The Alternative Strategies Fund and the High Income Alternatives Fund may invest in asset-backed securities (“ABS”), which are debt obligations or debt securities that entitle the holders thereof to receive payments that depend primarily on the cash flow from underlying financial assets, together with rights or other assets designed to assure the servicing or timely distribution of proceeds to holders of such securities. An ABS is typically created by the sale of assets or collateral to a conduit, generally a bankruptcy-remote vehicle such as a grantor trust or other special-purpose entity, which becomes the legal issuer of the ABS. Interests in or other securities issued by the trust or special-purpose entity, which give the holder thereof the right to certain cash flows arising from the underlying assets, are then sold to investors through an investment bank or other securities underwriter.

The structure of an ABS and the terms of the investors’ interest in the collateral can vary widely depending on the type of collateral, the desires of investors and the use of credit enhancements. Although the basic elements of all ABS are similar, individual transactions can differ markedly in both structure and execution. Holders of ABS bear various risks, including credit risks, liquidity risks, interest rate risks, market risks, operations risks, structural risks and legal risks.

Credit risk is an important issue in ABS because of the significant credit risks inherent in the underlying collateral and because issuers are primarily private entities. Credit risk arises from losses due to defaults by the borrowers in the underlying collateral or the issuer’s or servicer’s failure to perform. Market risk arises from the cash-flow characteristics of the security, which for many ABS tend to be predictable. The greatest variability in cash flows comes from credit performance, including the presence of early amortization or acceleration features designed to protect the investor if credit losses in the portfolio rise well above expected levels. Interest-rate risk arises for the issuer from the relationship between the pricing terms on the underlying collateral and the terms of the rate paid to security holders. ABS are subject to the risk that a change in interest rates may influence the pace of prepayments of the underlying securities which, in turn, affects yields on an absolute basis. Liquidity risk can arise from increased perceived credit risk. For example, liquidity can also become a significant problem if concerns regarding credit quality lead investors to avoid the securities issued by the relevant special-purpose entity. Operations risk arises through the potential for misrepresentation of asset quality or terms by the originating institution, misrepresentation of the nature and current value of the assets by the servicer and inadequate controls over disbursements and receipts by the servicer. Structural risk may arise through investments in ABS with structures (for example, the establishment of various security tranches) that are intended to reallocate the risks entailed in the underlying collateral (particularly credit risk) in ways that give certain investors less credit risk protection (i.e., a lower priority claim on the cash flows from the underlying pool of assets) than others. As a result, such securities have a higher risk of loss as a result of delinquencies or losses on the underlying assets.

Further, credit risk retention requirements for ABS may increase the costs to originators, securitizers and, in certain cases, asset managers of securitization vehicles in which the Alternative Strategies Fund and the High Income Alternatives Fund may invest. Although the impact of these requirements is uncertain, certain additional costs may be passed to the Fund and the Fund’s investments in ABS may be adversely affected. Many of the other changes required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), or foreign regulatory developments could materially impact the value of the Fund’s assets, expose the Fund to additional costs and require changes to investment practices, thereby adversely affecting the Fund’s performance.

The Alternative Strategies Fund and the High Income Alternatives Fund may invest in collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). Investments in CLOs carry the same risks as investments in loans directly, such as interest rate risk, credit and liquidity and valuation risks, and the risk of default. These investments are also subject to the risks associated with a decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and disappearance of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults, and investor aversion to these types of securities as a class. CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in risk and yield. Losses caused by defaults on underlying assets are borne first by the holders of subordinate tranches. A CLO may experience substantial losses attributable to loan defaults. The Fund’s investment in a CLO may decrease in market value because of (i) loan defaults or credit impairment, (ii) the disappearance of subordinate tranches, (iii) market anticipation of defaults, and (iv) investor aversion to CLO securities as a class. These risks may be magnified depending on the tranche of CLO securities in which the Fund invests. For example, investments in a junior tranche of CLO securities will likely be more sensitive to loan defaults or credit impairment than investments in more senior tranches.

CDOs are structured similarly to CLOs, but are backed by pools of assets that are debt securities rather than only loans, typically including bonds, other structured finance securities (including other ABS and other CLOs) and/or synthetic instruments. CDOs are often highly leveraged, and like CLOs, the risks of investing in CDOs may be magnified depending on the tranche of CDO securities held by the Fund. The nature of the risks of CDOs depends largely on the type and quality of the underlying collateral and the tranche of CDOs in which the Fund may invest. CDOs collateralized by pools of ABS carry the same risks as investments in ABS directly, including losses with respect to the collateral underlying those ABS. In addition, certain CDOs may not hold their underlying collateral directly, but rather, use derivatives such as swaps to create “synthetic” exposure to the collateral pool. Such CDOs entail the risks associated with derivative instruments.

Investments in distressed companies typically involve the purchase of high-yield bonds (also known as “junk bonds”) or comparable unrated debt securities, or the purchase of direct indebtedness (or participations in the indebtedness) of such companies. Indebtedness generally represents a specific commercial loan or portion of a loan made to a company by a financial institution such as a bank or insurance company. Loan participations represent fractional interests in a company’s indebtedness and are generally made available by banks or insurance companies. By purchasing all or a part of a company’s direct indebtedness, a Fund, in effect, steps into the shoes of the lender. If the loan is secured, the Fund will have a priority claim to the assets of the company ahead of unsecured creditors and stockholders. A Fund also may purchase trade claims and other similar direct obligations or claims against companies in bankruptcy. Trade claims are generally purchased from creditors of the bankrupt company and typically represent money due to a supplier of goods or services to the company.

The purchase of indebtedness or loan participations of a troubled company always involves the risk as to the creditworthiness of the issuer and the possibility that principal invested may be lost. Purchasers of participations, such as a Fund, must rely on the financial institution issuing the participation to assert any rights against the borrower with respect to the underlying indebtedness. In addition, a Fund takes on the risk as to the creditworthiness of the bank or other financial intermediary issuing the participation, as well as that of the company issuing the underlying indebtedness. When a Fund purchases a trade claim, there is no guarantee that the debtor will ever be able to satisfy the obligation on the trade claim.

The High Income Alternatives Fund and its shareholders may incur the pro rata share of the expenses of the underlying investment companies or vehicles in which the Fund invests, such as investment advisory and other management expenses, and shareholders will incur the operating expenses of these investment vehicles. In addition, the Fund will be subject to those risks affecting the investment vehicle, including the effects of business and regulatory developments that affect an underlying investment company or vehicle or the investment company industry generally as well as the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment vehicle could decrease or the portfolio becomes illiquid. Shares of investment vehicles that trade on an exchange may trade at a discount or premium from their net asset value. The purchase of shares of some investment companies (such as CEFs and ETFs) may require the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such companies’ portfolio securities or net asset values.

The High Income Alternatives Fund may, from time to time, invest a portion of its assets in investment companies advised by a sub-advisor, or an affiliate of the sub-advisor.

An underlying investment vehicle may buy the same securities that another underlying investment vehicle sells. If this happens, an investor in the High Income Alternatives Fund would indirectly bear the costs of these trades without accomplishing any investment purpose. In addition, certain of the underlying investment vehicles may hold common portfolio positions, thereby reducing the diversification benefits of an asset allocation style. The underlying investment vehicles may engage in investment strategies or invest in specific investments in which the Fund would not engage or invest directly.

The performance of those underlying investment vehicles, in turn, depends upon the performance of the securities in which they invest.

The underlying investment companies or other investment vehicles in which the High Income Alternatives Fund invests are often institutional funds owned by a small number of shareholders and are thus also subject to the risk that shareholders redeem their shares rapidly, which may adversely affect the performance and liquidity of the underlying investment vehicles and the High Income Alternatives Fund.

An investment by the High Income Alternatives Fund in ETFs generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a mutual fund. In addition, an investment in an ETF may be subject to additional risk, including: the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount or premium relative to the net asset value of the shares; an active trading market may not develop for the ETF’s shares; the listing exchange may halt trading of the ETF’s shares; the ETF may fail to correctly track the referenced asset (if any); and the ETF may hold troubled securities in the referenced index or basket of investments. Shares of CEFs frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. Investments in CEFs that elect to be regulated as BDCs may be subject to a high degree of risk.

BDCs typically invest in and lend to small and medium-sized private and certain public companies that may not have access to the public equity markets or capital raising. As a result, a BDC’s portfolio typically will include a substantial amount of securities purchased in private placements, and its portfolio may carry risks similar to those of a private equity or private debt fund. Securities that are not publicly registered may be difficult to value and may be difficult to sell at a price representative of their intrinsic value. Small and medium-sized companies also may have fewer lines of business so that changes in any one line of business may have a greater impact on the value of their stock than is the case with a larger company. Some BDCs invest substantially, or even exclusively, in one sector or industry group and therefore carry risk of that particular sector or industry group. To the extent a BDC focuses its investments in a specific sector, the BDC will be susceptible to adverse conditions and economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the specific sector or industry group, which tends to increase volatility and result in higher risk. Investments in BDCs are subject to various other risks, including management’s ability to meet the BDC’s investment objective and to manage the BDC’s portfolio when the underlying securities are redeemed or sold, during periods of market turmoil and as investors’ perceptions regarding a BDC or its underlying investments change. BDC shares are not redeemable at the option of the BDC shareholder and, as with shares of other closed-end funds, they may trade in the secondary market at a discount to their NAV. 

The High Income Alternatives Fund may invest in loans, such as syndicated bank loans and other direct lending opportunities, senior floating rate loans, secured and unsecured loans, second lien or more junior loans, bridge loans, revolving credit facilities and unfunded commitments. Loans may incur some of the same risks as other debt securities, such as prepayment risk, credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and risks found with high yield securities. The terms of certain loan agreements may cause certain loans to be particularly sensitive to changes in benchmark interest rates. Although some loans are secured by collateral, the collateral may be difficult to liquidate and the value of the collateral can decline or be insufficient or unavailable to meet the obligation of the borrower. Certain loans have the benefit of restrictive covenants that limit the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets or incur other debt obligations. To the extent a loan does not have such covenants, an investment in the loan may be particularly sensitive to the risks associated with loan investments. The Fund’s interest in a particular loan and/or in a particular collateral securing a loan may be subordinate to the interests of other creditors of the obligor. As a result, a loan may not be fully collateralized (and may be uncollateralized) and can decline significantly in value, which may result in the Fund not receiving payments to which it is entitled on a timely basis or at all. In addition, the Fund may have limited rights to exercise remedies against collateral or against an obligor when payments are delayed or missed.

Loans may offer a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. Loans may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much or as fast as interest rates in general. In addition, to the extent the High Income Alternatives Fund holds a loan through a financial intermediary, or relies on a financial intermediary to administer the loan, the Fund’s investment, including receipt of principal and interest relating to the loan, will be subject to the credit risk of the intermediary.

to rely on the anti-fraud protections under the federal securities laws and instead may have to resort to state law and direct claims. The sub-advisor or its affiliates may participate in the primary and secondary market for loans or other transactions with possible borrowers. As a result, the Fund may be legally restricted from acquiring some loans and from participating in a restructuring of a loan or other similar instrument.

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

The High Income Alternatives Fund may invest in MLPs. An investment in MLP units involves some risks which differ from Equity Securities Risk. Holders of MLP units have limited control and voting rights on matters affecting the partnership. Holders of units issued by an MLP are exposed to a remote possibility of liability for all of the obligations of that MLP in the event that a court determines that the rights of the holders of MLP units to vote to remove or replace the general partner of that MLP, to approve amendments to that MLP’s partnership agreement, or to take other action under the partnership agreement of that MLP would constitute “control” of the business of that MLP, or a court or governmental agency determines that the MLP is conducting business in a state without complying with the partnership statute of that state. Holders of MLP units are also exposed to the risk that they will be required to repay amounts to the MLP that are wrongfully distributed to them.

• MLP Common Units. MLP common units can be affected by macro-economic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment toward MLPs or the energy sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer

(generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow). Prices of common units of individual MLPs also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership, including earnings power and coverage ratios.

• MLP I-Shares. MLP I-Shares represent an ownership interest issued by an MLP affiliate, typically an LLC, which owns an interest in and manages the MLP. MLP I-Shares may be subject to illiquid securities risk because of their potentially relatively smaller size. I-Shares may trade at a discount to their related MLP units, despite having an economic value equivalent to an MLP unit and an equal claim on the cash flows underlying the investment.

• General partner interests in MLPs are typically retained by the original sponsors of an MLP, such as its founders, corporate partners and entities that sell assets to the MLP. The holders of a general partner interest can be liable in certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder’s investment. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights in, and in many cases control over the operations of, the MLP. Conflicts of interest may arise between the general partners or managing member on the one hand, and the limited partners or members on the other hand, including those arising from incentive distribution payments or corporate opportunities.

The High Income Alternatives Fund’s ability to meet its investment objectives depends, in large measure, on the level of dividends, distributions or income it receives from the MLPs in which it invests and on the MLPs’ continued treatment as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If an MLP does not meet current legal requirements to maintain its partnership status, or if it is unable to do so because of tax or other law changes, it would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In that case, the MLP would be obligated to pay U.S. federal income tax (as well as state and local taxes) at the entity level on its taxable income and distributions received by the Fund would be taxable to the Fund as dividend income to the extent of the MLP’s current and accumulated earnings and profits for federal tax purposes. In addition, any distributions that the Fund receives from an MLP that were treated as dividends in the hands of the Fund could materially affect the tax character of the Fund’s distributions to shareholders. Moreover, in the case of an MLP treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, any items of loss or deduction in excess of such MLP’s items of income or gain would not be treated as incurred directly by the Fund and would be permitted to be used only by such MLP. Therefore, in general, the classification of a MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders, including by (i) reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP to the Fund and, in turn, for distribution by the Fund to the Fund’s shareholders and (ii) reducing the value of the Fund’s investment in any such MLP and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares.

The High Income Alternatives Fund may invest in municipal securities. The municipal securities market could be significantly affected by adverse political and legislative changes or litigation at the federal or state level, as well as uncertainties related to taxation or the rights of municipal security holders. Changes in the financial health of a municipality may hinder its ability to pay interest and principal. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the municipal securities of a particular state or U.S. territory or possession, there is greater risk that political, regulatory, economic or other developments within that jurisdiction may have a significant impact on the Fund’s investment performance. The amount of public information available about municipal securities is generally less than that available about corporate securities.

In the case of insured municipal securities, insurance supports the commitment that interest payments will be made on time and the principal will be repaid at maturity. Insurance does not, however, protect the Fund or its shareholders against losses caused by declines in a municipal security’s market value. The sub-advisor generally looks to the credit quality of the issuer of a municipal security to determine whether the security meets the Fund’s quality restrictions, even if the security is covered by insurance. However, a downgrade in the claims-paying ability of an insurer of a municipal security could have an adverse effect on the market value of the security.

Municipal issuers may be adversely affected by high labor costs and increasing unfunded pension liabilities, and by the phasing out of federal programs providing financial support. In addition, changes in the financial condition of one or more individual municipal issuers or insurers of municipal issuers can affect the overall municipal securities market. The secondary market for municipal securities may not be very liquid, which could limit the Fund’s ability to sell securities it is holding. Declines in real estate prices and general business activity may reduce the tax revenues of state and local governments. Municipal issuers have on occasion defaulted on obligations, been downgraded, or commenced insolvency proceedings. Financial difficulties of municipal issuers may continue or get worse.

Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar types of projects, especially those related to education, health care, housing, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal securities market. Interest on municipal securities paid out of current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific asset (so-called “private activity bonds”) may be adversely impacted by declines in revenue from the project or asset. Declines in general business activity could affect the economic viability of facilities that are the sole source of revenue to support private activity bonds.