Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

    

 

Each above-named Columbia Variable Portfolio, CTIVP ^SM and Variable Portfolio Fund (each a “VP Fund” or a “Fund” and together the “VP Funds” or the “Funds”) may offer Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 to separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and certain other qualified institutional investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Funds.

As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Table of Contents (continued)

More Information About Columbia VP – Select Large-Cap Value Fund	224
More Information About Columbia VP – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund	227
More Information About Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund	231
More Information About CTIVP SM – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund	238
More Information About CTIVP SM – MFS ® Blended Research ® Core Equity Fund	248
More Information About CTIVP SM – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund	254
More Information About VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund	259
More Information About the Funds	266
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies	266
Primary Service Providers	271
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest	273
Certain Legal Matters	274
About Fund Shares and Transactions	275
Description of the Share Classes	275
Financial Intermediary Compensation	275
Share Price Determination	276
Shareholder Information	278
Distributions and Taxes	282
Distributions to Shareholders	282
Taxes and Your Investment	283
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Balanced Fund	285
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund	289
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund	293
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund	297
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund	301
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund	305
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund	309
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund	313
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund	317
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund	321
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund	325
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund	329
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Mid Cap Value Fund	333
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund	337
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Large-Cap Value Fund	341
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund	345
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund	349
Financial Highlights — CTIVP SM – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund	353
Financial Highlights — CTIVP SM – MFS ® Blended Research ® Core Equity Fund	357
Financial Highlights — CTIVP SM – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund	361
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund	365

2	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

With respect to its equity securities investments, which may include among other types of equity securities, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of companies that, at the time of purchase, have large market capitalizations (generally over $5 billion).

With respect to its debt securities investments, the Fund invests primarily in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality. These securities include debt securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and other debt securities with intermediate- to long-term maturities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures). The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging (investment) purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset, as well as to manage duration, yield curve and/or interest rate exposure.

The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.

The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.

Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated

4	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.

Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying

Prospectus 2018

5

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.

Frequent Trading Risk.  The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the

6	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the possibility that

Prospectus 2018

7

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that generally pays dividends at a specified rate and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk ( i.e. , the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as two additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

8	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	3rd Quarter 2009	13.48%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-16.31%

  

Prospectus 2018

9

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.

Tax Information

The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

10	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)

Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. The market capitalization of an issuer may also impact its risk profile. Investments in larger, more established companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger, more established companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Quantitative Model Risk. Investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will enable the Fund to achieve its objective or that the models will perform as expected.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Information Technology and Technology-Related Sectors. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector, as well as other technology-related sectors (collectively, the technology sectors) than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the technology sectors are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments.

Prospectus 2018

13

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)

Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	3rd Quarter 2009	16.69%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-24.22%

  

14	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)

investment portfolio. The Fund invests principally in securities of companies believed to be attractively valued and to have the potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the energy sector.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as structured investments (including equity-linked notes), for investment purposes, for risk management (hedging) purposes and to increase investment flexibility.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund will normally receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The amount of the distributions the Fund pays will vary and generally depends on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains from its investments may reduce its distribution level.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may invest significantly in depositary receipts.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of

Prospectus 2018

17

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)

investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk. Structured investments are over-the-counter derivatives that provide principal and/or interest payments based on the value of an underlying reference(s). Structured investments may lack a liquid secondary market and their prices or value can be volatile which could result in significant losses for the Fund. Structured investments may create economic leverage which may increase the volatility of the value of the investment. Structured investments can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. The market capitalization of an issuer may also impact its risk profile. Investments in larger, more established companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger, more established companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that generally pays dividends at a specified rate and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk ( i.e. , the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).

18	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the energy sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Energy Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the energy sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the energy sector are subject to certain risks, including legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and increased competition. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, local and international politics, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resources areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the energy sector. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The energy sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions.

Small- and Mid-Cap Company Securities Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.

Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance, as well as another measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

Prospectus 2018

19

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	3rd Quarter 2009	17.80%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-23.96%

  

20	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)

investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

Prospectus 2018

21

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)

Fund may also gain exposure to such companies through investment in depositary receipts. Emerging market countries include those countries whose economies are considered to be developing or emerging from underdevelopment.

The Fund may invest in a variety of countries, industries and sectors and does not attempt to invest a specific percentage of its assets in any given country, industry or sector. However, the Fund has invested substantially in the financial services sector and information technology and technology-related sectors and may continue to invest substantially in these or other sectors in the future. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.

The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.

The Fund may invest in securities that the investment manager believes are undervalued, represent growth opportunities, or both.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.

Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may invest significantly in depositary receipts.

Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be

Prospectus 2018

23

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)

more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.

Asia Pacific Region. Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Also, securities of some companies in the region can be less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities, potentially making it difficult for the Fund to sell such securities at a desirable time and price.

Greater China. The Greater China region consists of Hong Kong, The People's Republic of China and Taiwan, among other countries, and the Fund's investments in the region are particularly susceptible to risks in that region. Adverse events in any one country within the region may impact the other countries in the region or Asia as a whole. As a result, adverse events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified, which could result in greater volatility in the Fund’s NAV and losses. Markets in the Greater China region can experience significant volatility due to social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties.

Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. The market capitalization of an issuer may also impact its risk profile. Investments in larger, more established companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger, more established companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment,

24	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)

which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that generally pays dividends at a specified rate and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk ( i.e. , the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the financial services sector and the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that industry. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments or agreements that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and interest rates and fees that they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.

Information Technology and Technology-Related Sectors. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector, as well as other technology-related sectors (collectively, the technology sectors) than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the technology sectors are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments.

Prospectus 2018

25

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)

Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

Small- and Mid-Cap Company Securities Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.

Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that are determined to be illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.

Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.

    

26	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

28	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund (continued)

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund may pay 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. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 37% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in debt obligations of issuers located in at least three different countries (which may include the U.S.). Debt obligations include debt securities and instruments, including money market instruments, either issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by (i) the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, (ii) non-U.S. governments, their agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, or (iii) corporate or other non-governmental entities. The Fund may invest in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest significantly in below investment-grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”) in seeking to achieve higher dividends and/or capital appreciation.

The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund generally invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas and may invest in issuers in emerging markets. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.

The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), subject to liquidity determinations and certain regulatory restrictions.

In addition, in pursuing its objective, the Fund, employing both fundamental and quantitative analyses, may enter into various currency-, interest rate- and credit-related transactions involving derivatives instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures contracts (including currency, index, interest rate, and other bond futures), and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, inflation rate swaps, interest rate swaps, and total return swaps). The use of these derivative instruments allows the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposure to selected currencies, interest rates, credit risks and duration risks. The Fund may use these derivatives as well as “to be announced” (TBA) mortgage-backed securities in an effort to leverage exposures and produce incremental earnings, for hedging purposes, to obtain increased or decreased exposures to various markets/sectors or to increase investment flexibility. Actual long and short exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements, assessments of market conditions, macroeconomic analysis and qualitative valuation analysis.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

30	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund (continued)

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund will normally receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The amount of the distributions the Fund pays will vary and generally depends on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains from its investments may reduce its distribution level.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s

Prospectus 2018

31

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund (continued)

risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.

Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism),

32	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund (continued)

occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities.

Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.

Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.

High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, short sales, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments

Prospectus 2018

33

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund (continued)

such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Because short sales involve borrowing securities and then selling them, the Fund’s short sales effectively leverage the Fund’s assets. The Fund's assets that are used as collateral to secure the Fund's obligations to return the securities sold short may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase the collateral. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests,

34	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund (continued)

including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk.  The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.

Quantitative Model Risk. Investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will enable the Fund to achieve its objective or that the models will perform as expected.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.

Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to liquidity and other regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund may invest in private placements determined to be liquid as well as those determined to be illiquid. Even if determined to be liquid, the Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Short Positions Risk. The Fund may establish short positions which introduce more risk to the Fund than long positions (where the Fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus

Prospectus 2018

35

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Global Bond Fund (continued)

the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset.

Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	3rd Quarter 2010	8.20%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2016	-7.62%

36	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in government securities, cash and/or repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash. For purposes of this policy, “government securities” are any securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the United States, or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the Government of the United States pursuant to authority granted by the Congress of the United States, or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.

The Fund typically invests in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and may transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. The Fund invests in a portfolio of securities maturing in 397 days or less (as maturity is calculated by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules governing the operation of money market funds) that will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life of 120 days or less.

The securities purchased by the Fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and other rules of the SEC. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in government securities and/or repurchase securities that are collateralized by government securities. The Fund will only purchase government securities, cash, repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash, and up to 0.5% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in other securities that present minimal credit risk as determined by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Fund’s investment manager (the Investment Manager), pursuant to guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

The Board of Trustees of the Fund has determined that the Fund will not be subject to liquidity fees and redemption gates at this time.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the net asset value (NAV) of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time.

The principal risks associated with an investment in the Fund include:

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund will normally receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The amount of the distributions the Fund pays will vary and generally depends on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains from its investments may reduce its distribution level.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of a security or instrument in the Fund’s portfolio may or will decline if the issuer fails to pay interest or repay principal when due. The value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer of the instrument defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.

Prospectus 2018

39

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. The Fund’s yield will vary; it is not fixed for a specific period like the yield on a bank certificate of deposit. Under certain circumstances, the yield decline could cause the Fund’s net yield to be negative (such as when Fund expenses exceed income levels). Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Money Market Fund Risk . Although government money market funds (such as the Fund) may seek to preserve the value of shareholders’ investment at $1.00 per share, the NAVs of such money market fund shares can fall, and in infrequent cases in the past have fallen, below $1.00 per share, potentially causing shareholders who redeem their shares at such NAVs to lose money from their original investment.

At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund and cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. Additionally, in some cases, the default of a single portfolio security could cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.

Repurchase Agreements  Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes,

40	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)

where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

Prior to May 1, 2016, the Fund operated as a prime money market fund and invested in certain types of securities that the Fund is no longer permitted to hold to any significant extent (i.e., over 0.5% of total assets). Consequently, the performance information may have been different if the current investment limitations had been in effect during the period prior to the Fund’s conversion to a government money market fund.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including current 7-day yield, can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	1st Quarter 2008	0.84%
	Worst	1st Quarter 2010	0.002%

  

Prospectus 2018

41

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)

Tax Information

The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

42	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund may pay 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. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 51% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in high-yield debt instruments (commonly referred to as “junk” bonds or securities). These high yield debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as floating rate loans rated below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers.

Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.

The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.

The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), subject to liquidity determinations and certain regulatory restrictions.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund will normally receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The amount of the distributions the Fund pays will vary and generally depends on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains from its investments may reduce its distribution level.

Confidential Information Access Risk. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of material, non-public information (Confidential Information) about the issuers of floating rate loans (including from the issuer itself) being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information may disadvantage the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by Standard and Poor’s

44	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)

Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may include highly leveraged transactions whereby the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.

Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not

Prospectus 2018

45

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)

affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.

46	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)

Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause short-term liquidity demands within the Fund. In seeking to meet liquidity demands, the Fund could be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements when possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, and the Fund, to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, may need to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.

Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to liquidity and other regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund may invest in private placements determined to be liquid as well as those determined to be illiquid. Even if determined to be liquid, the Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish

Prospectus 2018

47

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)

information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	2nd Quarter 2009	25.06%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-19.01%

  

48	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund may pay 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. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 50% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s assets are invested primarily in income-producing debt securities, with an emphasis on the higher rated segment of the high-yield (junk bond) market. These income-producing debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as bank loans. The Fund will purchase only debt instruments rated B or above, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality. If a debt instrument falls below a B rating after investment by the Fund, the Fund may continue to hold the instrument.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments.

Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.

The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio manager in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.

The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), subject to liquidity determinations and certain regulatory restrictions.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund will normally receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The amount of the distributions the Fund pays will vary and generally depends on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains from its investments may reduce its distribution level.

Confidential Information Access Risk. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of material, non-public information (Confidential Information) about the issuers of floating rate loans (including from the issuer itself) being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information may disadvantage the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by Standard and Poor’s

Prospectus 2018

51

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)

Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may include highly leveraged transactions whereby the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.

Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not

52	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)

affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.

Prospectus 2018

53

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)

Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause short-term liquidity demands within the Fund. In seeking to meet liquidity demands, the Fund could be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements when possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, and the Fund, to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, may need to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio manager may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio manager may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.

Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to liquidity and other regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund may invest in private placements determined to be liquid as well as those determined to be illiquid. Even if determined to be liquid, the Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish

54	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)

information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	2nd Quarter 2009	16.68%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-13.35%

  

Prospectus 2018

55

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)

corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures) and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, interest rate swaps, and total return swaps) for hedging and investment purposes and to manage market exposure of the Fund.

The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include, but are not limited to, investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.

The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), subject to liquidity determinations and certain regulatory restrictions.

While the Fund may invest in securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund will normally receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The amount of the distributions the Fund pays will vary and generally depends on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains from its investments may reduce its distribution level.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price

58	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)

fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Prospectus 2018

59

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)

Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.

Frequent Trading Risk.  The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

60	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)

High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid

Prospectus 2018

61

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)

investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the possibility that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.

Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to liquidity and other regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund may invest in private placements determined to be liquid as well as those determined to be illiquid. Even if determined to be liquid, the Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.

62	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	3rd Quarter 2009	5.48%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-2.82%

Prospectus 2018

63

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)

of March 31, 2018). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies that the investment manager believes have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector, health care sector, and the information technology and technology-related sectors.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers,

66	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)

labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. The market capitalization of an issuer may also impact its risk profile. Investments in larger, more established companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger, more established companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the consumer discretionary sector, health care sector, and the information technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, changing demographics and consumer tastes.

Health Care Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the health care sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the health care sector are subject to certain risks, including restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, government approval of medical products and services, competitive pricing pressures, and the rising cost of medical products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a relatively limited number of products or services). Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation as well as product obsolescence.

Information Technology and Technology-Related Sectors. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector, as well as other technology-related sectors (collectively, the technology sectors) than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the technology sectors are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

Prospectus 2018

67

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	1st Quarter 2012	17.27%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-24.78%

  

68	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)

or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.

Tax Information

The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

Prospectus 2018

69

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)

Different common stocks have different weightings in the Index, depending on the amount of stock outstanding and the stock’s current price. In seeking to match the performance of the Index, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) attempts to allocate the Fund’s assets among common stocks in approximately the same weightings as the Index. This is referred to as a passive or indexing approach to investing.

As a result of the Fund’s indexing approach to investing, the Fund will typically emphasize within the portfolio those economic sectors emphasized by the Index, such as the information technology sector. The Fund may buy shares of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., an affiliate of the Investment Manager, which is currently included in the Index, subject to certain restrictions.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Correlation/Tracking Error Risk. The Fund’s value will generally decline when the performance of the Index declines. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. The factors that may adversely affect the Fund’s correlation with the Index include the size of the Fund’s portfolio, fees, expenses, transaction costs, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards, the effectiveness of sampling techniques (if applicable), changes in the Index and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or other instruments in which the Fund invests. While the Fund typically seeks to track the performance of the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the components of the Index in approximately the same proportion as their weighting in the Index, at times, the Fund may not have investment exposure to all components of the Index, or its weighting of investment exposure to such components may be different from that of the Index. In addition, the Fund may invest in securities or other instruments not included in the Index. The Fund may take or refrain from taking investment positions for various reasons, such as tax efficiency purposes, or to comply with regulatory restrictions, which may negatively affect the Fund’s correlation with the Index. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being over- or under-exposed to certain components of the Index and may be impacted by Index reconstitutions and Index rebalancing events. Holding cash balances may detract from the Fund’s ability to track the Index. In addition, the Fund’s NAV may deviate from the Index if the Fund fair values a portfolio security at a price other than the price used by the Index for that security. The Fund also bears management and other expenses and transaction costs in trading securities or other instruments, which the Index does not bear. Accordingly, the Fund’s performance will likely fail to match the performance of the Index, after taking expenses into account. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Fund and the Index and may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or

Prospectus 2018

71

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)

performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not “actively” managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to its underlying index. The Fund invests in securities or instruments included in, or representative of, its underlying index, regardless of their investment merits. The Fund does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Information Technology and Technology-Related Sectors. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector, as well as other technology-related sectors (collectively, the technology sectors) than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the technology sectors are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments.

72	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)

Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	2nd Quarter 2009	15.79%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-21.84%

  

Prospectus 2018

73

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)

Portfolio Manager		Title		Role with Fund		Managed Fund Since
Vadim Shteyn		Associate Portfolio Manager		Portfolio Manager		2011

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.

Tax Information

The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

74	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund may pay 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. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 115% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) at the time of purchase in the common stocks of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, mid-cap companies are considered to be companies whose market capitalization falls within the market capitalization range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap ^® Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $350.2 million and $42.4 billion as of March 31, 2018). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.

The Fund invests typically in common stocks of companies believed to have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth but may invest in companies for their short, medium or long-term prospects. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology sector.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.

The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.

The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social,

76	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)

diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Frequent Trading Risk.  The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Mid-Cap Company Securities Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies (mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and may be less liquid than the securities of larger companies.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, changing demographics and consumer tastes.

Information Technology and Technology-Related Sectors. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector, as well as other technology-related sectors (collectively, the technology sectors) than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the technology sectors are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and

Prospectus 2018

77

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)

significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that are determined to be illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	2nd Quarter 2009	26.91%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-28.83%

78	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)

participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

80	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund may pay 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. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 72% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of medium-sized companies. Medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalizations at the time of purchase fall within the market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap ^® Value Index (the Index) (between $350.2 million and $42.4 billion as of March 31, 2018). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund normally invests in common stocks and also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

82	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)

Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that industry. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments or agreements that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and interest rates and fees that they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.

Small- and Mid-Cap Company Securities Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.

Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Prospectus 2018

83

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)

  

84	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.

Tax Information

The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

Prospectus 2018

85

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

may invest in securities of or relating to issuers believed to be undervalued (i.e., “value” stocks), represent growth opportunities (i.e., “growth” stocks), or both. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.

The Fund may invest in companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers, other corporate restructurings and other special situations. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region and Europe. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity futures and index futures) and options (including options on stocks and indices), for both hedging and non-hedging purposes including, for example, for investment purposes to seek to enhance returns or, in certain circumstances, when holding a derivative is deemed preferable to holding the underlying asset. In particular, the Fund may invest in forward currency contracts to hedge the currency exposure associated with some or all of the Fund’s securities, to shift investment exposure from one currency to another, to shift U.S. dollar exposure to achieve a representative weighted mix of major currencies in its benchmark, or to adjust an underweight country exposure in its portfolio. The Fund may also invest in equity index futures to manage exposure to the securities market and to maintain equity market exposure while managing cash flows.

The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Closed-End Investment Company Risk. Closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their NAV, which may affect whether the Fund will realize gain or loss upon its sale of the closed-end investment company’s shares. Closed-end investment companies may employ leverage, which also subjects the closed-end investment company to increased risks such as increased volatility.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Prospectus 2018

87

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially

88	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Frequent Trading Risk.  The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.

Asia Pacific Region. Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Also, securities of some companies in the region can be less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities, potentially making it difficult for the Fund to sell such securities at a desirable time and price.

Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world.

Prospectus 2018

89

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on European economies could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. The performance of the underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of an underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying funds. The Investment Manager may have potential conflicts of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds for investment by the Fund because the fees paid to it by some underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other underlying funds, as well as a potential conflict in selecting affiliated funds over unaffiliated funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund does not present itself in a timely manner or at all. The underlying funds may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in underlying funds, may not achieve its investment objective.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. The market capitalization of an issuer may also impact its risk profile. Investments in larger, more established companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger, more established companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio

90	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that generally pays dividends at a specified rate and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk ( i.e. , the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that industry. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments or agreements that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and interest rates and fees that they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.

Small- and Mid-Cap Company Securities Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.

Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that are determined to be illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.

Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio

Prospectus 2018

91

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s performance prior to May 2018 reflects returns achieved pursuant to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	2nd Quarter 2009	19.41%
	Worst	3rd Quarter 2011	-20.53%

  

92	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large-Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large-Cap Value Fund (continued)

(between $350.2 million and $372.9 billion as of March 31, 2018). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which large market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.

The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector.

The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach.

Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 40 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. The market capitalization of an issuer may also impact its risk profile. Investments in larger, more established companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger, more established companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that industry. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments or agreements that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and interest rates and fees that they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.

Prospectus 2018

95

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large-Cap Value Fund (continued)

Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance, as well as another measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	2nd Quarter 2009	22.65%
	Worst	4th Quarter 2008	-20.72%

  

96	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund (continued)

(between $4.5 million and $8.0 billion as of March 31, 2018). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which smaller market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.

The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector and the information technology and technology-related sectors. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by,

Prospectus 2018

99

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund (continued)

among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.

Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector, including the financial services sector and the information technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.

Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that industry. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments or agreements that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and interest rates and fees that they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.

Information Technology and Technology-Related Sectors. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector, as well as other technology-related sectors (collectively, the technology sectors) than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the technology sectors are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

Small Company Securities Risk. Investments in small-capitalization companies (small-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and securities of small-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.

Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.

100	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund (continued)

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year	Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart
	Best	2nd Quarter 2009	31.51%
	Worst	3rd Quarter 2011	-24.59%

  

Prospectus 2018

101

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund (continued)

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.

Tax Information

The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

102	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)

Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae) mortgage-backed bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; and Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac) mortgage-backed bonds. FNMA and FHLMC are chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress; however, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include, but are not limited to, investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.

The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.

The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), subject to liquidity determinations and certain regulatory restrictions.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures) to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.

The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.

The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money . The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.

Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund will normally receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The amount of the distributions the Fund pays will vary and generally depends on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains from its investments may reduce its distribution level.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a

104	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)

default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.

Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.

Prospectus 2018

105

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)

Frequent Trading Risk.  The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.

Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the

106	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)

less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.

Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.

Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the possibility that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.

Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to liquidity and other regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund may invest in private placements determined to be liquid as well as those determined to be illiquid. Even if determined to be liquid, the Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.

Prospectus 2018

107

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.

The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.

The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.

The Fund’s performance prior to May 2013 reflects returns achieved pursuant to a different investment objective and different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current investment objective and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.

The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.

    

108	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

110	Prospectus 2018

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

Summary of CTIVP ^SM – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund