Securities Act Registration No. 333- _______

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811- _______


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549


REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

ý

¨

Pre-Effective Amendment No.__

¨

Post-Effective Amendment No.__


and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

ý

¨

Amendment No.__



(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

Collaborative Investment Series Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400

Broadview Heights, OH 44147

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (440) 922-0066

CT Corporation System

1300 East 9th Street

Cleveland, OH  44114

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)


With copy to:

JoAnn M. Strasser, Thompson Hine LLP

41 S. High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio  43215

Approximate date of proposed public offering:  As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

¨ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

¨ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.




  The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed.  We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective.  This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.



MERCATOR INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND

Institutional Class Shares

[ ticker]




PROSPECTUS


[          ], 2018



Advised by:

Belpointe Asset Management, LLC

Greenwich, CT








The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.









TABLE OF CONTENTS


MERCATOR INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND SUMMARY

3

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE:

3

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND:

3

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY:

4

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS:

4

PERFORMANCE:

5

INVESTMENT ADVISER:

7

PORTFOLIO MANAGER:

7

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES:

7

TAX INFORMATION:

7

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES:  7

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS  8

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES:

8

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES:

8

TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS

9

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

10

CYBERSECURITY

10

MANAGEMENT

10

INVESTMENT ADVISER :

10

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS:

11

HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

11

HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

12

MINIMUM INVESTMENTS :

12

OPENING AN ACCOUNT:

13

AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLANS:

15

OTHER PURCHASE INFORMATION:

15

HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

15

REDEEMING SHARES:

15





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REDEEMING BY MAIL:

16

TELEPHONE REDEMPTIONS:

16

REDEMPTIONS IN KIND:

17

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION INFORMATION:

17

FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

17

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

19

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS:

19

TAXES

19

DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES

20

DISTRIBUTOR :

20

HOUSEHOLDING :

20

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

20

FOR MORE INFORMATION

26






2




MERCATOR INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND SUMMARY


INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE:

The fund's investment objective is long-term growth of capital.


FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.


Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

Institutional

Class

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases

     (as a % of offering price)

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

      (as a % of original purchase price)

None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested  

       Dividends and other Distributions

None

Redemption Fee

       (as a % of amount redeemed, if sold within 60 days)

None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Institutional Class

Management Fees

1.19%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

Other Expenses

1.00%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1)

0.01%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

2.20%

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (2)

(0.54)%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee  Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

1.66%


(1) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.  


(2) The Fund's adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and to reimburse expenses, at least through [       ], 2019, to ensure that total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and reimbursement (exclusive of any 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expenses, dividend expenses on short sales, taxes, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 1.65% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Institutional Class shares.  These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years of the date on which the waiver or reimbursement occurs, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recoupment.  This agreement may be terminated only by the Fund's Board of Trustees, on 60 days written notice to the Fund's adviser.






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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 mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Class

1 Year

3 Years

Institutional

$168

$633


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 rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY:


The Fund invests primarily in stocks of companies domiciled in developed countries outside of the United States. The Fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies that it believes have the potential for growth. The Fund, will invest at least 40% of its assets in securities of companies outside the United States, which the adviser defines as securities listed primarily on exchanges outside the United States.

The Fund relies on the professional judgment of its portfolio manager to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to analyze information on securities in the Fund’s investment universe to determine their long term attractiveness. The investment adviser believes that an important way to accomplish this is through fundamental analysis, which may include meeting with company executives and employees, suppliers, customers and competitors. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. Because the Fund is seeking long term appreciation, these securities may be held by the Fund for a period of two years or more.  Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS:


As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.  The Fund is subject to the risks associated with the global stock and bond markets, any of which could cause an investment to lose money.

Adverse Market Conditions Risk .  The performance of the Fund will suffer during conditions that are adverse to its investment goals, such as during bear markets.





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Foreign Investment Risk . Foreign investments may be riskier than U.S. investments for many reasons, such as changes in currency exchange rates and unstable political, social and economic conditions.

Issuer Risk .  The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.

Management Risk .  The adviser is a new adviser with a limited track record for investors to evaluate.

Market Risk .  The market price of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably.  Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries represented in the securities markets.  The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally.  The value of a security may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.  During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously.  Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

Smaller Company Risk .  Investments in securities issued by smaller capitalization companies (including micro-cap, small-cap and mid-cap) involve greater risk than investments in large-capitalization companies.  The value of securities issued by smaller capitalization companies may go up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, due to narrower markets and more limited managerial and financial resources than large-cap companies.  The Fund’s investments in smaller capitalization companies may increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.

PERFORMANCE:

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time.  In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.  Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by calling 1-800-[     ] and may also be available at www.[       ]


INVESTMENT ADVISER:

Belpointe Asset Management, LLC (“BAM”).


PORTFOLIO MANAGER:

Herve van Caloen has served the Fund as portfolio manager since the Fund commenced operations in [__] 2018.  






5


PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES:

You may purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.  You may redeem shares by written request, telephone or through a financial intermediary.  The minimum initial and subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares is $[     ] and $[     ], respectively, for all accounts. However, the Fund or the adviser may waive any minimum investment requirement at its discretion.

TAX INFORMATION:

Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates unless you are investing through a tax-deferred plan such as an IRA or 401(k) plan.  However, such distributions may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from the plan.

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES:

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services.  These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment.  Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.





6




ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS


INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES:  

The fund's investment objective is long-term growth of capital.  

The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval by the Fund's Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. The Fund has adopted a policy to invest at least 40% of its assets in securities of companies outside the United States. The Fund may change its 40% policy upon 60 days’ written notice to its shareholders.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES:


The Fund invests primarily in stocks of companies domiciled in developed countries outside of the United States. The Fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies that it believes have the potential for growth. The Fund, will invest at least 40% of its assets in securities of companies outside the United States, which the adviser defines as securities listed primarily on exchanges outside the United States.

The Fund relies on the professional judgment of its portfolio manager to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to analyze information on securities in the Fund’s investment universe to determine their long term attractiveness. The investment adviser believes that an important way to accomplish this is through fundamental analysis, which may include meeting with company executives and employees, suppliers, customers and competitors. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. The Fund will seek out larger, undervalued companies as well as smaller companies with strong growth potential.  Since the Fund is looking for long term appreciation, these securities may be held for long periods of time. A holding period of two years of more should be expected when the portfolio manager has a strong conviction in a specific company.  Because the Fund is seeking long term appreciation, these securities may be held by the Fund for a period of two years or more.  Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.


PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS:


Adverse Market Conditions Risk .  The Fund’s performance will suffer during conditions that are adverse to its investment goals, such as during bear markets.


Foreign Investment Risk .  Foreign investments may be riskier than U.S. investments for many reasons, including changes in currency exchange rates; unstable political, social and economic conditions; possible security illiquidity; a lack of adequate or accurate company information; differences in the way securities markets operate; less secure





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foreign banks or securities depositories than those in the U.S.; less standardization of accounting standards and market regulations in certain foreign countries; and varying foreign controls on investments. Because the Fund can make foreign investments, its share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than would otherwise be the case.

Issuer Risk .  The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.

Management Risk .  The adviser’s judgments about the individual securities in which either Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the adviser’s judgment will produce the desired results. If that assessment proves incorrect, the respective Fund’s value may be adversely affected.

Market Risk .  Equity security prices can rise or decline overall due to changes in the economic outlook, interest rates, political events and numerous other factors. Overall securities market risks affect the value of individual securities in which the Funds invest.  Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth rates and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the U.S. and international securities markets.  When the value of a Fund's investments goes down, your investment in such Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.

Smaller Company Risk .  The Fund is subject to smaller company risk.  Securities of smaller companies (including micro-cap, small-cap and mid-cap) may be very sensitive to changing economic conditions and market downturns because the issuers often have narrow markets, fewer product lines, and limited managerial and financial resources, resulting in volatile equity security prices and a limited ability to sell them at a desirable time or price.  The earnings and prospects of smaller companies are more volatile than those of larger companies.  Smaller companies also may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies.  In addition, the securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than the securities of larger companies, which may disproportionately affect their market price, tending to make them fall more in response to selling pressure than is the case with larger companies.


TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS

To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, each Fund may invest 100% of its total assets, without limitation, in high-quality short-term debt securities and money market instruments.  These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include: shares of money market mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, U.S. Government securities and repurchase agreements.  While a Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited.  Furthermore, to the extent that either Fund invests in money market mutual funds for cash positions, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund pays its pro-rata portion of such money market funds' advisory fees and operational fees.  Each Fund may also invest a substantial portion of its assets in such instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies.





8



PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

A description of the Fund’s policies regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.


CYBERSECURITY

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and its service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches.  Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and its service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached.


The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.  Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate their NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Funds, the adviser, the sub-adviser, and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.


Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Funds invest; counterparties with which the Funds engage in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Funds’ shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.


MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT ADVISER :

Belpointe Asset Management, LLC, (“BAM”), located at 125 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT, 06830 serves as investment adviser to the Funds.  Subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees, BAM is responsible for the overall management of the Fund’s investment portfolio.  BAM is a Connecticut limited liability company formed in 2007 to provide investment advisory services to individual clients.  The Fund is not its only client.

Pursuant to a Management Agreement, the Fund pays the adviser, on a monthly basis, an annual advisory fee equivalent to 1.19% of the Fund's average daily net assets.  The adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and to reimburse expenses, at least through [    ], 2019 to ensure that total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and reimbursement (exclusive of any 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expenses, dividend expenses on short sales, taxes, brokerage commissions,





9


expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 1.65% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Institutional Class shares of the Fund.  These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years after the date on which the waiver or reimbursement occurs, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recoupment.  This agreement may be terminated only by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, on 60 days’ written notice to BAM.  Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Fund's expenses and boost its performance.  A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the Management Agreement will be available in the Fund’s [semi-]annual report for the period ended [___].

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS:

Herve van Caloen has served the Fund as portfolio manager since the Fund commenced operations in [__] 2018. Mr. van Caloen joined Belpointe in 2011 as the Head of International Research. Mr. van Caloen joined Scudder, Stevens and Clark in 1985 as an analyst. He became the portfolio manager of the Scudder Variable Life International Fund. He later managed The PaineWebber Europe Growth Fund.  In the mid 1990’s, he was the head of the international investment effort at Provident Capital Management.  He later became a portfolio manager and First Vice President of Schroders in New York. Before joining Belpointe, Mr. van Caloen was the CEO of PRIMO Magazine.


The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager's compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager's ownership of shares of the Fund.


HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

The Fund's assets are generally valued at their market value using market quotations.  The Fund may use pricing services to determine market value.  If market prices are not available or, in the adviser's opinion, market prices do not reflect fair value, or if an event occurs after the close of trading on the domestic or foreign exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (but prior to the time the NAV is calculated) that materially affects fair value, the investment adviser will value the Fund’s assets at their fair value according to policies approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.  For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the adviser or adviser may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines.  Without a fair value price, short term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long term investors.  Securities trading on overseas markets present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events effecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas market, but prior to the close of the U.S. market.  Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of a Fund's NAV by short term traders.  Fair valuation involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may differ materially from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.  The Fund may invest in ETFs and other investment companies





10


("Underlying Funds").  The Fund’s NAV is calculated based, in part, upon the market prices of the Underlying Funds in its portfolio, and the prospectuses of those companies explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.  Because foreign securities trade on days when the Fund’s shares are not priced, the value of securities held by the Fund can change on days when the Fund’s shares cannot be purchased or redeemed.


HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

Institutional Class Shares

Institutional Class shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge and are not subject to 12b-1 distribution fees, but have a higher minimum initial investment than other classes of shares. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund.  Institutional Class shares are intended to be offered to institutional investors through select channels that are not available to all investors.  However, the Fund or the adviser may admit investors at its discretion and waive any minimum investment requirement.



MINIMUM INVESTMENTS :

The minimum initial and subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares is $1000 and $1000, respectively, for all accounts. However, the Fund or the adviser may waive any minimum investment requirement at its discretion.

 There is no minimum investment requirement when you are buying shares by reinvesting dividends and distributions from the Fund.  Investment minimums may be higher or lower for investors purchasing shares through a brokerage firm or other financial institution.  To the extent investments of individual investors are aggregated into an omnibus account established by an investment adviser, brokerage firm, retirement plan sponsor or other intermediary, the account minimums apply to the omnibus account, not to the account of the individual investor.

For accounts sold through brokerage firms and other intermediaries, it is the responsibility of the brokerage firm or intermediary to enforce compliance with investment minimums.

OPENING AN ACCOUNT:

The Fund is a separate series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust (the "Trust"), and you may purchase shares directly from the Fund.  You also may purchase shares through a brokerage firm or other intermediary that has contracted with the Trust to sell shares of the Fund.  You may be charged a separate fee by the brokerage firm or other intermediary through whom you purchase shares.

If you are investing directly in the Fund for the first time, please call the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-800-[     ] to request a Shareholder Account Application.  You will need to establish an account before investing.  Be sure to sign up for all the account options that you plan to take advantage of.  For example, if you would like to be able to redeem your shares by telephone, you should select this option on your Shareholder Account





11


Application.  Doing so when you open your account means that you will not need to complete additional paperwork later.

Your investment in the Fund should be intended as a long-term investment vehicle.  The Fund is not designed to provide you with a means of speculating on the short-term fluctuations in the stock market.  The Fund reserve the right to reject any purchase request that it regards as disruptive to the efficient management of the Fund, which includes investors with a history of excessive trading.  The Fund also reserves the right to stop offering shares at any time.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.  This means that when you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We also may ask for other identifying documents or information, and may take additional steps to verify your identity. We may not be able to open your account or complete a transaction for you until we are able to verify your identity.

If you have any questions regarding the Fund, please call 1-800-[    ].

You may buy shares on any "business day."  Business days are Monday through Friday, other than days the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is closed, including the following holidays:  New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Shares of the Funds are sold at NAV.  The NAV generally is calculated as of the close of trading on the NYSE every day the NYSE is open.  The NYSE normally closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time ("ET").  The Fund's NAV is calculated by taking the total value of the Fund's assets, subtracting its liabilities, and then dividing by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent.  

If you are purchasing directly from the Trust, send the completed Shareholder Account Application and a check payable to the Fund in which you are investing to the following address:

Collaborative Investment Series Trust

c/o Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC

8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400

Broadview Heights, OH 44147-4031

Purchase orders received in "proper form" by the Fund’s transfer agent before the close of trading on the NYSE will be effective at the NAV next calculated after your order is received.  On occasion, the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET.  When that happens, purchase orders received after the NYSE closes will be effective the following business day.  

To be in "proper form," the purchase order must include:





12


Fund name and account number;

Account name(s) and address;

The dollar amount or number of shares you wish to purchase.  

The Fund may limit the amount of purchases and refuse to sell to any person.

 

Method of Payment .  All purchases (both initial and subsequent) must be made in U.S. dollars and checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.  Cash, credit cards and third party checks will not be accepted. Third party checks and checks drawn on a non-U.S. financial institution will not be accepted, even if payment may be effected through a U.S. financial institution.  Checks made payable to any individual or company and endorsed to Collaborative Investment Series Trust or the Fund are considered third-party checks.


A $20 fee will be charged against your account for any payment check returned to the transfer agent or for any incomplete electronic funds transfer, or for insufficient funds, stop payment, closed account or other reasons.  If a check does not clear your bank or the Fund is unable to debit your pre-designated bank account on the day of purchase, the Fund reserves the right to cancel the purchase.  If your purchase is canceled, you will be responsible for any losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be incurred as a result of a decline in the value of the canceled purchase.  The Fund (or the Fund's agent) each have the authority to redeem shares in your account(s) to cover any losses due to fluctuations in share price.  Any profit on such cancellation will accrue to the Fund.


If you choose to pay by wire, you must call the Fund’s transfer agent, at 1-800-[     ] to set up your account, to obtain an account number, and obtain instructions on how to complete the wire transfer.


Wire orders will be accepted only on a day on which the Fund, custodian and transfer agent are open for business.  A wire purchase will not be considered made until the wired money and the purchase order are received by the Fund.  Any delays that may occur in wiring money, including delays that may occur in processing by the banks, are not the responsibility of the Fund or its transfer agent.  The Fund presently does not charge a fee for the receipt of wired funds, but the Fund may charge shareholders for this service in the future.


AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLANS:


By completing the Automatic Investment Plan section of the account application, you may make automatic monthly investments ($[    ] minimum per purchase) from your bank or savings account.

OTHER PURCHASE INFORMATION:

If your wire does not clear, you will be responsible for any loss incurred by the Fund.  If you are already a shareholder, the Fund can redeem shares from any identically registered account in the Fund as reimbursement for any loss incurred.  You may be prohibited or restricted from making future purchases in the Fund.





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The Fund may authorize certain brokerage firms and other intermediaries (including its designated correspondents) to accept purchase and redemption orders on its behalf.  The Fund is deemed to have received an order when the authorized person or designee receives the order, and the order is processed at the NAV next calculated thereafter.  It is the responsibility of the brokerage firm or other intermediary to transmit orders promptly to the Funds’ transfer agent.

HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

REDEEMING SHARES:

You may redeem your shares on any business day.  Redemption orders received in proper form by the Fund’s transfer agent or by a brokerage firm or other intermediary selling Fund shares before 4:00 p.m. ET (or before the NYSE closes if the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET) will be processed at that day's NAV.  Your brokerage firm or intermediary may have an earlier cut-off time.

"Proper form" means your request for redemption must:

Include the Fund name and account number;

Include the account name(s) and address;

State the dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem; and

Be signed by all registered share owner(s) in the exact name(s) and any special capacity in which they are registered.

The Fund may require that the signatures be guaranteed if the mailing address of the account has been changed within 30 days of the redemption request.  The Fund also may require that signatures be guaranteed for redemptions of $25,000 or more.  Signature guarantees are for the protection of shareholders.  You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks and securities dealers, but not from a notary public.  All documentation requiring a signature guarantee must utilize a New Technology Medallion stamp.  For joint accounts, both signatures must be guaranteed.  Please call the transfer agent at 1-800-[     ] if you have questions regarding signature guarantees.  At the discretion of the Fund, you may be required to furnish additional legal documents to insure proper authorization.  The Fund will not make checks payable to any person other than the shareholder(s) of record.

Shares of the Fund may be redeemed by mail or telephone.  You may receive redemption payments in the form of a check or federal wire transfer.  A wire transfer fee of $20 will be charged to defray custodial charges for redemptions paid by wire transfer.  Any charges for wire redemptions will be deducted from your account by redemption of shares.  If you redeem your shares through a brokerage firm or other intermediary, you may be charged a fee by that institution.

REDEEMING BY MAIL:

You may redeem any part of your account in the Fund by mail at no charge.  Your request, in proper form, should be addressed to:





14


Collaborative Investment Series Trust

c/o Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC

8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400

Broadview Heights, OH 44147-4031

TELEPHONE REDEMPTIONS:

You may redeem any part of your account in a Fund by calling the transfer agent at 1-800-[    ].  You must first complete the Optional Telephone Redemption and Exchange section of the investment application to institute this option.  The Fund, the transfer agent and the custodian are not liable for following redemption instructions communicated by telephone to the extent that they reasonably believe the telephone instructions to be genuine.  However, if they do not employ reasonable procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine, they may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions.  Procedures employed may include recording telephone instructions and requiring a form of personal identification from the caller.


The Fund may terminate the telephone redemption procedures at any time.  During periods of extreme market activity it is possible that shareholders may encounter some difficulty in telephoning the Fund, although neither the Fund nor the transfer agent has ever experienced difficulties in receiving and responding to telephone requests for redemptions or exchanges in a timely fashion.  If you are unable to reach the Fund by telephone, you may request a redemption or exchange by mail.


REDEMPTIONS IN KIND:

The Fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders made by a shareholder during any 90-day period by making payment in whole or in part in portfolio securities ("redemption in kind") on the amount of such a request that is large enough to affect operations (that is, on the amount of the request that is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period).  The securities will be chosen by the Fund and valued using the same procedures as used in calculating the Fund's NAV. A shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash.]

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION INFORMATION:

If you are not certain of the redemption requirements, please call the transfer agent at 1-800-[___].  Redemptions specifying a certain date or share price cannot be accepted and will be returned.  You will be mailed the proceeds on or before the fifth business day following the redemption.  The Fund typically expects to pay redemptions from cash, cash equivalents, proceeds from the sale of fund shares, any lines of credit and then from the sale of portfolio securities.  These redemption payment methods will be used in regular and stressed market conditions. You may be assessed a fee if a Fund incurs bank charges because you request that the Fund re-issue a redemption check.  Also, when the NYSE is closed (or when trading is restricted) for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closing or under any emergency circumstances, as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), the Fund may suspend redemptions or postpone payment dates.

Low Balances : Because the Fund incurs certain fixed costs in maintaining shareholder accounts, the Fund may require that you redeem all of your shares in the Fund upon 30





15


days written notice if the value of your shares in the Fund is less than $[    ] due to redemption, or such other minimum amount as the Fund may determine from time to time. You may increase the value of your shares in the Fund to the minimum amount within the 30-day period. All shares of the Fund also are subject to involuntary redemption if the Board of Trustees determines to liquidate the Fund. An involuntary redemption will create a capital gain or a capital loss, which may have tax consequences to you and about which you should consult your tax adviser.


FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

The Fund discourage and does not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of the Fund can harm all Fund shareholders by disrupting the Fund’s investment strategies, increasing Fund expenses, decreasing tax efficiency and diluting the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. The Fund is designed for long-term investors and is not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Fund’s Board has approved policies that seek to curb these disruptive activities while recognizing that shareholders may have a legitimate need to adjust their Fund investments as their financial needs or circumstances change.  The Fund discourages excessive short-term trading in Fund shares and does not intend to accommodate such trading activity by investors.  The Fund considers excessive short-term trading to be any pattern of frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares by an investor or group of investors, acting in concert, that could interfere with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or result in increased brokerage and administrative costs.  The Fund currently uses several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include:

Committing staff to review, on a continuing basis, recent trading activity in order to identify trading activity that may be contrary to the Fund s market timing trading policy;

Rejecting or limiting specific purchase requests; and

Rejecting purchase requests from certain investors.

Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund's shareholders.


Based on the frequency of redemptions in your account, the adviser or transfer agent may in its sole discretion determine that your trading activity is detrimental to the Fund as described in the Fund’s market timing trading policy and elect to reject or limit the amount, number, frequency or method for requesting future purchases or exchange purchases of the Fund’s shares.


The Fund reserves the right to reject or restrict purchase requests for any reason, particularly when the shareholder's trading activity suggests that the shareholder may be engaged in market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Neither the Fund nor the adviser will be liable for any losses resulting from rejected purchase orders. The adviser may also bar an investor who has violated these policies (and the investor's financial advisor) from opening new accounts with the Fund.






16


Although the Fund attempts to limit disruptive trading activities, some investors use a variety of strategies to hide their identities and their trading practices. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund.  While the Fund will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Fund’s market timing trading policy to their customers who invest indirectly in the Fund, the Fund is limited in their ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Fund’s market timing trading policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made difficult to identify in the omnibus accounts used by those intermediaries for aggregated purchases, exchanges and redemptions on behalf of all their customers. More specifically, unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to apply the Fund’s market timing trading policy to their customers through such methods as implementing short-term trading limitations or restrictions and monitoring trading activity for what might be market timing, the Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Fund’s market timing trading policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Fund have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Fund upon request. If the Fund or its transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent suspects there is market timing activity in the account, the Fund will seek full cooperation from the service provider maintaining the account to identify the underlying participant. At the request of the adviser, the service providers may take immediate action to stop any further short-term trading by such participants.


The Fund and the adviser reserve the right to modify any redemption fee at any time. If there is a material change to the Fund’s redemption fee, the Fund will notify you at least 60 days prior to the effective date of the change.  The Fund and the adviser also reserve the right to waive the redemption fee for any shareholder if the circumstances warrant.


DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES


DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS:

The Fund typically distributes substantially all of its net investment income in the form of dividends and taxable capital gains to its shareholders. The Fund intends to distribute dividends and capital gains at least annually. These distributions are automatically reinvested in the Fund from which they are paid unless you request cash distributions on your application or through a written request to the Fund. Reinvested dividends and distributions receive the same tax treatment as those paid in cash. If you are interested in changing your election, you may call the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-800-[    ] or send a written notification to:

c/o Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC

8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400

Broadview Heights, OH 44147


TAXES

In general, selling shares of the Fund and receiving distributions (whether reinvested or taken in cash) are taxable events. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you may have a gain or a loss on any shares sold. Any tax liabilities generated by your





17


transactions or by receiving distributions are your responsibility. The Fund anticipates that distributions will be primarily taxed as ordinary income. You may want to avoid making a substantial investment when the Fund is about to make a taxable distribution because you would be responsible for any taxes on the distribution regardless of how long you have owned your shares. The Fund may produce capital gains even if they do not have income to distribute and performance has been poor.


Early each year, the Fund will mail to you a statement setting forth the federal income tax information for all distributions made during the previous year. If you do not provide your taxpayer identification number, your account will be subject to backup withholding.


The tax considerations described in this section do not apply to tax-deferred accounts or other non-taxable entities. Because each investor's tax circumstances are unique, please consult with your tax adviser about your investment.


DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES

DISTRIBUTOR :

Arbor Court Capital, LLC (“Arbor Court”), 8000 Towne Center Drive, Suite 400, Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 is the distributor for the shares of the Fund.  Arbor Court is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA").  Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis.

HOUSEHOLDING :

To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Fund at 1-800-[     ] on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. We will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Because the Fund has only recently commenced investment operations, no financial highlights are available for the Fund at this time.  In the future, financial highlights will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.






18



 [       ], 2018

PRIVACY NOTICE

COLLABORATIVE INVESTMENT SERIES INVESTMENTS TRUST


FACTS

WHAT DOES THE COLLABORATIVE INVESTMENT SERIES INVESTMENTS TRUST DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?


Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information.  Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some, but not all sharing.  Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information.  Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.


What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depends on the product or service that you have with us. This information can include:

Social Security number and wire transfer instructions

account transactions and transaction history

investment experience and purchase history
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.


How?

All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business.  In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons the CCA Investments Trust chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.


Reasons we can share your personal information:

Do we  share information?

Can you limit
sharing?

For our everyday business purposes - such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus.

YES

NO

For our marketing purposes - to offer our products and services to you.

NO

We don't share

For joint marketing with other financial companies.

NO

We don't share

For our affiliates' everyday business purposes - information about your transactions and records.

NO

We don't share

For our affiliates' everyday business purposes - information about your credit worthiness.

NO

We don't share

For our affiliates to market to you

NO

We don't share

For non-affiliates to market to you

NO

We don't share

QUESTIONS?  

Call 1-800-595-4866






19




What we do:


How does the Collaborative Investment Series Trust protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law.  These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.


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


How does the Collaborative Investment Series Trust collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

open an account or deposit money

direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities

seek advice about your investments

We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.


Why can't I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only:

sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes information about your creditworthiness.

affiliates from using your information to market to you.

sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you.

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


Definitions

Affiliates

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

Non-affiliates

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

The Collaborative Investment Series Trust does not share with non-affiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

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

The Collaborative Investment Series Trust doesn’t jointly market .







20



MERCATOR INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND



Investment Adviser

Belpointe Asset Management, LLC


Distributor

Arbor Court Capital, LLC


Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent

Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC


Custodian

US Bancorp Fund Services, LLC


Legal Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP


Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

[____]








21


FOR MORE INFORMATION

Several additional sources of information are available to you.  The Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (and therefore legally a part of this Prospectus), contains detailed information on Fund policies and operations, including policies and procedures relating to the disclosure of portfolio holdings by the Fund’s affiliates.  Annual reports will, and the semi-annual reports may, contain management's discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the performance results as of the Fund as of the latest semi-annual or annual fiscal year end.

Call the Fund at 1-800-[      ] to request free copies of the SAI, the annual report and the semi-annual report, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries. You may also obtain this information about the Fund at the internet site www.[______________] .

You may review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI and other reports) at the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.  Call the SEC at 1-202-551-8090 for room hours and operation.  You also may obtain reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http.//www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC's Public Reference Section, 100 F Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.



Investment Company Act File No. [    ]






22


The information in this Statement of Additional Information not complete and may be changed.  We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective.  This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.


Collaborative Investment Series Trust


MERCATOR INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND

TICKER:  [   ]



STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


[      ], 2018


This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus.  It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for the Mercator International Opportunity Fund dated [    ] .  The Fund’s financial statements are included in the Annual Report, and are incorporated by reference into this SAI by subsequent amendment.  A copy of the Prospectus or Annual Report can be obtained at no charge by writing the transfer agent, Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC, at 8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400, Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147-4003, or by calling 1-[     ].  The Fund’s Prospectus is incorporated by reference into this SAI.

TABLE OF CONTENTS [TO BE UPDATED]

Page

Description of the Trust and the Fund

1

Additional Information About the Fund’s Investments

2

Investment Strategies and Risks

2

Investment Restrictions

23

Management of the Fund

25

Code of Ethics

29

Distribution Plan

30

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

31

Control Persons

31

Management Ownership

31

Investment Advisory and Other Services

31

Investment Adviser

31

Custodian

34

Fund Services

34

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

35

Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices

35

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

37

Determination of Share Price

38

Redemption In-Kind

39

Tax Consequences

39



Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

41

Financial Statements

41

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

Appendix A



DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND FUND


The Mercator International Opportunity Fund (the "Fund") was organized as a diversified series of the Collaborative Investment Series Trust (the “Trust”) on [   ] and commenced investment operations on [    ] .  The Trust is an open-end investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated [    ] (the “Trust Agreement”).  The Trust Agreement permits the Board of Trustees to authorize and issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value.  The Fund is the only series currently authorized by the Trustees. The investment adviser to the Fund is Belpointe Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”).

The Fund does not issue share certificates.  All shares are held in non-certificated form registered on the books of the Fund and the transfer agent for the account of the shareholder.  Each share of a series represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to that series with each other share of that series and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the series as are declared by the Trustees.  The shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights, and the Trustees have the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series so long as the proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to that series and the rights of shares of any other series are in no way affected.  In case of any liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated will be entitled to receive as a class a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series.  Expenses attributable to any series are borne by that series.  Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under the direction of the Trustees in such manner as the Trustees determine to be fair and equitable.  No shareholder is liable to further calls or to assessment by the Trust without his or her express consent.

The Trust does not hold an annual meeting of shareholders.  When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each whole share he owns and fractional votes for fractional shares he owns.  All shares of the Fund have equal voting rights and liquidation rights.  The Agreement and Declaration of Trust can be amended by the Trustees, except that any amendment that adversely affects the rights of shareholders must be approved by the shareholders affected.  All shares of the Fund are subject to involuntary redemption if the Trustees determine to liquidate the Fund.  An involuntary redemption will create a capital gain or a capital loss, which may have tax consequences about which you should consult your tax adviser.

For information concerning the purchase and redemption of shares of the Fund, see “How to Buy Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” in the Prospectus.  For a description of the methods used to determine the share price and value of the Fund’s assets, see “How to Buy Shares – Purchasing Shares” and "Valuing Fund Assets" in the Prospectus and “Determination of Share Price” in this Statement of Additional Information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS

Investment Strategies and Risks

All principal investment strategies and risks are discussed in the Prospectus.  This section contains a more detailed discussion of some of the investments the Fund may make and some of the techniques they may use, as described in the Risk/Return Summary in the Prospectus.  Additional non-principal strategies and risks also are discussed here.




Certificates of Deposit and Bankers’ Acceptances

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

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

Closed-End Investment Companies

The Fund may invest assets in "closed-end" investment companies (or “closed-end funds”), subject to the investment restrictions set forth above. Shares of closed-end funds are typically offered to the public in a one-time initial public offering by a group of underwriters who retain a spread or underwriting commission of between 4% or 6% of the initial public offering price. Such securities are then listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT LLC (formerly known as the American Stock Exchange), the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (commonly known as "NASDAQ") and, in some cases, may be traded in other over-the-counter markets. Because the shares of closed-end funds cannot be redeemed upon demand to the issuer like the shares of an open-end investment company (such as the Fund), investors seek to buy and sell shares of closed-end funds in the secondary market.

The Fund generally will purchase shares of closed-end funds only in the secondary market. The Fund will incur normal brokerage costs on such purchases similar to the expenses the Fund would incur for the purchase of securities of any other type of issuer in the secondary market. The Fund may, however, also purchase securities of a closed-end fund in an initial public offering when, in the opinion of the Adviser, based on a consideration of the nature of the closed-end fund's proposed investments, the prevailing market conditions and the level of demand for such securities, they represent an attractive opportunity for growth of capital. The initial offering price typically will include a dealer spread, which may be higher than the applicable brokerage cost if the Fund purchased such securities in the secondary market.

The shares of many closed-end funds, after their initial public offering, frequently trade at a price per share that is less than the net asset value per share, the difference representing the "market discount" of such shares. This market discount may be due in part to the investment objective of long-term appreciation, which is sought by many closed-end funds, as well as to the fact that the shares of closed-end funds are not redeemable by the holder upon demand to the issuer at the next determined net asset value, but rather, are subject to supply and demand in the secondary market. A relative lack of secondary market purchasers of closed-end fund shares also may contribute to such shares trading at a discount to their net asset value.

The Fund may invest in shares of closed-end funds that are trading at a discount to net asset value or at a premium to net asset value. There can be no assurance that the market discount on shares of any



2


 

 

 



closed-end fund purchased by the Fund will ever decrease. In fact, it is possible that this market discount may increase and the Fund may suffer realized or unrealized capital losses due to further decline in the market price of the securities of such closed-end funds, thereby adversely affecting the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Similarly, there can be no assurance that any shares of a closed-end fund purchased by the Fund at a premium will continue to trade at a premium or that the premium will not decrease subsequent to a purchase of such shares by the Fund.

Closed-end funds may issue senior securities (including preferred stock and debt obligations) for the purpose of leveraging the closed-end fund's common shares in an attempt to enhance the current return to such closed-end fund's common shareholders. The Fund's investment in the common shares of closed-end funds that are financially leveraged may create an opportunity for greater total return on its investment, but at the same time may be expected to exhibit more volatility in market price and net asset value than an investment in shares of investment companies without a leveraged capital structure.

Commercial Paper

The Fund may purchase commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance current operations.

Convertible Securities

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

Corporate Debt

Corporate debt securities are long and short-term debt obligations issued by companies (such as publicly issued and privately placed bonds, notes and commercial paper).  The Adviser considers corporate debt securities to be of investment grade quality if they are rated BBB- or higher by S&P or Baa3 or higher by Moody's, or if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.  Investment grade debt securities generally have adequate to strong protection of principal and interest payments.  In the lower end of this category, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal than in higher rated categories.  The Fund may invest in both secured and unsecured corporate bonds. A secured bond is backed by collateral and an unsecured bond is not. Therefore an unsecured bond may have a lower recovery value than a secured bond in the event of a default by its issuer. The Adviser may incorrectly analyze the risks inherent in corporate bonds, such as the issuer's ability to meet interest and principal payments, resulting in a loss to the Fund.





3


 

 

 



Depositary Receipts

The Fund may invest in sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), which are receipts issued by an American bank or trust company evidencing ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. ADRs, in sponsored form, are designed for use in U.S. securities markets. A sponsoring company provides financial information to the bank and may subsidize administration of the ADR.  Unsponsored ADRs may be created by a broker-dealer or depository bank without the participation of the foreign issuer. Holders of these ADRs generally bear all the costs of the ADR facility, whereas foreign issuers typically bear certain costs in a sponsored ADR. The bank or trust company depositary of an unsponsored ADR may be under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the foreign issuer or to pass through voting rights. Unsponsored ADRs may carry more risk than sponsored ADRs because of the absence of financial information provided by the underlying company.  Many of the risks described below regarding foreign securities apply to investments in ADRs.

Emerging Markets Securities   

The Fund may purchase ETFs and other closed end funds that invest in emerging market securities.  Investing in emerging market securities imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries.  These risks include (i) the smaller market capitalization of securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity, (ii) significant price volatility, (iii) restrictions on foreign investment, and (iv) possible repatriation of investment income and capital. In addition, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales, and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or the creation of government monopolies. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur subsequent to investments in these currencies by the Fund.  Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries.

Additional risks of emerging markets securities may include (i) greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, (ii) more substantial governmental involvement in the economy, (iii) less governmental supervision and regulation, (iv) the unavailability of currency hedging techniques, (v) companies that are newly organized and small, (vi) differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, and (vii) less developed legal systems. In addition, emerging securities markets may have different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions. Settlement problems may cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities, hold a portion of its assets in cash pending investment, or be delayed in disposing of a portfolio security. Such a delay could result in possible liability to a purchaser of the security.

Equity Securities

Equity securities consist of common stock, convertible preferred stock, rights and warrants.  Common stocks, the most familiar type, represent an equity (ownership) interest in a corporation.  Warrants are options to purchase equity securities at a specified price for a specific time period.  Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed by the issuer to its shareholders.  Although equity securities have a history of long term growth in value, their prices fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial condition and on overall market and economic conditions.



4


 

 

 



Investments in equity securities are subject to inherent market risks and fluctuations in value due to earnings, economic conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Adviser.  As a result, the return and net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate.  Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may not increase as much as the market as a whole and some undervalued securities may continue to be undervalued for long periods of time.  Although profits in some Fund holdings may be realized quickly, it is not expected that most investments will appreciate rapidly.

Exchange Traded Funds  

The Fund may invest in a range of exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"). Because many ETFs are considered to be investment companies, see "Investments in Other Investment Companies" below for additional information.

When the Fund invests in sector ETFs, there is a risk that securities within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments.  If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that sector.  As a result, the Fund’s share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of industries.  Additionally, some sectors could be subject to greater government regulation than other sectors.  Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those sectors.  The sectors in which the Fund may be more heavily invested will vary.

The shares of an ETF may be assembled in a block (typically 50,000 shares) known as a creation unit and redeemed in-kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF's net asset value) together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption.  Conversely, a creation unit may be purchased from the ETF by depositing a specified portfolio of the ETF's underlying securities, as well as a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit.  The Fund may redeem creation units for the underlying securities (and any applicable cash), and may assemble a portfolio of the underlying securities and use it (and any required cash) to purchase creation units, if the Fund's Adviser believes it is in the Fund's interest to do so.  The Fund's ability to redeem creation units may be limited by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which provides that the ETFs will not be obligated to redeem shares held by the Fund in an amount exceeding one percent of their total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days.

There is a risk that the underlying ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events that may cause any of the service providers to the ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, to close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF. Also, because the ETFs in which the Fund intends to invest may be granted licenses by agreement to use the indices as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names, the ETFs may terminate if such license agreements are terminated.  In addition, an ETF may terminate if its entire net asset value falls below a certain amount.  Although the Fund believes that, in the event of the termination of an underlying ETF they will be able to invest instead in shares of an alternate ETF tracking the same market index or another market index with the same general market, there is no guarantee that shares of an alternate ETF would be available for investment at that time.

Fixed Income Securities

Fixed income securities include bonds and securities offered on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis.  Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.  



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Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if an issuer of a fixed income security cannot meet its financial obligations or goes bankrupt.  Interest rate risk is the risk that the Fund's investments in fixed income securities may fall when interest rates rise.


Investments in high-yield bonds are considered to be more speculative than higher quality fixed income securities.  They are more susceptible to credit risk than investment-grade securities, especially during periods of economic uncertainty or economic downturns.  The value of lower quality securities are subject to greater volatility and are generally more dependent on the ability of the issuer to meet interest and principal payments than higher quality securities.  Issuers of high-yield securities may not be as strong financially as those issuing bonds with higher credit ratings.


Foreign Securities

Foreign securities are considered for purchase only if they are trading in domestic markets through an American Depositary Receipt (ADR). Purchases of foreign equity securities entail certain risks.  For example, there may be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about a U.S. company, and foreign companies generally are not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the U.S.  Other risks associated with investments in foreign securities include changes in restrictions on foreign currency transactions and rates of exchange, changes in the administrations or economic and monetary policies of foreign governments, the imposition of exchange control regulations, the possibility of expropriation decrees and other adverse foreign governmental action, the imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, difficulty  in  enforcing  contractual obligations,  delays  in  settlement  of securities transactions and  greater  price  volatility.   In addition, investing in foreign securities will generally result in higher commissions than investing in similar domestic securities.

Illiquid and Restricted Securities

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

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

A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including foreign securities. The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments. Rule 144A under the Securities Act allows such a broader institutional trading market for securities otherwise subject to restrictions on resale to the general public. Rule 144A establishes a "safe harbor" from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for resale of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A has produced enhanced liquidity for many restricted securities, and market liquidity



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for such securities may continue to expand as a result of this regulation and the consequent existence of the PORTAL system, which is an automated system for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers sponsored by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.   

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

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

Indexed Securities


The Fund may purchase indexed securities consistent with their investment objectives.  Indexed securities are those, the value of which varies positively or negatively in relation to the value of other securities, securities indices or other financial indicators.  Indexed securities may be debt securities or deposits whose value at maturity or coupon rate is determined by reference to a specific instrument or statistic.  Recent issuers of indexed securities have included banks, corporations and certain U.S. Government agencies.  

The performance of indexed securities depends to a great extent on the performance of the security or other instrument to which they are indexed and also may be influenced by interest rate changes in the United States and abroad.  Indexed securities are subject to the credit risks associated with the issuer of the security, and their values may decline substantially if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates.  Indexed securities may be more volatile than the underlying instruments.  Certain indexed securities that are not traded on an established market may be deemed illiquid.

Insured Bank Obligations

The Fund may invest in insured bank obligations. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insures the deposits of federally insured banks and savings and loan associations (collectively referred to as “banks”) up to $250,000. The Fund may purchase bank obligations which are fully insured as to principal by the FDIC. Currently, to remain fully insured as to principal, these investments must be limited to $250,000 per bank; if the principal amount and accrued interest together exceed $250,000, the



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excess principal and accrued interest will not be insured.  Insured bank obligations may have limited marketability.

Investment Company Securities  


The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and the Fund's investment objectives.  Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses.  By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company.  As a result, the Fund’s shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses the Fund’s shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's own operations.


Under Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Fund may invest only up to 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company (ETF or other mutual funds), but may not own more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company (the "3% Limitation") or invest more than 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies. However, Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended provides that the provisions of paragraph 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the Fund if (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding stock of such registered investment company is owned by the Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund; and (ii) the Fund has not offered or sold after January 1, 1971, and is not proposing to offer or sell any security issued by it through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price which includes a sales load of more than 1 ½% percent. An investment company that issues shares to the Fund pursuant to paragraph 12(d)(1)(F) shall not be required to redeem its shares in an amount exceeding 1% of such investment company’s total outstanding shares in any period of less than thirty days. The Fund (or the Adviser acting on behalf of the Fund) must comply with the following voting restrictions:  when the Fund exercises voting rights, by proxy or otherwise, with respect to investment companies owned by the Fund, the Fund will either seek instruction from the Fund’s shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies and vote in accordance with such instructions, or vote the shares held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such security. Because other investment companies employ an investment adviser, such investments by the Fund may cause shareholders to bear duplicate fees.

In addition, the Fund is subject to the 3% Limitation unless (i) the ETF or the Fund has received an order for exemptive relief from the 3% limitation from the SEC that is applicable to the Fund; and (ii) the ETF and the Fund take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order.


Preferred Stock

Preferred stocks are securities that have characteristics of both common stocks and corporate bonds. Preferred stocks may receive dividends but payment is not guaranteed as with a bond. These securities may be undervalued because of a lack of analyst coverage resulting in a high dividend yield or yield to maturity.  The risks of preferred stocks are a lack of voting rights and the Adviser may incorrectly analyze the security, resulting in a loss to the Fund.  Furthermore, preferred stock dividends are not guaranteed and management can elect to forego the preferred dividend, resulting in a loss to the Fund.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interest. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a



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combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. The real property and mortgages serving as investment vehicles for REITs may be either residential or commercial in nature and may include healthcare facilities. Similar to investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Code. Such tax requirements limit a REIT’s ability to respond to changes in the commercial real estate market.

Investments in REITs are subject to the same risks as direct investments in real estate. Real estate values rise and fall in response to many factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, the demand for rental property, and interest rates. In addition, REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be more volatile than other securities.

Repurchase Agreements  

The Fund may invest in fully collateralized repurchase agreements.  A repurchase agreement is a short term investment in which the purchaser ( i.e. , the Fund) acquires ownership of a security and the seller agrees to repurchase the obligation at a future time at a set price, thereby determining the yield during the purchaser’s holding period (usually not more than 7 days from the date of purchase).  Any repurchase transaction in which the Fund engages will require full collateralization of the seller’s obligation during the entire term of the repurchase agreement.  In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of the seller, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying security and losses in value.  However, the Fund intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with its custodian, other banks with assets of $1 billion or more and registered securities dealers determined by the adviser to be creditworthy.  The Adviser monitors the creditworthiness of the banks and securities dealers with which the Fund engages in repurchase transactions.  The Fund may not enter into a repurchase agreement with a term of more than seven days if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of its net assets would then be invested in such repurchase agreements and other illiquid investments.

Reverse Repurchase Transactions

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase transactions.  In a reverse repurchase transaction, the Fund concurrently agrees to sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers, and to repurchase the same securities at a later date at a mutually agreed upon price.  The repurchase price generally is equal to the original sales price plus interest.  The Fund retains record ownership of the securities and the right to receive interest and principal payments.  The Fund will enter into a reverse repurchase transaction in order to obtain funds to pursue additional investment opportunities with a return in excess of the cost of the reverse repurchase transaction.  Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of Fund assets and may be viewed as a form of leverage.  Reverse purchase transactions also involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities.  In the event of bankruptcy or other default by the purchaser, the Fund could experience both delays in repurchasing the portfolio securities and losses.  The Fund will enter into reverse purchase transactions only with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the adviser.

Reverse purchase transactions are considered by the SEC to be borrowings by the Fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.  At the time the Fund enters into a reverse purchase transaction, it will direct its custodian to place in a segregated account assets (such as cash or liquid securities consistent with the Fund’s investment restrictions) having a value equal to the repurchase price



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(including accrued interest).  The Fund will monitor the account to ensure that the market value of the account equals the amount of the Fund's commitments to repurchase securities.

Rights

Rights are usually granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued to the public. The right entitles its holder to buy common stock at a specified price.  Rights have similar features to warrants, except that the life of a right is typically much shorter, usually a few weeks. The Adviser believes rights may become underpriced if they are sold without regard to value and if analysts do not include them in their research. The risk in investing in rights is that the Adviser might miscalculate their value resulting in a loss to the Fund. Another risk is the underlying common stock may not reach the Adviser's anticipated price within the life of the right.

Royalty Trusts

The Fund may invest in royalty trusts.  Royalty trusts are special purpose financing vehicles organized as investment trusts created to make investments in operating companies or their cash flows.  Royalty trusts buy the right to royalties on the production and sales of a natural resource company.  Income and cash flows generated by a royalty trust are passed directly to investors in the form of dividends or the return of invested capital.  Examples of royalty trusts include BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust, Cross Timbers Royalty Trust and Williams Coal Seam Gas Royalty Trust.  The yield generated by a royalty trust is not guaranteed and because developments in the oil, gas and natural resources markets will affect payouts, could be volatile.  For example, the yield on an oil royalty trust can be affected by changes in production levels, natural resources, political and military developments, regulatory changes and conservation efforts.  In addition, natural resources are depleting assets.  Eventually, the income-producing ability of the royalty trust will be exhausted, at which point the trustees may choose to liquidate, or will attempt to raise or retain funds to make new acquisitions.  The purchase of new assets can depress current income and increase the risk that the new property is of lower quality than the property held by the trust.  Generally, higher yielding trusts have less time until depletion of proven reserves.

STRIPS  

The Federal Reserve creates STRIPS (Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities) by separating the coupon payments and the principal payment from an outstanding Treasury security and selling them as individual securities.  To the extent the Fund purchases the principal portion of the STRIP, the Fund will not receive regular interest payments.  Instead they are sold at a deep discount from their face value.  The Fund will accrue income on such STRIPS for tax and accounting purposes, in accordance with applicable law, which income is distributable to shareholders.  Because no cash is received at the time such income is accrued, the Fund may be required to liquidate other Fund securities to satisfy its distribution obligations.  Because the principal portion of the STRIP does not pay current income, its price can be very volatile when interest rates change.  In calculating its dividend, the Fund takes into account as income a portion of the difference between the principal portion of the STRIP’s purchase price and its face value.

U.S. Government Securities

The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities.  These securities may be backed by the credit of the government as a whole or only by the issuing agency.  U.S. Treasury bonds, notes, and bills and some agency securities, such as those issued by the Federal Housing Administration and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.



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government as to payment of principal and interest and are the highest quality government securities.  Other securities issued by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, such as securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Banks and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), are supported only by the credit of the agency that issued them, and not by the U.S. government.  Securities issued by the Federal Farm Credit System, the Federal Land Banks, and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) are supported by the agency’s right to borrow money from the U.S. Treasury under certain circumstances, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

The Fund's investments in U.S. Government securities may include agency step-up obligations.  These obligations are structured with a coupon rate that "steps-up" periodically over the life of the obligation.  Step-up obligations typically contain a call option, permitting the issuer to buy back the obligation upon exercise of the option.  Step-up obligations are designed for investors who are unwilling to invest in a long-term security in a low interest rate environment.  Step-up obligations are used in an attempt to reduce the risk of a price decline should interest rates rise significantly at any time during the life of the obligation.  However, step-up obligations also carry the risk that market interest rates may be significantly below the new, stepped-up coupon rate.  If this occurs, the issuer of the obligation likely will exercise the call option, leaving investors with cash to reinvest.  As a result, these obligations may expose the Fund to the risk that proceeds from a called security may be reinvested in another security paying a lower rate of interest.

Warrants

Warrants are securities that are usually issued with a bond or preferred stock but may trade separately in the market. A warrant allows its holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock at a specified price for a specified time.  The risk in investing in warrants is the Adviser might miscalculate their value, resulting in a loss to the Fund.  Another risk is the warrants will not realize their value because the underlying common stock does reach the Adviser's anticipated price within the life of the warrant.

Investment Restrictions

Fundamental Investment Limitations .  The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund and are fundamental (“Fundamental”), i.e. , they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund.  As used in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, the term “majority” of the outstanding shares of the Fund means the lesser of:  (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Other investment practices, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or regulatory policy, are considered non-fundamental (“Non-Fundamental”).


1.   Borrowing Money .  The Fund will not borrow money, except:  (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund’s total assets at the time when the borrowing is made.  This limitation does not preclude the Fund from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that the Fund has an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings and repurchase commitments of the Fund pursuant to reverse repurchase transactions.


2.   Senior Securities .  The Fund will not issue senior securities.  This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that



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the Fund’s engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.


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


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


5.   Commodities .  The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments.  This limitation does not preclude the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts, from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies, which are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities.


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


7.   Concentration .  The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in a particular industry or group of industries.  This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities or repurchase agreements with respect thereto.


8.   Diversification.  The Fund will invest in the securities of any issuer only if, immediately after such investment, at least 75% of the value of the total assets of the Fund will be invested in cash and cash items (including receivables), government securities, securities of other investment companies, and other securities for the purposes of this calculation limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount (determined immediately after the latest acquisition of securities of the issuer) not greater in value than 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer.


With respect to the percentages adopted by the Trust as maximum limitations on its investment policies and limitations, an excess above the fixed percentage will not be a violation of the policy or limitation unless the excess results immediately and directly from the acquisition of any security or the action taken.  This paragraph does not apply to the borrowing policy set forth in paragraph 1 above.


The 1940 Act limits the Fund’s ability to borrow money, prohibiting the Fund from issuing senior securities, except the Fund may borrow from any bank provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings by the Fund and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three days thereafter or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to such an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%.   Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, any investment company, whether organized as a trust, association or corporation, or a personal holding company, may be merged or consolidated with or acquired by the Trust, provided that if such merger, consolidation or acquisition results in an investment in the securities of any issuer prohibited by said paragraphs, the Trust shall, within ninety days after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or



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acquisition, dispose of all of the securities of such issuer so acquired or such portion thereof as shall bring the total investment therein within the limitations imposed by said paragraphs above as of the date of consummation.


Non-Fundamental .  The following limitations have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund and are Non-Fundamental (see “Investment Limitations - Fundamental” above).


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


2.   Borrowing .  The Fund will not purchase any security while borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements) representing more than one third of its total assets are outstanding.  


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


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

5. Foreign Securities . The Fund, will invest at least 40% of its assets in securities of companies outside the United States.

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust and appoints the officers.  Each Trustee serves as a trustee until the termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.  As of the date of this SAI, the Fund is the only series in the “Fund Complex”.  The Board generally meets four times a year to review the progress and status of the Fund.

Board Leadership Structure


The Trust is led by Brandon E. Lacoff, Esq., who has served as the Chairman of the Board since inception.  Mr. Lacoff is an "interested person" as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, by virtue of his controlling interest in Belpointe Asset Management, LLC (the Advisor to the Fund).  The Board of Trustees is comprised of Mr. Lacoff and two other Trustees, none of whom are an interested person ("Independent Trustees").  The Independent Trustees have not selected a Lead Independent Trustee.  Additionally, under certain 1940 Act governance guidelines that apply to the Trust, the Independent Trustees will meet in executive session, at least quarterly.  Under the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for (a) presiding at board meetings, (b) calling special meetings on an as-needed basis, and, more generally, in-practice (c) execution and administration of Trust policies including (i) setting the agendas for board meetings and (ii) providing information to board members in advance of each board meeting and between board meetings.  Generally, the Trust believes it best to have a single leader who is seen by shareholders, business partners and other stakeholders as providing strong leadership.  The Trust believes that its Chairman together with the Audit Committee and the full Board of Trustees, provide effective leadership that is in the best



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interests of the Trust and the Fund shareholders because of the Board's collective business acumen and understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate.


Board Risk Oversight


The Board of Trustees is comprised of Mr. Lacoff and [two] Independent Trustees with a standing independent Audit Committee with a separate chair. The Board is responsible for overseeing risk management, and the full Board regularly engages in discussions of risk management and receives compliance reports that inform its oversight of risk management from its Chief Compliance Officer at quarterly meetings and on an ad hoc basis, when and if necessary.  The Audit Committee considers financial and reporting risk within its area of responsibilities.  Generally, the Board believes that its oversight of material risks is adequately maintained through the compliance-reporting chain where the Chief Compliance Officer is the primary recipient and communicator of such risk-related information, and the Audit Committee's communications with the independent registered public accounting firm.


Trustee Qualifications.


Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills.

Mr. Brandon E. Lacoff, Esq. Interested Trustee - Mr. Lacoff has been a Member of the Board of Belpointe Asset Management, LLC since 2007.  Belpointe Asset Management, LLC provides investment advisory services to individuals. His career began in finance and accounting at Arthur Andersen, LLP and continued at Ernst & Young, LLP in their Mergers and Acquisitions groups.  He founded a group of companies under the brand Belpointe (formerly known as Belray) in 2001 for the purpose of investing in real estate and other private investments.  He left Ernst & Young in 2004 to focus on operating Belpointe. He holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law and a Masters of Business Administration from the Hofstra University Frank G. Zarb School of Business, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management.


[Dean Drulias Esq. Independent Trustee – Mr. Dean W. Drulias is an attorney practicing in Westlake Village California.  Mr. Drulias is a member of the State Bars of California and Texas. He was admitted to The State Bar of California in 1977.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California Berkley. He received a J.D. from Loyola Law School.  He served as Corporate Secretary and General Counsel of Fortune Natural Resources Corporation. Prior to 1997, he was a stockholder and a practicing attorney at the law firm of Burris, Drulias & Gartenberg..  Mr. Drulias has been a Director of Fortune Natural Resources Corp. since 1990. He specializes in the areas of energy, environmental and real property law.] 

[Matthew Jampole Independent Trustee – Matt Jampole is a Partner and Head Trader at Gagnon Securities.  He has over 15 years of industry experience, and began his career in 1998 at Bear, Stearns & Co. prior to joining Gagnon Securities in 2000. Matt has a B.A. from the University of Miami and A M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Connecticut.  Gagnon Securities' stocks selection process is based on proprietary in-house research. The firm invests primarily in US small-cap growth stocks of companies in the electronic technology, healthcare technology and technology services sectors.]

Each of the Independent Trustees possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate. The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee’s qualifications, but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes the Board highly effective.



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The following tables provide information about Board of Trustees and the senior officers of the Trust. Information about each Trustee is provided below and includes each person’s: name, address, age (as of the date of the Funds’ most recent fiscal year end), present position(s) held with the Trust, principal occupations for the past five years. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each person listed below is c/o Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC, 8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400, Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147-4003. Unless otherwise noted, each officer is elected annually by the Board.

The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Name Address and Year of Birth

Position(s) Held with the Fund

Term of Office/Length of  Time Served

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex 1 Overseen by Trustee

Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years

[Dean Drulias, Esq.] 2

Birth Year:  [  ]

 

Trustee

Indefinite/

[   ] 2018- present

[    ]

1

None

[Matthew Jampole] 2

Birth Year:  [  ]

Trustee

Indefinite/

[   ] 2018- present

[     ]

1

None

1 The "Fund Complex" consists of the Collaborative Investment Series Trust.

2 Mr. Drulias and Mr. Jampole have not yet been elected as Trustees by the Board.  


The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and each officer of the Trust.


Name, Address and Year of Birth

Position(s) Held with the Fund

Term of Office/ Length of  Time Served

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex 2 Overseen by Trustee

Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years

Brandon E. Lacoff, Esq.

Year of Birth:  [   ]

Trustee

Indefinite/

[   ] 2018 - present

Managing Director of Belpointe Group of Companies since 2004 and Member of Board of Belpointe Asset Management, LLC

1

None

[Brandon Pokersnik]

Chief Compliance Officer

since [__] 2018

[__]

N/A

N/A

[NAME]

Treasurer

since [__] 2018

[__]

N/A

N/A

Gregory Skidmore

Secretary

since [__] 2018

[__]

N/A

N/A

1 Brandon E. Lacoff, Esq. is considered an "Interested” Trustee as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, because of his ownership interest in the Adviser.

2 The "Fund Complex" consists of the Collaborative Investment Series Trust.



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The Trust’s audit committee consists of the Independent Trustees.  The audit committee is responsible for (i) overseeing the accounting and financial reporting policies and practices of the Fund, their internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; (ii) overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Fund’s financial statements and the independent audit of the financial statements; and (iii) acting as a liaison between the Fund’s independent auditors and the full Board of Trustees.    

As of [    ], 2018, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts in the Fund:


Name of Trustee or Officer

Dollar Range of Securities in the Mercator International Opportunity Fund

Aggregate Dollar Range of

Securities In Trust

Brandon Lacoff 1

None

None

[Dean Drulias] 2

None

None

[Matthew Jampole] 2

None

None


1 Brandon E. Lacoff, Esq. is considered an "Interested” Trustee as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, because of his ownership interest in the Adviser.

2 Mr. Drulias and Mr. Jampole have not yet been elected as Trustees by the Board

The following table describes the compensation estimated to be paid to the Trustees for the Trust’s fiscal year ended [    ], 2018.  Trustees of the Fund who are deemed "interested persons" of the Trust receive no compensation from the Fund.

Name 1

Aggregate Compensation from the Mercator International Opportunity Fund

Total Compensation from Trust 2

Brandon Lacoff 3

 

 

[Dean Drulias] 4

 

 

[Matthew Jampole] 4

 

 

1 Each non-interested Trustee receives $[     ] per quarterly meeting attended.  

2 The Trust is comprised of the Mercator International Opportunity Fund.

3 Brandon E. Lacoff, Esq. is considered an "Interested” Trustee as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, because of his ownership interest in the Adviser.

4   Mr. Drulias and Mr. Jampole have not yet been elected as Trustees by the Board.


CODE OF ETHICS


Pursuant to the requirements of rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and in order to protect against certain unlawful acts, practices and courses of business by certain individuals or entities related to the Fund, the Fund, the Adviser, and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics and procedures for implementing the provisions of the Code. The personnel of the Fund, the Adviser, and the Distributor are subject to the code of ethics when investing in securities that may be purchased, sold or held by the Fund.




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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

Control Persons

Shareholders owning more than 25% of the shares of the Fund are considered to “control” the Fund as that term is defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.  Persons controlling the Fund can determine the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to the Fund’s fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser.  As of the date of this SAI, no person  owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

Management Ownership

None.  

INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES

Investment Adviser

The trustees selected Belpointe Asset Management, LLC as the investment adviser to the Fund.  Gregory H. Skidmore controls 50% of the Adviser and acts as its President and Chief Investment Officer.  Brandon E. Lacoff, Esq. controls the other 50% of the Adviser.

Under the terms of the management agreement (the “Agreement”), the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, provides or arranges to be provided to the Fund such investment advice as its deems advisable and will furnish or arrange to be furnished a continuous investment program for the Fund consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies.  As compensation for its management services, the Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 1.19% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

The Agreement continued for an initial term of two years, and is renewed on a year-to-year basis thereafter, provided that continuance is approved at least annually by specific approval of the Board of Trustees or by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. In either event, it must also be approved by a majority of the Trustees who are neither parties to the agreement nor interested persons as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.  The Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on not more than 60 days written notice to the Adviser. In the event of its assignment, the Agreement will terminate automatically.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and to reimburse expenses, at least through [       ], 2019, to ensure that total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and reimbursement (exclusive of any 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expenses, dividend expenses on short sales, taxes, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 1.65% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Institutional Class shares.  These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years of the date on which the waiver or reimbursement occurs, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recoupment.  This agreement may be terminated only by the Fund's Board of Trustees, on 60 days written notice to the Adviser.



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Portfolio Manager

Herve’ van Caloen is the portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.  

As of [     ], 2018, Mr. van Caloen also is responsible for the management of the following other types of accounts:

Account Type

Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

Number of Accounts by Type Subject to a Performance Fee

Total Assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee

Registered Investment Companies

 

 

 

 

Other Pooled Investment
Vehicles

 

 

 

 

Other Accounts

 

 

 

 


The Adviser has not identified any material conflicts between the Fund and other accounts managed by Mr. van Caloen.  However, actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the day-to-day management of the Fund and other accounts.  The management of the Fund and other accounts may result in unequal time and attention being devoted to the Fund and other accounts.  Another potential conflict of interest may arise where another account has the same investment objective as either of the Fund, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another.  Further, a potential conflict could include [    ] knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby they could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund.  These potential conflicts of interest could create the appearance that a portfolio manager is favoring one investment vehicle over another


[Mr. van Caloen receives a salary plus a discretionary bonus, based on the profits of the Adviser.]  

The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the portfolio manager of the Fund as of [    ], 2018.  

Name of Portfolio Manager

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Mercator International Opportunity Fund

 Herve’ van Caloen

$100,001-$500,000


Custodian

U.S. Bank, 425 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, Ohio  45202, serves as the Fund’s custodian ("Custodian").  The Custodian acts as the Fund's depository, provides safekeeping of its portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect thereto, disburses funds at the Fund's request and maintains records in connection with its duties.



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Fund Services


Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC. (“MSS”), 8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400, Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147-4003, acts as the transfer agent ("Transfer Agent") for the Fund.  MSS maintains the records of the shareholder's account, answers shareholders' inquiries concerning their accounts, processes purchases and redemptions of the Fund's shares, acts as dividend and distribution disbursing agent and performs other transfer agent and shareholder service functions.  MSS receives an annual fee from the Trust of $11.50 per shareholder (subject to a minimum monthly fee of $775.00 per Fund) for these transfer agency services.

In addition, MSS provides the Fund with fund accounting services, which includes certain monthly reports, record-keeping and other management-related services. For its services as fund accountant ("Fund Accounting Agent"), MSS receives an annual fee from the Trust based on the average value of the Fund.  These fees are: from $0 to $25 million in assets the annual fee is $21,000, from $25 million to $50 million in assets the annual fee is $30,500, from $50 million to $75 million in assets the annual fee is $36,250, from $75 million to $100 million in assets the annual fee is $42,000, from $100 million to $125 million in assets the annual fee is $47,750, from $125 million to $150 million in assets the annual fee is $53,500, and for asset above $150 million the annual fee is $59,250.  The Trust will receive a discount ranging from 10-60% depending on the net assets of each Trust until the Trust reaches $10 million in assets.

Administrator


Empirical Administration, LLC (“Empirical”), 8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400, Broadview Heights, Ohio, 44147, will serve as the Fund’s Administrator.  Empirical will be paid $500 a month for its administration services.


Compliance Services


Empirical Administration, LLC (“Empirical”), 8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400, Broadview Heights, Ohio, 44147, will provide compliance services.  Empirical will be paid $500 a month for its compliance services.  Brandon Pokersnik of Empirical is also the CCO of the Trust.


Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


The firm of Sanville & Company Certified Public Accountants, 1514 Old York Road, Abington, PA  19001, has been selected as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the fiscal year ending [    ], 2018.  Sanville & Company will perform an annual audit of the Fund's financial statements and provides financial, tax and accounting services as requested.


BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

Subject to policies established by the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for the Fund’s portfolio decisions and the placing of the Fund's portfolio transactions.  In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks the best qualitative execution for the Fund, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility and responsiveness of the broker or dealer and the brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer.  The Adviser generally seeks favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received.



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The Adviser is specifically authorized to select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage and research services to the Fund and/or the other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion, and to pay such brokers or dealers a commission in excess of the commission another broker or dealer would charge if the Adviser determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided.  The determination may be viewed in terms of a particular transaction or the Adviser's overall responsibilities with respect to the Trust and to other accounts over which it exercises investment discretion.  The Adviser may not give consideration to sales of shares of the Trust as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions.  However, the Adviser may place portfolio transactions with brokers or dealers that promote or sell the Fund’s shares so long as such placements are made pursuant to policies approved by the Board of Trustees that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of the broker’s execution and not on its sales efforts.

Research services include supplemental research, securities and economic analyses, statistical services and information with respect to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities, and analyses of reports concerning performance of accounts. The research services and other information furnished by brokers through whom the Fund effects securities transactions may also be used by the Adviser in servicing all of its accounts.  Similarly, research and information provided by brokers or dealers serving other clients may be useful to the Adviser in connection with its services to the Fund.  Although research services and other information are useful to the Fund and the Adviser, it is not possible to place a dollar value on the research and other information received.  It is the opinion of the Board of Trustees and the Adviser that the review and study of the research and other information will not reduce the overall cost to the Adviser of performing its duties to the Fund under the Agreement.

Over-the-counter transactions will be placed either directly with principal market makers or with broker-dealers, if the same or a better price, including commissions and executions, is available.  Fixed income securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer, an underwriter or a market maker.  Purchases include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and the purchase price paid to a market maker may include the spread between the bid and asked prices.

When the Fund and another of the Adviser's clients seek to purchase or sell the same security at or about the same time, the Adviser may execute the transaction on a combined ("blocked") basis.  Blocked transactions can produce better execution for the Fund because of the increased volume of the transaction. If the entire blocked order is not filled, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires or it may have to pay a higher price for the security.  Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as large an execution of an order to sell or as high a price for any particular portfolio security if the other client desires to sell the same portfolio security at the same time. In the event that the entire blocked order is not filled, the purchase or sale will normally be allocated on a pro rata basis.  The Adviser may adjust the allocation when, taking into account such factors as the size of the individual orders and transaction costs, the Adviser believes an adjustment is reasonable.

Portfolio Turnover


The portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is calculated by dividing the lesser of the Fund's purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the year by the monthly average value of the portfolio securities.  The calculation excludes all securities whose remaining maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less.  The portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may also be affected by cash requirements for redemptions of shares.  High portfolio turnover rates will generally result in higher transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, to the Fund and may result in additional tax consequences to the Fund's Shareholders.  




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DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Fund is required to include a schedule of portfolio holdings in its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, which is sent to shareholders within 60 days of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters and which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Form N-CSR within 70 days of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters.  The Fund also is required to file a schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q within 60 days of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters.  The Fund must provide a copy of the complete schedule of portfolio holdings as filed with the SEC to any shareholder of the Fund, upon request, free of charge.  This policy is applied uniformly to all shareholders of the Fund without regard to the type of requesting shareholder (i.e., regardless of whether the shareholder is an individual or institutional investor).  The Fund may enter into ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings to rating agencies, such as Morningstar or Lipper, in order for the agencies to assign a rating or ranking to the Fund.  Portfolio holdings will be supplied to rating agencies no more frequently than quarterly and only after the Fund has filed a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC.  The Fund currently does not have any ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings information to rating agencies.

Pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees, the Fund has ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings information on a daily basis to the Adviser, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent and Custodian and on an as needed basis to other third parties providing services to the Fund.   The Adviser, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent and Custodian receive portfolio holdings information daily in order to carry out the essential operations of the Fund.  The Fund discloses portfolio holdings to its auditors (Sanville & Company), legal counsel (Thompson Hine LLP), proxy voting services (if applicable), pricing services, printers, parties to merger and reorganization agreements and their agents, and prospective or newly hired investment advisers or sub-advisers.  The lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed will vary based on the identity of the party to whom the information is disclosed.  For instance, the information may be provided to auditors within days of the end of an annual period, while the information may be given to legal counsel at any time.

The Fund makes publicly available on a monthly basis an updated list of the Fund’s top ten holdings, sector weightings and other Fund characteristics.  This information is made available on the Fund’s website.  The same information may also be included in printed marketing materials.  The information is updated monthly and is usually available within 5 days of the month end.  The Fund’s Form N-CSR and Form N-Q will contain the Fund's entire list of portfolio holdings as of the applicable quarter end.

The Fund, the Adviser, the Transfer Agent, the Fund Accounting Agent and the Custodian are prohibited from entering into any special or ad hoc arrangements with any person to make available information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings without the specific approval of the Board.  Any party wishing to release portfolio holdings information on an ad hoc or special basis must  submit any proposed arrangement to the Board, which will review the arrangement to determine (i) whether the arrangement is in the best interests of the Fund's shareholders, (ii) the information will be kept confidential (based on the factors discussed below),  (iii) whether sufficient protections are in place to guard against personal trading based on the information, and (iv) whether the disclosure presents a conflict of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the Adviser, or any affiliated person of the Fund or the Adviser. Additionally, the Adviser, and any affiliated persons of the Adviser, are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration, for themselves or on behalf of the Fund, as a result of disclosing the Fund’s portfolio holdings.



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Information disclosed to third parties, whether on an ongoing or ad hoc basis, is disclosed under conditions of confidentiality.  “Conditions of confidentiality” include (i) confidentiality clauses in written agreements, (ii) confidentiality implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g., attorney-client relationship), (iii) confidentiality required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody relationships) or (iv) understandings or expectations between the parties that the information will be kept confidential.  The agreements with the Fund’s Adviser, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent and Custodian contain confidentiality clauses, which the Board and these parties have determined extend to the disclosure of nonpublic information about the Fund's portfolio holding and the duty not to trade on the non-public information.  The Fund believes, based upon its size and history, that these are reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and will provide sufficient protection against personal trading based on the information.

DETERMINATION OF SHARE PRICE

The price (net asset value) of the shares of the Fund is determined at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business.  For a description of the methods used to determine the net asset value, see “How to Buy Shares – Purchasing Shares" in the prospectus.

Equity securities generally are valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser believes such prices accurately reflect the fair market value of such securities.  Securities that are traded on any stock exchange or on the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price.  Lacking a last sale price, an equity security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price .  When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current market value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board of Trustees of the Trust.

Fixed income securities generally are valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser believes such prices accurately reflect the fair market value of such securities.  A pricing service utilizes electronic data processing techniques based on yield spreads relating to securities with similar characteristics to determine prices for normal institutional-size trading units of debt securities without regard to sale or bid prices.  If the Adviser decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair market value of the securities, when prices are not readily available from a pricing service, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, securities are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board of Trustees.  Short term investments in fixed income securities with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity, are valued by using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined will represent fair value.

[REDEMPTION IN-KIND

The Fund does not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash.  The Fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders made by a shareholder during any 90-day period by making payment in whole or in part in portfolio securities ("redemption in kind") if the amount of such a request is large enough to affect operations (if the request is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period) in order to protect the interests of remaining shareholders, or to accommodate a request by a particular shareholder.  In the event that an in-kind



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distribution is made, a shareholder may incur additional expenses, such as the payment of brokerage commissions, on the sale or other disposition of the securities received from the Fund.]

TAX CONSEQUENCES

The Fund intends to continue to qualify under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code.  Under provisions of Sub-Chapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended, the Fund, by paying out substantially all of its investment income and realized capital gains, intends to be relieved of federal income tax on the amounts distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Sub-Chapter M, at least 90% of the Fund's income must be derived from dividends, interest and gains from securities transactions, and no more than 50% of the Fund's total assets may be in two or more securities that exceed 5% of the total assets of the Fund at the time of each security's purchase. Not qualifying under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code would cause the Fund to be considered a personal holding company subject to normal corporate income taxes.  The Fund then would be liable for federal income tax on the capital gains and net investment income distributed to its shareholders, resulting in a second level of taxation that would substantially reduce net after-tax returns from the Fund.  Any subsequent dividend distribution of the Fund's earnings after taxes would still be taxable as received by shareholders.

Tax Distribution : The Fund's distributions (capital gains and dividend income), whether received by shareholders in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund, may be subject to federal income tax payable by shareholders. All income realized by the Fund including short-term capital gains, will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income. Dividends from net income will be made annually or more frequently at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. Dividends received shortly after purchase of Fund shares by an investor will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of his/her shares by the amount of such dividends or distributions. You should consult a tax adviser regarding the effect of federal, state, local, and foreign taxes on an investment in the Fund.

Federal Withholding : The Fund is required by federal law to withhold 31% of reportable payments (which may include dividends, capital gains, distributions and redemptions) paid to shareholders who have not complied with IRS regulations. In order to avoid this withholding requirement, you must certify on a W-9 tax form supplied by the Fund that your Social Security or Taxpayer Identification Number provided is correct and that you are not currently subject to back-up withholding, or that you are exempt from back-up withholding.

Medicare Tax:

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax generally will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that any such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of federal, state, local and foreign tax law in light of their particular situation. Should additional series, or funds, be created by the Trustees, the Fund would be treated as a separate tax entity for federal tax purposes.


Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act:   Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after June 30, 2014 and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016.  FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable


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intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of  foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.  Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.


Tax Loss Carryforward:   Under current tax law, net capital losses realized after October 31st and net ordinary losses incurred after December 31st may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first day of the following fiscal year.  The Fund’s carryforward losses, post-October losses and post December losses are determined only at the end of each fiscal year.  Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, net capital losses recognized after December 31, 2010, may be carried forward indefinitely, and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term. Although the Act provides several benefits, including the unlimited carryover of future capital losses, there may be a greater likelihood that all or a portion of the Fund’s pre-enactment capital loss carryovers may expire without being utilized due to the fact that post-enactment capital losses get utilized before pre-enactment capital loss carryovers.

The undistributed ordinary income and capital gains (losses) shown above differ from corresponding accumulated net investment income and accumulated net realized gain (loss) figures reported in the statement of assets and liabilities due to post-October capital loss deferrals on the Fund.


PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Board of Trustees of the Trust has delegated responsibilities for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. A copy of the proxy voting policies of the Adviser are attached hereto as Appendix A. MORE INFORMATION.  The actual voting records relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll free, 1-866-[    ].  The information also will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.  In addition, a copy of the Trust's proxy voting policies and procedures are also available by calling 1-866-[   ] and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, has not produced financial statements. Once produced, you can obtain a copy of the financial statements contained in the Fund's Annual or Semi-Annual Report without charge by calling the Fund at [PHONE].



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Appendix A

[ADVISER PROXY VOTING POLICY TO BE INSERTED]



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PART C

OTHER INFORMATION



Item 28.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.


(a) Articles of Incorporation.

(i) Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust is filed herewith.

(ii) Registrant's Certificate of Trust is filed herewith.


(b) By-Laws. Registrant's By-Laws are filed herewith.


(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holder.  None other than in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Registrant.


(d) Investment Advisory Contracts.  Management Agreement will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(e) Underwriting Contracts.  Underwriting Agreement will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. None.


(g) Custodial Agreement. Custody Agreement will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(h) Other Material Contracts. Transfer Agent Agreement and other material contracts will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(i) Legal Opinion. Legal Opinion and Consent of Thompson Hine LLP will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(j) Other Opinions. Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(k) Omitted Financial Statements. None.


(l) Initial Capital Agreements.  Subscription Agreement between the Trust and the Initial Investor(s) will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(m) Rule 12b-1 Plans. None.


(n) Rule 18f-3 Plan. None.


(o) Reserved.


(p) Code of Ethics.


(i) Code of Ethics for Registrant will be filed by subsequent amendment.

(ii) Code of Ethics for Adviser will be filed by subsequent amendment.


(q) Powers of Attorney.  Power of Attorney for Registrant, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each trustee and executive officer, will be filed by subsequent amendment.


Item 29. Control Persons. None.




Item 30. Indemnification.


Reference is made to Article VIII of the Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust which is included. The application of these provisions is limited by the following undertaking set forth in the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission:


Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in such Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in such Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. The Registrant may maintain a standard mutual fund and investment advisory professional and directors and officers liability policy. The policy, if maintained, would provide coverage to the Registrant, its Trustees and officers, and could cover its advisers, among others. Coverage under the policy would include losses by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement, neglect or breach of duty.


Item 31. Activities of Investment Adviser.


Belpointe Asset Management, LLC, located at 125 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT, 06830 is a registered investment adviser.  Additional information about the adviser and its officers is incorporated by reference to the Statement of Additional Information filed herewith, and the adviser’s Form ADV, file number 801-69329.


Item 32. Principal Underwriter.  None.


Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.


All accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by the Registrant pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 thereunder are maintained at the office of the Registrant and the Transfer Agent.  The address of the Transfer Agent is 8000 Town Centre Drive, Suite 400, Broadview Heights, OH 44147.  The address of the Custodian is 425 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, Ohio  45202  .


Item 34. Management Services. Not applicable.


Item 35. Undertakings. None.














SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Greenwich, State of Connecticut, on the 23th day of October, 2017.


Collaborative Investment Series Trust


By:

/s/Brandon E. Lacoff

Brandon E. Lacoff

Sole Trustee


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacity and on the date indicated.



Signature

/s/Brandon E. Lacoff

Brandon E. Lacoff

Title

Sole Trustee

Date

October 23, 2017




Exhibit Index


1. Agreement and Declaration of Trust

EX-99.28.a.i

2. Certificate of Trust

EX-99.28.a.ii

2. Bylaws

EX-99.28.b







AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST


of


Collaborative Investment Series Trust


a Delaware Statutory Trust



4813-8408-3537.1


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Page

ARTICLE I.  Name and Definitions

Section 1    Name .

2

Section 2.   Registered Agent and Registered Office; Principal Place of Business.

(a)

Registered Agent and Registered Office .

(b)

Principal Place of Business .

Section 3.   Definitions

(a)

" 1940 Act "

(b)

" Affiliated Person "

(c)

" Assignment ".

(d)

" Board of Trustees "

(e)

" By-Laws "

(f)

" Certificate of Trust "

(g)

" Code "

(h)

" Commission "

(i)

" Delaware Act "

(j)

" Declaration of Trust "

(k)

" General Liabilities "

(l)

" Interested Person "

(m)   " Investment Adviser " or " Adviser "

(n)

" Majority Shareholder Vote "

(o)

" National Financial Emergency "

(p)

" Person "

(q)

" Principal Underwriter "

(r)

" Series "

(s)

" Shares "

(t)

" Shareholder "

(u)

" Trust "

(v)

" Trust Property "

(w)

" Trustee " or " Trustees ".

ARTICLE II.  Purpose of Trust

ARTICLE III.  Shares

Section 1.   Division of Beneficial Interest .

Section 2.   Ownership of Shares

Section 3.   Investments in the Trust

Section 4.   Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability

Section 5.   Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares

Section 6.   Establishment and Designation of Series

(a)

Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series

(b)

Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series

(c)

Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases

(d)

Voting

(e)

Equality

(f)

Fractions

(g)

Exchange Privilege

(h)

Combination of Series

(i)

Elimination of Series

Section 7.   Indemnification of Shareholders

ARTICLE IV.  The Board of Trustees

Section 1.   Number, Election and Tenure

Section 2.   Effect of Death, Resignation, Removal, etc. of a Trustee

Section 3.   Powers

Section 4.   Chairman of the Trustees

Section 5.   Payment of Expenses by the Trust

Section 6.   Payment of Expenses by Shareholders

Section 7.   Ownership of Trust Property

Section 8.   Service Contracts.

ARTICLE V.  Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings

Section 1.   Voting Powers

Section 2.   Meetings

Section 3.   Quorum and Required Vote

Section 4.   Shareholder Action by Written Consent without a Meeting

Section 5.   Record Dates

           Section 6. Derivative Actions ……………………………………………………… 21

Section 7.   Additional Provisions

ARTICLE VI.  Custodian

Section 1.   Appointment and Duties

Section 2.   Central Certificate System

ARTICLE VII.  Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions

Section 1.   Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions

Section 2.   Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder

Section 3.   Redemptions at the Option of the Trust

ARTICLE VIII.  Compensation and Limitation of Liability of Officers and Trustees

Section 1.   Compensation

Section 2.   Indemnification and Limitation of Liability.

Section 3.   Officers and Trustees’ Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety

Section 4.   Insurance

ARTICLE IX.  Miscellaneous

Section 1.   Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees

Section 2.   Dissolution of Trust or Series

Section 3.   Merger and Consolidation; Conversion .

(a)

Merger and Consolidation .

(b)

Conversion

Section 4.   Reorganization

Section 5.   Amendments

Section 6.   Filing of Copies, References, Headings

Section 7.   Applicable Law

Section 8.   Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations.

Section 9.   Statutory Trust Only

Section 10.   Fiscal Year

33  







i

4813-8408-3537.1




AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST


OF


COLLABORATIVE INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST



AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made as of the 26th day of July 2017, by the Trustee(s) hereunder, and by the holders of shares of beneficial interest to be issued hereunder as hereinafter provided.  This Agreement and Declaration of Trust shall be effective upon the filing of the Certificate of Trust in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.


W I T N E S S E T H:


WHEREAS this Trust has been formed to carry on the business of an investment company; and


WHEREAS this Trust is authorized to issue its shares of beneficial interest in separate Series, and to issue classes of Shares of any Series or divide Shares of any Series into two or more classes, all in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth; and


WHEREAS the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into their hands as trustees of a Delaware business trust in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act of 2002 (12 Del. C. §3801, et seq. ), as from time to time amended and including any successor statute of similar import (the "DSTA"), and the provisions hereinafter set forth.


NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby declare that they will hold all cash, securities and other assets which they may from time to time acquire in any manner as Trustees hereunder in trust to manage and dispose of the same upon the following terms and conditions for the benefit of the holders from time to time of shares of beneficial interest in this Trust and the Series created hereunder as hereinafter set forth.




4813-8408-3537.1


ARTICLE I

Name and Definitions .


Section 1.   Name .  The name of the Trust hereby created is " Collaborative Investment Series Trust " and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name, or any other name as they may from time to time determine.


Section 2.   Registered Agent and Registered Office; Principal Place of Business.


(a)

Registered Agent and Registered Office .  The name of the registered agent of the Trust and the address of the registered office of the Trust are as set forth on the Certificate of Trust.


(b)

Principal Place of Business .  The principal place of business of the Trust is 125 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT, 06830 or such other location within or outside of the State of Delaware as the Board of Trustees may determine from time to time.


Section 3.   Definitions .  Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically provided:


(a)

" 1940 Act " shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time;


(b)

" Affiliated Person " shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act when used with reference to a specified Person;

(c)

" Assignment " shall have the meaning given in the 1940 Act, as modified by or interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Commission or any rules or regulations adopted or interpretive releases of the Commission thereunder.

(d)

" Board of Trustees " shall mean the governing body of the Trust, which is comprised of the Trustees of the Trust;


(e)

" By-Laws " shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust, as amended from time to time in accordance with Article X of the By-Laws, and incorporated herein by reference;


(f)

" Certificate of Trust " shall mean the certificate of trust filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required under the DSTA to form the Trust;    


(g)

" Code " shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder;


(h)

" Commission " shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(7) of the 1940 Act;


(i)

The " Delaware Act " refers to Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code entitled "Treatment of Delaware Statutory Trusts," as it may be amended from time to time;


(j)

" Declaration of Trust " shall mean this Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended or restated from time to time;


(k)

" General Liabilities " shall have the meaning given it in Article III, Section 6(b) of this Declaration Trust;


(l)

" Interested Person " shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act;


(m)

" Investment Adviser " or " Adviser " shall mean a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any contract described in Article IV, Section 7(a) hereof;


(n)

" Majority Shareholder Vote " shall have the same meaning as the term "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" is given in the 1940 Act, as modified by or interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Commission or any rules or regulations adopted or interpretive releases of the Commission thereunder;


(o)

" National Financial Emergency " shall mean the whole or any part of any period set forth in Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act.  The Board of Trustees may, in its discretion, declare that the suspension relating to a national financial emergency shall terminate, as the case may be, on the first business day on which the New York Stock Exchange shall have reopened or the period specified in Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act shall have expired (as to which, in the absence of an official ruling by the Commission, the determination of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive);


(p)

" Person " shall include a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, trust, estate, association, corporation, custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity;


(q)

" Principal Underwriter " shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(29) of the 1940 Act;


(r)

" Series " means a series of Shares of the Trust established in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6;


(s)

" Shares " shall mean the outstanding shares of beneficial interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, and shall include fractional and whole shares;


(t)

" Shareholder " shall mean a record owner of Shares;


(u)

" Trust " shall refer to the Delaware statutory trust established by this Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time;


(v)

" Trust Property " shall mean any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or one or more of any Series, including, without limitation, the rights referenced in Article VIII, Section 2 hereof;


(w)

" Trustee " or " Trustees " shall refer to each signatory to this Declaration of Trust as a trustee, so long as such signatory continues in office in accordance with the terms hereof, and all other Persons who may, from time to time, be duly elected or appointed, qualified and serving on the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof.  Reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such Person or Persons in their capacity as Trustees hereunder.


ARTICLE II

Purpose of Trust .


The purpose of the Trust is to conduct, operate and carry on the business of a registered management investment company registered under the 1940 Act through one or more Series investing primarily in securities and, in addition to any authority given by law, to exercise all of the powers and to do any and all of the things as fully and to the same extent as any private corporation organized for profit under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware, now or hereafter in force, including, without limitation, the following powers:


(a)

To invest and reinvest cash, to hold cash uninvested, and to subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, mortgage, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise deal in or dispose of contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of fixed income or other securities, and securities or property of every nature and kind, including, without limitation, all types of bonds, debentures, stocks, preferred stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, obligations, evidences of indebtedness, certificates of deposit or indebtedness, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, bankers’ acceptances, and other securities of any kind, issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including, without limitation, states, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, any foreign government or any political subdivision of the U.S. Government or any foreign government, or any international instrumentality, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization organized under any foreign law, or in "when issued" contracts for any such securities, to change the investments of the assets of the Trust;


(b)

To exercise any and all rights, powers and privileges with reference to or incident to ownership or interest, use and enjoyment of any of such securities and other instruments or property of every kind and description, including, but without limitation, the right, power and privilege to own, vote, hold, purchase, sell, negotiate, assign, exchange, lend, transfer, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, pledge or write options with respect to or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy any rights, title, interest, powers or privileges under or with reference to any of such securities and other instruments or property, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons, to exercise any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of said instruments, and to do any and all acts and things for the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of any of such securities and other instruments or property;


(c)

To sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease or write options with respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating to any or all of the assets of the Trust or any Series, subject to any requirements of the 1940 Act;


(d)

To vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with respect to stock or other securities or property; and to execute and deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such person or persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such person or persons such power and discretion with relation to securities or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;


(e)

To exercise powers and right of subscription or otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities;


(f)

To hold any security or property in a form not indicating that it is trust property, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own name or in the name of a custodian or subcustodian or a nominee or nominees or otherwise or to authorize the custodian or a subcustodian or a nominee or nominees to deposit the same in a securities depository, subject in each case to proper safeguards according to the usual practice of investment companies or any rules or regulations applicable thereto;


(g)

To consent to, or participate in, any plan for the reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer of any security which is held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by such corporation or issuer; and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the Trust;


(h)

To join with other security holders in acting through a committee, depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper;


(i)

To litigate, compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the Trust or any matter in controversy, including but not limited to claims for taxes;


(j)

To enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and any other combinations or associations;


(k)

To endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations of any Person; to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or otherwise assume liability for payment thereof;


(l)

To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance as the Trustees may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets of the Trust or payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent contractors of the Trust, individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding Shares, holding, being or having held any such office or position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted by any such Person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, or independent contractor, to the fullest extent permitted by this Agreement and Declaration of Trust, the By-laws and by applicable law; and


(m)

To adopt, establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans, trusts and provisions, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all of the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust.


(n)

To purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, sell, negotiate, exchange, assign, transfer, mortgage, pledge or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy, property of all kinds.


(o)

To buy, sell, mortgage, encumber, hold, own, exchange, rent or otherwise acquire and dispose of, and to develop, improve, manage, subdivide, and generally to deal and trade in real property, improved and unimproved, and wheresoever situated; and to build, erect, construct, alter and maintain buildings, structures, and other improvements on real property.


(p)

To borrow or raise moneys for any of the purposes of the Trust, and to mortgage or pledge the whole or any part of the property and franchises of the Trust, real, personal, and mixed, tangible or intangible, and wheresoever situated.


(q)

To enter into, make and perform contracts and undertakings of every kind for any lawful purpose, without limit as to amount.


(r)

To issue, purchase, sell and transfer, reacquire, hold, trade and deal in Shares, bonds, debentures and other securities, instruments or other property of the Trust, from time to time, to such extent as the Board of Trustees shall, consistent with the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, determine; and to repurchase, re-acquire and redeem, from time to time, its Shares or, if any, its bonds, debentures and other securities.


The Trust shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible dissolution of the Trust or one or more of its Series.  The Trust shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present or future law or custom in regard to investment by fiduciaries.  Neither the Trust nor the Trustees shall be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets of the Trust or take any other action hereunder.


The foregoing clauses shall each be construed as purposes, objects and powers, and it is hereby expressly provided that the foregoing enumeration of specific purposes, objects and powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the powers of the Trust, and that they are in furtherance of, and in addition to, and not in limitation of, the general powers conferred upon the Trust by the DSTA and the other laws of the State of Delaware or otherwise; nor shall the enumeration of one thing be deemed to exclude another, although it be of like nature, not expressed.



ARTICLE III

Shares .


Section 1.   Division of Beneficial Interest .  The beneficial interest in the Trust shall at all times be divided into Shares, all without par value.  The number of Shares authorized hereunder is unlimited.  The Board of Trustees may authorize the division of Shares into separate and distinct Series and the division of any Series into separate classes of Shares.  The different Series and classes shall be established and designated, and the variations in the relative rights and preferences as between the different Series and classes shall be fixed and determined by the Board of Trustees without the requirement of Shareholder approval.  If no separate Series or classes shall be established, the Shares shall have the rights and preferences provided for herein and in Article III, Section 6 hereof to the extent relevant and not otherwise provided for herein, and all references to Series and classes shall be construed (as the context may require) to refer to the Trust.  The fact that a Series shall have initially been established and designated without any specific establishment or designation of classes (i.e., that all Shares of such Series are initially of a single class) shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate separate classes of said Series.  The fact that a Series shall have more than one established and designated class, shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate additional classes of said Series, or to establish and designate separate classes of the previously established and designated classes.


The Board of Trustees shall have the power to issue Shares of the Trust, or any Series or class thereof, from time to time for such consideration (but not less than the net asset value thereof) and in such form as may be fixed from time to time pursuant to the direction of the Board of Trustees.  


The Board of Trustees may hold as treasury shares, reissue for such consideration and on such terms as they may determine, or cancel, at their discretion from time to time, any Shares of any Series reacquired by the Trust.  Shares held in the treasury shall not, until reissued, confer any voting rights on the Trustees, nor shall such Shares be entitled to any dividends or other distributions declared with respect to the Shares.  The Board of Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued Shares or any Shares previously issued and reacquired of any Series or class into one or more Series or classes that may be established and designated from time to time.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust and any Series thereof may acquire, hold, sell and otherwise deal in, for purposes of investment or otherwise, the Shares of any other Series of the Trust or Shares of the Trust, and such Shares shall not be deemed treasury shares or cancelled.


Subject to the provisions of Section 6 of this Article III, each Share shall have voting rights as provided in Article V hereof, and the Shareholders of any Series shall be entitled to receive dividends and distributions, when, if and as declared with respect thereto in the manner provided in Article IV, Section 3 hereof.  No Share shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the same Series or class with respect to dividends or distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon dissolution of the Trust or of such Series or class made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 2 hereof.  All dividends and distributions shall be made ratably among all Shareholders of a particular class of Series from the Trust Property held with respect to such Series according to the number of Shares of such class of such Series held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or distribution.  Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to subscribe to new or additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust or any Series.  The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any particular Series into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that Series.  Such division or combination may not materially change the proportionate beneficial interests of the Shares of that Series in the Trust Property held with respect to that Series or materially affect the rights of Shares of any other Series.


Any Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust, and any organization in which any such Person is interested, may acquire, own, hold and dispose of Shares of the Trust to the same extent as if such Person were not a Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust; and the Trust may issue and sell or cause to be issued and sold and may purchase Shares from any such Person or any such organization subject only to the general limitations, restrictions or other provisions applicable to the sale or purchase of such Shares generally.    


Section 2.   Ownership of Shares .  The ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust kept by the Trust or by a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Series and class thereof that has been established and designated.  No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time.  The Board of Trustees may make such rules not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act as they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the transfer of Shares of each Series or class and similar matters.  The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are the Shareholders of each Series or class thereof and as to the number of Shares of each Series or class thereof held from time to time by each such Shareholder.


Section 3.   Investments in the Trust .  Investments may be accepted by the Trust from such Persons, at such times, on such terms, and for such consideration as the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, authorize.  Each investment shall be credited to the individual Shareholder’s account in the form of full and fractional Shares of the Trust, in such Series or class as the purchaser may select, at the net asset value per Share next determined for such Series or class after receipt of the investment; provided , however , that the Principal Underwriter may, pursuant to its agreement with the Trust, impose a sales charge upon investments in the Trust.


Section 4.   Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability .  Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving to Shareholders only the rights provided in this Declaration of Trust and under applicable law.  Every Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof and to have become a party hereto.  The death of a Shareholder during the existence of the Trust shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any Series, nor entitle the representative of any deceased Shareholder to an accounting or to take any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees or any Series, but entitles such representative only to the rights of said deceased Shareholder under this Declaration of Trust.  Ownership of Shares shall not entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the Trust Property or right to call for a partition or division of the same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the Shareholders as partners.  Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust, shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholder, nor, except as specifically provided herein, to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay.  All Shares when issued on the terms determined by the Board of Trustees shall be fully paid and nonassessable.  As provided in the DSTA, Shareholders of the Trust shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of a private corporation organized for profit under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware.


Section 5.   Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares .  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust and without limiting the power of the Board of Trustees to amend this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate of Trust as provided elsewhere herein, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to amend this Declaration of Trust, or the Certificate of Trust, at any time and from time to time, in such manner as the Board of Trustees may determine in its sole discretion, without the need for Shareholder action, so as to add to, delete, replace or otherwise modify any provisions relating to the Shares contained in this Declaration of Trust, provided that before adopting any such amendment without Shareholder approval, the Board of Trustees shall determine that it is consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all Shareholders and that Shareholder approval is not otherwise required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law.  If Shares have been issued, Shareholder approval shall be required to adopt any amendments to this Declaration of Trust which would adversely affect to a material degree the rights and preferences of the Shares of any Series or class already issued; provided , however , that in the event that the Board of Trustees determines that the Trust shall no longer be operated as an investment company in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may adopt such amendments to this Declaration of Trust to delete those terms the Board of Trustees identifies as being required by the 1940 Act.


Subject to the foregoing Paragraph, the Board of Trustees may amend the Declaration of Trust to amend any of the provisions set forth in paragraphs (a) through (i) of Section 6 of this Article III.


The Board of Trustees shall have the power, in its discretion, to make such elections as to the tax status of the Trust as may be permitted or required under the Code as presently in effect or as amended, without the vote of any Shareholder.


Section 6.   Establishment and Designation of Series .  The establishment and designation of any Series or class of Shares shall be effective upon the resolution by a majority of the then Board of Trustees, adopting a resolution which sets forth such establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences of such Series or class.  Each such resolution shall be incorporated herein by reference upon adoption.


Each Series shall be separate and distinct from any other Series and shall maintain separate and distinct records on the books of the Trust, and the assets and liabilities belonging to any such Series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets and liabilities of the Trust or any other Series. Claims and rights of action of a Series against a third party may brought by the Trust as assignee, with reversion of any benefits of the claim or action reverting to such Series upon resolution.


Shares of each Series or class established pursuant to this Section 6, unless otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such Series, shall have the following relative rights and preferences:


(a)

Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series .  All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably be held with respect to that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors with respect to that Series, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust.  Such consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be, are herein referred to as "assets held with respect to" that Series.  In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, funds or payments which are not readily identifiable as assets held with respect to any particular Series (collectively "General Assets"), the Board of Trustees shall allocate such General Assets to, between or among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, deems fair and equitable, and any General Asset so allocated to a particular Series shall be held with respect to that Series.  Each such allocation by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes.


(b)

Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series .  The assets of the Trust held with respect to each particular Series shall be charged against the liabilities of the Trust held with respect to that Series and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that Series, and any liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as being held with respect to any particular Series (collectively "General Liabilities") shall be allocated and charged by the Board of Trustees to and among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees in its sole discretion deems fair and equitable.  The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves so charged to a Series are herein referred to as "liabilities held with respect to" that Series.  Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes.  All Persons who have extended credit which has been allocated to a particular Series, or who have a claim or contract that has been allocated to any particular Series, shall look, and shall be required by contract to look exclusively, to the assets of that particular Series for payment of such credit, claim, or contract.  In the absence of an express contractual agreement so limiting the claims of such creditors, claimants and contract providers, each creditor, claimant and contract provider will be deemed nevertheless to have impliedly agreed to such limitation unless an express provision to the contrary has been incorporated in the written contract or other document establishing the claimant relationship.


Subject to the right of the Board of Trustees in its discretion to allocate General Liabilities as provided herein, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Series, whether such Series is now authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust or is hereafter authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust, shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to that Series only, and not against the assets of any other Series or the Trust generally and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Trust generally or any other Series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to such Series.  Notice of this limitation on liabilities between and among Series shall be set forth in the Certificate of Trust of the Trust (whether originally or by amendment) as filed or to be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DSTA, and upon the giving of such notice in the Certificate of Trust, the statutory provisions of Section 3804 of the DSTA relating to limitations on liabilities between and among Series (and the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in the Certificate of Trust) shall become applicable to the Trust and each Series.  


(c)

Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases .  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, including, without limitation, Article VI, no dividend or distribution including, without limitation, any distribution paid upon dissolution of the Trust or of any Series with respect to, nor any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any Series or class shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect to such Series, nor, except as specifically provided in Section 7 of this Article III, shall any Shareholder of any particular Series otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series or the Trust generally except to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series.  The Board of Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital; and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.


(d)

Voting .  All Shares of the Trust entitled to vote on a matter shall vote on the matter, separately by Series and, if applicable, by class, subject to: (1) where the 1940 Act requires all Shares of the Trust to be voted in the aggregate without differentiation between the separate Series or classes, then all of the Trust’s Shares shall vote in the aggregate; and (2) if any matter affects only the interests of some but not all Series or classes, then only the Shareholders of such affected Series or classes shall be entitled to vote on the matter.


(e)

Equality .  All Shares of each particular Series shall represent an equal proportionate undivided beneficial interest in the assets held with respect to that Series (subject to the liabilities held with respect to that Series and such rights and preferences as may have been established and designated with respect to classes of Shares within such Series), and each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to each other Share of that Series (subject to the rights and preferences with respect to separate classes of such Series).


(f)

Fractions .  Any fractional Share of a Series shall carry proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of that Series, including rights with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares and dissolution of the Trust or that Series.


(g)

Exchange Privilege .  The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to provide that the holders of Shares of any Series shall have the right to exchange said Shares for Shares of one or more other Series in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be established by the Board of Trustees, and in accordance with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.


(h)

Combination of Series .  The Board of Trustees shall have the authority, without the approval of the Shareholders of any Series unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and liabilities held with respect to any two or more Series into assets and liabilities held with respect to a single Series.


(i)

Elimination of Series .  At any time that there are no Shares outstanding of any particular Series or class previously established and designated, the Board of Trustees may by resolution of a majority of the then Board of Trustees abolish that Series or class and rescind the establishment and designation thereof.


Section 7.   Indemnification of Shareholders .   If any Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be exposed to liability by reason of a claim or demand relating solely to his or her being or having been a Shareholder of the Trust (or by having been a Shareholder of a particular Series), and not because of such Person’s acts or omissions, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or, in the case of a natural person, his or her heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled to be held harmless from and indemnified out of the assets of the Trust or out of the assets of the applicable Series (as the case may be) against all loss and expense arising from such claim or demand; provided , however , there shall be no liability or obligation of the Trust (or any particular Series) arising hereunder to reimburse any Shareholder for taxes paid by reason of such Shareholder’s ownership of any Shares.  


ARTICLE IV


The Board of Trustees .


Section 1.   Number, Election and Tenure .  The number of Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees may be fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed, or by resolution approved at a duly constituted meeting, by a majority of the Board of Trustees, provided, however, that the number of Trustees shall in no event be less than one (1) nor more than fifteen (15).  The initial Trustee shall be Brandon E. Lacoff.  The Board of Trustees, by action of a majority of the then Trustees at a duly constituted meeting, may fill vacancies in the Board of Trustees or remove any Trustee with or without cause.  The Shareholders may elect Trustees, including filling any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, at any meeting of Shareholders called by the Board of Trustees for that purpose.  A meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more Trustees may be called by the Board of Trustees or, to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, by the Shareholders.  Shareholders shall have the power to remove a Trustee only to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.


Each Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or is removed, or, if sooner than any of such events, until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees and until the election and qualification of his or her successor.  Any Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to any officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Board of Trustees.  Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some later time.  Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period following any such event or any right to damages on account of such events or any actions taken in connection therewith following his or her resignation or removal.  


Section 2.   Effect of Death, Resignation, Removal, etc. of a Trustee .  The death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, declaration as bankrupt or incapacity of one or more Trustees, or of all of them, shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any Series or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust.  Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled as provided in this Article IV, Section 1, the Trustee(s) in office, regardless of the number, shall have all the powers granted to the Board of Trustees and shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Board of Trustees by this Declaration of Trust.  In the event of the death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, incapacity of all of the then Trustees, the Trust’s Investment Adviser(s) is (are) empowered to appoint new Trustees subject to the provisions of Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act.


Section 3.   Powers .  Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees shall manage the business of the Trust, and such Board of Trustees shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility, including, without limitation, the power to engage in securities or other transactions of all kinds on behalf of the Trust.  The Board of Trustees shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts and instruments that it may consider necessary or appropriate in connection with the administration of the Trust.  The Trustees shall not be bound or limited by present or future laws or customs with regard to investment by trustees or fiduciaries, but shall have full authority and absolute power and control over the assets of the Trust and the business of the Trust to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the assets of the Trust and the business in their own right, including such authority, power and control to do all acts and things as they, in their sole discretion, shall deem proper to accomplish the purposes of this Trust.  Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees may: (1) adopt, amend and repeal By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the regulation and management of the affairs of the Trust; (2) fill vacancies in or remove from their number in accordance with this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, and may elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents as they consider appropriate; (3) appoint from their own number and establish and terminate one or more committees consisting of two or more Trustees which may exercise the powers and authority of the Board of Trustees to the extent that the Board of Trustees determine; (4) employ one or more custodians of the Trust Property and may authorize such custodians to employ subcustodians and to deposit all or any part of such Trust Property in a system or systems for the central handling of securities or with a Federal Reserve Bank; (5) retain a transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, a shareholder servicing agent or administrative services agent, or all of them; (6) provide for the issuance and distribution of Shares by the Trust directly or through one or more Principal Underwriters or otherwise; (7) retain one or more Investment Adviser(s); (8) redeem, repurchase and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law; (9) set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters, in the manner provided in Article V, Section 5 of this Declaration of Trust; (10) declare and pay dividends and distributions to Shareholders from the Trust Property; (11) establish from time to time, in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, any Series or class of Shares, each such Series to operate as a separate and distinct investment medium and with separately defined investment objectives and policies and distinct investment purposes; and (12) in general delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to any committee of the Board of Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust or to any such custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing or shareholder servicing agent, Principal Underwriter or Investment Adviser.  Any determination as to what is in the best interests of the Trust made by the Board of Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive.


In construing the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees.  Unless otherwise specified herein or required by law, any action by the Board of Trustees shall be deemed effective if approved or taken by a majority of the Trustees then in office.


Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Trustees, or a committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be, shall individually or collectively consent in writing to that action. Such action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as a majority vote of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be.


The Trustees shall devote to the affairs of the Trust such time as may be necessary for the proper performance of their duties hereunder, but neither the Trustees nor the officers, directors, shareholders or partners of the Trustees, shall be expected to devote their full time to the performance of such duties.  The Trustees, or any Affiliate shareholder, officer, director, partner or employee thereof, or any Person owning a legal or beneficial interest therein, may engage in or possess an interest in any other business or venture of any nature and description, independently or with or for the account of others.


Section 4.   Chairman of the Trustees .  The Trustees shall appoint one of their number to be Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Trustees, shall be responsible for the execution of policies established by the Trustees and the administration of the Trust, and may be (but is not required to be) the chief executive, financial and/or accounting officer of the Trust.


Section 5.   Payment of Expenses by the Trust .  The Board of Trustees is authorized to pay or cause to be paid out of the principal or income of the Trust or any particular Series or class, or partly out of the principal and partly out of the income of the Trust or any particular Series or class, and to charge or allocate the same to, between or among such one or more of the Series or classes that may be established or designated pursuant to Article III, Section 6, as it deems fair, all expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities incurred by or arising in connection with the maintenance or operation of the Trust or a particular Series or class, or in connection with the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the Trustees’ compensation and such expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities for the services of the Trust’s officers, employees, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, auditors, counsel, custodian, sub-custodian (if any), transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, and such other agents or independent contractors and such other expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary or proper to incur.


Section 6.   Payment of Expenses by Shareholders .  The Board of Trustees shall have the power, as frequently as it may determine, to cause each Shareholder of the Trust, or each Shareholder of any particular Series, to pay directly, in advance or arrears, for charges of the Trust’s custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or similar agent, an amount fixed from time to time by the Board of Trustees, by setting off such charges due from such Shareholder from declared but unpaid dividends or distributions owed such Shareholder and/or by reducing the number of Shares in the account of such Shareholder by that number of full and/or fractional Shares which represents the outstanding amount of such charges due from such Shareholder.


Section 7.   Ownership of Trust Property .  Legal title to all of the Trust Property shall at all times be considered to be vested in the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees shall have the power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of any Person as nominee, on such terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, in accordance with applicable law.  


Section 8.   Service Contracts.


(a)

Subject to such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws and/or the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may, at any time and from time to time, contract for exclusive or nonexclusive advisory, management and/or administrative services for the Trust or for any Series with any corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, including without limitation, authority for the Investment Adviser or administrator to determine from time to time without prior consultation with the Board of Trustees what securities and other instruments or property shall be purchased or otherwise acquired, owned, held, invested or reinvested in, sold, exchanged, transferred, mortgaged, pledged, assigned, negotiated, or otherwise dealt with or disposed of, and what portion, if any, of the Trust Property shall be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trust’s or a particular Series’ investments, or such other activities as may specifically be delegated to such party.


(b)

The Board of Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate, appointing it or them as the exclusive or nonexclusive distributor or Principal Underwriter for the Shares of the Trust or one or more of the Series or classes thereof or for other securities to be issued by the Trust, or appointing it or them to act as the custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and/or ­shareholder servicing agent for the Trust or one or more of the Series or classes thereof.  


(c)

The Board of Trustees is further empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with any Persons to provide such other services to the Trust or one or more of its Series, as the Board of Trustees determines to be in the best interests of the Trust or one or more of its Series.


(d)

The fact that:


(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees, employees or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager, Adviser, Principal Underwriter, distributor, or Affiliate or agent of or for any corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or for any parent or Affiliate of any organization with which an Adviser’s, management or administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such organization, or any parent or Affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust, or that


(ii) any corporation, trust, association or other organization with which an Adviser’s, management or administration contract or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made also has an Adviser’s, management or administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other service contract with one or more other corporations, trusts, associations, or other organizations, or has other business or interests, shall not affect the validity of any such contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee, employee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same, or create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders, provided that the establishment of and performance under each such contract is permissible under the provisions of the 1940 Act.


(e)

Every contract referred to in this Section 7 shall comply with such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws, the 1940 Act or stipulated by resolution of the Board of Trustees; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine.


ARTICLE V

Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings .


Section 1.   Voting Powers .  Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), the Shareholders shall have power to vote only (i) for the election of Trustees, including the filling of any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, as provided in Article IV, Section 1; (ii) with respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, the 1940 Act or any registration statement of the Trust filed with the Commission; and (iii) on such other matters as the Board of Trustees may consider necessary or desirable.  The Shareholder of record (as of the record date established pursuant to Section 5 of this Article V) of each Share shall be entitled to one vote for each full Share, and a fractional vote for each fractional Share.  Shareholders shall not be entitled to cumulative voting in the election of Trustees or on any other matter.  Shareholders may vote Shares in person or by proxy.


Section 2.   Meetings .  Meetings of the Shareholders may be held within or outside the State of Delaware.  Meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or a Series may be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board or the President of the Trust for any lawful purpose, including the purpose of electing Trustees as provided in Article IV, Section 1.  Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series shall be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman or President upon the written request of Shareholders owning the requisite percentage amount of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote specified in the By-Laws.  Whenever ten or more Shareholders meeting the qualifications set forth in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, as the same may be amended from time to time, seek the opportunity of furnishing materials to the other Shareholders with a view to obtaining signatures on such a request for a meeting, the Trustees shall comply with the provisions of said Section 16(c) with respect to providing such Shareholders access to the list of the Shareholders of record of the Trust or the mailing of such materials to such Shareholders of record, subject to any rights provided to the Trust or any Trustees provided by said Section 16(c). Shareholders shall be entitled to at least fifteen (15) days’ notice of any meeting.


Section 3.   Quorum and Required Vote .  Except when a larger quorum is required by applicable law, by the By-Laws or by this Declaration of Trust, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at a Shareholders’ meeting shall constitute a quorum at such meeting.  When a separate vote by one or more Series or classes is required, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares of each such Series or class present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a Shareholders’ meeting of such Series or class.  Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), Article VIII, Section 4 and any other provision of this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws or applicable law which requires a different vote: (1) in all matters other than the election of Trustees, the affirmative vote of the majority of votes cast at a Shareholders’ meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Shareholders; (2) Trustees shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at a Shareholders’ meeting at which a quorum is present.


Section 4.   Shareholder Action by Written Consent without a Meeting .  Any action which may be taken at any meeting of Shareholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior notice if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by the holders of Shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all Shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted. All such consents shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trust’s records. Any Shareholder giving a written consent or the Shareholder’s proxy holders or a transferee of the Shares or a personal representative of the Shareholder or its respective proxy-holder may revoke the consent by a writing received by the secretary of the Trust before written consents of the number of Shares required to authorize the proposed action have been filed with the secretary.


If the consents of all Shareholders entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing and if the unanimous written consent of all such Shareholders shall not have been received, the secretary shall give prompt notice of the action taken without a meeting to such Shareholders. This notice shall be given in the manner specified in the By-Laws.


Section 5.   Record Dates . For purposes of determining the Shareholders entitled to notice of any meeting or to vote or entitled to give consent to action without a meeting, the Board of Trustees may fix in advance a record date which shall not be more than one hundred eighty (180) days nor less than seven (7) days before the date of any such meeting.


If the Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date:


(a)

The record date for determining Shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the business day which is five (5) business days next preceding to the day on which the meeting is held.


(b)

The record date for determining Shareholders entitled to give consent to action in writing without a meeting, (i) when no prior action by the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first written consent is given, or (ii) when prior action of the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Trustees adopts the resolution taking such prior action or the seventy-fifth (75th) day before the date of such other action, whichever is later.


(c)

For the purpose of determining the Shareholders of any Series or class who are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, the Board of Trustees may from time to time fix a date, which shall be before the date for the payment of such dividend or such other distribution, as the record date for determining the Shareholders of such Series or class having the right to receive such dividend or distribution.  Nothing in this Section shall be construed as precluding the Board of Trustees from setting different record dates for different Series or classes.


Section 6.   Derivative Actions .  In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Act, a Shareholder may bring derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if the Shareholder or Shareholders first make a pre-suit demand upon the Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Trustees to bring such action is excused. A demand on the Trustees shall only be excused if a majority of the Board of Trustees, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, has a personal financial interest in the action at issue. A Trustee shall not be deemed to have a personal financial interest in an action or otherwise be disqualified from ruling on a Shareholder demand by virtue of the fact that such Trustee receives remuneration from his service on the Board of Trustees of the Trust or on the boards of one or more investment companies with the same or an affiliated investment advisor or underwriter.


Section 7.   Additional Provisions .  The By-Laws may include further provisions for Shareholders’ votes, meetings and related matters.


ARTICLE VI


Custodian .


Section 1.   Appointment and Duties .  The Trustees shall at all times employ a bank, a company that is a member of a national securities exchange, or a trust company, each having capital, surplus and undivided profits that meet the requirements of the 1940 Act as custodian with authority as its agent, but subject to such restrictions, limitations and other requirements, if any, as may be contained in the By-Laws of the Trust:


(a)

To hold the securities owned by the Trust and deliver the same upon written order or oral order confirmed in writing, or by such electro-mechanical or electronic devices as are agreed to by the Trust and the custodian, if such procedures have been authorized in writing by the Trust;


(b)

To receive and receipt for any moneys due to the Trust and deposit the same in its own banking department or elsewhere as the Trustees may direct;


(c)

To disburse such funds upon orders or vouchers;


and the Trust may also employ such custodian as its agent:


(d)

To keep the books and accounts of the Trust or of any Series or class and furnish clerical and accounting services; and


(e)

To compute, if authorized to do so by the Trustees, the Net Asset Value of any Series, or class thereof, in accordance with the provisions hereof; all upon such basis of compensation as may be agreed upon between the Trustees and the custodian.


The Trustees may also authorize the custodian to employ one or more sub-custodians from time to time to perform such of the acts and services of the custodian, and upon such terms and conditions, as may be agreed upon between the custodian and such sub-custodian and approved by the Trustees, provided that in every case such sub-custodian shall be a bank, a company that is a member of a national securities exchange, or a trust company organized under the laws of the United States or one of the states thereof and having capital, surplus and undivided profits that meet the requirements of the 1940 Act or such other person as may be permitted by the Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the 1940 Act.


Section 2.   Central Certificate System .  Subject to such rules, regulations and orders as the Commission may adopt, the Trustees may direct the custodian to deposit all or any part of the securities owned by the Trust in a system for the central handling of securities established by a national securities exchange or a national securities association registered with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or such other person as may be permitted by the Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the 1940 Act, pursuant to which system all securities of any particular class or series of any issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of such securities, provided that all such deposits shall be subject to withdrawal only upon the order of the Trust or its custodians, subcustodians or other agents.


ARTICLE VII

Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions .


Section 1.   Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions .  Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to fix an initial offering price for the Shares of any Series or class thereof which shall yield to such Series or class not less than the net asset value thereof, at which price the Shares of such Series or class shall be offered initially for sale, and to determine from time to time thereafter the offering price which shall yield to such Series or class not less than the net asset value thereof from sales of the Shares of such Series or class; provided , however , that no Shares of a Series or class thereof shall be issued or sold for consideration which shall yield to such Series or class less than the net asset value of the Shares of such Series or class next determined after the receipt of the order (or at such other times set by the Board of Trustees), except in the case of Shares of such Series or class issued in payment of a dividend properly declared and payable.


Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees, in their absolute discretion, may prescribe and shall set forth in the By-Laws or in a duly adopted vote of the Board of Trustees such bases and time for determining the per Share or net asset value of the Shares of any Series or net income attributable to the Shares of any Series, or the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions on the Shares of any Series, as they may deem necessary or desirable.


Section 2.   Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder .  Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus of the Trust relating to the Shares, as such prospectus may be amended from time to time ("Prospectus"):


(a)

The Trust shall purchase such Shares as are offered by any Shareholder for redemption, upon the presentation of a proper instrument of transfer together with a request directed to the Trust or a Person designated by the Trust that the Trust purchase such Shares or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize; and the Trust will pay therefor the net asset value thereof, in accordance with the By-Laws and applicable law.  Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to the Shareholder within seven days after the date on which the request is received in proper form.  The obligation set forth in this Section 2 is subject to the provision that in the event that any time the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the Rules of the Commission during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any National Financial Emergency which makes it impracticable for the Trust to dispose of the investments of the applicable Series or to determine fairly the value of the net assets held with respect to such Series or during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for the protection of investors, such obligations may be suspended or postponed by the Board of Trustees.  If certificates have been issued to a Shareholder, any such request by such Shareholder must be accompanied by surrender of any outstanding certificate or certificates for such Shares in form for transfer, together with such proof of the authenticity of signatures as may reasonably be required on such Shares and accompanied by proper stock transfer stamps, if applicable.


(b)

Payments for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made in cash, except payment for such Shares may, at the option of the Board of Trustees, or such officer or officers as it may duly authorize in its complete discretion, be made in kind or partially in cash and partially in kind.  In case of any payment in kind, the Board of Trustees, or its delegate, shall have absolute discretion as to what security or securities of the Trust shall be distributed in kind and the amount of the same; and the securities shall be valued for purposes of distribution at the value at which they were appraised in computing the then current net asset value of the Shares, provided that any Shareholder who cannot legally acquire securities so distributed in kind by reason of the prohibitions of the 1940 Act or the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA") shall receive cash.  Shareholders shall bear the expenses of in-kind transactions, including, but not limited to, transfer agency fees, custodian fees and costs of disposition of such securities.


(c)

Payment for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made by the Trust as provided above within seven days after the date on which the redemption request is received in good order; provided, however, that if payment shall be made other than exclusively in cash, any securities to be delivered as part of such payment shall be delivered as promptly as any necessary transfers of such securities on the books of the several corporations whose securities are to be delivered practicably can be made, which may not necessarily occur within such seven day period.  Moreover, redemptions may be suspended in the event of a National Financial Emergency.  In no case shall the Trust be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind.


(d)

The right of Shareholders to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares may be set forth in a Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees and amended from time to time pursuant to Rule 18f-3 of the 1940 Act.  The right of any Shareholder of the Trust to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares redeemed and all other rights of such Shareholder with respect to the Shares so redeemed by the Trust, except the right of such Shareholder to receive payment for such Shares, shall cease at the time as of which the purchase price of such Shares shall have been fixed, as provided above.


Section 3.   Redemptions at the Option of the Trust .  The Board of Trustees may, from time to time, without the vote or consent of the Shareholders, and subject to the 1940 Act, redeem Shares or authorize the closing of any Shareholder account, subject to such conditions as may be established by the Board of Trustees.


ARTICLE VIII


Compensation and Limitation of Liability of
Officers and Trustees
.


Section 1.   Compensation .  Except as set forth in the last sentence of this Section 1, the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, fix a reasonable amount of compensation to be paid by the Trust to the Trustees and officers of the Trust.  Nothing herein shall in any way prevent the employment of any Trustee for advisory, management, legal, accounting, investment banking or other services and payment for the same by the Trust.


Section 2.   Indemnification and Limitation of Liability.


(a)

To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the DSTA, the officers and Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any act or omission of: any agent or employee of the Trust; any Investment Adviser or Principal Underwriter of the Trust; or with respect to each Trustee and officer, the act or omission of any other Trustee or officer, respectively.  The Trust, out of the Trust Property, shall indemnify and hold harmless each and every officer and Trustee from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever arising out of or related to such officer’s or Trustee’s performance of his or her duties as an officer or Trustee of the Trust.  This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a Person serves as a Trustee or officer of the Trust whether or not such Person is a Trustee or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted.  Nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any officer or Trustee from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which such Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Person’s office.


(b)

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or document whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust, the officers or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in such Person’s capacity as Trustee and/or as officer, and such Trustee or officer, as applicable, shall not be personally liable therefor, except as described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 2 of this Article VIII.


Section 3.   Officers and Trustees’ Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety .  The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder shall be binding upon everyone interested.  An officer or Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for such officer’s or Trustee’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of such officer or Trustee, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law.  The officers and Trustees may obtain the advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust and their duties as officers or Trustees.  No such officer or Trustee shall be liable for any act or omission in accordance with such advice and no inference concerning liability shall arise from a failure to follow such advice.  The officers and Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is required.


Section 4.   Insurance .  To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the officers and Trustees shall be entitled and have the authority to purchase with Trust Property, insurance for liability and for all expenses reasonably incurred or paid or expected to be paid by a Trustee or officer in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which such Person becomes involved by virtue of such Person’s capacity or former capacity with the Trust, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the provisions of this Article.


ARTICLE IX

Miscellaneous .


Section 1.   Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees .  No person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any actions made or to be made by the Trustees.


Section 2.   Dissolution of Trust or Series .  Unless dissolved as provided herein, the Trust shall have perpetual existence.  The Trust may be dissolved at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of the Trust entitled to vote or by the Board of Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders.  Any Series may be dissolved at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of that Series or by the Board of Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders of that Series.


Upon dissolution of the Trust (or a particular Series, as the case may be), the Trustees shall (in accordance with § 3808 of the DSTA) pay or make reasonable provision to pay all claims and obligations of each Series (or the particular Series, as the case may be), including all contingent, conditional or unmatured claims and obligations known to the Trust, and all claims and obligations which are known to the Trust but for which the identity of the claimant is unknown.  If there are sufficient assets held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid in full and any such provisions for payment shall be made in full.  If there are insufficient assets held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid or provided for according to their priority and, among claims and obligations of equal priority, ratably to the extent of assets available therefor.  Any remaining assets (including without limitation, cash, securities or any combination thereof) held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be) shall be distributed to the Shareholders of such Series, ratably according to the number of Shares of such Series held by the several Shareholders on the record date for such dissolution distribution.


Section 3.   Merger and Consolidation; Conversion .


(a)

Merger and Consolidation .


Pursuant to an agreement of merger or consolidation, the Trust, or any one or more Series, may, by act of a majority of the Board of Trustees, merge or consolidate with or into one or more business trusts or other business entities formed or organized or existing under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state or the United States or any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction.  Any such merger or consolidation shall not require the vote of the Shareholders affected thereby, unless such vote is required by the 1940 Act, or unless such merger or consolidation would result in an amendment of this Declaration of Trust, which would otherwise require the approval of such Shareholders.  In accordance with Section 3815(f) of the DSTA, an agreement of merger or consolidation may affect any amendment to this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or affect the adoption of a new declaration of trust or by-laws of the Trust if the Trust is the surviving or resulting business trust.  Upon completion of the merger or consolidation, the Trustees shall file a certificate of merger or consolidation in accordance with Section 3810 of the DSTA.


(b)

Conversion .  A majority of the Board of Trustees may, without the vote or consent of the Shareholders, cause (i) the Trust to convert to a common-law trust, a general partnership, limited partnership or a limited liability company organized, formed or created under the laws of the State of Delaware as permitted pursuant to Section 3821 of the DSTA; (ii) the Shares of the Trust or any Series to be converted into beneficial interests in another business trust (or series thereof) created pursuant to this Section 3 of this Article VIII, or (iii) the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law; provided , however, that if required by the 1940 Act, no such statutory conversion, Share conversion or Share exchange shall be effective unless the terms of such transaction shall first have been approved at a meeting called for that purpose by the "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities," as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or Series, as applicable; provided , further , that in all respects not governed by statute or applicable law, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe the procedure necessary or appropriate to accomplish a sale of assets, merger or consolidation including the power to create one or more separate business trusts to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust may be transferred and to provide for the conversion of Shares of the Trust or any Series into beneficial interests in such separate business trust or trusts (or series thereof).


Section 4.   Reorganization .  A majority of the Board of Trustees may cause the Trust to sell, convey and transfer all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or all or substantially all of the assets associated with any one or more Series, to another trust, business trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association or corporation organized under the laws of any state, or to one or more separate series thereof, or to the Trust to be held as assets associated with one or more other Series of the Trust, in exchange for cash, shares or other securities (including, without limitation, in the case of a transfer to another Series of the Trust, Shares of such other Series) with such transfer either (a) being made subject to, or with the assumption by the transferee of, the liabilities associated with each Series the assets of which are so transferred, or (b) not being made subject to, or not with the assumption of, such liabilities; provided, however, that, if required by the 1940 Act, no assets associated with any particular Series shall be so sold, conveyed or transferred unless the terms of such transaction shall first have been approved at a meeting called for that purpose by the "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities," as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act, of that Series.  Following such sale, conveyance and transfer, the Board of Trustees shall distribute such cash, shares or other securities (giving due effect to the assets and liabilities associated with and any other differences among the various Series the assets associated with which have so been sold, conveyed and transferred) ratably among the Shareholders of the Series the assets associated with which have been so sold, conveyed and transferred (giving due effect to the differences among the various classes within each such Series); and if all of the assets of the Trust have been so sold, conveyed and transferred, the Trust shall be dissolved.


Section 5.   Amendments .  Subject to the provisions of the second paragraph of this Section 5 of this Article VIII, this Declaration of Trust may be restated and/or amended at any time by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Board of Trustees and, if required, by approval of such amendment by Shareholders in accordance with Article V, Section 3 hereof.  Any such restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be effective immediately upon execution and approval or upon such future date and time as may be stated therein.  The Certificate of Trust of the Trust may be restated and/or amended by a similar procedure, and any such restatement and/or amendment shall be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or upon such future date as may be stated therein.


Notwithstanding the above, the Board of Trustees expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal any provisions contained in this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate of Trust, in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of Article III hereof, and all rights, contractual and otherwise, conferred upon Shareholders are granted subject to such reservation.  The Board of Trustees further expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision of the By-Laws pursuant to Article IX of the By-Laws.


Section 6.   Filing of Copies, References, Headings .  The original or a copy of this Declaration of Trust and of each restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust where any Shareholder may inspect it.  Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such restatements and/or amendments have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such restatements and/or amendments.  In this Declaration of Trust and in any such restatements and/or amendments, references to this instrument, and all expressions of similar effect to "herein," "hereof" and "hereunder," shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as amended or affected by any such restatements and/or amendments.  Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument.  Whenever the singular number is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable.  This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.


Section 7.   Applicable Law .  This Declaration of Trust is created under and is to be governed by and construed and administered according to the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Code.  The Trust shall be a Delaware business trust pursuant to the DSTA, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily exercised by such a business trust.


Section 8.   Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations .


(a)

The provisions of this Declaration of Trust are severable, and if the Board of Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the Code, the DSTA, or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed not to have constituted a part of this Declaration of Trust from the time when such provisions became inconsistent with such laws or regulations; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of this Declaration of Trust or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination.


(b)

If any provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration of Trust in any jurisdiction.


Section 9.   Statutory Trust Only .  It is the intention of the Trustees to create a statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA, and thereby to create the relationship of trustee and beneficial owners within the meaning of the DSTA between the Trustees and each Shareholder.  It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock association, corporation, bailment, or any form of legal relationship other than a business trust pursuant to the DSTA.  Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.


Section 10.   Fiscal Year .  The fiscal year of the Trust shall end on a specified date as set forth in the By-Laws, provided, however, that the Trustees may, without Shareholder approval, change the fiscal year of the Trust.





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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trustees named below do hereby make and enter into this Agreement and Declaration of Trust as of the date first above written.





/s/

Brandon E. Lacoff

Trustee



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BY-LAWS

COLLABORATIVE INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST

A Delaware Business Trust

ARTICLE I.

OFFICES

Section 1.01.

PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE .  The Board of Trustees shall fix and, from time to time, may change the location of the principal executive office of the Trust at any place within or outside the State of Delaware.

Section 1.02.

OTHER OFFICES .  The Board of Trustees may at any time establish branch or additional offices at any place or places where the Trust intends to do business.

ARTICLE II.

MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

Section 2.01.

PLACE OF MEETINGS .  Meetings of Shareholders shall be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware designated by the Board of Trustees.  In the absence of any such designation, shareholders’ meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust.

Section 2.02.

CALL OF MEETING .  A meeting of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series  may be called at any time for any purpose by the Board of Trustees, by the Chairman of the Board or by the President.  Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series shall be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman, or President upon the written request of Shareholders owning at least one-third of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote.  

Section 2.03.

NOTICE OF SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING .  All notices of meetings of shareholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 4 of this Article II not less than seven (7) nor more than one hundred and eighty (180) days before the date of the meeting.  The notice shall specify (i) the place, date and hour of the meeting, and (ii) the general nature of the business to be transacted.  The notice of any meeting at which Trustees are to be elected also shall include the name of any nominee or nominees whom at the time of the notice are intended to be presented for election.

If action is proposed to be taken at any meeting for approval of (i) a contract or transaction in which a Trustee has a direct or indirect financial interest, (ii) an amendment of the Declaration of Trust, (iii) a reorganization of the Trust, or (iv) a



4840-5677-2945.1




voluntary dissolution of the Trust, the notice shall also state the general nature of that proposal.

Section 2.04.

MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE; AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE .  Notice of any meeting of shareholders shall be given either personally or by first-class mail or telegraphic or other written communication, charges prepaid, addressed to the shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust or its transfer agent or given by the shareholder to the Trust for the purpose of notice.  If no such address appears on the Trust’s books or is given, notice shall be deemed to have been given if sent to that shareholder by first-class mail or telegraphic or other written communication to the Trust’s principal executive office, or if published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where that office is located.  Notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time when delivered personally or deposited in the mail or sent by telegram or other means of written communication.

If any notice addressed to a shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust is returned to the Trust by the United States Postal Service marked to indicate that the Postal Service is unable to deliver the notice to the shareholder at that address, all future notices or reports shall be deemed to have been duly given without further mailing if these shall be available to the shareholder on written demand of the shareholder at the principal executive office of the Trust for a period of one year from the date of the giving of the notice.

An affidavit of the mailing or other means of giving any notice of any shareholders’ meeting shall be executed by the secretary, assistant secretary or any transfer agent of the Trust giving the notice and shall be filed and maintained in the minute book of the Trust.

Section 2.05.

ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE .  Any shareholders’ meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, may be adjourned from time to time by the vote of the majority of the shares represented at that meeting, either in person or by proxy.

When any shareholders’ meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless a new record date of the adjourned meeting is fixed or unless the adjournment is for more than sixty (60) days from the date set for the original meeting, in which case the Board of Trustees shall set a new record date.  Notice of any such adjourned meeting shall be given to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of this Article II.  At any adjourned meeting, the Trust may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.

Section 2.06.

VOTING .  The shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, as in effect at such time.  The shareholders’ vote may be by voice vote or by ballot, provided, however, that any election for trustees must be by ballot if demanded by any shareholder before the voting has begun on any matter other than elections of Trustees, any shareholder may vote part of the shares in favor of the proposal and refrain from voting the remaining shares or vote them against the proposal, but if the



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shareholder fails to specify the number of shares which the shareholder is voting affirmatively, it will be conclusively presumed that the shareholder’s approving vote is with respect to the total shares that the shareholder is entitled to vote on such proposal.


Section 2.07.

WAIVER OF NOTICE BY CONSENT OF ABSENT SHAREHOLDERS .  The transactions of the meeting of shareholders, however called and noticed and wherever held, shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice if a quorum be present either in person or by proxy and if either before or after the meeting, each person entitled to vote who was not present in person or by proxy signs a written waiver of notice or a consent to a holding of the meeting or an approval of the minutes.  The waiver of notice or consent need not specify either the business to be transacted or the purpose of any shareholders’ meeting.

Attendance by a person at a meeting shall also constitute a waiver of notice of that meeting, except when the person objects at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened and except that attendance at a meeting is not a waiver of any right to object to the consideration of matters not included in the notice of the meeting if that objection is expressly made at the beginning of the meeting.

Section 2.08.

SHAREHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING .  Any action which may be taken at any meeting of shareholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior notice if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted.  All such consents shall be filed with the Secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trust’s records.  Any shareholder giving a written consent or the shareholder’s proxy holders or a transferee of the shares or a personal representative of the shareholder or their respective proxy-holders may revoke the consent by a writing received by the Secretary of the Trust before written consents of the number of shares required to authorize the proposed action have been filed with the Secretary.

If the consents of all shareholders entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing and if the unanimous written consent of all such shareholders shall not have been received, the Secretary shall give prompt notice of the action approved by the shareholders without a meeting.  This notice shall be given in the manner specified in Section 4 of this Article II.  In the case of approval of (i) contracts or transactions in which a trustee has a direct or indirect financial interest, (ii) indemnification of agents of the Trust, and (iii) a reorganization of the Trust, the notice shall be given at least ten (10) days before the consummation of any action authorized by that approval.

Section 2.09.

RECORD DATE FOR SHAREHOLDER NOTICE; VOTING AND GIVING CONSENTS . For purposes of determining the shareholders entitled to notice of any meeting or to vote or entitled to give consent to action without a meeting, the Board of Trustees may fix in advance a record date which shall not be more than one hundred



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and eighty (180) days nor less than seven (7) days before the date of any such meeting as provided in the Declaration of Trust.

If the Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date:

(a)

The record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders shall be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which notice is given or if notice is waived, at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.

(b)

The record date for determining shareholders entitled to give consent to action in writing without a meeting, (i)when no prior action by the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first written consent is given, or (ii) when prior action of the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Trustees adopt the resolution relating to that action or the seventy-fifth day before the date of such other action, whichever is later.

Section 2.10.

PROXIES .  Every person entitled to vote for trustees or on any other matter shall have the right to do so either in person or by one or more agents authorized by a written proxy signed by the person and filed with the Secretary of the Trust.  A proxy shall be deemed signed if the shareholder’s name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual signature, typewriting, telegraphic transmission or otherwise) by the shareholder or the shareholder’s attorney-in-fact.  A validly executed proxy which does not state that it is irrevocable shall continue in full force and effect unless (i) revoked by the person executing it before the vote pursuant to that proxy by a writing delivered to the Trust stating that the proxy is revoked or by a subsequent proxy executed by or attendance at the meeting and voting in person by the person executing that proxy; or (ii) written notice of the death or incapacity of the maker of that proxy is received by the Trust before the vote pursuant to that proxy is counted; provided however, that no proxy shall be valid after the expiration of eleven (11) months from the date of the proxy unless otherwise provided in the proxy.  The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

Section 2.11.

INSPECTORS OF ELECTION .  Before any meeting of shareholders, the Board of Trustees may appoint any persons other than nominees for office to act as inspectors of election at the meeting or its adjournment.  If no inspectors of election are so appointed, the chairman of the meeting may and on the request of any shareholder or a shareholder’s proxy shall, appoint inspectors of election at the meeting.  The number of inspectors shall be either one (1) or three (3).  If inspectors are appointed at a meeting on the request of one or more shareholders or proxies, the holders of a majority of shares or their proxies present at the meeting shall determine whether one (1) or three (3) inspectors are to be appointed.  If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the chairman of the meeting may and



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on the request of any shareholder or a shareholder’s proxy, shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy.

These inspectors shall:

(a)

Determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum and the authenticity, validity and effect of proxies;

(b)

Receive votes, ballots or consents;

(c)

Hear and determine all challenges and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote;

(d)

Count and tabulate all votes or consents;

(e)

Determine when the polls shall close;

(f)

Determine the result; and

(g)

Do any other acts that may be proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all shareholders.

ARTICLE III.

TRUSTEES

Section 3.01.

POWERS .  Subject to the applicable provisions of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws relating to action required to be approved by the shareholders or by the outstanding shares, the business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed and all powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees.

Section 3.02.

NUMBER AND QUALIFICATION OF TRUSTEES .  The exact number of Trustees shall be set as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust.

Section 3.03.

VACANCIES .  Vacancies in the Board of Trustees may be filled by a majority of the remaining trustees, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining Trustee, unless the Board of Trustees calls a meeting of shareholders for the purposes of electing trustees.  In the event that at any time less than a majority of the Trustees holding office at that time were so elected by the holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the Board of Trustees shall forthwith cause to be held as promptly as possible, and in any event within sixty (60) days, a meeting of such holders for the purpose of electing trustees to fill any existing vacancies in the Board of Trustees, unless such period is extended by order of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.



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Notwithstanding the above, whenever and for so long as the Trust is a participant in or otherwise has in effect a Plan under which the Trust may be deemed to bear expenses of distributing its shares as that practice is described in Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, then the selection and nomination of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) shall be, and is, committed to the discretion of such disinterested trustees.

Section 3.04.

PLACE OF MEETINGS AND MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE .  All meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware that has been designated from time to time by resolution of the Board.  In the absence of such a designation, regular meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust.  Any meeting, regular or special, may be held by conference telephone or similar communication equipment, so long as all trustees participating in the meeting can hear one another and all such trustees shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and provided that provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 do not otherwise require an in-person meeting.

Section 3.05.

REGULAR MEETINGS .  Regular meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be held without call at such time as shall from time to time be fixed by the Board of Trustees.  Such regular meetings may be held without notice.

Section 3.06.

SPECIAL MEETINGS .  Special meetings of the Board of Trustees for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board or the President or any Vice President or the Secretary or any two (2) Trustees.

Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be delivered personally or by telephone to each Trustee or sent by first-class mail or telegram, charges prepaid, addressed to each trustee at that trustee’s address as it is shown on the records of the Trust.  In case the notice is mailed, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least seven (7) days before the time of the holding of the meeting.  In case the notice is delivered personally, by telephone, to the telegraph company, or by express mail or similar service, it shall be given at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting.  Any oral notice given personally or by telephone may be communicated either to the trustee or to a person at the office of the trustee who the person giving the notice has reason to believe will promptly communicate it to the trustee.  The notice need not specify the purpose of the meeting or the place if the meeting is to be held at the principal executive office of the Trust.

Section 3.07.

QUORUM .  A majority of the authorized number of trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except to adjourn as provided in Section 10 of this Article III.  Every act or decision done or made by a majority of the trustees present at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the Board of Trustees, subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust.  A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding the withdrawal of trustees if any action taken is approved by a least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting.



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Section 3.08.

WAIVER OF NOTICE .  Notice of any meeting need not be given to any trustee who either before or after the meeting signs a written waiver of notice, a consent to holding the meeting, or an approval of the minutes.  The waiver of notice or consent need not specify the purpose of the meeting.  All such waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the records of the Trust or made a part of the minutes of the meeting.  Notice of a meeting shall also be deemed given to any trustee who attends the meeting without protesting before or at its commencement the lack of notice to that trustee.

Section 3.09.

ADJOURNMENT .  A majority of the Trustees present, whether or not constituting a quorum, may adjourn any meeting to another time and place.

Section 3.10.

NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT .  Notice of the time and place of holding an adjourned meeting need not be given unless the meeting is adjourned for more than forty-eight (48) hours, in which case notice of the time and place shall be given before the time of the adjourned meeting in the manner specified in Section 7 of this Article III to the trustees who were present at the time of the adjournment.

Section 3.11.

ACTION WITHOUT A MEETING .  Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees shall individually or collectively consent in writing to that action.  Such action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as a majority vote of the Board of Trustees.  Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees.

Section 3.12.

FEES AND COMPENSATION OF TRUSTEES .  Trustees and members of committees may receive such compensation, if any, for their services and such reimbursement of expenses as may be fixed or determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.  This Section 3.12 shall not be construed to preclude any trustee from serving the Trust in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee, or otherwise and receiving compensation for those services.

Section 3.13.

DELEGATION OF POWER TO OTHER TRUSTEES .  Any Trustee may, by power of attorney, delegate his power for a period not exceeding six (6) months at any one time to any other Trustee or Trustees; provided that in no case shall fewer than two (2) Trustees personally exercise the powers granted to the Trustees under this Declaration of Trust except as otherwise expressly provided herein or by resolution of the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE IV.

COMMITTEES

Section 4.01.

COMMITTEES OF TRUSTEES .  The Board of Trustees may by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of trustees designate one or more committees, each consisting of two (2) or more trustees, to serve at the pleasure of the Board.  The Board may designate one or more trustees as alternate members of



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any committee who may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee.  Any committee to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board, shall have the authority of the Board, except with respect to:

(a)

the approval of any action which under applicable law also requires shareholders’ approval or approval of the outstanding shares, or requires approval by a majority of the entire Board or certain members of said Board;

(b)

the filling of vacancies on the Board of Trustees or in any committee;

(c)

the fixing of compensation of the trustees for serving on the Board of Trustees or on any committee;

(d)

the amendment or repeal of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or of the By-Laws or the adoption of new By-Laws;

(e)

the amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Board of Trustees which by its express terms is not so amendable or repealable;

(f)

a distribution to the shareholders of the Trust, except at a rate or in a periodic amount or within a designated range determined by the Board of Trustees; or

(g)

the appointment of any other committees of the Board of Trustees or the members of these committees.

Section 4.02.

MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES .  Meetings and action of committees shall be governed by and held and taken in accordance with the provisions of Article III of these By-Laws, with such changes in the context thereof as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board of Trustees and its members, except that the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board of Trustees or by resolution of the committee.  Special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board of Trustees, and notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to all alternate members who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee.  The Board of Trustees may adopt rules for the government of any committee not inconsistent with the provisions of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE V.

OFFICERS

Section 5.01.

OFFICERS .  The officers of the Trust shall be a President, a Secretary, a Chief Compliance Officer, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer.  The Trust may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, a Chairman of the Board, one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers, and such other officers as may be



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appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of this Article V.  Any number of offices may be held by the same person.

Section 5.02.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS .  The officers of the Trust, except such officers as may appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 or Section 5 of this Article V, shall be chosen by the Board of Trustees, and each shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment.

Section 5.03.

SUBORDINATE OFFICERS .  The Board of Trustees may appoint and may empower the President to appoint such other officers as the business of the Trust may require, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as are provided in these By-Laws or as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine.

Section 5.04.

REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS .  Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board of Trustees at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees or except in the case of an officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board of Trustees.

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Trust.  Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice; and unless otherwise specified in that notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.  Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Trust under any contract to which the officer is a party.

Section 5.05.

VACANCIES IN OFFICES .  A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in these By-Laws for regular appointment to that office.

Section 5.06.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD .  The Chairman of the Board, if such an officer is elected, shall if present preside at meetings of the Board of Trustees and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned to him by the Board of Trustees or prescribed by the By-Laws.

Section 5.07.

PRESIDENT .  Subject to such supervisory powers, if any, as may be given by the Board of Trustees to the Chairman of the Board, if there be such an officer, the President shall be the chief executive officer of the Trust and shall, subject to the control of the Board of Trustees, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and the officers of the Trust.  He shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and in the absence of the chairman of the board or if there be none, at all meetings of the Board of Trustees.  He shall have the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of president of a corporation and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws.



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Section 5.08.

VICE PRESIDENTS .  In the absence or disability of the president, the vice presidents, if any, in order of their rank as fixed by the Board of Trustees or if not ranked, a vice president designated by the Board of Trustees, shall perform all the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president.  The vice presidents shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by the Board of Trustees or by these By-Laws and the President or the Chairman of the Board.

Section 5.09.

SECRETARY .  The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust or such other place as the Board of Trustees may direct a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of trustees, committees of trustees and shareholders with the time and place of holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized, the notice given, the names of those present at trustees’ meetings or committee meetings, the number of shares present or represented at shareholders’ meetings, and the proceedings.

The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust or at the office of the Trust’s transfer agent or registrar, as determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees, a share register or a duplicate share register showing the names of all shareholders and their addresses, the number and classes of shares held by each, the number and date of certificates issued for the same and the number and date of cancellation of every certificate surrendered for cancellation.

The Secretary shall give or cause to be given notice of all meetings of the shareholders and of the Board of Trustees required by these By-Laws or by applicable law to be given and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or by these By-Laws.

Section 5.10.

TREASURER .  The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Trust and shall keep and maintain or cause to be kept and maintained adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the Trust, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, retained earnings and shares.  The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any Trustee.

The Treasurer shall deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Trust with such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Trustees.  He shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Board of Trustees, shall render to the President and Trustees, whenever they request it, an account of all of his transactions as chief financial officer and of the financial condition of the Trust and shall have other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws.

Section 5.11.

PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER .  The Principal Executive Officer shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees, and consistent with, applicable laws and regulations.



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Section 5.12.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER .  The Principal Accounting Officer shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees, and consistent with, applicable laws and regulations.

Section 5.13.   CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER. The Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust will be responsible for administering its compliance policies and procedures, shall have sufficient authority and independence within the organization to compel others to adhere to the compliance policies and procedures, shall report directly to the Board of Trustees, shall annually furnish a written report on the operation of the compliance policies and procedures to the Board of Trustees and shall perform such other duties as prescribed by the Board of Trustees.


ARTICLE VI.

INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUSTEES, OFFICERS,
AND OTHER COVERED PERSONS

Section 6.01.       COVERED PERSON, PROCEEDINGS AND EXPENSES . For the purpose of this Article, “Covered Person” means any past, present and future Trustee or officer (including persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor, or otherwise;  “proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative; and “expenses” includes without limitation attorney’s fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under this Article.

Section 6.02. ACTIONS OTHER THAN BY TRUST . This Trust shall indemnify any Covered Person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of this Trust) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding if that Covered Person acted in good faith and in a manner that the Covered Person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of that Covered Person was unlawful.  

Section 6.03.       ACTIONS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF TRUST . This Trust shall indemnify any Covered Person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of this Trust to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with the defense or settlement of that action if that Covered Person acted in good faith, in a manner that person believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.



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Section 6.04.       INDEMNIFICATION . Indemnification shall be made under Sections 2 or 3 of this Article such that:

(a)

expenses, including counsel fees so incurred by any Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of any undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay amounts so paid to the Trust if its ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under Article VIII of the Declaration of Trust, provided that (i) such Covered Person shall provide security for his or her undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of such Covered Person’s failure to fulfill his undertaking or (iii) a majority of the Trustees who are disinterested persons and who are not Interested Persons (provided that a majority of such Trustees then in office act on the matter), or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (but not a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe such Covered Person ultimately will be entitled to indemnification;

(b)

the termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not reasonably believe his or her actions to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Trust and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful.

(c)

pursuant and subject to Article VIII, the Trust shall indemnify each Covered Person against, or advance the expenses of any Covered Person for, the amount of any deductible provided in any liability insurance policy maintained by the Trust that would otherwise be borne by Covered Person;

(d)

agents and employees of the Trust who are not Trustees or officers of the Trust may be indemnified under the same standards and procedures set forth above, in the discretion of the Board;

(e)

nothing in the Declaration of Trust or in these By-Laws shall be deemed to protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful malfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office; and

(f)

the Trust shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person against any liability asserted against or incurred by such person, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article.  Nevertheless, insurance will not be purchased or maintained by the Trust if the purchase or maintenance of such insurance would result in the indemnification of any person in contravention of any rule or regulation and/or interpretation of the Securities and Exchange Commission.    



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Section 6.05.       OTHER CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS . Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than trustees and officers of this Trust or any subsidiary hereof may be entitled by contract or otherwise.

Section 6.06.       LIMITATIONS . No indemnification or advance shall be made under this Article, except as provided in Sections 5 or 6 in any circumstances where it appears:

(a)             That it would be inconsistent with a provision of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, a resolution of the shareholders, or an agreement in effect at the time of accrual of the alleged cause of action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred or other amounts were paid which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or

(b)             That it would be inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a settlement.

Section 6.07.       FIDUCIARIES OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN . This Article does not apply to any proceeding against any trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in that person’ s capacity as such, even though that person may also be an agent of this Trust as defined in Section 1 of this Article. Nothing contained in this Article shall limit any right to indemnification to which such a trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary may be entitled by contract or otherwise which shall be enforceable to the extent permitted by applicable law other than this Article.

ARTICLE VII.

RECORDS AND REPORTS

Section 7.01.

MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF SHARE REGISTER .  This Trust shall keep at its principal executive office or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, if either be appointed and as determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees, a record of its shareholders, giving the names and addresses of all shareholders and the number and series of shares held by each shareholder.

Section 7.02.

MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF BY-LAWS .  The Trust shall keep at its principal executive office the original or a copy of these By-Laws as amended to date, which shall be open to inspection by the shareholders at all reasonable times during office hours.

Section 7.03.

MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF OTHER RECORDS .  The accounting books and records and minutes of proceedings of the shareholders and the Board of Trustees and any committee or committees of the Board of Trustees shall be kept at such place or places designated by the Board of Trustees or in the absence of



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such designation, at the principal executive office of the Trust.  The minutes shall be kept in written form and the accounting books and records shall be kept either in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form.  The minutes and accounting books and records shall be open to inspection upon the written demand of any shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate at any reasonable time during usual business hours for a purpose reasonably related to the holder’s interests as a shareholder or as the holder of a voting trust certificate.  The inspection may be made in person or by an agent or attorney and shall include the right to copy and make extracts.

Section 7.04.

INSPECTION BY TRUSTEES .  Every trustee shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect all books, records, and documents of every kind and the physical properties of the Trust.  This inspection by a trustee may be made in person or by an agent or attorney and the right of inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts of documents.

Section 7.05.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS .  A copy of any financial statements and any income statement of the Trust for each quarterly period of each fiscal year and accompanying balance sheet of the Trust as of the end of each such period that has been prepared by the Trust shall be kept on file in the principal executive office of the Trust for at least twelve (12) months and each such statement shall be exhibited at all reasonable times to any shareholder demanding an examination of any such statement or a copy shall be mailed to any such shareholder.

The quarterly income statements and balance sheets referred to in this section shall be accompanied by the report, if any, of any independent accountants engaged by the Trust or the certificate of an authorized officer of the Trust that the financial statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the Trust.

ARTICLE VIII.

GENERAL MATTERS

Section 8.01.

CHECKS, DRAFTS, EVIDENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS .  All checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of or payable to the Trust shall be signed or endorsed by such person or persons and in such manner as from time to time shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.

Section 8.02.

CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS; HOW EXECUTED .  The Board of Trustees, except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Trust and this authority may be general or confined to specific instances; and unless so authorized or ratified by the Board of Trustees or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent, or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Trust by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.



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Section 8.03.

CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES .  A certificate or certificates for shares of beneficial interest in any series of the Trust may be issued to a shareholder upon his request when such shares are fully paid.  The Trust may impose a nominal change for issuing certificates to cover expenses related thereto.  All certificates shall be signed in the name of the Trust by the chairman of the board or the president or vice president and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or the secretary or any assistant secretary, certifying the number of shares and the series of shares owned by the shareholders.  Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be facsimile.  In case any officer, transfer agent, or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on a certificate shall have ceased to be that officer, transfer agent, or registrar before that certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Trust with the same effect as if that person were an officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may adopt and use a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares by electronic or other means; and in fact, as a matter of policy, does not presently issue certified shares.

Section 8.04.

LOST CERTIFICATES .  Except as provided in this Section 4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace an old certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Trust and cancelled at the same time.  The Board of Trustees may in case any share certificate or certificate for any other security is lost, stolen, or destroyed, authorize the issuance of a replacement certificate on such terms and conditions as the Board of Trustees may require, including a provision for indemnification of the Trust secured by a bond or other adequate security sufficient to protect the Trust against any claim that may be made against it, including any expense or liability on account of the alleged loss, theft, or destruction of the certificate or the issuance of the replacement certificate.

Section 8.05.

REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER ENTITIES HELD BY TRUST .  The chairman of the Board, the president or any vice president or any other person authorized by resolution of the Board of Trustees or by any of the foregoing designated officers, is authorized to vote or represent on behalf of the Trust any and all shares of any corporation, partnership, trusts, or other entities, foreign or domestic, standing in the name of the Trust.  The authority granted may be exercised in person or by a proxy duly executed by such designated person.

Section 8.06.

FISCAL YEAR .  The fiscal year of the Trust shall be fixed and refixed or changed from time to time by resolution of the Trustees.  The fiscal year of the Trust shall be the taxable year of each Series of the Trust.

ARTICLE IX.

AMENDMENTS

Section 9.01.

AMENDMENT BY SHAREHOLDERS .  These By-Laws may be amended or repealed by the affirmative vote or written consent of two-thirds of the



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outstanding shares entitled to vote, except as otherwise provided by applicable law or by the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws.

Section 9.02.

AMENDMENT BY TRUSTEES .  Subject to the right of shareholders as provided in Section 1 of this Article to adopt, amend or repeal By-Laws, and except as otherwise provided by law or by the Declaration of Trust, these By-Laws may be adopted, amended, or repealed by the Board of Trustees.






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