintain a small portion of its assets in cash to process certain shareholder
transactions in and out of it and to pay its expenses. In order to reduce the effect this otherwise
uninvested cash would have on its performance, a fund may purchase futures contracts. Such
transactions allow a funds cash balance to produce a return similar to that of the underlying
security or index on which the futures contract is based. Also, a fund may purchase or sell futures
contracts on a specified foreign currency to fix the price in U.S. dollars of the foreign
security it has acquired or sold or expects to acquire or sell. A fund may enter into futures
contracts for other reasons as well.
When buying or selling futures contracts, a fund must place a deposit with its broker equal to a
fraction of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin and must be in the form
of liquid debt instruments, including cash, cash-equivalents and U.S. government securities.
Subsequent payments to and from the broker, known as variation margin may be made daily, if
necessary, as the value of the futures contracts fluctuate. This process is known as
marking-to-market. The margin amount will be returned to a fund upon termination of the futures
contracts assuming all contractual obligations are satisfied. Because margin requirements are
normally only a fraction of the amount of the futures contracts in a given transaction, futures
trading can involve a great deal of leverage. In order to avoid this, a fund will earmark or
segregate assets for any outstanding futures contracts as may be required under the federal
securities laws.
While a fund intends to purchase and sell futures contracts in order to simulate full investment,
there are risks associated with these transactions. Adverse market movements could cause a fund to
experience substantial losses when buying and selling futures contracts. Of course, barring
significant market distortions, similar results would have been expected if a fund had instead
transacted in the underlying securities directly. There also is the risk of losing any margin
payments held by a broker in the event of its bankruptcy. Additionally, a fund incurs transaction
costs (i.e. brokerage fees) when engaging in futures trading. To the extent a fund also invests in
futures in order to simulate full investment, these same risks apply.
When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, a fund may seek, through the sale
of futures contracts, to offset a decline in the value of their current portfolio securities. When
rates are falling or prices are rising, a fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, may
attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market
when they effect anticipated purchases. Similarly, a fund may sell futures contracts on a specified
currency to protect against a decline in the value of that currency and their portfolio securities
that are denominated in that currency. A fund may purchase futures contracts on a foreign currency
to fix the price in U.S. dollars of a security denominated in that currency that a fund has
acquired or expects to acquire.
Futures contracts normally require actual delivery or acquisition of an underlying security or cash
value of an index on the expiration date of the contract. In most cases, however, the contractual
obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract by buying or selling, as the case may be,
identical futures contracts. Such offsetting transactions terminate the original contracts and
cancel the obligation to take or make delivery of the underlying securities or cash. There may not
always be a liquid secondary market at the time a fund seeks to close out a futures position. If a
fund is unable to close out its position and prices move adversely, a fund would have to continue
to make daily cash payments to maintain its margin requirements. If a fund had insufficient cash to
meet these requirements it may have to sell portfolio securities at a disadvantageous time or incur
extra costs by borrowing the cash. Also, a fund may be required to make or take delivery and incur
extra transaction costs buying or selling the underlying securities. A fund seeks to reduce the
risks associated with futures transactions by buying and selling futures contracts that are traded
on national exchanges or for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.
With respect to futures contracts that are not legally required to cash settle, a fund may cover
the open position by setting aside or earmarking liquid assets in an amount equal to the market
value of the futures contracts. With respect to futures contracts that are required to cash
settle, however, a fund is permitted to set aside or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to
the funds daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (in other words, the funds daily net
liability, if any) rather than the market value of the futures contracts. By setting aside assets
or earmarking equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled futures, a fund will have the
ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the fund were required to set aside or
earmark assets equal to the full market value of the futures contract.
Indexing Strategies
involve tracking the securities represented in, and therefore the performance
of, an index. Each fund normally will invest primarily in the securities of its index. Moreover,
each fund seeks to invest so that its portfolio performs similarly to that of its index. Each fund
will seek a correlation between its performance and that of its index of 0.95 or better.
Correlation for each fund is calculated daily, according to a mathematical formula (R-squared)
which measures correlation between a funds portfolio and benchmark index returns. A perfect
correlation of 1.0 is unlikely as the funds incur operating and trading expenses unlike their
indices. The Board will monitor each funds correlation to its index on a periodic basis. If
determined to be in the best interest of a fund and its shareholders, the Board may determine to
substitute a different index for the index a fund currently tracks, such determination to be made
by the Board based on its evaluation of all pertinent facts and circumstances, including the review
of any period(s) of time for which a fund did not achieve its intended correlation and the reasons
for such non-correlation. The Board has not established any particular time period of
non-correlation that would cause the Board to automatically consider substituting a different index
for the index a fund currently tracks.
Mid-Cap Stocks
(Principal investment for the Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF, Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF,
Schwab International Equity ETF, and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF. Permissible non-principal
investment for each other fund.) Mid-cap stocks include common stocks issued by operating companies
with market capitalizations that place them between the upper and lower end of the stock market, as
well as the stocks of companies that are determined to be mid-sized based on several factors,
including the capitalization of the company and the amount of revenues. Historically, mid-cap
stocks have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid-cap companies themselves may be more vulnerable
to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. Stock prices of mid
sized companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current
achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. During a period
when mid-cap stocks fall behind other types of investments bonds or large-cap stocks, for
instance the funds mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Mid-cap companies may have less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and
less able to withstand changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Mid-cap
companies also may have more limited product
lines, markets or financial resources than companies with larger capitalizations, and may be more
dependent on a relatively smaller management group. In addition, mid-cap companies may not be well
known to the investing public, may not have institutional ownership and may have only cyclical,
static or moderate growth prospects. Mid-cap company stocks may pay low or no dividends. These
factors and others may cause sharp changes in the value of a mid-cap companys stock, and even
cause some mid-cap companies to fail. While mid-cap stocks are generally considered to offer
greater growth opportunities for investors than large-cap stocks, they involve greater risks and
the share price of a fund that invests in mid-cap stocks may change sharply during the short term
and long term.
Money Market Securities
are high-quality, short term debt securities that may be issued by entities
such as the U.S. government, corporations and financial institutions (like banks). Money market
securities include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, notes and time
deposits. Certificates of deposit and time deposits are issued against funds deposited in a banking
institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. Bankers acceptances are
credit instruments evidencing a banks obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These
instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the
instrument upon maturity. Commercial paper consists of short term, unsecured promissory notes
issued to finance short term credit needs.
Money market securities pay fixed, variable or floating rates of interest and are generally subject
to credit and interest rate risks. The maturity date or price of and financial assets
collateralizing a security may be structured in order to make it qualify as or act like a money
market security. These securities may be subject to greater credit and interest rate risks than
other money market securities because of their structure. Money market securities may be issued
with puts or sold separately, sometimes called demand features or guarantees, which are agreements
that allow the buyer to sell a security at a specified price and time to the seller or put
provider. When a fund buys a put, losses could occur as a result of the costs of the put or if it
exercises its rights under the put and the put provider does not perform as agreed.
A fund may keep a portion of its assets in cash for business operations. In order to reduce the
effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, a fund may invest in money
market securities. A fund may also invest in money market securities to the extent it is consistent
with its investment objective.
Securities Lending
of portfolio securities is a common practice in the securities industry. A fund
may engage in security lending arrangements. For example, a fund may receive cash collateral, and
it may invest it in short term, interest-bearing obligations, but will do so only to the extent
that it will not lose the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies. Lending
portfolio securities involves risks that the borrower may fail to return the securities or provide
additional collateral. Also, voting rights with respect to the loaned securities may pass with the
lending of the securities.
A fund may loan portfolio securities to qualified broker-dealers or other institutional investors
provided: (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. government
securities, letters of credit, cash or cash equivalents or other appropriate instruments maintained
on a daily marked-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the
securities loaned; (2) a fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of the securities
loaned; (3) a fund will receive any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4)
the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total
assets of a fund, including collateral received from the loan (at market value computed at the time
of the loan).
Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass to the borrower, the lender retains
the right to recall a security (or terminate a loan) for the purpose of exercising the securitys
voting rights. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for
foreign securities or thinly traded securities such as small-cap stocks. In addition, because
recalling a security may involve expenses to a fund, it is expected that a fund will do so only
where the items being voted upon are, in the judgment of the investment adviser, either material to
the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the issuers corporate
governance policies or structure.
Securities of Other Investment Companies.
Investment companies generally offer investors the
advantages of diversification and professional investment management, by combining shareholders
money and investing it in securities
such as stocks, bonds and money market instruments. Investment companies include: (1) open-end
funds (commonly called mutual funds) that issue and redeem their shares on a continuous basis; (2)
closed-end funds that offer a fixed number of shares, and are usually listed on an exchange; and
(3) unit investment trusts that generally offer a fixed number of redeemable shares. Certain
open-end funds, closed-end funds and unit investment trusts are traded on exchanges.
Investment companies may make investments and use techniques designed to enhance their performance.
These may include delayed-delivery and when-issued securities transactions; swap agreements; buying
and selling futures contracts, illiquid, and/or restricted securities and repurchase agreements;
and borrowing or lending money and/or portfolio securities. The risks of investing in a particular
investment company will generally reflect the risks of the securities in which it invests and the
investment techniques it employs. Also, investment companies charge fees and incur expenses.
The funds may buy securities of other investment companies, including those of foreign issuers, in
compliance with the requirements of federal law or any SEC exemptive order. A fund may invest in
investment companies that are not registered with the SEC or privately placed securities of
investment companies (which may or may not be registered), such as hedge funds and offshore funds.
Unregistered funds are largely exempt from the regulatory requirements that apply to registered
investment companies. As a result, unregistered funds may have a greater ability to make
investments, or use investment techniques, that offer a higher potential investment return (for
example, leveraging), but which may carry high risk. Unregistered funds, while not regulated by the
SEC like registered funds, may be indirectly supervised by the financial institutions (e.g.,
commercial and investment banks) that may provide them with loans or other sources of capital.
Investments in unregistered funds may be difficult to sell, which could cause a fund selling an
interest in an unregistered fund to lose money. For example, many hedge funds require their
investors to hold their investments for at least one year.
Federal law restricts the ability of one registered investment company to invest in another. As a
result, the extent to which a fund may invest in another investment company may be limited. With
respect to investments in other mutual funds, the SEC has granted the funds an exemption from the
limitations of the 1940 Act that restrict the amount of securities of underlying mutual funds a
fund may hold, provided that certain conditions are met. The conditions requested by the SEC were
designed to address certain abuses perceived to be associated with funds of funds, including
unnecessary costs (such as sales loads, advisory fees and administrative costs), and undue
influence by a fund of funds over the underlying fund. The conditions apply only when a fund and
its affiliates in the aggregate own more than 3% of the outstanding shares of any one underlying
fund.
Under the terms of the exemptive order, each fund and its affiliates may not control a
non-affiliated underlying fund. Under the 1940 Act, any person who owns beneficially, either
directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the voting securities of a
company is assumed to control that company. This limitation is measured at the time the investment
is made.
Small-Cap Stocks
(Principal investment for the Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF, Schwab U.S. Small-Cap
ETF and Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF only. Permissible non-principal investment for
each other fund.) Small-cap stocks include common stocks issued by operating companies with market
capitalizations that place them at the lower end of the stock market, as well as the stocks of
companies that are determined to be small based on several factors, including the capitalization of
the company and the amount of revenues. Historically, small company stocks have been riskier than
stocks issued by large- or mid-cap companies for a variety of reasons. Small-companies may have
less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and less able to withstand
changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Small-cap companies also may have
more limited product lines, markets or financial resources than companies with larger
capitalizations, and may be more dependent on a relatively small management group. In addition,
small-cap companies may not be well known to the investing public, may not have institutional
ownership and may have only cyclical, static or moderate growth prospects. Most small company
stocks pay low or no dividends.
These factors and others may cause sharp changes in the value of a small companys stock, and even
cause some small-cap companies to fail. Additionally, small-cap stocks may not be as broadly traded
as large- or mid-cap stocks, and a
funds positions in securities of such companies may be substantial in relation to the market for
such securities. Accordingly, it may be difficult for a fund to dispose of securities of these
small-cap companies at prevailing market prices in order to meet redemptions. This lower degree of
liquidity can adversely affect the value of these securities. For these reasons and others, the
value of a funds investments in small-cap stocks is expected to be more volatile than other types
of investments, including other types of stock investments. While small-cap stocks are generally
considered to offer greater growth opportunities for investors, they involve greater risks and the
share price of a fund that invests in small-cap stocks may change sharply during the short term and
long term.
Stock Substitution Strategy
is a strategy, whereby each fund may, in certain circumstances,
substitute a similar stock for a security in its index. For example, a stock issued by a foreign
corporation and included in a funds index may not be available for purchase by a fund because the
fund does not reside in the foreign country in which the stock was issued. However, the foreign
corporation may have issued a series of stock that is sold only to foreign investors such as a
fund. In these cases, a fund may buy that issue as a substitute for the security included in its
index. Each fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in stocks that are designed to substitute for
securities in its index.
U.S. Government Securities
are issued by the U.S. Treasury or issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. Not all U.S. government securities are
backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some U.S. government securities, such as
those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (known as Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corporation (known as Freddie Mac), the Student Loan Marketing Association (known as
Sallie Mae), and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by a line of credit the issuing entity
has with the U.S. Treasury. Others are supported solely by the credit of the issuing agency or
instrumentality such as obligations issued by the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation.
There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide financial support to U.S.
government securities of its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so under
law. Of course U.S. government securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, are among the safest
securities, however, not unlike other debt securities, they are still sensitive to interest rate
changes, which will cause their yields and prices to fluctuate.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,
placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury
agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained
warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under this agreement, the U.S.
Treasury has pledged to provide up to $100 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the
contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their
assets. This is intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and
meet their financial obligations preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. Additionally, the
U.S. Treasury has implemented a temporary program to purchase new mortgage-backed securities issued
by the instrumentalities. This is intended to create more affordable mortgage rates for homeowners,
enhance the liquidity of the mortgage market and potentially maintain or increase the value of
existing mortgage-backed securities. The program expires in December 2009. No assurance can be
given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful.
Non-Principal Investment Strategy Investments
The following investments may be used as part of each funds non-principal investment
strategy:
Borrowing.
A fund may borrow money from banks or through the Schwab Funds interfund borrowing and
lending facility (as described below) for any purpose in an amount up to 1/3 of the funds total
assets (not including temporary borrowings of 5% or less for only the Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF). A
fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes; for example, a fund may borrow at times to
meet redemption requests rather than sell portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash.
Provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended, require the funds to maintain continuous asset coverage
(that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of
the amount borrowed, with an exception for certain temporary or emergency borrowings not exceeding
5% of the funds total assets. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market
fluctuations or other reasons, the funds may be required to sell some of
its portfolio holdings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to reduce the debt
and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment
standpoint to sell securities at that time.
A funds borrowings will be subject to interest costs. Borrowing can also involve leveraging when
securities are purchased with the borrowed money. Leveraging creates interest expenses that can
exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowed money. In addition, leveraging may
magnify changes in the net asset value of a funds shares and in its portfolio yield. A fund will
earmark or segregate assets to cover such borrowings in accordance with positions of the Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC). If assets used to secure a borrowing decrease in value, a fund may
be required to pledge additional collateral to avoid liquidation of those assets.
A fund may establish lines-of-credit (lines) with certain banks by which it may borrow funds for
temporary or emergency purposes. A borrowing is presumed to be for temporary or emergency purposes
if it is repaid by a fund within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. A fund may use the lines
to meet large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force a fund to liquidate securities
under circumstances which are unfavorable to a funds remaining shareholders. A fund will pay a fee
to the bank for using the lines.
Delayed-Delivery Transactions
include purchasing and selling securities on a delayed-delivery or
when-issued basis. These transactions involve a commitment to buy or sell specific securities at a
predetermined price or yield, with payment and delivery taking place after the customary settlement
period for that type of security. When purchasing securities on a delayed-delivery basis, a fund
assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations.
Typically, no interest will accrue to a fund until the security is delivered. A fund will earmark
or segregate appropriate liquid assets to cover its delayed-delivery purchase obligations. When a
fund sells a security on a delayed-delivery basis, a fund does not participate in further gains or
losses with respect to that security. If the other party to a delayed-delivery transaction fails to
deliver or pay for the securities, a fund could suffer losses.
Foreign Currency Transactions
(Non-principal investments of the Schwab International Equity ETF,
the Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF and the Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF only). A
fund may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities, may purchase and sell foreign currency
options and foreign currency futures contracts and related options and may engage in foreign
currency transactions on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market
at the time. A fund may engage in these transactions in order to protect against uncertainty in the
level of future foreign exchange rates in the purchase and sale of securities. A fund may also use
foreign currency options and futures to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift
exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another.
Buying and selling foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related
options involves costs and may result in losses. The ability of a fund to engage in these
transactions may be limited by tax considerations. Although these techniques tend to minimize the
risk of loss due to declines in the value of the hedged currency, they tend to limit any potential
gain that might result from an increase in the value of such currency. Transactions in these
contracts involve certain other risks. Unanticipated fluctuations in currency prices may result in
a poorer overall performance for a fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions.
Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between a funds holdings of securities denominated in
a particular currency and the currency transactions into which a fund enters. Such imperfect
correlation may cause a fund to sustain losses, which will prevent it from achieving a complete
hedge or expose it to risk of foreign exchange loss.
Suitable hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no
assurance that a fund will engage in such transactions at any given time or from time to time.
Also, such transactions may not be successful and may eliminate any chance for a fund to benefit
from favorable fluctuations in relevant foreign currencies.
A fund may buy or sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related
options under the same circumstances, and such use is subject to the same risks and costs, as those
set forth in the section Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts with respect to the funds
use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Illiquid Securities
generally are any securities that cannot be disposed of promptly and in the
ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the amount at which a fund has
valued the instruments. The liquidity of a funds investments is monitored under the supervision
and direction of the Board of Trustees. Each fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in
illiquid securities. In the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances
cause a fund to exceed this limitation, the fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of
illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
In making liquidity determinations before purchasing a particular security, the Adviser considers a
number of factors including, but not limited to: the nature and size of the security; the number of
dealers that make a market in the security; and data which indicates that a securitys price has
not changed for a period of a week or longer. After purchase, it is the Advisers policy to
maintain awareness of developments in the marketplace that could cause a change in a securitys
liquid or illiquid status. Investments currently not considered liquid include repurchase
agreements not maturing within seven days and certain restricted securities.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending.
A fund may borrow money from and/or lend money to other
funds/portfolios in the Schwab complex, including traditional mutual funds/portfolios not discussed
in this SAI or in the corresponding prospectus. All loans are for temporary or emergency purposes
and the interest rates to be charged will be the average of the overnight repurchase agreement rate
and the short term bank loan rate. All loans are subject to numerous conditions designed to ensure
fair and equitable treatment of all participating funds/portfolios. These conditions include, for
example, that a funds participation in the credit facility must be consistent with its investment
policies and limitations and organizational documents; no fund may lend to another fund through the
interfund lending facility if the loan would cause the aggregate outstanding loans through the
credit facility to exceed 15% of the lending funds current net assets at the time of the loan; and
that a funds interfund loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending funds net assets.
With respect to the funds discussed in this SAI, a fund lending to another fund may forego gains
which could have been made had those assets been invested in securities of its applicable
underlying index. The interfund lending facility is subject to the oversight and periodic review of
the Board of Trustees.
Non-Publicly Traded Securities and Private Placements.
A fund may receive in securities that are
neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter, including privately placed
securities. Such unlisted securities may involve a higher degree of business and financial risk
that can result in substantial losses. As a result of the absence of a public trading market for
these securities, they may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these
securities may be sold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales
could be less than those originally paid by a fund or less than what may be considered the fair
value of such securities. Furthermore, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not
be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements which might be applicable
if their securities were publicly traded. If such securities are required to be registered under
the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being sold, a fund may be required to bear
the expenses of registration. Though the funds do not intend to purchase these securities, they may
receive such securities as a result of another transaction, such as the spin-off of a companys
subsidiary to a separate entity.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) are pooled investment vehicles, which invest primarily in
income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests and, in some cases, manage
real estate. REITs are sometimes referred to as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. An
equity REIT invests primarily in properties and generates income from rental and lease properties
and, in some cases, from the management of real estate. Equity REITs also offer the potential for
growth as a result of property appreciation and from the sale of appreciated property. Mortgage
REITs invest primarily in real estate mortgages, which may secure construction, development or long
term loans, and derive income for the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs may combine the
features of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are generally organized as corporations or
business trusts, but are not taxed as a corporation if they meet certain requirements of Subchapter
M of the Code. To qualify, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets
in interests in real estate (including other REITs), cash and government securities, distribute at
least 95% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive at least 75% of that income from
rents, mortgages and sales of property.
Like any investment in real estate, a REITs performance depends on many factors, such as its
ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to finance property purchases and
renovations. In general, REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which
may have an exaggerated effect to the extent a REIT concentrates its investment in certain regions
or property types. For example, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies,
increased competition from nearby properties, tenants failure to pay rent, or incompetent
management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding, environmental liabilities,
uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses due to
casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Ultimately, a
REITs performance depends on the types of properties it owns and how well the REIT manages its
properties. Additionally, declines in the market value of a REIT may reflect not only depressed
real estate prices, but may also reflect the degree of leverage utilized by the REIT.
In general, during periods of rising interest rates, REITs may lose some of their appeal for
investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as
long term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and
improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain. During periods of declining interest rates,
certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that mortgagors elect to prepay, which can reduce the
yield on securities issued by mortgage REITs. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of
borrowers to repay debts to the REIT when due and equity REITs may be affected by the ability of
tenants to pay rent.
Like small-cap stocks in general, certain REITs have relatively small market capitalizations and
their securities can be more volatile thanand at times will perform differently fromlarge-cap
stocks. In addition, because small-cap stocks are typically less liquid than large-cap stocks, REIT
stocks may sometimes experience greater share-price fluctuations than the stocks of larger
companies. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited
diversification, and are therefore subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited
number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a fund, a shareholder will bear
indirectly a proportionate share of the REITs expenses in addition to their proportionate share of
a funds expenses. Finally, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of
income under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.
Repurchase Agreements
are instruments under which a buyer acquires ownership of certain securities
(usually U.S. government securities) from a seller who agrees to repurchase the securities at a
mutually agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the buyers holding
period. Any repurchase agreements a fund enters into will involve a fund as the buyer and banks or
broker-dealers as sellers. The period of repurchase agreements is usually short from overnight to
one week, although the securities collateralizing a repurchase agreement may have longer maturity
dates. Default by the seller might cause a fund to experience a loss or delay in the liquidation of
the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. A fund also may incur disposition costs in
liquidating the collateral. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a repurchase
agreements seller, a fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could experience
losses, including a decline in the value of the underlying securities and loss of income. A fund
will make payment under a repurchase agreement only upon physical delivery or evidence of book
entry transfer of the collateral to the account of its custodian bank. Repurchase agreements are
the economic equivalents of loans.
Restricted Securities
are securities that are subject to legal restrictions on their sale.
Restricted securities may be considered to be liquid if an institutional or other market exists for
these securities. In making this determination, a fund, under the direction and supervision of the
Board of Trustees will take into account various factors, including: (1) the frequency of trades
and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and
the number of potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and
(4) the nature of the security and marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the
security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer). To the extent a fund
invests in restricted securities that are deemed liquid, its general level of illiquidity may be
increased if qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing these securities.
Investment Limitations
The investment limitations below may be changed only by vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the applicable fund.
Under the 1940 Act, a vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of a fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than
50% of the outstanding shares of the fund or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a
shareholders meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in
person or by proxy.
EACH FUND MAY NOT:
|
1)
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|
Purchase securities of an issuer, except as consistent with the maintenance of its status
as an open-end diversified company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder
or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or
interpreted from time to time.
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2)
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Concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration
is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption
therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to
time, except that each fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its
benchmark index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of
industries.
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3)
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Purchase or sell commodities, commodities contracts or real estate, lend or borrow money,
issue senior securities, underwrite securities issued by others, or pledge, mortgage or
hypothecate any of its assets, except as permitted by (or not prohibited by) the 1940 Act or
the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or
regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 1940 ACT MAY ASSIST INVESTORS IN UNDERSTANDING THE ABOVE POLICIES
AND RESTRICTIONS.
BORROWING. The 1940 Act restricts an investment company from borrowing (including pledging,
mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including
temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Transactions that are fully
collateralized in a manner that does not involve the prohibited issuance of a senior security
within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, shall not be regarded as borrowings for the
purposes of a funds investment restriction.
CONCENTRATION. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment
companys total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions such as with
respect to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies
and instrumentalities, or tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their
political subdivisions.
DIVERSIFICATION. Under the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a
diversified company, as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer
(other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies, or
instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its
total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuers
voting securities would be held by a fund.
LENDING. Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by
its investment policies.
REAL ESTATE. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment companys ability to invest in
real estate, but does require that every investment company have the fundamental investment policy
governing such investments. Each fund has adopted the fundamental policy that would permit direct
investment in real estate. However, each fund has a non-fundamental investment limitation that
prohibits it from investing directly in real estate. This non-fundamental policy may be changed
only by vote of a funds Board of Trustees.
SENIOR SECURITIES. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by an
investment company evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits a fund from issuing
senior securities, although it provides allowances for certain borrowings and certain other
investments, such as short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and firm commitment agreements ,
when such investments are covered or with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to
cover such obligations.
UNDERWRITING. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing
securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating
in any such activity either directly or indirectly. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not
make any commitment as underwriter, if immediately thereafter the amount of its outstanding
underwriting commitments, plus the value of its investments in securities of issuers (other than
investment companies) of which it owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities, exceeds
25% of the value of its total assets.
THE FOLLOWING ARE NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS, AND MAY BE CHANGED BY THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
EACH FUND MAY NOT:
1)
|
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Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
|
2)
|
|
Sell securities short unless it owns the security or the right to obtain the security or
equivalent securities, or unless it covers such short sale as required by current SEC rules
and interpretations (transactions in futures contracts, options and other derivative
instruments are not considered selling securities short).
|
3)
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Purchase securities on margin, except such short term credits as may be necessary for the
clearance of purchases and sales of securities and provided that margin deposits in connection
with futures contracts, options on futures or other derivative instruments shall not
constitute purchasing securities on margin.
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4)
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Borrow money except that each fund, except for the Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF, may (i) borrow
money from banks or through an interfund lending facility, if any, only for temporary or
emergency purposes (and not for leveraging) and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements
with any party; provided that (i) and (ii) in combination do not exceed 33 1/3% of its total
assets (any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced to the extent necessary
to comply with the limitation within three business days). The Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF may (i)
borrow money from banks or through an interfund lending facility, if any, and engage in
reverse repurchase agreements with any party provided that such borrowings and reverse
repurchase agreements in combination do not exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets, including the
amount borrowed (but not including temporary or emergency borrowings not exceeding 5%); and
(ii) may borrow an additional amount up to 5% of its assets for temporary or emergency
purposes.
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5)
|
|
Lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total
assets would be lent to other parties (this restriction does not apply to purchases of debt
securities or repurchase agreements).
|
6)
|
|
Purchase securities (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its
agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result of such purchase, 25% or more of the value of
its total assets would be invested in any industry or group of industries (except that each
fund may purchase securities to the extent that the index the fund is designed to track is
also so concentrated).
|
7)
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Purchase or sell commodities, commodity contracts or real estate, including interests in real
estate limited partnerships, provided that a fund may (i) purchase securities of companies
that deal in real estate or interests therein (including REITs); (ii) purchase securities of
companies that deal in precious metals or interests therein; and (iii) purchase, sell and
enter into futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest
rates and currencies),
|
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|
options on futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest
rates and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward contracts, foreign currency spot and forward
contracts or other derivative instruments.
|
Policies and investment limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested
in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard shall be measured immediately
after and as a result of a funds acquisition of such security or asset, unless otherwise noted.
Except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent
change in net assets or other circumstances does not require a fund to sell an investment if it
could not then make the same investment. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in
the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a fund to exceed its
limitation, a fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back
within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The funds offer and issue shares at their net asset value per share or NAV only in aggregations of
a specified number of shares (Creation Units). The method by which Creation Units are created and
trade may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are
issued and sold by the funds on an ongoing basis, at any point a distribution, as such term is
used in the Securities Act of 1933 the (Securities Act), may occur. Broker-dealers and other
persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances,
result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them
statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability
provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes
Creation Units after placing an order with the funds distributor, breaks them down into
constituent shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the
creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of
secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes
of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the
activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned
above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to
categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not underwriters but are effecting
transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are
required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3)
of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d)
of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the
fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery
obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection
with the sale on an exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the
exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available
with respect to transactions on an exchange.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
The funds are overseen by a Board of Trustees. The trustees are responsible for protecting
shareholder interests. The trustees regularly meet to review the investment activities, contractual
arrangements and the investment performance of the fund. The trustees did not meet during the most
recent fiscal year.
Certain trustees are interested persons. A trustee is considered an interested person of the
trust under the 1940 Act if he or she is an officer, director, or an employee of Charles Schwab
Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM) or Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab). A trustee also may
be considered an interested person of the trust under the 1940 Act if he or she owns stock of The
Charles Schwab Corporation, a publicly traded company and the parent company of CSIM.
As used herein the term Family of Investment Companies collectively refers to The Charles Schwab
Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab
Strategic Trust which, as of September 30, 2010, included 77 funds.
The tables below provide information about the trustees and officers for the trusts, which includes
the funds, in this SAI. The Fund Complex includes The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab
Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Laudus Trust,
and Laudus Institutional Trust. As of August 31, 2010, the Fund Complex included 84 funds. The
address of each individual listed below is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
REVISED TABLES TO COME
Board of Trustees Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
The Board of Trustees of the trust is responsible for oversight of the management of the funds,
which includes oversight of service providers to the funds, such as the funds investment adviser.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Walter W. Bettinger, II, is Chief Executive Officer of The
Charles Schwab Corporation and an interested person of the funds as that term is defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940. The funds do not have a single lead independent trustee. The
Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of trustees who are not interested
persons of the funds (i.e., independent trustees). There is an Audit and Compliance Committee of
the Board that is chaired by an independent trustee and comprised solely of independent trustees.
The Audit and Compliance Committee chair presides at Committee meetings, participates in
formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison
between the independent trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities
of the Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The funds have determined that this
leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the
funds. The funds made this determination in
consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent trustees of the funds
constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of funds overseen by the Board, and the total
number of trustees on the Board.
The Board of Trustees role in the risk oversight of the funds consists of monitoring risks
identified during regular and special reports to the Audit and Compliance Committee of the Board,
as well as regular and special reports to the full Board. In addition to monitoring such risks,
the Audit and Compliance Committee and the Board oversee efforts by management and service
providers to manage risks to which the funds may be exposed. For example, the Audit and Compliance
Committee meets with the funds Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and receives
regular reports regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of
portfolio securities. The full Board meets with portfolio managers and other members of management
and receives reports regarding investment risks of the portfolios and risks related to distribution
of the funds shares. Oversight of compliance risks also is within the purview of the Committee and
the full Board. From their review of these reports and discussions with management, the Committee
and Board learn in detail about the material risks of the funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue
with management about how management and service providers mitigate those risks.
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Board has concluded that each of the trustees should initially and continue to serve on the
board because of (i) their ability to review and understand information about the funds provided to
them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the
performance of their duties, to question management regarding material factors bearing on the
management of the funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best
interests of the funds shareholders and (ii) the trustees experience, qualifications, attributes
and skills as described below.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Bettinger should serve as trustee of the funds because of the
experience he has gained as president and chief executive officer of The Charles Schwab
Corporation, his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, and the experience
he has gained serving as trustee of the funds since 2009 and of the Schwab Funds since 2008.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Burns should serve as trustee of the funds because of the
experience he gained serving as a former managing director of a mutual fund management company and
former president and trustee of certain mutual funds managed by that company, his experience in and
knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee
of the funds since 2009.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Goldfarb should serve as trustee of the funds because of the
experience he has gained as founder of a financial services and independent public accounting firm,
his experience in and knowledge of public company accounting and auditing, and the experience he
has gained serving as trustee of the funds since 2009.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Ruffel should serve as trustee of the funds because of the
experience he gained as the founder and former chief executive officer of a publisher and
information services firm specializing in the retirement plan industry, his experience in and
knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee
of the funds since 2009.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary
individual skills and experience of the individual trustees primarily in the broader context of the
Boards overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and
appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds. Moreover,
references to the qualifications, attributes and skills of trustees are pursuant to requirements of
the Securities and Exchange Commission, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any trustee
as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not be deemed to impose any greater
responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
Trustee Committees
The Board of Trustees has established certain committees and adopted Committee charters with
respect to those committees, each as described below.
The trust has a standing Audit and Compliance Committee. The function of the Audit and Compliance
Committee is to provide oversight responsibility for the integrity of the trusts financial
reporting processes and compliance policies, procedures and processes, and for the trusts overall
system of internal controls. This Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees. The
charter directs that the Audit and Compliance Committee must meet 4 times annually, with additional
meetings as the Audit and Compliance Committee deems appropriate.
The trust also has a Nominating Committee that is composed of all the Independent Trustees, which
meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Nominating Committee for the primary purpose of
selecting and nominating candidates to serve as members of the Board of Trustees. The Nominating
Committee does not have a policy with respect to consideration of candidates for Trustee submitted
by shareholders. However, if the Nominating Committee determined that it would be in the best
interests of the trust to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees, and a shareholder submitted a
candidate for consideration by the Board of Trustees to fill the vacancy, the Nominating Committee
would evaluate that candidate. The charter directs that the Nominating Committee meet at such
times and with such frequency as is deemed necessary or appropriate by the Nominating Committee.
Trustee Compensation
The following table provides estimated trustee compensation for the fiscal year ending August 31,
2010. Certain information provided relates to the Fund Complex, which included 84 funds as of
August 31, 2010.
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated Aggregate Compensation from the Funds
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Pension or
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Schwab
|
|
Schwab
|
|
|
|
|
|
Retirement
|
|
($)
|
|
|
Schwab
|
|
Schwab
|
|
U.S.
|
|
U.S.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Benefits
|
|
Total
|
|
|
U.S.
|
|
U.S.
|
|
Large-
|
|
Large-
|
|
Schwab
|
|
Accrued as
|
|
Compensation
|
|
|
Broad
|
|
Large-
|
|
Cap
|
|
Cap
|
|
U.S.
|
|
Part of
|
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from
|
|
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Market
|
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Cap
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|
Growth
|
|
Value
|
|
Mid-Cap
|
|
Fund
|
|
Fund
|
Name of Trustee
|
|
ETF
|
|
ETF
|
|
ETF
|
|
ETF
|
|
ETF*
|
|
Expenses
|
|
Complex
|
Interested Trustee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Walter W. Bettinger II
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$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert W. Burns
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|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
Mark A. Goldfarb
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
Charles A Ruffel
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|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
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Estimated Total Compensation from the Fund Complex for this fund.
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($)
|
|
Pension or
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated Aggregate Compensation from the Funds
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Retirement
|
|
|
|
|
Schwab
|
|
|
|
|
|
Schwab
|
|
Schwab
|
|
Benefits
|
|
($)
|
|
|
U.S.
|
|
Schwab
|
|
International
|
|
Emerging
|
|
Accrued as
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|
Total
|
|
|
Small-
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|
International
|
|
Small-Cap
|
|
Markets
|
|
Part of
|
|
Compensation
|
|
|
Cap
|
|
Equity
|
|
Equity
|
|
Equity
|
|
Fund
|
|
from
|
Name of Trustee
|
|
ETF
|
|
ETF
|
|
ETF
|
|
ETF
|
|
Expenses
|
|
Fund Complex
|
Interested Trustee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Walter W. Bettinger II
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert W. Burns
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
Mark A. Goldfarb
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
Charles A Ruffel
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
Securities Beneficially Owned By Each Trustee
The following tables provide each trustees equity ownership of the funds and ownership of all
registered investment companies overseen by each trustee in the Family of Investment Companies as
of August 31, 2010. As of August 31, 2010, the Family of Investment Companies included 77 funds.
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Dollar Range of Trustee Ownership
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of Equity Securities in the fund
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Schwab
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Schwab
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Aggregate Dollar
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|
Schwab
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U.S.
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U.S.
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Range of Trustee
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U.S.
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Schwab
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Large-
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|
Large-
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|
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|
Ownership in the
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Broad
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U.S.
|
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Cap
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|
Cap
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Schwab U.S.
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Family of
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|
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Market
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Large-Cap
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Growth
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Value
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Mid-Cap
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|
Investment
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Name of Trustee
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ETF
|
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ETF
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ETF
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ETF
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ETF
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Companies
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Interested Trustee
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|
Walter W. Bettinger II
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|
None
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|
None
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|
None
|
|
None
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|
None
|
|
Over $100,000
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Independent Trustees
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|
Robert W. Burns
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None
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|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Mark A. Goldfarb
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Charles A Ruffel
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dollar Range of Trustee Ownership
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|
|
|
|
of Equity Securities in the fund
|
|
Aggregate Dollar
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Schwab
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|
Range of Trustee
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|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
Schwab
|
|
Emerging
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|
Ownership in the
|
|
|
Schwab U.S.
|
|
Schwab
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|
International
|
|
Markets
|
|
Family of
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|
|
Small-Cap
|
|
International
|
|
Small-Cap
|
|
Equity
|
|
Investment
|
Name of Trustee
|
|
ETF
|
|
Equity ETF
|
|
Equity ETF
|
|
ETF
|
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Companies
|
Interested Trustee
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|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Walter W. Bettinger II
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert W. Burns
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Mark A. Goldfarb
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Charles A Ruffel
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Code of Ethics
The funds, the investment adviser and the distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics as required
under the 1940 Act. Subject to certain conditions or restrictions, the Codes of Ethics permit the
trustees, directors, officers or advisory representatives of the funds or the investment adviser or
the directors or officers of the distributor to buy or sell directly or indirectly securities for
their own accounts. This includes securities that may be purchased or held by the funds. Securities
transactions by some of these individuals may be subject to prior approval of each entitys Chief
Compliance Officer or alternate. Most securities transactions are subject to quarterly reporting
and review requirements.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
As of ________________, 2010, the officers and trustees of the trust, as a group owned, of record
or beneficially, less than 1% of the outstanding voting securities of the funds.
As of _________________, 2010, no persons or entities owned, of record or beneficially, more than
5% of the outstanding voting securities of any fund.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Investment Adviser
CSIM, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation, 211 Main Street, San Francisco
CA 94105, serves as the funds investment adviser pursuant to Investment Advisory Agreements
(Advisory Agreement) between it and the trust. Charles R. Schwab is the founder, Chairman and
Director of the Charles Schwab Corporation. As a result of his ownership and interests in The
Charles Schwab Corporation, Mr. Schwab may be deemed to be a controlling person of CSIM.
Advisory Agreement
A funds Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved initially for a 2 year term, and after
the expiration of the 2 year term, at least annually thereafter (1) by the vote of the trustees or
by a vote of the shareholders of the fund, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who
are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any party (the Independent
Trustees), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Each year, the Board of Trustees will call and hold a meeting to decide whether to renew the
Advisory Agreement between the trust and CSIM with respect to any existing funds in the trust. In
preparation for the meeting, the Board requests and reviews a wide variety of materials provided by
the funds investment adviser, as well as extensive data provided by third parties.
As described below, the investment adviser is entitled to receive a fee from the funds, payable
monthly, for its advisory and administrative services to the funds. The funds are new and have not
yet paid any fees to CSIM. As compensation for these services, the firm receives a management fee
from the funds expressed as a percentage of each funds average daily net assets.
|
|
|
|
|
FUND
|
|
FEE
|
Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
|
|
|
0.06
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
|
|
|
0.08
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
|
|
|
0.13
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
|
|
|
0.13
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
|
|
0.XX%
|
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
|
|
|
0.13
|
%
|
Schwab International Equity ETF
|
|
|
0.13
|
%
|
Schwab International Small Cap Equity ETF
|
|
|
0.35
|
%
|
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
|
|
|
0.25
|
%
|
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for substantially all expenses of
the funds, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and
other services, but excluding interest expense and taxes, brokerage expenses and extraordinary or
non-routine expenses.
Distributor
SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the Distributor) is the principal underwriter and distributor
of shares of the funds. Its principal address is 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456. The
Distributor has entered into an agreement with the trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of
the funds (the Distribution Agreement). The Distributor continually distributes shares of the
funds on a best effort basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of
fund shares. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is
renewable annually thereafter in accordance with the 1940 Act. Shares are continuously offered for
sale by the funds through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the funds
prospectuses. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The
Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Distributor is not affiliated with the trust,
CSIM, or any stock exchange.
The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of
any penalty, on at least sixty (60) days prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution
Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940
Act).
Transfer Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the
funds transfer agent. As part of these services, the firm maintains records pertaining to the
sale, redemption and transfer of the funds shares.
Custodian and Fund Accountants
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as
custodian and accountant for the funds.
The custodian is responsible for the daily safekeeping of securities and cash held or sold by the
funds. The funds accountant maintains all books and records related to the funds transactions.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The funds independent registered public accounting firm, _______________, audits and reports on
the annual financial statements of the funds and reviews certain regulatory reports and the funds
federal income tax return. They also perform other professional, accounting, auditing, tax and
advisory services when the trust engages them to do so. Their address is Three Embarcadero Center,
San Francisco, CA 94111-4004.
Legal Counsel
Dechert LLP represents the trust with respect to certain legal matters.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Other Accounts
. Each portfolio manager (collectively referred to as the Portfolio
Managers) is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below.
The accounts listed below are not subject to a performance-based advisory fee. The information
below is provided as of August 31, 2010.
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Companies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(this amount does not include
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the funds in this Statement of
|
|
Other Pooled
|
|
|
|
|
Additional Information)
|
|
Investment Vehicles
|
|
Other Accounts
|
|
|
Number of
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of
|
|
Total
|
|
Number of
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Accounts
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
Accounts
|
|
Assets
|
|
Accounts
|
|
Total Assets
|
Dustin Lewellyn
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Agnes Hong
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Ferian Juwono
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Conflicts of Interest
. A Portfolio Managers management of other accounts may give rise to
potential conflicts of interest in connection with its management of the funds investments, on the
one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. These other accounts include
separate accounts and other mutual funds advised by CSIM (collectively, the Other Managed
Accounts). The Other Managed Accounts might have similar investment objectives as the funds, track
the same index the funds track or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to
be held, purchased, or sold by the funds. While the Portfolio Managers management of Other Managed
Accounts may give rise to the potential conflicts of interest listed below, CSIM does not believe
that the conflicts, if any, are material or, to the extent any such conflicts are material, CSIM
believes it has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to manage those conflicts in an
appropriate way.
Knowledge of the Timing and Size of Fund Trades
. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a
result of the Portfolio Managers day-to-day management of the funds. Because of their positions
with the funds, the Portfolio Managers know the size, timing, and possible market impact of fund
trades. It is theoretically possible that the Portfolio Managers could use this information to the
advantage of the Other Managed Accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of the funds.
However, CSIM has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment
opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time. Moreover, with respect to an index fund,
which seeks to track its benchmark index, much of this information is publicly available. When it
is determined to be in the best interest of both accounts, the Portfolio Managers may aggregate
trade orders for the Other Managed Accounts, excluding Schwab Personal Portfolio Managed Accounts,
with those of the funds. All aggregated orders are subject to CSIMs aggregation and allocation
policy and procedures, which provide, among other things, that (i) a Portfolio Manager will not
aggregate orders unless he or she believes such aggregation is consistent with his or her duty to
seek best execution; (ii) no account will be favored over any other account; (iii) each account
that participates in an aggregated order will participate at the average security price with all
transaction costs shared on a pro-rata basis; and (iv) if the aggregated order cannot be executed
in full, the partial execution is allocated pro-rata among the participating accounts in accordance
with the size of each accounts order.
Investment Opportunities
. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the Portfolio
Managers management of the funds and Other Managed Accounts which, in theory, may allow them to
allocate investment opportunities in a way that favors the Other Managed Accounts over the funds,
which conflict of interest may be exacerbated to the extent that CSIM or the Portfolio Managers
receive, or expect to receive, greater compensation from their management of the Other Managed
Accounts than the funds. Notwithstanding this theoretical conflict of interest, it is CSIMs policy
to manage each account based on its investment objectives and related restrictions and, as
discussed above, CSIM has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate
investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time and in a manner consistent with
each accounts investment objectives and related restrictions. For example, while the Portfolio
Managers may buy for an Other Managed Account securities that differ in identity or quantity from
securities
bought for the fund or refrain from purchasing securities for an Other Managed Account
that they are otherwise buying
for the fund in an effort to outperform its specific benchmark, such an approach might not be
suitable for the fund given its investment objectives and related restrictions.
Compensation.
Schwab compensates each CSIM Portfolio Manager for his or her management of
the funds. Each portfolio managers compensation consists of a fixed annual (base) salary and a
discretionary bonus. The base salary is determined considering compensation payable for a similar
position across the investment management industry and an evaluation of the individual portfolio
managers overall performance such as the portfolio managers contribution to the firms overall
investment process, being good corporate citizens, and contributions to the firms asset growth and
business relationships. The discretionary bonus is determined in accordance with the CSIM Equity
and Fixed Income Portfolio Management Incentive Plan (the Plan), which is designed to reward
consistent and superior investment performance relative to established benchmarks and/or industry
peer groups. The Plan is an annual incentive plan that, at the discretion of Executive Management,
provides quarterly advances against the corporate component of the Plan at a fixed rate that is
standard for the employees level. Meanwhile, the portion of the incentive tied to fund performance
is paid in its entirety following the end of the Plan year (i.e. the Plan does not provide advances
against the portion of the Plan tied to fund performance) at managements discretion based on their
determination of whether funds are available under the Plan as well as factors such as the
portfolio managers contribution to the firms overall investment process, being good corporate
citizens, and contribution to the firms asset growth and business relationships.
The Plan consists of two independent funding components: fund investment performance and Schwabs
corporate performance. 75% of the funding is based on fund investment performance and 25% of the
funding is based on Schwabs corporate performance. Funding is pooled into separate incentive
pools (one for Fixed Income portfolio managers, one for Equity portfolio managers, and one for
Money Fund portfolio managers) and then allocated to the plan participants by CSIM senior
management. This allocation takes into account fund performance as well as the portfolio managers
leadership, teamwork, and contribution to CSIM goals and objectives.
|
|
Fund Investment Performance
|
|
|
|
Investment Performance will be determined based on each funds performance relative to one of the
following criteria: industry peer group/category, established benchmark or risk adjusted
performance measure. The peer group/category or benchmark will be determined by the CSIM Peer
Group Committee comprised of officer representation from CSIM Product Development, Fund
Administration and Schwab Center for Financial Research (SCFR) and approved by CSIMs President
and CSIMs Chief Investment Officer. The CSIM Peer Group Committee reviews peer groups and
category classification on a regular basis in advance of each performance period. Peer groups
and category rankings will be based on the statistical analysis. Performance relative to the
funds benchmark will be measured on a sliding scale that will compensate Portfolio Managers more
to the extent the funds performance exceeds the benchmark.
|
|
|
|
|
At the close of the year, each funds performance will be determined by its 1-year and/or
1 and 3-year percentile standing within its designated peer group using standard statistical
methods approved by CSIM senior management. Relative position and the respective statistical
method used to determine percentile standing will result in a single performance percentile
number for each fund to allow for comparisons over time and between funds. As each
participant may manage and/or support a number of funds, there will be several fund
performance percentiles for each participant that may be considered in arriving at the
incentive compensation annual payout.
|
|
|
Schwab Corporate Performance
|
|
|
|
CSCs corporate plan (the Corporate Plan) is an annual plan, which provides for discretionary
awards aligned with company and individual performance. Funding for the Corporate Plan is
determined at the conclusion of the calendar year using a payout rate that is applied to the
Schwabs earnings per share. The exact payout rate will vary and will be
|
|
|
|
|
determined by Executive
Management and recommended to the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of CSC for
final approval. Funding will be capped at 200% of the Corporate Plan.
|
|
|
|
At year-end, the full-year funding for both components of the Plan will be pooled together. This
total pool will then be allocated to plan participants by CSIM senior management based on their
assessment of a variety of performance factors. Factors considered in the allocation process will
include, but are not limited to, fund performance relative to benchmarks, individual performance
against key objectives, contribution to overall group results, team work, and collaboration
between Analysts and Portfolio Managers.
|
The Portfolio Managers compensation is not based on the value of the assets held in a funds
portfolio. Mr. Lewellyn will be compensated solely under the Corporate Plan. Ms. Hong and Mr.
Juwono are compensated under the CSIM Equity and Fixed Income Portfolio Management Incentive Plan.
Ownership of Fund Shares.
Because the funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this
SAI, no information regarding the Portfolio Managers beneficial ownership of shares of the funds
has been included. This information will appear in a future version of the SAI.
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Portfolio Turnover
For reporting purposes, a funds portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the value of
purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year, whichever is less, by the monthly
average value of portfolio securities the fund owned during the fiscal year. When making the
calculation, all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less
(short-term securities) are excluded.
A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all portfolio securities (aside from
short-term securities) were sold and either repurchased or replaced once during the fiscal
year. Typically, funds with high turnover (such as 100% or more) tend to generate higher capital
gains and transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions. Each funds portfolio turnover rate is
disclosed in the summary section of the funds prospectus as well as in the financial highlights
table in the prospectus. Because the Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF is new, the fund does not have a
portfolio turnover rate.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The funds Board of Trustees has approved policies and procedures that govern the timing and
circumstances regarding the disclosure of funds portfolio holdings information to shareholders and
third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information
regarding the funds portfolio securities is in the best interests of funds shareholders, and
include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the funds shareholders, on the
one hand, and those of the funds investment adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated
person of the fund, its investment adviser, or its principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to
such procedures, the Board has authorized the president of the funds to authorize the release of
the funds portfolio holdings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles.
The Board exercises on-going oversight of the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings by overseeing
the implementation and enforcement of each funds policies and procedures by the Chief Compliance
Officer and by considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning
any material compliance matters. The Board will receive periodic updates, at least annually,
regarding entities who may receive portfolio holdings information not available to other current or
prospective fund shareholders in connection with the dissemination of information necessary for
transactions in Creation Units, as contemplated by the exemptive relief and as discussed below.
Each fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC within
60-80 days after the end of each fiscal quarter and will provide that information to shareholders
as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder. A fund may, however, voluntarily
disclose all or part of its portfolio holdings other than in connection with the
creation/redemption process, as discussed above, in advance of required filings with the SEC,
provided that such information is made generally available to all shareholders and other interested
parties in a manner that is consistent with the above policy for disclosure of portfolio holdings
information. Such information may be made available through a publicly-available website or other
means that make the information available to all likely interested parties contemporaneously.
The funds may disclose portfolio holdings information to certain persons and entities prior to and
more frequently than the public disclosure of such information (early disclosure). The president
of the funds may authorize early disclosure of portfolio holdings information to such parties at
differing times and/or with different lag times provided that (a) the president of the funds
determines that the disclosure is in the best interests of the funds and that there are no
conflicts of interest between the funds shareholders and funds adviser and distributor; and (b)
the recipient is, either by contractual agreement or otherwise by law, required to maintain the
confidentiality of the information.
In addition, the funds service providers including, without limitation, the investment adviser,
distributor, the custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, auditor, proxy voting service
provider, pricing information venders, publisher, printer and mailing agent may receive early
disclosure of portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with the services
they perform for the funds. Service providers will be subject to a duty of confidentiality with
respect to any portfolio holdings information whether imposed by the provisions of the service
providers contract with the trust or by the nature of its relationship with the trust.
Further, each business day, each funds portfolio holdings information is provided to the
Distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities
Clearing Corporation (NSCC) and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or
subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants (as
defined below), and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the
process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of funds in the secondary
market. This information typically reflects each funds anticipated holdings on the following
business day.
In addition, each fund discloses its portfolio holdings and the percentages they represent of the
funds net assets at least monthly, and as often as each day the fund is open for business, at
www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus.
Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process
may be provided to other entities that provide services to the funds in the ordinary course of
business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC. From time to time, information concerning
portfolio holdings other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the
creation/redemption process, as discussed above, may be provided to other entities that provide
services to the funds, including rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of
business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information.
The funds policies and procedures prohibit the fund, the funds investment adviser or any related
party from receiving any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of
portfolio holdings information.
The funds may disclose non-material information including commentary and aggregate information
about the characteristics of the funds in connection with or relating to the funds or its portfolio
securities to any person if such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose, such disclosure
does not effectively result in the disclosure of the complete portfolio securities of any fund
(which can only be disclosed in accordance with the above requirements), and such information does
not constitute material non-public information. Such disclosure does not fall within the portfolio
securities disclosure requirements outlined above.
Whether the information constitutes material non-public information will be made on a good faith
determination, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. In most
cases commentary or analysis would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to a recipient
in making a decision concerning the funds. Commentary and analysis includes, but is not limited to,
the allocation of the funds portfolio securities and other investments among various asset
classes, sectors, industries, and countries, the characteristics of the stock components and other
investments of the funds, the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry and
country, and the volatility characteristics of the funds.
Portfolio Transactions
The investment adviser makes decisions with respect to the purchase and sale of portfolio
securities on behalf of the funds. The investment adviser is responsible for implementing these
decisions, including the negotiation of commissions and the allocation of principal business and
portfolio brokerage. Purchases and sales of securities on a stock exchange or certain riskless
principal transactions placed on NASDAQ are typically effected through brokers who charge a
commission for their services. Purchases and sales of fixed income securities may be transacted
with the issuer, the issuers underwriter, or a dealer. The funds do not usually pay brokerage
commissions on purchases and sales of fixed income securities, although the price of the securities
generally includes compensation, in the form of a spread or a mark-up or mark-down, which is not
disclosed separately. The prices the fund pays to underwriters of newly-issued securities usually
include a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriter. Transactions placed through dealers who
are serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. The money
market securities in which the fund may invest are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market
on a net basis and do not normally involve either brokerage commissions or transfer taxes. It is
expected that the cost of executing portfolio securities transactions of the fund will primarily
consist of dealer spreads and brokerage commissions.
The investment adviser seeks to obtain the best execution for the funds portfolio transactions.
The investment adviser may take a number of factors into account in selecting brokers or dealers to
execute these transactions. Such factors may include, without limitation, the following: execution
price; brokerage commission or dealer spread; size or type of the transaction; nature or character
of the markets; clearance or settlement capability; reputation; financial strength and stability of
the broker or dealer; efficiency of execution and error resolution; block trading capabilities;
willingness to execute related or unrelated difficult transactions in the future; order of call;
ability to facilitate short selling; provision of additional brokerage or research services or
products; whether a broker guarantees that a fund will receive, on aggregate, prices at least as
favorable as the closing prices on a given day when adherence to market-on-close pricing aligns
with fund objectives; or whether a broker guarantees that a fund will receive the volume-weighted
average price (VWAP) for a security for a given trading day (or portion thereof) when the
investment adviser believe that VWAP execution is in the funds best interest. In addition, the
investment adviser has incentive sharing arrangements with certain unaffiliated brokers who
guarantee market-on-close pricing: on a day when such a broker executes transactions at prices
better, on aggregate, than market-on-close prices, that broker may receive, in addition to his or
her standard commission, a portion of the net difference between the actual execution prices and
corresponding market-on-close prices for that day.
The investment adviser may cause the funds to pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable
from other brokers or dealers in return for brokerage or research services or products if the
investment adviser believes that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services
provided. In addition to agency transactions, the investment adviser may receive brokerage and
research services or products in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in
accordance with applicable SEC and other regulatory guidelines. In both instances, these services
or products may include: economic, industry, or company research reports or investment
recommendations; subscriptions to financial publications or research data compilations;
compilations of securities prices, earnings, dividends, and similar data; computerized databases;
quotation equipment and services; research or analytical computer software and services; products
or services that assist in effecting transactions, including services of third-party computer
systems developers directly related to research and brokerage activities; and effecting securities
transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance and settlement). The
investment adviser may use research services furnished by brokers or dealers in servicing all fund
accounts, and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid
commissions or spreads to the broker or dealer providing such services.
The investment adviser may receive a service from a broker or dealer that has both a research and
a non-research use. When this occurs, the investment adviser will make a good faith allocation,
under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The
percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with fund commissions
or spreads,
while the investment adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that
is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the investment adviser
faces a potential conflict of interest, but the investment adviser believe that the costs of such
services may be appropriately allocated to their anticipated research and non-research uses.
The investment adviser may purchase for funds, new issues of securities in a fixed price offering.
In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to
selling securities, provide the investment adviser with research services, in accordance with
applicable rules and regulations permitting these types of arrangements. Generally, the seller will
provide research credits in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is
available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the
safe harbor of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The investment adviser may place orders directly with electronic communications networks or other
alternative trading systems. Placing orders with electronic communications networks or other
alternative trading systems may enable the funds to trade directly with other institutional
holders. At times, this may allow the funds to trade larger blocks than would be possible trading
through a single market maker.
The investment adviser may aggregate securities sales or purchases among two or more funds. The
investment adviser will not aggregate transactions unless it believes such aggregation is
consistent with its duty to seek best execution for each affected fund and is consistent with the
terms of the investment advisory agreement for such fund. In any single transaction in which
purchases and/or sales of securities of any issuer for the account of a fund are aggregated with
other accounts managed by the investment adviser, the actual prices applicable to the transaction
will be averaged among the accounts for which the transaction is effected, including the account of
the fund.
In determining when and to what extent to use Schwab or any other affiliated broker-dealer as its
broker for executing orders for the funds on securities exchanges, the investment adviser follows
procedures, adopted by the funds Board of Trustees, that are designed to ensure that affiliated
brokerage commissions (if relevant) are reasonable and fair in comparison to unaffiliated brokerage
commissions for comparable transactions. The Board reviews the procedures annually and approves and
reviews transactions involving affiliated brokers quarterly.
PROXY VOTING
The Board of Trustees of the trust has delegated the responsibility for voting proxies to CSIM
through their Advisory Agreement. The Trustees have adopted CSIMs Proxy Voting Policy and
Procedures with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various Schwab Fund portfolios. A
description of CSIMs Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures is included in Appendix B.
The trust is required to disclose annually each funds complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX.
The funds proxy voting record for the most recent 12 month period ended June 30th will be
available by visiting the Schwab ETFs website at www.schwab.etfs,com/prospectus. A funds Form N-PX
will also be available on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
Brokerage Commissions
The funds for the last fiscal year, the funds [paid/did not pay] brokerage commissions[:/.]
Regular Broker-Dealers
Each funds regular broker-dealers during its most recent fiscal year are: (1) the ten
broker-dealers that received the greatest dollar amount of brokerage commissions from the fund; (2)
the ten broker-dealers that engaged as principal in the largest dollar amount of portfolio
transactions; and (3) the ten broker-dealers that sold the largest dollar amount of the funds
shares. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010, the funds named below purchased securities
issued by the following broker/dealers:
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Each fund is a series of Schwab Strategic Trust, an open-end investment management company
organized as a Delaware statutory trust on January 27, 2009.
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Trust may, however,
be terminated at any time by vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each series
of the Trust or by the vote of the Trustees.
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for
fractional shares held) and will vote (to the extent provided on the Declaration of Trust) in the
election of Trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of
shareholders. Shareholders will vote by individual series on all matters except (i) when required
by the 1940 Act, shares shall be voted in the aggregate and not by individual series and (ii) when
the Trustees have determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or more series, then
only shareholders of such series shall be entitled to vote thereon. Shareholders of one series
shall not be entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting another series, such matters
including, without limitation, the adoption of or change in any fundamental policies or
restrictions of the other series and the approval of the investment advisory contracts of the other
series.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees, except
that in accordance with the 1940 Act (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders meeting for the
election of Trustees at such time as less than a majority of the Trustees holding office have been
elected by shareholders, and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy in the Board of Trustees, less than
two-thirds of the Trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may
only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. In addition, Trustees may be removed from office by a
written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the
Trusts custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting
duly called for the purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of
not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Except as set forth above, the Trustees shall continue
to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. Voting rights are not cumulative.
The Trust may, without shareholder vote, restate, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of
Trust. Shareholders shall have the right to vote on any amendment that could affect their right to
vote, any amendment to the Amendments section, any amendment for which shareholder vote may be
required by applicable law or by the Trusts registration statement filed with the SEC, and on any
amendment submitted to them by the Trustees.
Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or
another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and
conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the
Trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such
reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office
and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, without the approval of shareholders of any series.
Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for inclusion in a proxy statement for a future
shareholder meeting should send their written submissions to the Trust at 1 Freedom Valley Drive,
Oaks, PA 19456. Proposals must be received a reasonable time in advance of a proxy solicitation to
be included. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee inclusion in a proxy statement because
proposals must comply with certain federal securities regulations.
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS
The funds are open each day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open (Business Days). The
NYSEs trading session is normally conducted from 9:30 a.m. Eastern time until 4:00 p.m. Eastern
time, Monday through Friday, although some days, such as in advance of and following holidays, the
NYSEs trading session closes early. The following holiday closings are currently scheduled for
2010 2011: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr.Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Only orders that are received and
deemed acceptable by the Distributor no later than the time specified by the Trust will be executed
that day at the funds share price calculated that day. On any day that the NYSE closes early, the
funds reserve the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be
received by the Distributor that day in order to be executed that day at that days share price.
Creation
. The trust issues and sells shares of the funds only in Creation Units on a continuous
basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on
any Business Day, for an order received and deemed acceptable by the Distributor.
Fund Deposit
. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the funds may consist of (i) the
in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of a
fund (the Deposit Securities), and an amount of cash denominated in U.S. Dollars (the Cash
Component) computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component
constitute the Fund Deposit, which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment
amount for a Creation Unit of a fund.
The funds may accept a basket of money market instruments, non-U.S. currency or cash denominated in
U.S. dollars that differs from the composition of the published basket. The funds may permit or
require the consideration for Creation Units to consist solely of cash or non-U.S. currency. The
funds may permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash denominated in U.S. Dollars
(i.e., a cash in lieu amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security.
For example, the trust reserves the right to permit or require a cash in lieu amount where the
delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be
restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the
Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized
Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, or in certain other situations.
The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the Balancing Amount. The Cash Component
serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the
value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per
Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will deliver the Cash
Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than
the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will receive the Cash Component. Computation of
the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty tax or other similar fees and expenses payable upon
transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, which shall be the sole responsibility
of the Authorized Participant.
A fund or its agent, through the NSCC or otherwise, makes available on each Business Day, prior to
the opening of business on the NYSE Arca, Inc. Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the
current Fund Deposit for the fund. Such Deposit Securities are applicable, subject to any
adjustments, in order to effect creations of Creation Units of the fund until such time as the
next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.
Procedures for Creation of Creation Units
. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and
to create a Creation Unit of a fund, an entity must be a Depository Trust Company (DTC)
participant, such as a broker-dealer, bank, trust company, clearing corporation or certain other
organization, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC (each
a DTC Participant). DTC acts as securities depositary for the shares. The DTC Participant must
have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of
Creation Units (Participant Agreement). A DTC Participant that has executed a Participant
Agreement is referred to as an Authorized Participant. Investors should contact the Distributor
for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement. All shares of a
fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of DTC or its nominee and
deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.
All orders to create shares must be placed for one or more Creation Units. Orders must be
transmitted by an Authorized Participant pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant
Agreement. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation
Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the Transmittal Date. Orders must be
transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to
the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below.
Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede
the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
On days when the New York Stock Exchange or U.S. or non-U.S. bond markets close earlier than
normal, a fund may require purchase orders to be placed earlier in the day. All questions as to the
number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including
time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the trust, whose
determination shall be final and binding.
If the Distributor does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by
the specified time on the settlement date, the trust may cancel or revoke acceptance of such order.
Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled or revoked order may be resubmitted the
following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV
of a fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the
settlement date.
Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the trust of all or a portion of the
applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will
have a value greater than the NAV of the shares on the date the order is placed since, in addition
to available Deposit Securities, U.S. cash (or an equivalent amount of non-U.S. currency) must be
deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) at least 110% (with
respect to the Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF, Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF, Schwab U.S. Large-Cap
Growth ETF, Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF, and Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (Domestic Funds)) or
115% (with respect to the Schwab International Equity ETF, Schwab International Small-Cap Equity
ETF, and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (International Funds)), which the trust may change
from time to time, of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the Additional Cash
Deposit) with the fund pending delivery of any missing Deposit Securities. The Authorized
Participant must deposit with the custodian the appropriate amount of federal funds by 10:00 a.m.
New York time (or such other time as specified by the trust) on the settlement date. If the
Distributor does not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount by such time,
then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to a
fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of U.S. cash (or an equivalent
amount of non-U.S. currency) shall be required to be deposited with the Distributor, pending
delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash
Deposit with the trust in an amount at least equal to 110% or 115% as required, which the trust may
change from time to time, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To
the extent that missing Deposit Securities are not received by the specified time on the settlement
date, or in the event a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following
notification by the Distributor that such a payment is required, the trust may use the cash on
deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. The Authorized Participant will be liable to
the trust for the costs incurred by the trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs
will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities
exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the transmittal date plus the brokerage and
related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The trust will return any unused portion
of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly
received by the Distributor or purchased by the trust and deposited into the trust. In addition, a
transaction fee, as listed below, will be charged in all cases.
Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units
. The trust reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke
acceptance of a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a fund. For
example, the trust may reject or revoke acceptance of an order, if (i) the order does not conform
to the procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the
shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of a fund; (iii) the
Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that
date by a fund as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain
adverse tax consequences to a fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of
counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the
trust or CSIM, have an adverse effect on the trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in
the event that circumstances outside the control of the trust, the custodian, the Distributor or
CSIM make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such
circumstances include natural disaster, war, revolution; public service or utility problems such as
fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and
computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures
involving computer or other information systems affecting the trust, CSIM, the Distributor, DTC,
NSCC, custodian (or sub-custodian) or any other participant in the creation process, and similar
extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or
the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of
the order of such person. The trust, custodian (or sub-custodian) and the Distributor are under no
duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund
Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee
. The funds may impose a Transaction Fee on investors
purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. The Transaction Fee will be limited to amounts that have
been determined by CSIM to be appropriate. The purpose of the Transaction Fee is to protect the
existing shareholders of the funds from the dilutive costs associated with the purchase and
redemption of Creation Units. Where the funds permit cash creations (or redemptions) or cash in
lieu of depositing one or more Deposit Securities, the purchaser (or redeemer) may be assessed a
higher Transaction Fee to offset the transaction cost to the funds of buying (or selling) those
particular Deposit Securities. Transaction Fees will differ for the funds, depending on the
transaction expenses related to the funds portfolio securities. Every purchaser of a Creation Unit
will receive a prospectus that contains disclosure about the Transaction Fee, including the maximum
amount of the additional variable Transaction Fee charged by the funds.
The following table shows, as of __________________, 2010, the approximate value of one Creation
Unit of the funds and sets forth the standard and additional creation/redemption transaction fee
for the funds.
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Approximate
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Maximum
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Maximum
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Value
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Additional
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Additional
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of One
|
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Standard
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Creation
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Redemption
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Creation
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Creation/Redemption
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Transaction
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Transaction
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Name of Fund
|
|
Unit
|
|
Transaction Fee
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Fee*
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Fee*
|
Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
500
|
|
|
|
3.0
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%
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|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
XXX
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab International Equity ETF
|
|
$
|
2,500,000
|
|
|
$
|
15,000
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF
|
|
$
|
2,500,000
|
|
|
$
|
15,000
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF
|
|
$
|
2,500,000
|
|
|
$
|
8,000
|
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
As a percentage of the total amount invested or redeemed.
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Placement of Redemption Orders
. The process to redeem Creation Units works much like the process to
purchase Creation Units, but in reverse. Orders to redeem Creation Units of the fund must be
delivered through an Authorized
Participant. Investors other than Authorized Participants are responsible for making arrangements
for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. Orders must be accompanied
or followed by the requisite number of shares of the funds specified in such order, which delivery
must be made to the Distributor no later than 10:00 a.m. New York time on the next Business Day
following the Transmittal Date. All other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement must be
properly followed.
To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participants agreement, in the event the Authorized
Participant has submitted a redemption request but is unable to transfer all or part of the
Creation Units to be redeemed to the Distributor, the Distributor will nonetheless accept the
redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the
missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized
Participants delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to
market daily) at least equal to 110% for the Domestic Funds and 115% for the International Funds,
which CSIM may change from time to time, of the value of the missing shares.
The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that
any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars (or, at the discretion of the trust,
non-U.S. currency in an equivalent amount) in immediately-available funds and shall be held by the
custodian and marked to market daily. The fees of the custodian (and any sub-custodians) in respect
of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the
Authorized Participant. The trust, on behalf of the funds, is permitted to purchase the missing
shares or acquire the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component underlying such shares at any time
and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the
trust of purchasing such shares, Deposit Securities or Cash Component and the value of the
collateral.
If the requisite number of shares of the funds is not delivered on the Transmittal Date as
described above the funds may reject or revoke acceptance of the redemption request. If it is not
possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the trust may in its discretion exercise its
option to redeem such shares in U.S. cash and the redeeming Authorized Participant will be required
to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in
cash that the fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a
cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of a fund next determined
after the redemption request is received (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge
for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the trusts brokerage and other
transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The funds may also, in their
sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities
that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and
state securities laws and the funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserve
the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the trust could not lawfully deliver
specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund
Securities under such laws.
The ability of the trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions is subject, among other
things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of
delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market.
For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are
not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by
the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a
foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the trust from delivering securities within
normal settlement period. The funds will not suspend or postpone redemption beyond seven days,
except as permitted under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act or pursuant to exemptive relief obtained by
the trust. Section 22(e) provides that the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of
payment postponed with respect to the funds (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed
(other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the
NYSE is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of
which disposal of the shares of a funds portfolio securities or
determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other
circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Pricing of Shares
Each business day, the funds calculate their share price, or NAV, as of the close of the NYSE
(generally, 4 p.m. Eastern time). This means that NAVs are calculated using the values of a funds
portfolio securities as of the close of the NYSE. Such values are required to be determined in one
of two ways: securities for which market quotations are readily available are required to be valued
at current market value; and securities for which market quotations are not readily available are
required to be valued at fair value using procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Shareholders of funds that invest in foreign securities should be aware that because foreign
markets are often open on weekends and other days when the funds are closed, the value of some of a
funds securities may change on days when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of the fund. The
funds use approved pricing services to provide values for their portfolio securities. Current
market values are generally determined by the approved pricing services as follows: generally
securities traded on exchanges are valued at the last-quoted sales price on the exchange on which
such securities are primarily traded, or, lacking any sales, at the mean between the bid and ask
prices; generally securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last reported
sales price that day, or, if no sales are reported, at the mean between the bid and ask prices.
Generally securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance with the
NASDAQ Official Closing Price. In addition, securities that are primarily traded on foreign
exchanges are generally valued at the preceding closing values of such securities on their
respective exchanges with these values then translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange
rate. Fixed income securities normally are valued based on valuations provided by approved pricing
services. Securities may be fair valued pursuant to procedures approved by the funds Board of
Trustees when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a securitys
primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a securitys primary trading
market is closed during regular market hours; or when a securitys value is materially affected by
events occurring after the close of the securitys primary trading market. The Board of Trustees
regularly reviews fair value determinations made by the funds pursuant to the procedures.
NOTE: Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares
directly from a fund in Creation Units. Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities
exchange at market prices, which may be higher (premium) or lower (discount) than NAV.
TAXATION
Federal Tax Information for the Funds
This discussion of federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued
thereunder as in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. New legislation,
as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions
expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated
herein.
It is each funds policy to qualify for taxation as a regulated investment company (RIC) by
meeting the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. By qualifying as a RIC, each fund expects to
eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal income tax to which it is subject. If a fund
does not qualify as a RIC under the Code, it will be subject to federal income tax on its net
investment income and any net realized capital gains. In addition, each fund could be required to
recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions
before requalifying as a RIC.
Each fund is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes and is not combined with
the trusts other funds. Each fund intends to qualify as a RIC so that it will be relieved of
federal income tax on that part of its income that is distributed to shareholders. To qualify for
treatment as a RIC, a fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least
90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess, if
any, of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses) and also must meet several
additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of a funds
gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to
securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign
currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock or
securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded
partnership; (ii) at the close of each quarter of a funds taxable year, at least 50% of the value
of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities,
securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of
any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of a funds assets and that does
not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (iii) at the
close of each quarter of a funds taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its assets may be
invested in securities (other than U.S. Government securities or the securities of other RICs) of
any one issuer or of two or more issuers and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related
trades or businesses if the fund owns at least 20% of the voting power of such issuers, or the
securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
Certain master limited partnerships may qualify as qualified publicly traded partnerships for
purposes of the Subchapter M diversification rules described above. In order to do so, the master
limited partnership must satisfy two requirements during the taxable year. First, the interests of
such partnership either must be traded on an established securities market or must be readily
tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof). Second, the partnership
must meet the 90% gross income requirements for the exception from treatment as a corporation with
gross income other than income consisting of dividends, interest, payments with respect to
securities loans, or gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign
currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock
securities or currencies.
The Code imposes a non-deductible excise tax on RICs that do not distribute in a calendar year
(regardless of whether they otherwise have a non-calendar taxable year) an amount equal to 98% of
their ordinary income (as defined in the Code) for the calendar year plus 98% of their net
capital gain for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year, plus any
undistributed amounts from prior years. The non-deductible excise tax is equal to 4% of the
deficiency. For the foregoing purposes, a fund is treated as having distributed any amount on which
it is subject to income tax for any taxable year ending in such calendar year. A fund may in
certain circumstances be required to liquidate fund investments in order to make sufficient
distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not
otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the
ability of a fund to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a RIC.
Dividends and interest received from a funds holding of foreign securities may give rise to
withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries
and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If the funds meet certain requirements,
which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the funds total assets at the close
of its respective taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the
funds should be eligible to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service that may enable
shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction,
with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid to the funds, subject to certain
limitations. Pursuant to this election, the funds will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its
shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those
taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so
included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either
deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or,
alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit the shareholder
may be entitled to use against such shareholders federal income tax. If the funds make this
election, the funds will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of
the funds income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions.
The funds transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will be
subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that, among other things, may affect the
character of gains and losses realized by the funds
(i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of
income to the funds and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and
timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the funds to
mark-to-market certain types of positions in their portfolios (i.e., treat them as if they were
closed out) which may cause the funds to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make
distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income
and excise taxes. The funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make the appropriate
tax elections, and intend to make the appropriate entries in their books and records when they
acquire any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect
of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of the funds as a RIC and minimize the imposition
of income and excise taxes.
If the funds own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as passive foreign
investment companies or PFIC, the funds will be subject to one of the following special tax
regimes: (i) the funds are liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge,
on a portion of any excess distribution from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition
of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the funds as a dividend to
its shareholders; (ii) if the funds were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a qualifying electing
fund or QEF, the funds would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to
shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the funds pro rata
share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the passive foreign investment company,
whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the funds; or (iii) the funds may be
entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to
distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution
requirements set forth above.
A funds transactions in futures contracts, forward contracts, foreign currency exchange
transactions, options and certain other investment and hedging activities may be restricted by the
Code and are subject to special tax rules. In a given case, these rules may accelerate income to a
fund, defer its losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of a funds assets, convert
short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses or otherwise affect the character of a
funds income. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions
to shareholders. Each fund will endeavor to make any available elections pertaining to these
transactions in a manner believed to be in the best interest of a fund and its shareholders.
Each fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for
each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of
the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options
contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40%
short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of
distributions to shareholders. Each fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on
futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on
offsetting positions held by the fund. It is anticipated that any net gain realized from the
closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and
therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% requirement described above. Each fund
distributes to shareholders at least annually any net capital gains which have been recognized for federal income tax purposes, including unrealized gains at the end of the funds fiscal year on
futures or options transactions. Such distributions are combined with distributions of capital
gains realized on the funds other investments and shareholders are advised on the nature of the
distributions.
With respect to investments in zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and
thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, a fund will be required to include as part of its
current income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the fund has not received any
interest payments on such obligations during that period. Because each fund distributes all of its
net investment income to its shareholders, a fund may have to sell fund securities to distribute
such imputed income which may occur at a time when the adviser would not have chosen to sell such
securities and which may result in taxable gain or loss.
Federal Income Tax Information for Shareholders
The discussion of federal income taxation presented below supplements the discussion in each funds
prospectus and only summarizes some of the important federal tax considerations generally affecting
shareholders of the funds. Accordingly, prospective investors (particularly those not residing or
domiciled in the United States) should consult their own tax advisors regarding the consequences of
investing in the funds.
Any dividends declared by a fund in October, November or December and paid the following January
are treated, for tax purposes, as if they were received by shareholders on December 31 of the year
in which they were declared. In general, distributions by a fund of investment company taxable
income (including net short-term capital gains), if any, whether received in cash or additional
shares, will be taxable to you as ordinary income. A portion of these distributions may be treated
as qualified dividend income (eligible for the reduced maximum rate to individuals of 15% (reduced
rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets)) to the extent that a fund receives qualified
dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic
corporations and certain foreign corporations (e.g., foreign corporations incorporated in a
possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the
United States, or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the
United States). A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that (i)
the shareholder has not held the shares of the fund on which the dividend was paid for more than 60
days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the
shares of a fund become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (and each fund also satisfies
those holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends
distributed to the shareholder), (ii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a
short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related
property, or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section
163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by each fund from a REIT or another
RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are
attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC. It is expected that
dividends received by the fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be
taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income.
Distributions from net capital gain (if any) that are designated as capital gains dividends are
taxable as long-term capital gains without regard to the length of time the shareholder has held
shares of a fund. However, if you receive a capital gains dividend with respect to fund shares held
for six months or less, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares shall, to the extent of
the capital gains dividend, be treated as a long-term capital loss. Long-term capital gains also
will be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. Absent further legislation, the maximum 15% tax rate on
qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years
beginning after December 31, 2010.
A fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends and capital gain
distributions, if any, at the time they are paid and will advise you of their tax status for
federal income tax purposes, including what portion of the distributions will be qualified dividend
income, shortly after the close of each calendar year.
If a fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of a funds current and accumulated
earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of
capital to the extent of the shareholders tax basis in its shares, and thereafter, as capital
gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus
reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of
its shares.
For corporate investors in a fund, dividend distributions a fund designates to be from dividends
received from qualifying domestic corporations will be eligible for the 70% corporate
dividends-received deduction to the extent they would qualify if the fund were a regular
corporation. Distributions by a fund also may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes, which
may differ from the federal income tax treatment described above.
A sale of shares in a fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized
upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the
shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable
disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Under current law, the
maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains available to non-corporate shareholders is generally
15% for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011. Any loss realized upon a taxable
disposition of shares held for six months or less
will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain
distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a
portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if other
substantially identical shares of a fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the
disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect
the disallowed loss.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a
gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the
Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchangers aggregate basis in the securities
surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation
Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchangers basis
in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the
amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may
assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted
currently under the rules governing wash sales, or on the basis that there has been no
significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as
long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held
for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units
will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation
Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be
treated as short-term capital gains or losses. In some circumstances, a redemption of Creation
Units may be treated as resulting in a distribution to which section 301 of the Code applies,
potentially causing amounts received by the shareholder in the redemption to be treated as dividend
income rather than as a payment in exchange for Creation Units. The rules for determining when a
redemption will be treated as giving rise to a distribution under section 301 of the Code and the
tax consequences of Code section 301 distributions are complex. Persons purchasing or redeeming
Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any
creation or redemption transaction.
Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts,
salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from
federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI).
Under current law, each fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by their tax-exempt
shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by
virtue of its investment in the fund where, for example, (i) a fund invests in REITs that hold
residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or (ii) share in a fund
constitutes debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of
section 514(b) of the Code, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment
in the Fund. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax
advisors. There are no restrictions preventing a fund from holding investments in REITs that hold
residual interests in REMICs, and a fund may do so. The Internal Revenue Service has issued recent
guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder
trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.
Each fund has the right to reject an order to for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of
purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares
of the fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Code, the respective fund would have a basis in
the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit.
Each fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share
ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Dividends paid by the funds to shareholders who are nonresident aliens or foreign entities will be
subject to a 30% United States withholding tax unless a reduced rate of withholding or a
withholding exemption is provided under applicable treaty law to the extent derived from investment
income and short-term capital gain (other than qualified short-term capital gain described below)
or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on through a
permanent establishment in the United States. Nonresident shareholders are urged to consult their
own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the United States withholding tax and the proper
withholding form(s) to be
submitted to the funds. A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an appropriate Internal Revenue
Service Form W-8 may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.
The funds may, under certain circumstances, designate all or a portion of a dividend as an
interest-related dividend that if received by a nonresident alien or foreign entity generally
would be exempt from the 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided that certain other requirements are
met. The funds may also, under certain circumstances, designate all or a portion of a dividend as a
qualified short-term capital gain dividend which if received by a nonresident alien or foreign
entity generally would be exempt from the 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless the foreign person is a
nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183
days or more during the taxable year. In the case of Shares held through an intermediary, the
intermediary may withhold even if the funds designate the payment as qualified net interest income
or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries
with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts. The provisions relating to
dividends to foreign persons would apply to dividends with respect to taxable years of the funds
beginning after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2010.
The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA) makes non-U.S. persons subject
to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest as if he or she were a U.S. person.
Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. The Internal Revenue Code provides a
look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain by a RIC if all of the following requirements
are met: (i) the RIC is classified as a qualified investment entity (a qualified investment
entity includes a RIC if, in general, more than 50% of the RICs assets consists of interests in
REITs and U.S. real property holding corporations); and (ii) you are a non-U.S. shareholder that
owns more than 5% of a funds shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of
the distribution. If these conditions are met, fund distributions to you are treated as gain from
the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI), causing the distribution to be subject
to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 35%, and requiring that you file a nonresident U.S. income tax
return. Also, such gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a non-U.S.
shareholder that is a corporation. Even if a non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of a
funds shares, fund distributions to you that are attributable to gain from the sale or disposition
of a USRPI will be taxable as ordinary dividends subject to withholding at a 30% or lower treaty
rate.
Disclosure for Non-U.S. Shareholders
Each fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at
the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable
dividends paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number
certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the Internal Revenue Service
for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a
certified statement that he or she is not subject to backup withholding; or (4) fails to provide
a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup
withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the
shareholders ultimate U.S. tax liability.
Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships,
trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower
tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from net investment income and short-term capital gains;
provided, however, that for a funds taxable year beginning after December 31, 2004 and not
beginning after December 31, 2009, interest related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends
generally will not be subject to U.S. withholding taxes. Distributions to foreign shareholders of
such short-term capital gain dividends, of long-term capital gains and any gains from the sale or
other disposition of shares of a fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the
recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the Codes definition of resident alien or (2) is
physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Different tax consequences may result
if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition,
the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be
different than those described above.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an
individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must
file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure
statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from
this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as a fund are
not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to
shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does
not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper.
Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations
in light of their individual circumstances.
Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the state and local tax rules affecting
investments in the funds.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Schwab ETFs
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
SCHH
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
, 2010
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in
conjunction with the funds prospectuses, dated
, 2010 (as amended
from time to time). To obtain a free copy of the prospectus, please contact Schwab ETFs at
1-800-435-4000. For TDD service call 1-800-345-2550. The prospectus also may be available on the
Internet at: http://www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus.
The fund is a series of the Schwab Strategic Trust (the trust). The fund is part of the Schwab
complex of funds.
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APPENDIX DESCRIPTION OF PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
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REGxxxxx-00
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES, RISKS AND LIMITATIONS
Investment Objectives
The Schwab U.S. REIT ETF seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the
total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index
SM
. The funds investment objective
is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the funds board of trustees without shareholder
approval. There is no guarantee the fund will achieve its investment objectives.
Description of Benchmark Indices
The Schwab U.S. REIT ETFs benchmark index, Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index
SM
,
is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index comprised of real estate
investment trusts (REITs). The index generally includes REITs that both
own and operate income producing commercial and/or residential real estate, derive at
least 75% of the REITs total revenue from the ownership and operation of real estate
assets, and have a minimum total market capitalization of $200 million at the time of its
inclusion. The index excludes mortgage REITs, net-lease REITs, real estate finance
companies, mortgage brokers and bankers, commercial and residential real estate brokers
and estate agents, home builders, large landowners and subdividers of unimproved land,
hybrid REITs, timber REITs, and companies that have more than 25% of their assets in
direct mortgage investments. As of _______________, 2010, the index was composed of
_________ REITs.
Index Providers and Disclaimers
Dow Jones Indexes, a business unit of Dow Jones & Company, Inc., is a full service index provider
that develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment
products. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. is a News Corporation company (NYSE: NWS). Dow Jones is a
leading provider of global business news and information services. Dow Jones only relationship to
the fund and Charles Schwab Investment Management (CSIM) is the licensing of certain trademarks
and trade names of Dow Jones and of the Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index
SM
(the Dow
Jones Index). The fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones.
Dow Jones does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Dow Jones Index or any
data included therein and Dow Jones shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or
interruptions therein. Dow Jones makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be
obtained by CSIM, owners of the shares of the fund, or any other person or entity from the use of
the Dow Jones Index or any data included therein. Dow Jones makes no express or implied warranties,
and expressly disclaims all warranties, of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or
use with respect to the Dow Jones Index or any data included therein, without limiting any of the
foregoing, in no event shall Dow Jones have any liability for any lost profits or indirect,
punitive, special or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the
possibility of such damages. There are no third party beneficiaries of any agreements or
arrangements between Dow Jones and CSIM.
Shares of the fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca Inc. NYSE Arca makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the fund or any
member of the public regarding the ability of the fund to track the total return performance of any
underlying index or the ability of the underlying index to track stock market performance. NYSE
Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or
the calculation of an underlying index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or
quantities of shares of the fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the
equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of
the shares of the fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of
the funds.
NYSE Arca shall have no liability for damages, claims, losses or expenses caused by any errors,
omissions, or delays in calculating or disseminating any current index or portfolio value the
current value of the portfolio of securities required to
be deposited to the fund; the amount of any dividend equivalent payment or cash distribution to
holders of shares of the fund; net asset value; or other information relating to the creation,
redemption or trading of shares of the fund, resulting from any negligent act or omission by NYSE
Arca, or any act, condition or cause beyond the reasonable control of NYSE Arca, including, but not
limited to, an act of God; fire; flood; extraordinary weather conditions; war; insurrection; riot;
strike; accident; action of government; communications or power failure; equipment or software
malfunction; or any error, omission or delay in the reporting of transactions in one or more
underlying securities. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be
obtained by any person or entity from the use of any underlying index or data included therein and
NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties, and disclaims all warranties of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to shares of the fund or any underlying index or
data included therein.
Fund Investment Policies
The Schwab U.S. REIT ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 90% of its net assets
in the stocks of its benchmark index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before
changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the amount of
any borrowings for investment purposes.
Investments, Risks and Limitations
The following investment strategies, risks and limitations supplement those set forth in the
prospectus and may be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted. Also, policies
and limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or
other asset, or that set forth a quality standard, shall be measured immediately after and as a
result of the funds acquisition of such security or asset unless otherwise noted. Thus, except
with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent change in
values, net assets or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it
could not then make the same investment.
Principal Investment Strategy Investments
Unless otherwise indicated, the following investments may be used as part of the funds principal investment strategy.
Concentration
means that substantial amounts of assets are invested in a particular industry or
group of industries. Concentration increases investment exposure to industry risk. For example, the
automobile industry may have a greater exposure to a single factor, such as an increase in the
price of oil, which may adversely affect the sale of automobiles and, as a result, the value of the
industrys securities. As part of the funds principal investment strategy, the fund will not
concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries, except that the fund
will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its benchmark index concentrates in the
securities of such particular industry or group of industries.
Derivative Instruments
are commonly defined to include securities or contracts whose values depend
on (or derive from) the value of one or more other assets such as securities, currencies, or
commodities. These other assets are commonly referred to as underlying assets. The principal
types of derivatives used by the fund are futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts
and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the funds otherwise uninvested cash assets to
help it better track the index. Additional risk management strategies include investment techniques
designed to , facilitate the sale of portfolio securities, manage the average duration of the
portfolio or create or alter exposure to certain asset classes, such as equity, other debt or
foreign securities. The fund may allocate up to 10% of its net assets to derivatives investments.
Diversification
involves investing in a wide range of securities and thereby spreading and reducing
the risks of investment. The fund is a series of an open-end investment management company with
limited redeemability. The fund is a non-diversified fund, which means that a relatively high
percentage of assets of the fund may be invested in the
obligations of a limited number of issuers. The value of shares of the fund may be more susceptible
to any single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than the shares of a diversified
investment company would be.
Equity Securities
represent ownership interests in a company, and are commonly called stocks.
Equity securities historically have outperformed most other securities, although their prices can
fluctuate based on changes in a companys financial condition, market conditions and political,
economic or even company-specific news. When a stocks price declines, its market value is lowered
even though the intrinsic value of the company may not have changed. Sometimes factors, such as
economic conditions or political events, affect the value of stocks of companies of the same or
similar industry or group of industries, and may affect the entire stock market.
Types of equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities,
warrants, ADRs, EDRs, and interests in real estate investment trusts, (for more information on real
estate investment trusts, REITs, see the section entitled Real Estate Investment Trusts).
Common stocks, which are probably the most recognized type of equity security, represent an equity
or ownership interest in an issuer and usually entitle the owner to voting rights in the election
of the corporations directors and any other matters submitted to the corporations shareholders
for voting, as well as to receive dividends on such stock. The market value of common stock can
fluctuate widely, as it reflects increases and decreases in an issuers earnings. In the event an
issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners, other debt holders and
owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of common stock owners.
Preferred stocks are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. Preferred stocks
represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer but do not ordinarily carry voting rights,
though they may carry limited voting rights. Preferred stocks normally have preference over the
corporations assets and earnings, however. For example, preferred stocks have preference over
common stock in the payment of dividends. Preferred stocks normally pay dividends at a specified
rate. However, preferred stock may be purchased where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of
omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital
appreciation potential. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of
bond owners take precedence over the claims of preferred and common stock owners. Certain classes
of preferred stock are convertible into shares of common stock of the issuer. By holding
convertible preferred stock, the fund can receive a steady stream of dividends and still have the
option to convert the preferred stock to common stock. Preferred stock is subject to many of the
same risks as common stock and debt securities.
Convertible securities are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. Convertible
securities are typically preferred stocks or bonds that are exchangeable for a specific number of
another form of security (usually the issuers common stock) at a specified price or ratio. A
convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on bonds or
the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed,
converted or exchanged. A corporation may issue a convertible security that is subject to
redemption after a specified date, and usually under certain circumstances. A holder of a
convertible security that is called for redemption would be required to tender it for redemption to
the issuer, convert it to the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. The convertible
structure allows the holder of the convertible bond to participate in share price movements in the
companys common stock. The actual return on a convertible bond may exceed its stated yield if the
companys common stock appreciates in value and the option to convert to common stocks becomes more
valuable.
Convertible securities typically pay a lower interest rate than nonconvertible bonds of the same
quality and maturity because of the convertible feature. Convertible securities are also rated
below investment grade (high yield) or are not rated, and are subject to credit risk.
Prior to conversion, convertible securities have characteristics and risks similar to
nonconvertible debt and equity securities. In addition, convertible securities are often
concentrated in economic sectors, which, like the stock market in general, may experience
unpredictable declines in value, as well as periods of poor performance, which may last for
several years. There may be a small trading market for a particular convertible security at any
given time, which may adversely impact market price and the funds ability to liquidate a
particular security or respond to an economic event, including deterioration of an issuers
creditworthiness.
Convertible preferred stocks are nonvoting equity securities that pay a fixed dividend. These
securities have a convertible feature similar to convertible bonds, but do not have a maturity
date. Due to their fixed income features, convertible securities provide higher income potential
than the issuers common stock, but typically are more sensitive to interest rate changes than the
underlying common stock. In the event of a companys liquidation, bondholders have claims on
company assets senior to those of shareholders; preferred shareholders have claims senior to those
of common shareholders.
Convertible securities typically trade at prices above their conversion value, which is the current
market value of the common stock received upon conversion, because of their higher yield potential
than the underlying common stock. The difference between the conversion value and the price of a
convertible security will vary depending on the value of the underlying common stock and interest
rates. When the underlying value of the common stocks declines, the price of the issuers
convertible securities will tend not to fall as much because the convertible securitys income
potential will act as a price support. While the value of a convertible security also tends to rise
when the underlying common stock value rises, it will not rise as much because their conversion
value is more narrow. The value of convertible securities also is affected by changes in interest
rates. For example, when interest rates fall, the value of convertible securities may rise because
of their fixed income component.
Warrants are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. Warrants are types of securities
usually issued with bonds and preferred stock that entitle the holder to purchase a proportionate
amount of common stock at a specified price for a specific period of time. The prices of warrants
do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying common stock. Warrants have no
voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer. If
a warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it will become worthless and the fund
will lose the purchase price it paid for the warrant and the right to purchase the underlying
security.
Initial Public Offering.
As part of its non-principal investment strategy, the fund may purchase
shares issued as part of, or a short period after, a companys initial public offering (IPOs),
and may at times dispose of those shares shortly after their acquisition. The funds purchase of
shares issued in IPOs exposes it to the risks associated with companies that have little operating
history as public companies, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where
these new issuers operate. The market for IPO issuers has been volatile, and share prices of
newly-public companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time.
Exchange Traded Funds
(ETFs) such as the fund or Standard and Poors Depositary Receipts
(SPDRs) Trust, are investment companies that typically are registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) as open-end fund as is the funds case or unit investment trusts
(UITs). ETFs are actively traded on national securities exchanges and are generally based on
specific domestic and foreign market indices. Shares of an ETF may be bought and sold through the
day at market prices, which may be higher or lower than the shares net asset value. An
index-based ETF seeks to track the performance of an index holding in its portfolio either the
contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index. Because ETFs are
based on an underlying basket of stocks or an index, they are subject to the same market
fluctuations as these types of securities in volatile market swings. ETFs, like mutual funds, have
expenses associated with their operation, including advisory fees. When the fund invests in an ETF,
in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro
rata portion of the ETFs expenses. As with any exchange listed security, ETF shares purchased in
the secondary market are subject to customary brokerage charges.
Futures Contracts
are instruments that represent an agreement between two parties that obligates
one party to buy, and the other party to sell, specific instruments at an agreed-upon price on a
stipulated future date. In the case of futures contracts relating to an index or otherwise not
calling for physical delivery at the close of the transaction, the parties usually agree to deliver
the final cash settlement price of the contract. A fund may purchase and sell futures contracts
based on securities, securities indices and foreign currencies, interest rates, or any other
futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that the Commodities Future Trading
Commission (CFTC) licenses and regulates on foreign exchanges. Consistent with CFTC regulations,
the trust has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under
the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool
operator under the Commodity Exchange Act.
The fund must maintain a small portion of its assets in cash to process certain shareholder
transactions in and out of it and to pay its expenses. To reduce the effect this otherwise
uninvested cash would have on its performance, the fund may purchase futures contracts. Such
transactions allow the funds cash balance to produce a return similar to that of the underlying
security or index on which the futures contract is based. Also, the fund may purchase or sell
futures contracts on a specified foreign currency to fix the price in U.S. dollars of the foreign
security it has acquired or sold or expects to acquire or sell. The fund may enter into futures
contracts for other reasons as well.
When buying or selling futures contracts, the fund must place a deposit with its broker equal to a
fraction of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin and must be in the form
of liquid debt instruments, including cash, cash-equivalents and U.S. government securities.
Subsequent payments to and from the broker, known as variation margin may be made daily, if
necessary, as the value of the futures contracts fluctuate. This process is known as
marking-to-market. The margin amount will be returned to the fund upon termination of the futures
contracts assuming all contractual obligations are satisfied. Because margin requirements are
normally only a fraction of the amount of the futures contracts in a given transaction, futures
trading can involve a great deal of leverage. To avoid this, the fund will earmark or segregate
assets for any outstanding futures contracts as may be required under the federal securities laws.
While the fund intends to purchase and sell futures contracts to simulate full investment, there
are risks associated with these transactions. Adverse market movements could cause the fund to
experience substantial losses when buying and selling futures contracts. Of course, barring
significant market distortions, similar results would have been expected if a fund had instead
transacted in the underlying securities directly. There also is the risk of losing any margin
payments held by a broker in the event of its bankruptcy. Additionally, the fund incurs transaction
costs (i.e. brokerage fees) when engaging in futures trading. To the extent the fund also invests
in futures in order to simulate full investment, these same risks apply.
When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, the fund may seek, through the
sale of futures contracts, to offset a decline in the value of their current portfolio securities.
When rates are falling or prices are rising, the fund, through the purchase of futures contracts,
may attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when they
effect anticipated purchases.
Futures contracts normally require actual delivery or acquisition of an underlying security or cash
value of an index on the expiration date of the contract. In most cases, however, the contractual
obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract by buying or selling, as the case may be,
identical futures contracts. Such offsetting transactions terminate the original contracts and
cancel the obligation to take or make delivery of the underlying securities or cash. There may not
always be a liquid secondary market at the time the fund seeks to close out a futures position. If
the fund is unable to close out its position and prices move adversely, the fund would have to
continue to make daily cash payments to maintain its margin requirements. If the fund had
insufficient cash to meet these requirements it may have to sell portfolio securities at a
disadvantageous time or incur extra costs by borrowing the cash. Also, the fund may be required to
make or take delivery and incur extra transaction costs buying or selling the underlying
securities. The fund seeks to reduce the risks associated with futures transactions by buying and
selling futures contracts that are traded on national exchanges or for which there appears to be a
liquid secondary market.
With respect to futures contracts that are not legally required to cash settle, the fund may
cover the open position by setting aside or earmarking liquid assets in an amount equal to the
market value of the futures contracts. With respect to futures contracts that are required to cash
settle, however, the fund is permitted to set aside or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to
the funds daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (in other words, the funds daily net
liability, if any) rather than the market value of the futures contracts. By setting aside assets
or earmarking equal to only
its net obligation under cash-settled futures, a fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a
greater extent than if the fund were required to set aside or earmark assets equal to the full
market value of the futures contract.
Indexing Strategies
involve tracking the securities represented in, and therefore the performance
of, an index. The fund normally will invest primarily in the securities of its index. Moreover, the
fund seeks to invest so that its portfolio performs similarly to that of its index. The fund will
seek a correlation between its performance and that of its index of 0.95 or better. Correlation for
the fund is calculated daily, according to a mathematical formula (R-squared) which measures
correlation between the funds portfolio and benchmark index returns. A perfect correlation of 1.0
is unlikely as the fund incurs operating and trading expenses unlike its index. The Board will
monitor the funds correlation to its index on a periodic basis. If determined to be in the best
interest of the fund and its shareholders, the Board may determine to substitute a different index
for the index a fund currently tracks, such determination to be made by the Board based on its
evaluation of all pertinent facts and circumstances, including the review of any period(s) of time
for which the fund did not achieve its intended correlation and the reasons for such
non-correlation. The Board has not established any particular time period of non-correlation that
would cause the Board to automatically consider substituting a different index for the index the
fund currently tracks.
Mid-Cap Stocks
include equity securities issued by operating companies with market capitalizations
that place them between the upper and lower end of the stock market, as well as the stocks of
companies that are determined to be mid-sized based on several factors, including the
capitalization of the company and the amount of revenues. Historically, mid-cap stocks have been
riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid-cap companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse
business or economic events than larger, more established companies. Stock prices of mid sized
companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements
and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. During a period when mid-cap
stocks fall behind other types of investments bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance the
funds mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
Mid-cap companies may have less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and
less able to withstand changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Mid-cap
companies also may have more limited product lines, markets or financial resources than companies
with larger capitalizations, and may be more dependent on a relatively smaller management group. In
addition, mid-cap companies may not be well known to the investing public, may not have
institutional ownership and may have only cyclical, static or moderate growth prospects. Mid-cap
company stocks may pay low or no dividends. These factors and others may cause sharp changes in
the value of a mid-cap companys stock, and even cause some mid-cap companies to fail. While
mid-cap stocks are generally considered to offer greater growth opportunities for investors than
large-cap stocks, they involve greater risks and the share price of a fund that invests in mid-cap
stocks may change sharply during the short term and long term
Money Market Securities
are high-quality, short term debt securities that may be issued by entities
such as the U.S. government, corporations and financial institutions (like banks). Money market
securities include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, notes and time
deposits. Certificates of deposit and time deposits are issued against funds deposited in a banking
institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. Bankers acceptances are
credit instruments evidencing a banks obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These
instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the
instrument upon maturity. Commercial paper consists of short term, unsecured promissory notes
issued to finance short term credit needs.
Money market securities pay fixed, variable or floating rates of interest and are generally subject
to credit and interest rate risks. The maturity date or price of and financial assets
collateralizing a security may be structured in order to make it qualify as or act like a money
market security. These securities may be subject to greater credit and interest rate risks than
other money market securities because of their structure. Money market securities may be issued
with puts or sold separately, sometimes called demand features or guarantees, which are agreements
that allow the buyer to sell a security at a specified price and time to the seller or put
provider. When the fund buys a put, losses could occur as a result of the costs of the put or if
it exercises its rights under the put and the put provider does not perform as agreed.
The fund may keep a portion of its assets in cash for business operations. To reduce the effect
this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, a fund may invest in money market
securities. A fund may also invest in money market securities to the extent it is consistent with
its investment objective.
Real Estate Investments.
The fund will invest in securities of real estate companies and other
companies related to the real estate industry. Real estate companies include U.S. and non-U.S.
issuers that derive at least 50% of their revenues or profits from the ownership, construction,
development, financing, management, servicing, sale or leasing of commercial, industrial or
residential real estate or have 50% of their total assets in real estate. Companies related to the
real estate industry include companies whose products and services pertain to the real estate
industry. The fund will invest a
significant portion of its assets in real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are more fully
discussed below under the heading Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), and may invest in real
estate operating companies (REOCs).
REOCs are corporations that engage in the development, management or financing of real estate.
REOCs include, for example, developers, brokers and building suppliers. REOCs are publicly traded
real estate companies that have chosen not to be taxed as REITs. Because REOCs reinvest earnings
rather than distribute dividends to unit holders, they do not get the same benefits of lower
corporate taxation that are a common characteristic of REITs. The value of the funds REOC
securities generally will be affected by the same factors that adversely affect a REIT.
Although the fund may not invest directly in real estate, concentration in securities of companies
that are principally engaged in the real estate industry exposes the fund to special risks
associated with the direct ownership of real estate, and an investment in the fund will be closely
linked to the performance of the real estate markets. These risks may include, but are not limited
to, the following: declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local
economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds; lack of ability to access the
credit or capital markets; overbuilding; extended vacancies of properties; defaults by borrowers or
tenants, particularly during an economic downturn; increasing competition; increases in property
taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; losses due to costs resulting from the
clean-up of environmental problems; liability to third parties for damages resulting from
environmental problems; casualty or condemnation losses; limitations on rents; changes in market
and sub-market values and the appeal of properties to tenants; and changes in interest rates.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) are pooled investment vehicles, which invest primarily in
income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests and, in some cases, manage
real estate. REITs are sometimes referred to as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. An
equity REIT invests primarily in properties and generates income from rental and lease properties
and, in some cases, from the management of real estate. Equity REITs also offer the potential for
growth as a result of property appreciation and from the sale of appreciated property. Mortgage
REITs invest primarily in real estate mortgages, which may secure construction, development or long
term loans, and derive income for the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs may combine the
features of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are generally organized as corporations or
business trusts, but are not taxed as a corporation if they meet certain requirements of Subchapter
M of the Code. To qualify, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets
in interests in real estate (including other REITs), cash and government securities, distribute at
least 95% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive at least 75% of that income from
rents, mortgages and sales of property.
Like any investment in real estate, a REITs performance depends on many factors, such as its
ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to finance property purchases and
renovations. In general, REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which
may have an exaggerated effect to the extent a REIT concentrates its investment in certain regions
or property types. For example, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies,
increased competition from nearby properties, tenants failure to pay rent, or incompetent
management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding, environmental liabilities,
uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses due to
casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Ultimately, a
REITs performance depends on the types of properties it owns and how well the REIT
manages its properties. Additionally, declines in the market value of a REIT may reflect not only
depressed real estate prices, but may also reflect the degree of leverage utilized by the REIT.
In general, during periods of rising interest rates, REITs may lose some of their appeal for
investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as
long term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and
improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain. During periods of declining interest rates,
certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that mortgagors elect to prepay, which can reduce the
yield on securities issued by mortgage REITs. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of
borrowers to repay debts to the REIT when due and equity REITs may be affected by the ability of
tenants to pay rent.
Like small-cap stocks in general, certain REITs have relatively small market capitalizations and
their securities can be more volatile thanand at times will perform differently fromlarge-cap
stocks. In addition, because small-cap stocks are typically less liquid than large-cap stocks, REIT
stocks may sometimes experience greater share-price fluctuations than the stocks of larger
companies. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited
diversification, and are therefore subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited
number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a fund, a shareholder will bear
indirectly a proportionate share of the REITs expenses in addition to their proportionate share of
a funds expenses. Finally, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of
income under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.
Securities Lending
of portfolio securities is a common practice in the securities industry. The
fund may engage in security lending arrangements. For example, the fund may receive cash
collateral, and it may invest it in short term, interest-bearing obligations, but will do so only
to the extent that it will not lose the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies.
Lending portfolio securities involves risks that the borrower may fail to return the securities or
provide additional collateral. Also, voting rights with respect to the loaned securities may pass
with the lending of the securities.
The fund may loan portfolio securities to qualified broker-dealers or other institutional investors
provided: (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. government
securities, letters of credit, cash or cash equivalents or other appropriate instruments maintained
on a daily marked-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 the
securities loaned; (3) the fund will receive any interest or dividends paid on the loaned
securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed
one-third of the total assets of the fund, including collateral received from the loan (at market
value computed at the time of the loan).
Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass to the borrower, the lender retains
the right to recall a security (or terminate a loan) for the purpose of exercising the securitys
voting rights. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for
foreign securities or thinly traded securities such as small-cap stocks. In addition, because
recalling a security may involve expenses to the fund, it is expected that the fund will do so only
where the items being voted upon are, in the judgment of the investment adviser, either material to
the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the issuers corporate
governance policies or structure.
Securities of Other Investment Companies.
Investment companies generally offer investors the
advantages of diversification and professional investment management, by combining shareholders
money and investing it in securities such as stocks, bonds and money market instruments. Investment
companies include: (1) open-end funds (commonly called mutual funds) that issue and redeem their
shares on a continuous basis; (2) closed-end funds that offer a fixed number of shares, and are
usually listed on an exchange; and (3) unit investment trusts that generally offer a fixed number
of redeemable shares. Certain open-end funds, closed-end funds and unit investment trusts are
traded on exchanges.
Investment companies may make investments and use techniques designed to enhance their performance.
These may include delayed-delivery and when-issued securities transactions; swap agreements; buying
and selling futures contracts, illiquid, and/or restricted securities and repurchase agreements;
and borrowing or lending money and/or portfolio
securities. The risks of investing in a particular investment company will generally reflect the
risks of the securities in which it invests and the investment techniques it employs. Also,
investment companies charge fees and incur expenses.
The fund may buy securities of other investment companies, including those of foreign issuers, in
compliance with the requirements of federal law or any SEC exemptive order. The fund may invest in
investment companies that are not registered with the SEC or privately placed securities of
investment companies (which may or may not be registered), such as hedge funds and offshore funds.
Unregistered funds are largely exempt from the regulatory requirements that apply to registered
investment companies. As a result, unregistered funds may have a greater ability to make
investments, or use investment techniques, that offer a higher potential investment return (for
example, leveraging), but which may carry high risk. Unregistered funds, while not regulated by the
SEC like registered funds, may be indirectly supervised by the financial institutions (e.g.,
commercial and investment banks) that may provide them with loans or other sources of capital.
Investments in unregistered funds may be difficult to sell, which could cause a fund selling an
interest in an unregistered fund to lose money. For example, many hedge funds require their
investors to hold their investments for at least one year.
Federal law restricts the ability of one registered investment company to invest in another. As a
result, the extent to which the fund may invest in another investment company may be limited. With
respect to investments in other mutual funds, the SEC has granted the fund an exemption from the
limitations of the 1940 Act that restrict the amount of securities of underlying mutual funds a
fund may hold, provided that certain conditions are met. The conditions requested by the SEC were
designed to address certain abuses perceived to be associated with funds of funds, including
unnecessary costs (such as sales loads, advisory fees and administrative costs), and undue
influence by a fund of funds over the underlying fund. The conditions apply only when a fund and
its affiliates in the aggregate own more than 3% of the outstanding shares of any one underlying
fund.
Under the terms of the exemptive order, the fund and its affiliates may not control a
non-affiliated underlying fund. Under the 1940 Act, any person who owns beneficially, either
directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the voting securities of a
company is assumed to control that company. This limitation is measured at the time the investment
is made.
Small-Cap Stocks
include equity securities issued by operating companies with market
capitalizations that place them at the lower end of the stock market, as well as the stocks of
companies that are determined to be small based on several factors, including the capitalization of
the company and the amount of revenues. Historically, small company stocks have been riskier than
stocks issued by large- or mid-cap companies for a variety of reasons. Small-companies may have
less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and less able to withstand
changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Small-cap companies also may have
more limited product lines, markets or financial resources than companies with larger
capitalizations, and may be more dependent on a relatively small management group. In addition,
small-cap companies may not be well known to the investing public, may not have institutional
ownership and may have only cyclical, static or moderate growth prospects. Most small company
stocks pay low or no dividends.
These factors and others may cause sharp changes in the value of a small companys stock, and even
cause some small-cap companies to fail. Additionally, small-cap stocks may not be as broadly traded
as large- or mid-cap stocks, and the funds positions in securities of such companies may be
substantial in relation to the market for such securities. Accordingly, it may be difficult for the
fund to dispose of securities of these small-cap companies at prevailing market prices in order to
meet redemptions. This lower degree of liquidity can adversely affect the value of these
securities. For these reasons and others, the value of the funds investments in small-cap stocks
is expected to be more volatile than other types of investments, including other types of stock
investments. While small-cap stocks are generally considered to offer greater growth opportunities
for investors, they involve greater risks and the share price of the fund may change sharply during
the short term and long term.
Stock Substitution Strategy
is a strategy, whereby the fund may, in certain circumstances,
substitute a similar stock for a security in its index. For example, a security or share class
issued by a REIT and included in the funds index may not be readily available for purchase by the
fund . However, the REIT may have issued a different, but similar, class of shares or securities
that are available for purchase. In these cases, the fund may buy that issue as a substitute for
the security included in its index. The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in securities that
the fund believes is an appropriate substitute for securities in its index.
U.S. Government Securities
are issued by the U.S. Treasury or issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. Not all U.S. government securities are
backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some U.S. government securities, such as
those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (known as Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corporation (known as Freddie Mac), the Student Loan Marketing Association (known as
Sallie Mae), and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by a line of credit the issuing entity
has with the U.S. Treasury. Others are supported solely by the credit of the issuing agency or
instrumentality such as obligations issued by the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation.
There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide financial support to U.S.
government securities of its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so under
law. Of course U.S. government securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, are among the safest
securities, however, not unlike other debt securities, they are still sensitive to interest rate
changes, which will cause their yields and prices to fluctuate.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,
placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury
agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained
warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under these Senior Preferred
Stock Purchase Agreements (SPAs), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide up to $100 billion per
instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in
the event their liabilities exceed their assets. On May 6, 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its
maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs to $200 billion per instrumentality. On
December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the cap on Treasurys
funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Maes
and Freddie Macs net worth through the end of 2012. At the conclusion of 2012, the remaining U.S.
Treasury commitment will then be fully available to be drawn per the terms of the SPAs. In December
2009, the U.S. Treasury also amended the SPAs to provide Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with some
additional flexibility to meet the requirement to reduce their mortgage portfolios.
The actions of the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain a
positive net worth and meet their financial obligations preventing mandatory triggering of
receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful.
Non-Principal Investment Strategy Investments
The following investments may be used as part of the funds non-principal investment strategy:
Borrowing.
The fund may borrow money from banks or through the Schwab Funds interfund borrowing and
lending facility (as described below) for any purpose in an amount up to 1/3 of the funds total
assets (not including temporary borrowings). The fund may also borrow for temporary or emergency
purposes; for example, the fund may borrow at times to meet redemption requests rather than sell
portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash. A borrowing is presumed to be for temporary or
emergency purposes if it is (a) not in excess of 5% of a funds total assets; (b) repaid by the
fund within 60 days; and (c) not extended or renewed. Provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended,
require the fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings,
less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for
temporary borrowings. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations
or other reasons, the fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days
(not including Sundays and holidays) to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even
though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time.
The funds borrowings will be subject to interest costs. Borrowing can also involve leveraging when
securities are purchased with the borrowed money. Leveraging creates interest expenses that can
exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowed money. In addition, leveraging may
magnify changes in the net asset value of a funds shares and in its portfolio yield. A fund will
earmark or segregate assets to cover such borrowings in accordance with positions of the Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC). If assets used to secure a borrowing decrease in value, the fund
may be required to pledge additional collateral to avoid liquidation of those assets.
The fund may establish lines-of-credit (lines) with certain banks by which it may borrow funds
for temporary or emergency purposes. A borrowing is presumed to be for temporary or emergency
purposes if it is repaid by the fund within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. The fund may
use the lines to meet large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force the fund to
liquidate securities under circumstances which are unfavorable to the funds remaining
shareholders. The fund will pay a fee to the bank for using the lines.
Delayed-Delivery Transactions
include purchasing and selling securities on a delayed-delivery or
when-issued basis. These transactions involve a commitment to buy or sell specific securities at a
predetermined price or yield, with payment and delivery taking place after the customary settlement
period for that type of security. When purchasing securities on a delayed-delivery basis, a fund
assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations.
Typically, no interest will accrue to a fund until the security is delivered. A fund will earmark
or segregate appropriate liquid assets to cover its delayed-delivery purchase obligations. When a
fund sells a security on a delayed-delivery basis, a fund does not participate in further gains or
losses with respect to that security. If the other party to a delayed-delivery transaction fails to
deliver or pay for the securities, a fund could suffer losses.
Foreign Securities.
Foreign securities involve additional risks because they are issued by foreign
entities, including foreign governments, banks and corporations. The funds investments in foreign
securities may include REITs domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction but which are listed on a U.S.
exchanges and included in the funds index, as well as REITs generally available in foreign
markets. Foreign securities in which the fund may invest include foreign entities that are not
subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and
requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less
publicly available information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal
developments could have more dramatic effects on the value of foreign securities. For example,
conditions within and around foreign countries, such as the possibility of expropriation or
confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, diplomatic developments, change of
government or war could affect the value of foreign investments. Moreover, individual foreign
economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of
gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and
balance of payments position. There may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments
against foreign issuers as well.
Illiquid Securities
generally are any securities that cannot be disposed of promptly and in the
ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the amount at which the fund has
valued the instruments. The liquidity of the funds investments is monitored under the supervision
and direction of the Board of Trustees. The fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in
illiquid securities. In the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances
cause a fund to exceed this limitation, the fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of
illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
In making liquidity determinations before purchasing a particular security, the Adviser considers a
number of factors including, but not limited to: the nature and size of the security; the number of
dealers that make a market in the security; and data which indicates that a securitys price has
not changed for a period of a week or longer. After purchase, it is the Advisers policy to
maintain awareness of developments in the marketplace that could cause a change in a securitys
liquid or illiquid status. Investments currently not considered liquid include repurchase
agreements not maturing within seven days and certain restricted securities.
Interfund Borrowing and Lending.
The fund may borrow money from and/or lend money to other
funds/portfolios in the Schwab complex, including traditional mutual funds/portfolios not discussed
in this SAI or in the corresponding prospectus. All loans are for temporary or emergency purposes
and the interest rates to be charged will be the average of the overnight repurchase agreement rate
and the short term bank loan rate. All loans are subject to numerous conditions designed to ensure
fair and equitable treatment of all participating funds/portfolios. These conditions include, for
example, that the funds participation in the credit facility must be consistent with its
investment policies and limitations and organizational documents; no fund may lend to another fund
through the interfund lending facility if the loan would cause the aggregate outstanding loans
through the credit facility to exceed 15% of the lending funds current net assets at the time of
the loan; and that the funds interfund loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending
funds net assets. With respect to the funds discussed in this SAI, by lending to another fund the
fund may forego gains which could have been made had those assets been invested in securities of
its applicable underlying index. The interfund lending facility is subject to the oversight and
periodic review of the Board of Trustees.
Non-Publicly Traded Securities and Private Placements.
The fund may receive in securities that are
neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter, including privately placed
securities. Such unlisted securities may involve a higher degree of business and financial risk
that can result in substantial losses. As a result of the absence of a public trading market for
these securities, they may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these
securities may be sold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales
could be less than those originally paid by the fund or less than what may be considered the fair
value of such securities. Furthermore, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not
be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements which might be applicable
if their securities were publicly traded. If such securities are required to be registered under
the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being sold, the fund may be required to
bear the expenses of registration. Though the fund does not intend to purchase these securities, it
may receive such securities as a result of another transaction, such as the spin-off of a companys
subsidiary to a separate entity.
Repurchase Agreements
are instruments under which a buyer acquires ownership of certain securities
(usually U.S. government securities) from a seller who agrees to repurchase the securities at a
mutually agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the buyers holding
period. Any repurchase agreements the fund enters into will involve the fund as the buyer and banks
or broker-dealers as sellers. The period of repurchase agreements is usually short from
overnight to one week, although the securities collateralizing a repurchase agreement may have
longer maturity dates. Default by the seller might cause the fund to experience a loss or delay in
the liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. The fund also may incur
disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a
repurchase agreements seller, the fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could
experience losses, including a decline in the value of the underlying securities and loss of
income. The fund will make payment under a repurchase agreement only upon physical delivery or
evidence of book entry transfer of the collateral to the account of its custodian bank. Repurchase
agreements are the economic equivalents of loans.
Restricted Securities
are securities that are subject to legal restrictions on their sale.
Restricted securities may be considered to be liquid if an institutional or other market exists for
these securities. In making this determination, the fund, under the direction and supervision of
the Board of Trustees will take into account various factors, including: (1) the frequency of
trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the
security and the number of potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the
security; and (4) the nature of the security and marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to
dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer). To the
extent the fund invests in restricted securities that are deemed liquid, its general level of
illiquidity may be increased if qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing
these securities.
Investment Limitations
The investment limitations below may be changed only by vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the fund.
Under the 1940 Act, a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the
outstanding shares of the fund or (2) 67% or more of the shares
present at a shareholders meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the
meeting in person or by proxy.
THE FUND MAY NOT:
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1)
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Concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration
is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption
therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to
time, except that the fund may concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent
that the index the fund is designed to track concentrates in the securities of such
particular industry or group of industries and the fund may invest without limitation in (a)
securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities,
and (b) tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their political
subdivisions
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2)
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Purchase or sell commodities, commodities contracts or real estate, lend or borrow money,
issue senior securities, underwrite securities issued by others, or pledge, mortgage or
hypothecate any of its assets, except as permitted by (or not prohibited by) the 1940 Act or
the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or
regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 1940 ACT MAY ASSIST INVESTORS IN UNDERSTANDING THE ABOVE POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS.
BORROWING. The 1940 Act restricts an investment company from borrowing (including pledging,
mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including
temporary borrowings). Transactions that are fully collateralized in a manner that does not involve
the prohibited issuance of a senior security within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act,
shall not be regarded as borrowings for the purposes of the funds investment restriction.
CONCENTRATION. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment
companys total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions such as with
respect to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies
and instrumentalities, or tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their
political subdivisions.
LENDING. Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by
its investment policies.
REAL ESTATE. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment companys ability to invest in
real estate, but does require that every investment company have the fundamental investment policy
governing such investments. The fund has adopted the fundamental policy that would permit direct
investment in real estate. However, the fund has a non-fundamental investment limitation that
prohibits it from investing directly in real estate. This non-fundamental policy may be changed
only by vote of a funds Board of Trustees.
SENIOR SECURITIES. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by an
investment company evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits a fund from issuing
senior securities, although it provides allowances for certain borrowings and certain other
investments, such as short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and firm commitment agreements ,
when such investments are covered or with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to
cover such obligations.
UNDERWRITING. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing
securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating
in any such activity either directly or indirectly. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not
make any commitment as underwriter, if immediately thereafter the amount of its outstanding
underwriting commitments, plus the value of its investments in securities of
issuers (other than investment companies) of which it owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities, exceeds 25% of the value of its total assets. The foregoing restriction does not apply
to non-diversified funds.
THE FOLLOWING ARE NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS, AND MAY BE CHANGED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
THE FUND MAY NOT:
1)
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Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
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2)
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Sell securities short unless it owns the security or the right to obtain the security or
equivalent securities, or unless it covers such short sale as required by current SEC rules
and interpretations (transactions in futures contracts, options and other derivative
instruments are not considered selling securities short).
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3)
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Purchase securities on margin, except such short term credits as may be necessary for the
clearance of purchases and sales of securities and provided that margin deposits in connection
with futures contracts, options on futures or other derivative instruments shall not
constitute purchasing securities on margin.
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4)
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Borrow money except that the fund may (i) borrow money from banks or through an interfund
lending facility, if any, and engage in reverse repurchase agreements with any party provided
that such borrowings and reverse repurchase agreements in combination do not exceed 33 1/3% of
its total assets, including the amount borrowed (but not including temporary or emergency
borrowings not exceeding 5%); and (ii) may borrow an additional amount up to 5% of its assets
for temporary or emergency purposes.
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5)
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Lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total
assets would be lent to other parties (this restriction does not apply to purchases of debt
securities or repurchase agreements).
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6)
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Purchase securities (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its
agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result of such purchase, 25% or more of the value of
its total assets would be invested in any industry or group of industries (except that the
fund may purchase securities to the extent that the index the fund is designed to track is
also so concentrated).
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7)
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Purchase or sell physical commodities or commodity contracts based on physical commodities or
invest in unmarketable interests in real estate limited partnerships or invest directly in
real estate. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing policy does not prevent the fund from,
among other things, (i) purchasing marketable securities of companies that deal in real estate
or interests therein (including REITs); (ii) purchasing marketable securities of companies
that deal in physical commodities or interests therein; and (iii) purchasing, selling and
entering into futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities,
interest rates and currencies), options on futures contracts (including futures contracts on
indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward contracts,
foreign currency spot and forward contracts or other derivative instruments.
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Policies and investment limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested
in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard shall be measured immediately
after and as a result of the funds acquisition of such security or asset, unless otherwise noted.
Except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent
change in net assets or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it
could not then make the same investment. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in
the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause the fund to exceed
its limitation, the fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back
within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value per share or NAV only in aggregations of
a specified number of shares (Creation Units). The method by which Creation Units are created and
trade may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are
issued and sold by the fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a distribution, as such term is
used in the Securities Act of 1933 the (Securities Act), may occur. Broker-dealers and other
persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances,
result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them
statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability
provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes
Creation Units after placing an order with the funds distributor, breaks them down into
constituent shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the
creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of
secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes
of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the
activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned
above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to
categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not underwriters but are effecting
transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are
required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3)
of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d)
of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the
fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery
obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection
with the sale on an exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the
exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available
with respect to transactions on an exchange.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The fund is overseen by a Board of Trustees. The trustees are responsible for protecting
shareholder interests. The trustees regularly meet to review the investment activities, contractual
arrangements and the investment performance of the fund. The trustees did not meet during the most
recent fiscal year.
Certain trustees are interested persons. A trustee is considered an interested person of the
trust under the 1940 Act if he or she is an officer, director, or an employee of Charles Schwab
Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM) or Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab). A trustee also may
be considered an interested person of the trust under the 1940 Act if he or she owns stock of The
Charles Schwab Corporation, a publicly traded company and the parent company of CSIM.
As used herein the term Family of Investment Companies collectively refers to The Charles Schwab
Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab
Strategic Trust which, as of
, 2010, included
funds.
The tables below provide information about the trustees and officers for the trusts, which includes
the funds, in this SAI. The Fund Complex includes The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab
Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Laudus Trust,
and Laudus Institutional Trust. As of
, 2010, the Fund Complex included
funds. The address of each individual listed below is 211 Main Street, San Francisco,
California 94105.
[TO BE UPDATED]
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1
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Each Trustee shall hold office until the election and qualification of his or her successor,
or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed. The Trusts retirement policy requires that
independent trustees retire by December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns 72 or the
Trustees twentieth year of service as an independent trustee, whichever comes first.
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2
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Mr. Bettinger is an Interested Trustee because he is an employee of Schwab and/or the
investment adviser. In addition to his employment with the investment adviser and Schwab, Mr.
Bettinger also owns stock of The Charles Schwab Corporation.
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3
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The President, Treasurer and Secretary hold office until their respective successors are
chosen and qualified or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or becomes
disqualified. Each of the other officers serves at the pleasure of the Board.
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Board of Trustees Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
The Board of Trustees of the trust is responsible for oversight of the management of the fund,
which includes oversight of service providers to the fund, such as the funds investment adviser.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Walter W. Bettinger, II, is Chief Executive Officer of The
Charles Schwab Corporation and an interested person of the fund as that term is defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940. The fund does not have a single lead independent trustee. The
Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of trustees who are not interested
persons of the fund (i.e., independent trustees). There is an Audit and Compliance Committee of
the Board that is chaired by an independent trustee and comprised solely of independent trustees.
The Audit and Compliance Committee chair presides at Committee meetings, participates in
formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison
between the independent trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities
of the Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The fund has determined that this
leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the
fund. The fund made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the
independent trustees of the fund constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of funds
overseen by the Board, and the total number of trustees on the Board.
The Board of Trustees role in the risk oversight of the fund consists of monitoring risks
identified during regular and special reports to the Audit and Compliance Committee of the Board,
as well as regular and special reports to the full Board. In addition to monitoring such risks,
the Audit and Compliance Committee and the Board oversee efforts by management and service
providers to manage risks to which the fund may be exposed. For example, the Audit and Compliance
Committee meets with the funds Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and receives
regular reports regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of
portfolio securities. The full Board meets with portfolio managers and other members of management
and receives reports regarding investment risks of the portfolios and risks related to distribution
of the funds shares. Oversight of compliance risks also is within the purview of the Committee and
the full Board. From their review of these reports and discussions with management, the Committee
and Board learn in detail about the material risks of the fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue
with management about how management and service providers mitigate those risks.
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Board has concluded that each of the trustees should initially and continue to serve on the
board because of (i) their ability to review and understand information about the fund provided to
them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the
performance of their duties, to question management regarding material factors bearing on the
management of the funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best
interests of the funds shareholders and (ii) the trustees experience, qualifications, attributes
and skills as described below.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Bettinger should serve as trustee of the fund because of the
experience he has gained as president and chief executive officer of The Charles Schwab
Corporation, his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, and the experience
he has gained serving as trustee of the trust since 2009 and of the Schwab Funds since 2008.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Burns should serve as trustee of the fund because of the
experience he gained serving as a former managing director of a mutual fund management company and
former president and trustee of certain mutual funds managed by that company, his experience in and
knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee
of the trust since 2009.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Goldfarb should serve as trustee of the fund because of the
experience he has gained as founder of a financial services and independent public accounting firm,
his experience in and knowledge of public company accounting and auditing, and the experience he
has gained serving as trustee of the trust since 2009.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Ruffel should serve as trustee of the fund because of the
experience he gained as the founder and former chief executive officer of a publisher and
information services firm specializing in the retirement plan industry, his experience in and
knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee
of the trust since 2009.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary
individual skills and experience of the individual trustees primarily in the broader context of the
Boards overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and
appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds. Moreover,
references to the qualifications, attributes and skills of trustees are pursuant to requirements of
the Securities and Exchange Commission, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any trustee
as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not be deemed to impose any greater
responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
Trustee Committees
The Board of Trustees has established certain committees and adopted Committee charters with
respect to those committees, each as described below.
The trust has a standing Audit and Compliance Committee. The function of the Audit and Compliance
Committee is to provide oversight responsibility for the integrity of the trusts financial
reporting processes and compliance policies, procedures and processes, and for the trusts overall
system of internal controls. This Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees. The
charter directs that the Audit and Compliance Committee must meet 4 times annually, with additional
meetings as the Audit and Compliance Committee deems appropriate.
The trust also has a Nominating Committee that is composed of all the Independent Trustees, which
meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Nominating Committee for the primary purpose of
selecting and nominating candidates to serve as members of the Board of Trustees. The Nominating
Committee does not have a policy with respect to consideration of candidates for Trustee submitted
by shareholders. However, if the Nominating Committee determined that it would be in the best
interests of the trust to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees, and a shareholder submitted a
candidate for consideration by the Board of Trustees to fill the vacancy, the Nominating Committee
would evaluate that candidate. The charter directs that the Nominating Committee meet at such
times and with such frequency as is deemed necessary or appropriate by the Nominating Committee.
Trustee Compensation
The following table provides estimated trustee compensation for the fiscal year ending
, 2010. Certain information provided relates to the Fund Complex, which included
funds as of
, 2009.
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($)
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Estimated Aggregate Compensation from
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the Fund
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Pension or
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Retirement
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Benefits
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($)
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Accrued as
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Estimated Total
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Schwab U.S.
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Part of
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Compensation
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REIT
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Fund
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from
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Name of Trustee
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ETF
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Expenses
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Fund Complex
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Interested Trustee
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Walter W. Bettinger II
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$
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0
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N/A
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$
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0
|
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert W. Burns
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
Mark A. Goldfarb
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
Charles A Ruffel
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
Securities Beneficially Owned By Each Trustee
The following tables provide each trustees equity ownership of the fund and ownership of all
registered investment companies overseen by each trustee in the Family of Investment Companies as
of
, 2010. As of
, 2010, the Family of Investment Companies included
funds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dollar Range of Trustee Ownership
|
|
Aggregate Dollar
|
|
|
of Equity Securities in the fund
|
|
Range of Trustee
|
|
|
Schwab U.S.
|
|
Ownership in the
|
|
|
REIT
|
|
Family of Investment
|
Name of Trustee
|
|
ETF
|
|
Companies
|
Interested Trustee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Walter W. Bettinger II
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert W. Burns
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Mark A. Goldfarb
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Charles A Ruffel
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Code of Ethics
The fund, the investment adviser and the distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics as required under
the 1940 Act. Subject to certain conditions or restrictions, the Codes of Ethics permit the
trustees, directors, officers or advisory representatives of the fund or the investment adviser or
the directors or officers of the distributor to buy or sell directly or indirectly securities for
their own accounts. This includes securities that may be purchased or held by the fund. Securities
transactions by some of these individuals may be subject to prior approval of each entitys Chief
Compliance Officer or alternate. Most securities transactions are subject to quarterly reporting
and review requirements.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
As of
, 2010, the officers and trustees of the trust, as a group owned, of
record or beneficially, less than 1% of the outstanding voting securities of the fund.
As of
, 2010, no persons or entities owned, of record or beneficially, more
than 5% of the outstanding voting securities of the fund.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Investment Adviser
CSIM, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation, 211 Main Street, San Francisco
CA 94105, serves as the funds investment adviser pursuant to Investment Advisory Agreements
(Advisory Agreement) between it and the trust. Charles R. Schwab is the founder, Chairman and
Director of the Charles Schwab Corporation. As a result of his ownership and interests in The
Charles Schwab Corporation, Mr. Schwab may be deemed to be a controlling person of CSIM.
Advisory Agreement
The funds Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved initially for a 2 year term, and after
the expiration of the 2 year term, at least annually thereafter (1) by the vote of the trustees or
by a vote of the shareholders of the fund, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who
are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any party (the Independent
Trustees), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Each year, the Board of Trustees will call and hold a meeting to decide whether to renew the
Advisory Agreement between the trust and CSIM with respect to any existing funds in the trust. In
preparation for the meeting, the Board requests and reviews a wide variety of materials provided by
the funds investment adviser, as well as extensive data provided by third parties.
As described below, the investment adviser is entitled to receive a fee from the fund, payable
monthly, for its advisory and administrative services to the fund. The fund is new and has not yet
paid any fees to CSIM. As compensation for these services, the firm receives a management fee from
the fund is expressed as a percentage of the funds average daily net assets.
|
|
|
|
|
FUND
|
|
FEE
|
Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
|
|
0.XX%
|
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for substantially all expenses of
the fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and
other services, but excluding interest expense and taxes, brokerage expenses and extraordinary or
non-routine expenses.
Distributor
SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the Distributor) is the principal underwriter and distributor
of shares of the fund. Its principal address is 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456. The
Distributor has entered into an agreement with the trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of
the funds (the Distribution Agreement). The Distributor continually distributes shares of the
funds on a best effort basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of
fund shares. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is
renewable annually thereafter in accordance with the 1940 Act. Shares are continuously offered for
sale by the fund through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the funds
prospectus. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The
Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Distributor is not affiliated with the trust,
CSIM, or any stock exchange.
The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of
any penalty, on at least sixty (60) days prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution
Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940
Act).
Transfer Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the
funds transfer agent. As part of these services, the firm maintains records pertaining to the
sale, redemption and transfer of the funds shares.
Custodian and Fund Accountants
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as
custodian and accountant for the fund.
The custodian is responsible for the daily safekeeping of securities and cash held or sold by the
fund. The funds accountant maintains all books and records related to the funds transactions.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The funds independent registered public accounting firm,
, audits and reports on
the annual financial statements of the fund and reviews certain regulatory reports and the funds
federal income tax return. They also perform other professional, accounting, auditing, tax and
advisory services when the trust engages them to do so. Their address is Three Embarcadero Center,
San Francisco, CA 94111-4004.
Legal Counsel
Dechert LLP represents the trust with respect to certain legal matters.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Other Accounts
. Each portfolio manager (collectively referred to as the Portfolio
Managers) is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below.
The accounts listed below are not subject to a performance-based advisory fee. The information
below is provided as of
, 2010.
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Companies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(this amount does not
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
include
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the funds in this Statement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
of
|
|
Other Pooled
|
|
|
|
|
Additional Information)
|
|
Investment Vehicles
|
|
Other Accounts
|
|
|
Number of
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of
|
|
Total
|
|
Number of
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Accounts
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
Accounts
|
|
Assets
|
|
Accounts
|
|
Total Assets
|
Dustin Lewellyn
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Agnes Hong
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Ferian Juwono
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Conflicts of Interest
. A Portfolio Managers management of other accounts may give rise to
potential conflicts of interest in connection with its management of the funds investments, on the
one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. These other accounts include
separate accounts and other mutual funds advised by CSIM (collectively, the Other Managed
Accounts). The Other Managed Accounts might have similar investment objectives as the fund, track
the same index the fund tracks or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to
be held, purchased, or sold by the funds. While the Portfolio Managers management of Other Managed
Accounts may give rise to the potential conflicts of interest listed below, CSIM does not believe
that the conflicts, if any, are material or, to the extent any such conflicts are material, CSIM
believes it has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to manage those conflicts in an
appropriate way.
Knowledge of the Timing and Size of Fund Trades
. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a
result of the Portfolio Managers day-to-day management of the fund. Because of their positions
with the fund, the Portfolio Managers know the size, timing, and possible market impact of fund
trades. It is theoretically possible that the Portfolio Managers could use this information to the
advantage of the Other Managed Accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of the fund.
However, CSIM has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment
opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time. Moreover, with respect to an index fund,
which seeks to track its benchmark index, much of this information is publicly available. When it
is determined to be in the best interest of both accounts, the Portfolio Managers may aggregate
trade orders for the Other Managed Accounts, excluding Schwab Personal Portfolio Managed Accounts,
with those of the fund. All aggregated orders are subject to CSIMs aggregation and allocation
policy and procedures, which provide, among other things, that (i) a Portfolio Manager will not
aggregate orders unless he or she believes such aggregation is consistent with his or her duty to
seek best execution; (ii) no account will be favored over any other account; (iii) each account
that participates in an aggregated order will participate at the average security price with all
transaction costs shared on a pro-rata basis; and (iv) if the aggregated order cannot be executed
in full, the partial execution is allocated pro-rata among the participating accounts in accordance
with the size of each accounts order.
Investment Opportunities
. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the Portfolio
Managers management of the fund and Other Managed Accounts which, in theory, may allow them to
allocate investment opportunities in a way that favors the Other Managed Accounts over the fund,
which conflict of interest may be exacerbated to the extent that CSIM or the Portfolio Managers
receive, or expect to receive, greater compensation from their management of the Other Managed
Accounts than the fund. Notwithstanding this theoretical conflict of interest, it is CSIMs policy
to manage each account based on its investment objectives and related restrictions and, as
discussed above, CSIM has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate
investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time and in a manner consistent with
each accounts investment objectives and related restrictions. For example, while the Portfolio
Managers may buy for an Other Managed Account securities that differ in identity or quantity from
securities bought for the fund or refrain from purchasing securities for an Other Managed Account
that they are otherwise buying for the fund in an effort to outperform its specific benchmark, such
an approach might not be suitable for the fund given its investment objectives and related
restrictions.
Compensation.
Schwab compensates each CSIM Portfolio Manager for his or her management of
the fund. Each portfolio managers compensation consists of a fixed annual (base) salary and a
discretionary bonus. The base salary is determined considering compensation payable for a similar
position across the investment management industry and an evaluation of the individual portfolio
managers overall performance such as the portfolio managers contribution to the firms overall
investment process, being good corporate citizens, and contributions to the firms asset growth and
business relationships. The discretionary bonus is determined in accordance with the CSIM Equity
and Fixed Income Portfolio Management Incentive Plan (the Plan), which is designed to reward
consistent and superior investment performance relative to established benchmarks and/or industry
peer groups. The Plan is an annual incentive plan that, at the discretion of Executive Management,
provides quarterly advances against the corporate component of the Plan at a fixed rate that is
standard for the employees level. Meanwhile, the portion of the incentive tied to fund performance
is paid in its entirety following the end of the Plan year (i.e. the Plan does not provide advances
against the portion of the Plan tied to fund performance) at managements discretion based on their
determination of whether funds are available under the Plan as
well as factors such as the portfolio managers contribution to the firms overall investment
process, being good corporate citizens, and contribution to the firms asset growth and business
relationships.
The Plan consists of two independent funding components: fund investment performance and Schwabs
corporate performance. 75% of the funding is based on fund investment performance and 25% of the
funding is based on Schwabs corporate performance. Funding is pooled into separate incentive
pools (one for Fixed Income portfolio managers, one for Equity portfolio managers, and one for
Money Fund portfolio managers) and then allocated to the plan participants by CSIM senior
management. This allocation takes into account fund performance as well as the portfolio managers
leadership, teamwork, and contribution to CSIM goals and objectives.
|
|
Fund Investment Performance
|
|
|
|
Investment Performance will be determined based on the funds performance relative to one of the
following criteria: industry peer group/category, established benchmark or risk adjusted
performance measure. The peer group/category or benchmark will be determined by the CSIM Peer
Group Committee comprised of officer representation from CSIM Product Development, Fund
Administration and Schwab Center for Financial Research (SCFR) and approved by CSIMs President
and CSIMs Chief Investment Officer. The CSIM Peer Group Committee reviews peer groups and
category classification on a regular basis in advance of each performance period. Peer groups
and category rankings will be based on the statistical analysis. Performance relative to the
funds benchmark will be measured on a sliding scale that will compensate Portfolio Managers more
to the extent the funds performance exceeds the benchmark.
|
|
|
|
At the close of the year, the funds performance will be determined by its 1-year and/or
1 and 3-year percentile standing within its designated peer group using standard statistical
methods approved by CSIM senior management. Relative position and the respective statistical
method used to determine percentile standing will result in a single performance percentile
number for the fund to allow for comparisons over time and between funds. As each
participant may manage and/or support a number of funds, there will be several fund
performance percentiles for each participant that may be considered in arriving at the
incentive compensation annual payout.
|
|
|
Schwab Corporate Performance
|
|
|
|
CSCs corporate plan (the Corporate Plan) is an annual plan, which provides for discretionary
awards aligned with company and individual performance. Funding for the Corporate Plan is
determined at the conclusion of the calendar year using a payout rate that is applied to the
Schwabs earnings per share. The exact payout rate will vary and will be determined by Executive
Management and recommended to the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of CSC for
final approval. Funding will be capped at 200% of the Corporate Plan.
|
|
|
Incentive Allocation
|
|
|
|
At year-end, the full-year funding for both components of the Plan will be pooled together. This
total pool will then be allocated to plan participants by CSIM senior management based on their
assessment of a variety of performance factors. Factors considered in the allocation process will
include, but are not limited to, fund performance relative to benchmarks, individual performance
against key objectives, contribution to overall group results, team work, and collaboration
between Analysts and Portfolio Managers.
|
The Portfolio Managers compensation is not based on the value of the assets held in a funds
portfolio. Mr. Lewellyn will be compensated solely under the Corporate Plan. Ms. Hong and Mr.
Juwono are compensated under the CSIM Equity and Fixed Income Portfolio Management Incentive Plan.
Ownership of Fund Shares.
Because the fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this
SAI, no information regarding the Portfolio Managers beneficial ownership of shares of the funds
has been included. This information will appear in a future version of the SAI.
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Portfolio Turnover
For reporting purposes, the funds portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the value of
purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year, whichever is less, by the monthly
average value of portfolio securities the fund owned during the fiscal year. When making the
calculation, all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less
(short-term securities) are excluded.
A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all portfolio securities (aside from
short-term securities) were sold and either repurchased or replaced once during the fiscal year.
Typically, funds with high turnover (such as 100% or more) tend to generate higher capital gains
and transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions. Because this is a new fund there is no
portfolio turnover rate.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The funds Board of Trustees has approved policies and procedures that govern the timing and
circumstances regarding the disclosure of funds portfolio holdings information to shareholders and
third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information
regarding the funds portfolio securities is in the best interests of funds shareholders, and
include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the funds shareholders, on the
one hand, and those of the funds investment adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated
person of the fund, its investment adviser, or its principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to
such procedures, the Board has authorized the president of the fund to authorize the release of the
funds portfolio holdings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles.
The Board exercises on-going oversight of the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings by overseeing
the implementation and enforcement of the funds policies and procedures by the Chief Compliance
Officer and by considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning
any material compliance matters. The Board will receive periodic updates, at least annually,
regarding entities who may receive portfolio holdings information not available to other current or
prospective fund shareholders in connection with the dissemination of information necessary for
transactions in Creation Units, as contemplated by the exemptive relief and as discussed below.
The fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC within
60-80 days after the end of each fiscal quarter and will provide that information to shareholders
as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder. The fund may, however,
voluntarily disclose all or part of its portfolio holdings other than in connection with the
creation/redemption process, as discussed above, in advance of required filings with the SEC,
provided that such information is made generally available to all shareholders and other interested
parties in a manner that is consistent with the above policy for disclosure of portfolio holdings
information. Such information may be made available through a publicly-available website or other
means that make the information available to all likely interested parties contemporaneously.
The fund may disclose portfolio holdings information to certain persons and entities prior to and
more frequently than the public disclosure of such information (early disclosure). The president
of the fund may authorize early disclosure of portfolio holdings information to such parties at
differing times and/or with different lag times provided that (a) the president of the fund
determines that the disclosure is in the best interests of the fund and that there are no conflicts
of interest between the funds shareholders and funds adviser and distributor; and (b) the
recipient is, either by contractual agreement or otherwise by law, required to maintain the
confidentiality of the information.
In addition, the funds service providers including, without limitation, the investment adviser,
distributor, the custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, auditor, proxy voting service
provider, pricing information venders, publisher, printer and mailing agent may receive early
disclosure of portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with the services
they perform for the funds. Service providers will be subject to a duty of confidentiality with
respect to any portfolio holdings information whether imposed by the provisions of the service
providers contract with the trust or by the nature of its relationship with the trust.
Further, each business day, the funds portfolio holdings information is provided to the
Distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities
Clearing Corporation (NSCC) and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or
subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants (as
defined below), and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the
process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of fund in the secondary
market. This information typically reflects the funds anticipated holdings on the following
business day.
In addition, the fund discloses its portfolio holdings and the percentages they represent of the
funds net assets at least monthly, and as often as each day the fund is open for business, at
www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus.
Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process
may be provided to other entities that provide services to the fund in the ordinary course of
business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC. From time to time, information concerning
portfolio holdings other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the
creation/redemption process, as discussed above, may be provided to other entities that provide
services to the fund, including rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of
business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information.
The funds policies and procedures prohibit the fund, the funds investment adviser or any related
party from receiving any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of
portfolio holdings information.
The fund may disclose non-material information including commentary and aggregate information about
the characteristics of the funds in connection with or relating to the fund or its portfolio
securities to any person if such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose, such disclosure
does not effectively result in the disclosure of the complete portfolio securities of the fund
(which can only be disclosed in accordance with the above requirements), and such information does
not constitute material non-public information. Such disclosure does not fall within the portfolio
securities disclosure requirements outlined above.
Whether the information constitutes material non-public information will be made on a good faith
determination, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. In most
cases commentary or analysis would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to a recipient
in making a decision concerning the fund. Commentary and analysis includes, but is not limited to,
the allocation of the fund portfolio securities and other investments among various asset classes,
sectors, industries, and countries, the characteristics of the stock components and other
investments of the fund, the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry and
country, and the volatility characteristics of the funds.
Portfolio Transactions
The investment adviser makes decisions with respect to the purchase and sale of portfolio
securities on behalf of the fund. The investment adviser is responsible for implementing these
decisions, including the negotiation of commissions and the allocation of principal business and
portfolio brokerage. Purchases and sales of securities on a stock exchange or certain riskless
principal transactions placed on NASDAQ are typically effected through brokers who charge a
commission for their services. Purchases and sales of fixed income securities may be transacted
with the issuer, the issuers underwriter, or a dealer. The fund does not usually pay brokerage
commissions on purchases and sales of fixed income securities,
although the price of the securities generally includes compensation, in the form of a spread or a
mark-up or mark-down, which is not disclosed separately. The prices the fund pays to underwriters
of newly-issued securities usually include a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriter.
Transactions placed through dealers who are serving as primary market makers reflect the spread
between the bid and asked prices. The money market securities in which the fund may invest are
traded primarily in the over-the-counter market on a net basis and do not normally involve either
brokerage commissions or transfer taxes. It is expected that the cost of executing portfolio
securities transactions of the fund will primarily consist of dealer spreads and brokerage
commissions.
The investment adviser seeks to obtain the best execution for the funds portfolio transactions.
The investment adviser may take a number of factors into account in selecting brokers or dealers to
execute these transactions. Such factors may include, without limitation, the following: execution
price; brokerage commission or dealer spread; size or type of the transaction; nature or character
of the markets; clearance or settlement capability; reputation; financial strength and stability of
the broker or dealer; efficiency of execution and error resolution; block trading capabilities;
willingness to execute related or unrelated difficult transactions in the future; order of call;
ability to facilitate short selling; provision of additional brokerage or research services or
products; whether a broker guarantees that the fund will receive, on aggregate, prices at least as
favorable as the closing prices on a given day when adherence to market-on-close pricing aligns
with fund objectives; or whether a broker guarantees that the fund will receive the volume-weighted
average price (VWAP) for a security for a given trading day (or portion thereof) when the
investment adviser believe that VWAP execution is in the funds best interest. In addition, the
investment adviser has incentive sharing arrangements with certain unaffiliated brokers who
guarantee market-on-close pricing: on a day when such a broker executes transactions at prices
better, on aggregate, than market-on-close prices, that broker may receive, in addition to his or
her standard commission, a portion of the net difference between the actual execution prices and
corresponding market-on-close prices for that day.
The investment adviser may cause the fund to pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from
other brokers or dealers in return for brokerage or research services or products if the investment
adviser believes that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided. In
addition to agency transactions, the investment adviser may receive brokerage and research services
or products in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with
applicable SEC and other regulatory guidelines. In both instances, these services or products may
include: economic, industry, or company research reports or investment recommendations;
subscriptions to financial publications or research data compilations; compilations of securities
prices, earnings, dividends, and similar data; computerized databases; quotation equipment and
services; research or analytical computer software and services; products or services that assist
in effecting transactions, including services of third-party computer systems developers directly
related to research and brokerage activities; and effecting securities transactions and performing
functions incidental thereto (such as clearance and settlement). The investment adviser may use
research services furnished by brokers or dealers in servicing all fund accounts, and not all
services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions or spreads to
the broker or dealer providing such services.
The investment adviser may receive a service from a broker or dealer that has both a research and
a non-research use. When this occurs, the investment adviser will make a good faith allocation,
under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The
percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with fund commissions
or spreads, while the investment adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the
service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the
investment adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the investment adviser believe that
the costs of such services may be appropriately allocated to their anticipated research and
non-research uses.
The investment adviser may purchase for fund, new issues of securities in a fixed price offering.
In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to
selling securities, provide the investment adviser with research services, in accordance with
applicable rules and regulations permitting these types of arrangements. Generally, the seller will
provide research credits in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is
available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the
safe harbor of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The investment adviser may place orders directly with electronic communications networks or other
alternative trading systems. Placing orders with electronic communications networks or other
alternative trading systems may enable the fund to trade directly with other institutional holders.
At times, this may allow the fund to trade larger blocks than would be possible trading through a
single market maker.
The investment adviser may aggregate securities sales or purchases among two or more clients. The
investment adviser will not aggregate transactions unless it believes such aggregation is
consistent with its duty to seek best execution for each affected client and is consistent with the
terms of the investment advisory agreement for such client. In any single transaction in which
purchases and/or sales of securities of any issuer for the account of the fund are aggregated with
other accounts managed by the investment adviser, the actual prices applicable to the transaction
will be averaged among the accounts for which the transaction is effected, including the account of
the fund.
In determining when and to what extent to use Schwab or any other affiliated broker-dealer as its
broker for executing orders for the funds on securities exchanges, the investment adviser follows
procedures, adopted by the funds Board of Trustees, that are designed to ensure that affiliated
brokerage commissions (if relevant) are reasonable and fair in comparison to unaffiliated brokerage
commissions for comparable transactions. The Board reviews the procedures annually and approves and
reviews transactions involving affiliated brokers quarterly.
PROXY VOTING
The Board of Trustees of the trust has delegated the responsibility for voting proxies to CSIM
through their Advisory Agreement. The Trustees have adopted CSIMs Proxy Voting Policy and
Procedures with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various Schwab Fund portfolios. A
description of CSIMs Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures is included in Appendix B.
The trust is required to disclose annually each funds complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX.
The funds proxy voting record for the most recent 12 month period ended June 30th will be
available by visiting the Schwab website at www.schwabetfs.com/prospectus. A funds Form N-PX will
also be available on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
Brokerage Commissions
The fund is new and, therefore, for each of the last three fiscal years, the fund paid no brokerage
commissions.
Regular Broker-Dealers
The funds regular broker-dealers during its most recent fiscal year are: (1) the ten
broker-dealers that received the greatest dollar amount of brokerage commissions from the fund; (2)
the ten broker-dealers that engaged as principal in the largest dollar amount of portfolio
transactions; and (3) the ten broker-dealers that sold the largest dollar amount of the funds
shares. The fund is new and, therefore, has not purchased securities issued by any regular
broker-dealers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The fund is a series of Schwab Strategic Trust, an open-end investment management company organized
as a Delaware statutory trust on January 27, 2009.
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Trust may, however,
be terminated at any time by vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each series
of the Trust or by the vote of the Trustees.
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for
fractional shares held) and will vote (to the extent provided on the Declaration of Trust) in the
election of Trustees and the termination of the Trust and on
other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders. Shareholders will vote by individual series on
all matters except (i) when required by the 1940 Act, shares shall be voted in the aggregate and
not by individual series and (ii) when the Trustees have determined that the matter affects only
the interests of one or more series, then only shareholders of such series shall be entitled to
vote thereon. Shareholders of one series shall not be entitled to vote on matters exclusively
affecting another series, such matters including, without limitation, the adoption of or change in
any fundamental policies or restrictions of the other series and the approval of the investment
advisory contracts of the other series.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees, except
that in accordance with the 1940 Act (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders meeting for the
election of Trustees at such time as less than a majority of the Trustees holding office have been
elected by shareholders, and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy in the Board of Trustees, less than
two-thirds of the Trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may
only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. In addition, Trustees may be removed from office by a
written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the
Trusts custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting
duly called for the purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of
not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Except as set forth above, the Trustees shall continue
to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. Voting rights are not cumulative.
The Trust may, without shareholder vote, restate, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of
Trust. Shareholders shall have the right to vote on any amendment that could affect their right to
vote, any amendment to the Amendments section, any amendment for which shareholder vote may be
required by applicable law or by the Trusts registration statement filed with the SEC, and on any
amendment submitted to them by the Trustees.
Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or
another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and
conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the
Trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such
reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office
and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, without the approval of shareholders of any series.
Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for inclusion in a proxy statement for a future
shareholder meeting should send their written submissions to the Trust at 1 Freedom Valley Drive,
Oaks, PA 19456. Proposals must be received a reasonable time in advance of a proxy solicitation to
be included. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee inclusion in a proxy statement because
proposals must comply with certain federal securities regulations.
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS
The fund is open each day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open (Business Days). The
NYSEs trading session is normally conducted from 9:30 a.m. Eastern time until 4:00 p.m. Eastern
time, Monday through Friday, although some days, such as in advance of and following holidays, the
NYSEs trading session closes early. The following holiday closings are currently scheduled for
2009-2010: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Only orders that are received and
deemed acceptable by the Distributor no later than the time specified by the Trust will be executed
that day at the funds share price calculated that day. On any day that the NYSE closes early, the
fund reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be
received by the Distributor that day to be executed that day at that days share price.
Creation
. The trust issues and sells shares of the funds only in Creation Units on a continuous
basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on
any Business Day, for an order received and deemed acceptable by the Distributor.
Fund Deposit
. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the fund may consist of (i) the
in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the
fund (the Deposit Securities), and an amount of cash denominated in U.S. Dollars (the Cash
Component) computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component
constitute the Fund Deposit, which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment
amount for a Creation Unit of the fund.
The fund may accept a basket of money market instruments, non-U.S. currency or cash denominated in
U.S. dollars that differs from the composition of the published basket. The fund may permit or
require the consideration for Creation Units to consist solely of cash or non-U.S. currency. The
fund may permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash denominated in U.S. Dollars (i.e.,
a cash in lieu amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. For
example, the trust reserves the right to permit or require a cash in lieu amount where the
delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be
restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the
Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized
Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, or in certain other situations.
The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the Balancing Amount. The Cash Component
serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the
value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per
Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will deliver the Cash
Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than
the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will receive the Cash Component. Computation of
the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty tax or other similar fees and expenses payable upon
transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, which shall be the sole responsibility
of the Authorized Participant.
The fund or its agent, through the NSCC or otherwise, makes available on each Business Day, prior
to the opening of business on the NYSE Arca, Inc. Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the
current Fund Deposit for the fund. Such Deposit Securities are applicable, subject to any
adjustments, in order to effect creations of Creation Units of the fund until such time as the
next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.
Procedures for Creation of Creation Units
. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and
to create a Creation Unit of a fund, an entity must be a Depository Trust Company (DTC)
participant, such as a broker-dealer, bank, trust company, clearing corporation or certain other
organization, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC (each a DTC Participant). DTC
acts as securities depositary for the shares. The DTC Participant must have executed an agreement
with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (Participant
Agreement). A DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement is referred to as an
Authorized Participant. Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized
Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement. All shares of the fund, however created,
will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on
behalf of, DTC.
All orders to create shares must be placed for one or more Creation Units. Orders must be
transmitted by an Authorized Participant pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant
Agreement. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation
Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the Transmittal Date. Orders must be
transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to
the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below.
Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede
the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
On days when the New York Stock Exchange or U.S. or non-U.S. bond markets close earlier than
normal, the fund may require purchase orders to be placed earlier in the day. All questions as to
the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including
time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the trust, whose
determination shall be final and binding.
If the Distributor does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by
the specified time on the settlement date, the trust may cancel or revoke acceptance of such order.
Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled or revoked order may be resubmitted the
following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV
of a fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the
settlement date.
Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the trust of all or a portion of the
applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will
have a value greater than the NAV of the shares on the date the order is placed since, in addition
to available Deposit Securities, U.S. cash (or an equivalent amount of non-U.S. currency) must be
deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) at least 110% , which
the trust may change from time to time, of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities
(the Additional Cash Deposit) with the fund pending delivery of any missing Deposit Securities.
The Authorized Participant must deposit with the custodian the appropriate amount of federal funds
by 10:00 a.m. New York time (or such other time as specified by the trust) on the settlement date.
If the Distributor does not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount by such
time, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of U.S.
cash (or an equivalent amount of non-U.S. currency) shall be required to be deposited with the
Distributor, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain
the Additional Cash Deposit with the trust in an amount at least equal to 110% or 115% as required,
which the trust may change from time to time, of the daily marked to market value of the missing
Deposit Securities. To the extent that missing Deposit Securities are not received by the specified
time on the settlement date, or in the event a marked-to-market payment is not made within one
Business Day following notification by the Distributor that such a payment is required, the trust
may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. The Authorized Participant
will be liable to the trust for the costs incurred by the trust in connection with any such
purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of
the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the transmittal date
plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The trust will
return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities
have been properly received by the Distributor or purchased by the trust and deposited into the
trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as listed below, will be charged in all cases.
Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units
. The trust reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke
acceptance of a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the fund. For
example, the trust may reject or revoke acceptance of an order, if (i) the order does not conform
to the procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the
shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the fund; (iii) the
Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that
date by the fund as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain
adverse tax consequences to the fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of
counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the
trust or CSIM, have an adverse effect on the trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in
the event that circumstances outside the control of the trust, the custodian, the Distributor or
CSIM make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such
circumstances include natural disaster, war, revolution; public service or utility problems such as
fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and
computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures
involving computer or other information systems affecting the trust, CSIM, the Distributor, DTC,
NSCC, custodian (or sub-custodian) or any other participant in the creation process, and similar
extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or
the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of
the order of such person. The trust, custodian (or sub-custodian) and the Distributor are under no
duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund
Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee
. The fund may impose a Transaction Fee on investors
purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. The Transaction Fee will be limited to amounts that have
been determined by CSIM to be appropriate. The purpose of the Transaction Fee is to protect the
existing shareholders of the fund from the dilutive costs
associated with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units. Where the fund permits cash
creations (or redemptions) or cash in lieu of depositing one or more Deposit Securities, the
purchaser (or redeemer) may be assessed a higher Transaction Fee to offset the transaction cost to
the fund of buying (or selling) those particular Deposit Securities. Every purchaser of a Creation
Unit will receive a prospectus that contains disclosure about the Transaction Fee, including the
maximum amount of the additional variable Transaction Fee charged by the funds.
The following table sets forth the standard and additional creation/redemption transaction fee for
the funds
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Approximate
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Maximum
|
|
Maximum
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|
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Value
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|
|
|
|
|
Additional
|
|
Additional
|
|
|
of One
|
|
Standard
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|
Creation
|
|
Redemption
|
|
|
Creation
|
|
Creation/Redemption
|
|
Transaction
|
|
Transaction
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Name of Fund
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Unit
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Transaction Fee
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Fee*
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Fee*
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Schwab U.S. REIT ETF
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|
$
|
1,250,000
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|
|
$XXXX
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|
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3.0
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%
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|
|
2
|
%
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|
|
|
*
|
|
As a percentage of the total amount invested or redeemed.
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Placement of Redemption Orders
. The process to redeem Creation Units works much like the process to
purchase Creation Units, but in reverse. Orders to redeem Creation Units of the fund must be
delivered through an Authorized Participant. Investors other than Authorized Participants are
responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized
Participant. Orders must be accompanied or followed by the requisite number of shares of the fund
specified in such order, which delivery must be made to the Distributor no later than 10:00 a.m.
New York time on the next Business Day following the Transmittal Date. All other procedures set
forth in the Participant Agreement must be properly followed.
To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participants agreement, in the event the Authorized
Participant has submitted a redemption request but is unable to transfer all or part of the
Creation Units to be redeemed to the Distributor, the Distributor will nonetheless accept the
redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the
missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized
Participants delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to
market daily) at least equal to 110%, which CSIM may change from time to time, of the value of the
missing shares.
The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that
any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars (or, at the discretion of the trust,
non-U.S. currency in an equivalent amount) in immediately-available funds and shall be held by the
custodian and marked to market daily. The fees of the custodian (and any sub-custodians) in respect
of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the
Authorized Participant. The trust, on behalf of the fund, is permitted to purchase the missing
shares or acquire the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component underlying such shares at any time
and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the
trust of purchasing such shares, Deposit Securities or Cash Component and the value of the
collateral.
If the requisite number of shares of the fund is not delivered on the Transmittal Date as described
above the fund may reject or revoke acceptance of the redemption request. If it is not possible to
effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the trust may in its discretion exercise its option to
redeem such shares in U.S. cash and the redeeming Authorized Participant will be required to
receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash
that the fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash
payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of a fund next determined after
the redemption request is received (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for
requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the trusts brokerage and other transaction
costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The funds may also, in its sole
discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that
differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and
state securities laws and the funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves
the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the trust could not lawfully deliver
specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund
Securities under such laws.
The ability of the trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions is subject, among other
things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of
delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market.
For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are
not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by
the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a
foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the trust from delivering securities within
normal settlement period. The funds will not suspend or postpone redemption beyond seven days,
except as permitted under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act or pursuant to exemptive relief obtained by
the trust. Section 22(e) provides that the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of
payment postponed with respect to the fund (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed
(other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the
NYSE is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of
which disposal of the shares of the funds portfolio securities or determination of its net asset
value is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Pricing of Shares
Each business day, the fund calculates its share price, or NAV, as of the close of the NYSE
(generally, 4 p.m. Eastern time). This means that NAVs are calculated using the values of the
funds portfolio securities as of the close of the NYSE. Such values are required to be determined
in one of two ways: securities for which market quotations are readily available are required to be
valued at current market value; and securities for which market quotations are not readily
available are required to be valued at fair value using procedures approved by the Board of
Trustees.
To the extent the fund invests in foreign securities shareholders should be aware that because
foreign markets are often open on weekends and other days when the fund is closed, the value of
some of the funds securities may change on days when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of
the fund. The fund uses approved pricing services to provide values for its portfolio securities.
Current market values are generally determined by the approved pricing services as follows:
generally securities traded on exchanges are valued at the last-quoted sales price on the exchange
on which such securities are primarily traded, or, lacking any sales, at the mean between the bid
and ask prices; generally securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last
reported sales price that day, or, if no sales are reported, at the mean between the bid and ask
prices. Generally securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance
with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. In addition, securities that are primarily traded on
foreign exchanges are generally valued at the preceding closing values of such securities on their
respective exchanges with these values then translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange
rate. Fixed income securities normally are valued based on valuations provided by approved pricing
services. Securities may be fair valued pursuant to procedures approved by the funds Board of
Trustees when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a securitys
primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a securitys primary trading
market is closed during regular market hours; or when a securitys value is materially affected by
events occurring after the close of the securitys primary trading market. The Board of Trustees
regularly reviews fair value determinations made by the funds pursuant to the procedures.
NOTE: Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares
directly from a fund in Creation Units. Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities
exchange at market prices, which may be higher (premium) or lower (discount) than NAV.
TAXATION
Federal Tax Information for the Fund
This discussion of federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued
thereunder as in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. New legislation,
as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions
expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated
herein.
It is the funds policy to qualify for taxation as a regulated investment company (RIC) by
meeting the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. By qualifying as a RIC, the fund expects to
eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal income tax to which it is subject. If the fund
does not qualify as a RIC under the Code, it will be subject to federal income tax on its net
investment income and any net realized capital gains. In addition, the fund could be required to
recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions
before requalifying as a RIC.
The fund is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes and is not combined with
the trusts other funds. The fund intends to qualify as a RIC so that it will be relieved of
federal income tax on that part of its income that is distributed to shareholders. To qualify for
treatment as a RIC, the fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of its
investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess, if any, of net
short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses) and also must meet several additional
requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the funds gross
income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to
securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign
currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock or
securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded
partnership; (ii) at the close of each quarter of the funds taxable year, at least 50% of the
value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities,
securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of
any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the funds assets and that
does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (iii) at
the close of each quarter of the funds taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its assets
may be invested in securities (other than U.S. Government securities or the securities of other
RICs) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers and which are engaged in the same, similar, or
related trades or businesses if the fund owns at least 20% of the voting power of such issuers, or
the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
Certain master limited partnerships may qualify as qualified publicly traded partnerships for
purposes of the Subchapter M diversification rules described above. To do so, the master limited
partnership must satisfy two requirements during the taxable year. First, the interests of such
partnership either must be traded on an established securities market or must be readily tradable
on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof). Second, the partnership must meet
the 90% gross income requirements for the exception from treatment as a corporation with gross
income other than income consisting of dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities
loans, or gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or
other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock securities or
currencies.
The Code imposes a non-deductible excise tax on RICs that do not distribute in a calendar year
(regardless of whether they otherwise have a non-calendar taxable year) an amount equal to 98% of
their ordinary income (as defined in the Code) for the calendar year plus 98% of their net
capital gain for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year, plus any
undistributed amounts from prior years. The non-deductible excise tax is equal to 4% of the
deficiency. For the foregoing purposes, the fund is treated as having distributed any amount on
which it is subject to income tax for any taxable year ending in such calendar year. The fund may
in certain circumstances be required to liquidate fund investments to make sufficient distributions
to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the
investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such
circumstances may affect the ability of the fund to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a
RIC.
Dividends and interest received from the funds holding of foreign securities may give rise to
withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries
and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If the fund meets certain requirements,
which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the funds total assets at the close
of its respective taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the
fund should be eligible to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service that may enable
shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction,
with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid to the fund, subject to certain
limitations. Pursuant to this election, the fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its
shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those
taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so
included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either
deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or,
alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit the shareholder
may be entitled to use against such shareholders federal income tax. If the fund makes this
election, the fund will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the
funds income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions.
If the fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as passive foreign
investment companies or PFIC, the fund will be subject to one of the following special tax
regimes: (i) the fund is liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on
a portion of any excess distribution from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of
such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the funs as a dividend to its
shareholders; (ii) if the fund was able and elected to treat a PFIC as a qualifying electing fund
or QEF, the fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders
in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the funds pro rata share of the
ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the passive foreign investment company, whether or not
such earnings or gains are distributed to the fund; or (iii) the fund may be entitled to
mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to
shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set
forth above.
The funds transactions in futures contracts, forward contracts, and certain other investment and
hedging activities may be restricted by the Code and are subject to special tax rules. In a given
case, these rules may accelerate income to the fund, defer its losses, cause adjustments in the
holding periods of the funds assets, convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital
losses or otherwise affect the character of the funds income. These rules could therefore affect
the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund will endeavor to make
any available elections pertaining to these transactions in a manner believed to be in the best
interest of a fund and its shareholders.
The fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for
each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of
the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options
contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40%
short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of
distributions to shareholders. The fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on
futures contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the fund.
It is anticipated that any net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts
will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for
purposes of the 90% requirement described above. The fund distributes to shareholders at least
annually any net capital gains that have been recognized for federal income tax purposes, including
unrealized gains at the end of the funds fiscal year on futures or options transactions. Such
distributions are combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the funds other
investments and shareholders are advised on the nature of the distributions.
Federal Income Tax Information for Shareholders
The discussion of federal income taxation presented below supplements the discussion in the funds
prospectus and only summarizes some of the important federal tax considerations generally affecting
shareholders of the fund. Accordingly, prospective investors (particularly those not residing or
domiciled in the United States) should consult their own tax advisors regarding the consequences of
investing in the fund.
Any dividends declared by the fund in October, November or December and paid the following January
are treated, for tax purposes, as if they were received by shareholders on December 31 of the year
in which they were declared. In general, distributions by the fund of investment company taxable
income (including net short-term capital gains), if any, whether received in cash or additional
shares, will be taxable to you as ordinary income. A portion of these distributions may be treated
as qualified dividend income (eligible for the reduced maximum rate to individuals of 15% (reduced
rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets)) to the extent that the fund receives qualified
dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic
corporations and certain foreign corporations (e.g., foreign corporations incorporated in a
possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the
United States, or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the
United States). A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that (i)
the shareholder has not held the shares of the fund on which the dividend was paid for more than 60
days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the
shares of the fund become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (and the fund also satisfies
those holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends
distributed to the shareholder), (ii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a
short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related
property, or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section
163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT or another
RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are
attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC. It is expected that
dividends received by the fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be
taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income.
Distributions from net capital gain (if any) that are designated as capital gains dividends are
taxable as long-term capital gains without regard to the length of time the shareholder has held
shares of the fund. However, if you receive a capital gains dividend with respect to fund shares
held for six months or less, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares shall, to the extent
of the capital gains dividend, be treated as a long-term capital loss. Long-term capital gains also
will be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. Absent further legislation, the maximum 15% tax rate on
qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains will cease to apply to taxable years
beginning after December 31, 2010.
The fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends and capital gain
distributions, if any, at the time they are paid and will advise you of their tax status for
federal income tax purposes, including what portion of the distributions will be qualified dividend
income, shortly after the close of each calendar year. REITs in which the fund invests often do
not provide complete and final tax information to the fund until after the time that the fund
issues the tax reporting statement. As a result, the fund may at times find it necessary to
reclassify to the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax
reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the fund will send you a corrected,
final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form
1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously
issued tax reporting statement in completing your tax returns.
If the fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the funds current and accumulated
earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of
capital to the extent of the shareholders tax basis in its shares, and thereafter, as capital
gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus
reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of
its shares.
For corporate investors in the fund, dividend distributions the fund designates to be from
dividends received from qualifying domestic corporations will be eligible for the 70% corporate
dividends-received deduction to the extent they
would qualify if the fund were a regular corporation. Distributions by the fund also may be subject
to state, local and foreign taxes, which may differ from the federal income tax treatment described
above.
A sale of shares in the fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized
upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the
shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable
disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Under current law, the
maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains available to non-corporate shareholders is generally
15% for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011. Any loss realized upon a taxable
disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than
short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received)
by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable
disposition of shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the fund are
purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly
purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a
gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the
Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchangers aggregate basis in the securities
surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation
Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchangers basis
in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the
amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may
assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted
currently under the rules governing wash sales, or on the basis that there has been no
significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as
long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held
for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units
will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation
Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be
treated as short-term capital gains or losses. In some circumstances, a redemption of Creation
Units may be treated as resulting in a distribution to which section 301 of the Code applies,
potentially causing amounts received by the shareholder in the redemption to be treated as dividend
income rather than as a payment in exchange for Creation Units. The rules for determining when a
redemption will be treated as giving rise to a distribution under section 301 of the Code and the
tax consequences of Code section 301 distributions are complex. Persons purchasing or redeeming
Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any
creation or redemption transaction.
Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts,
salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from
federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI).
Under current law, each fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by their tax-exempt
shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by
virtue of its investment in the fund where, for example, (i) the fund invests in REITs that hold
residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or (ii) share in the fund
constitutes debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of
section 514(b) of the Code, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment
in the Fund. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax
advisors. There are no restrictions preventing the fund from holding investments in REITs that hold
residual interests in REMICs, and the fund may do so. The Internal Revenue Service has issued
recent guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable
remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these
issues.
The fund has the right to reject an order to for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of
purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares
of the fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Code, the respective fund would have a basis in
the deposit securities different from the market value of such
securities on the date of deposit. The fund also has the right to require information necessary to
determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Dividends paid by the fund to shareholders who are nonresident aliens or foreign entities will be
subject to a 30% United States withholding tax unless a reduced rate of withholding or a
withholding exemption is provided under applicable treaty law to the extent derived from investment
income and short-term capital gain (other than qualified short-term capital gain described below)
or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on through a
permanent establishment in the United States. Nonresident shareholders are urged to consult their
own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the United States withholding tax and the proper
withholding form(s) to be submitted to the fund. A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an
appropriate Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 may be subject to backup withholding at the
appropriate rate.
The fund may, under certain circumstances, designate all or a portion of a dividend as an
interest-related dividend that if received by a nonresident alien or foreign entity generally
would be exempt from the 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided that certain other requirements are
met. The fund may also, under certain circumstances, designate all or a portion of a dividend as a
qualified short-term capital gain dividend which if received by a nonresident alien or foreign
entity generally would be exempt from the 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless the foreign person is a
nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183
days or more during the taxable year. In the case of Shares held through an intermediary, the
intermediary may withhold even if the fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income
or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries
with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts. The provisions relating to
dividends to foreign persons would apply to dividends with respect to taxable years of the funds
beginning after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2010.
The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA) makes non-U.S. persons subject
to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest as if he or she were a U.S. person.
Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. The Internal Revenue Code provides a
look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain by a RIC if all of the following requirements
are met: (i) the RIC is classified as a qualified investment entity (a qualified investment
entity includes a RIC if, in general, more than 50% of the RICs assets consists of interests in
REITs and U.S. real property holding corporations); and (ii) you are a non-U.S. shareholder that
owns more than 5% of the funds shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of
the distribution. If these conditions are met, fund distributions to you are treated as gain from
the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI), causing the distribution to be subject
to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 35%, and requiring that you file a nonresident U.S. income tax
return. Also, such gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a non-U.S.
shareholder that is a corporation. Even if a non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of a
funds shares, fund distributions to you that are attributable to gain from the sale or disposition
of a USRPI will be taxable as ordinary dividends subject to withholding at a 30% or lower treaty
rate.
The funds investments in REITs may require the fund to pass-through certain excess inclusion
income as unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). Tax-exempt investors sensitive to UBTI
are strongly encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investment in the fund regarding
this issue and recent IRS pronouncements regarding the treatment of such income in the hands of
such investors
Disclosure for Non-U.S. Shareholders
The fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at
the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable
dividends paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number
certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the Internal Revenue Service
for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a
certified statement that he or she is not subject to backup withholding; or (4) fails to provide
a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup
withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the
shareholders ultimate U.S. tax liability.
Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships,
trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower
tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from net investment income and short-term capital gains;
provided, however, that for the funds taxable year beginning after December 31, 2004 and not
beginning after December 31, 2009, interest related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends
generally will not be subject to U.S. withholding taxes. Distributions to foreign shareholders of
such short-term capital gain dividends, of long-term capital gains and any gains from the sale or
other disposition of shares of the fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the
recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the Codes definition of resident alien or (2) is
physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Different tax consequences may result
if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition,
the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be
different than those described above.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an
individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must
file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of
portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current
guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as the fund are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the
current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact
that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of
whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax
advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual
circumstances.
Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the state and local tax rules affecting
investments in the fund.
PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28. EXHIBITS.
(a)
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(1)
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Certificate of Trust, dated January 27, 2009, of Schwab Strategic Trust (the Registrant
or the Trust) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) of the Registrants
Registration Statement, filed July 15, 2009.
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(2)
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Registrants Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated October 12,
2009, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(3) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 of
the Registrants Registration Statement, filed October 27, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2).
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(b)
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Registrants By-Laws, dated January 26, 2009, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b) of
the Registrants Registration Statement, filed July 15, 2009.
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(c)
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Reference is made to Article 5 of the Registrants Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
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(d)
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(1)
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Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.,
dated October 12, 2009,is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 1 of the Registrants Registration Statement, filed April 21, 2010 (hereinafter referred
to as PEA No. 1).
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(2)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, filed July 23, 2010
(hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 3) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of
PEA No. 3.
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(e)
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(1)
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Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co. is
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (e) of PEA No. 1.
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(e)
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(2)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI
Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit
(e)(2) of PEA No. 3.
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(f)
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Not applicable.
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(g)
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(1)
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Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated
October 17, 2005, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (g)(1) of Pre-Effective Amendment
No. 1 of Registrants Registration Statement, filed October 7, 2009 (hereinafter referred to
as Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1).
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(2)
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Amendment, dated October 8, 2009,to the Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and
State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005 is incorporated by reference to
Exhibit (g)(2) of PEA No. 1.
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(3)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and
State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is filed herewith.
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(h)
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(1)
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Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management,
Inc, dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(1) of Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 1.
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(2)
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Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust
Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.
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(3)
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Authorized Participant Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.
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(4)
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Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street
Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit
(h)(4) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.
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(5)
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Amendment, dated October 8, 2009, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement
between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(5) of PEA No. 1.
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(6)
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Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and
State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated by reference to
Exhibit (h)(6) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.
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2
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(7)
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Amendment, dated October 8, 2009, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the
Charles Schwab Investment Management Company, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company,
dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) of PEA No. 1.
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(8)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant
and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated by
reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of PEA No. 3
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(9)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant
and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is filed herewith.
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(10)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement
between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is
filed herewith.
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(11)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010 to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles
Schwab Investment Management Company, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated
October 1, 2005, is filed herewith.
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(i)
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Not applicable.
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(j)
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(1)
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Not applicable.
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(2)
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Power of Attorney of Walter W. Bettinger is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (j)(2)
of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.
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(3)
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Power of Attorney of Robert W. Burns is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (j)(3) of
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.
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(4)
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Power of Attorney of Charles A. Ruffel is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (j)(4)
of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.
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(5)
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Power of Attorney of Mark A. Goldfarb is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (j)(5) of
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.
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(6)
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Power of Attorney of Randall W. Merk is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (j)(6) of
PEA No. 1.
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(7)
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Power of Attorney of George Pereira is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (j)(7) of
PEA No. 1.
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(8)
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Resolution Approving Power of Attorney is filed herewith as
Exhibit (j)(8).
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(k)
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Not applicable.
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(l)
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None.
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(m)
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Not applicable.
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(n)
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Not applicable.
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(o)
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Not applicable.
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(p)
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(1)
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Joint Code of Ethics for the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is
incorporated by reference to
Exhibit (p)(1)
of PEA No. 3.
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(p)
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(2)
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Code of Ethics of SEI Investments Distribution Co. is incorporated by reference to
Exhibit (p)(2) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.
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ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE REGISTRANT.
Not Applicable.
3
ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION.
Reference is made to Article VII of Registrants Declaration of Trust (Exhibit (a) filed
October 27, 2009) and Article 11 of Registrants By-Laws (Exhibit (b) filed July 15, 2009).
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be
permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing
provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in 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 Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)
is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled
by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.
ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER.
The Registrants investment adviser, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM), a
Delaware corporation, organized in October 1989, also serves as the investment manager to Laudus
Institutional Trust, Laudus Trust, Schwab Capital Trust, The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab
Investments, and Schwab Annuity Portfolios, each an open-end, management investment company. The
principal place of business of the investment adviser is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
The only business in which the investment adviser engages is that of investment adviser and
administrator to Schwab Capital Trust, The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments,
Schwab Annuity Portfolios and any other investment companies that Schwab may sponsor in the future,
investment adviser to the Registrant, Laudus Trust and Laudus Institutional Trust and an investment
adviser to certain non-investment company clients.
The business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each
director and/or senior or executive officer of CSIM is or has been engaged during the past two
fiscal years is listed below. The name of any company for which any director and/or senior or
executive officer of the investment adviser serves as director, officer, employee, partner or
trustee is also listed below.
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Name and Position
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with Adviser
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Name of Other Company
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Capacity
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Charles R. Schwab, Chairman and Director
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Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
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Chairman and Director
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The Charles Schwab Bank, N.A.
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Chairman, Director
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The Charles Schwab Corporation
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Chairman
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Schwab Holdings, Inc.
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Chief Executive Officer
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Schwab International Holdings, Inc.
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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
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Schwab (SIS) Holdings, Inc. I
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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
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Charles Schwab Holdings (UK)
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Chairman
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United States Trust Company of New York
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Chairman, Director
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All Kinds of Minds
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Director
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Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
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Director
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Stanford University
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Trustee
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Randall W. Merk Director, President and
Chief Executive Officer
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Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
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Executive Vice President and President,
Investment Management Services
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Schwab Funds
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President, Chief Executive Officer
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Laudus Funds
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President, Chief Executive Officer
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Schwab ETFs
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President, Chief Executive Officer
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Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds, PLC
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Director
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Charles Schwab Asset Management
(Ireland) Limited
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Director
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4
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Name and Position
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with Adviser
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Name of Other Company
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Capacity
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Koji E. Felton, Senior Vice President,
Chief Counsel and Corporate Secretary
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Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
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Senior Vice President, Deputy General
Counsel
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Schwab Funds
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Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
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Laudus Funds
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Vice President and Assistant Clerk
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Schwab ETFs
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Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
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Michael Hogan,
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Schwab Funds
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Chief Compliance Officer
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Chief Compliance Officer
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Schwab ETFs
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Chief Compliance Officer
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Laudus Funds
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Chief Compliance Officer
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Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
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Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer
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George Pereira, Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer
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Schwab Funds
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Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
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Laudus Funds
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Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
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Schwab ETFs
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Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
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Mutual Fund Division, UST Advisers, Inc.
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Chief Financial Officer
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Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds, PLC
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Director
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Charles Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited
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Director
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ITEM 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS:
(a) SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the Distributor) is the principal underwriter of the Trust.
(b) Information with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter is
as follows. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is 1 Freedom
Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456.
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Position and Office
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Positions and Offices
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Name
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with Underwriter
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with Registrant
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William M. Doran
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Director
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None
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Edward D. Loughlin
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Director
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None
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Wayne M. Withrow
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Director
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None
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Kevin Barr
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President & Chief Executive Officer
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None
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Maxine Chou
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Chief Financial Officer, Chief
Operations Officer, & Treasurer
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None
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Karen LaTourette
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Chief Compliance Officer,
Anti-Money Laundering Officer
&Assistant Secretary
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None
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John C. Munch
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General Counsel & Secretary
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None
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Mark J. Held
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Senior Vice President
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None
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Lori L. White
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Vice President &Assistant Secretary
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None
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John Coary
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Vice President & Assistant Secretary
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None
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John Cronin
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Vice President
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None
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Robert Silvestri
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Vice President
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None
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(5) © None.
ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS.
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940
Act, as amended, and the Rules thereunder will be maintained at the offices of:
1)
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Schwab Strategic Trust, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
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2)
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Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
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3)
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Principal Underwriter SEI Investments Distribution Co., 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA
19456
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4)
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Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111
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5)
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Transfer Agent State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111
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ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
5
None.
ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS.
Not applicable.
6
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), and
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Registrant has duly caused this Post Effective
Amendment No. 4 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City
of San Francisco, State of California, on this 24th day of September, 2010.
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SCHWAB STRATEGIC TRUST
Registrant
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Randall W. Merk*
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Randall W. Merk,
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President and Chief Executive Officer
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Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to
Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities indicated this 24th day of September, 2010.
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Signature
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Title
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Walter W. Bettinger, II*
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Chairman and Trustee
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Robert W. Burns*
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Trustee
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Mark A. Goldfarb*
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Trustee
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Charles A. Ruffel*
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Trustee
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Randall W. Merk*
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President and Chief Executive Officer
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George Pereira*
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Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
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*By:
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/s/ David J. Lekich
David J. Lekich, Attorney-in-Fact
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Pursuant to Power of Attorney
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7
EXHIBIT INDEX
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(g)(3)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State
Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005
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(h)(9)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and
State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009
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(h)(10)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement
between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005
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(h)(11)
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Amendment, dated July 26, 2010 to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles
Schwab Investment Management Company, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated
October 1, 2005
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(j)(8)
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Resolution Approving Power of Attorney is filed herein as
Exhibit (j)(8).
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8