As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 4, 2022.
Registration Nos. 333-146374
811-22127


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

Form N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
Post-Effective Amendment No. 81
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Amendment No. 82
(Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

290 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (800) 345-6611

Daniel J. Beckman
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
290 Congress Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
Ryan C. Larrenaga, Esq.
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
290 Congress Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Name and Address of Agents for Service)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective immediately upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(d).
This Post-Effective Amendment relates to all series of the Registrant.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-146374) is being filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), solely for the purpose of adding exhibits to such Registration Statement. Accordingly, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 consists only of a facing page, this explanatory note, and Part C of the Registration Statement on Form N-1A. This Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 does not change the form of any prospectus or Statement of Additional Information included in post-effective amendments previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). As permitted by Rule 462(d), this Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 shall become effective upon filing with the SEC.



PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(a)(1) Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 11, 2007 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Registration Statement on Form N-1A (a)(1) 9/28/2007
(a)(2) Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 9, 2008 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #2 on Form N-1A (a)(2) 4/21/2008
(a)(3) Amendment No. 3 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 8, 2009 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #5 on Form N-1A (a)(3) 4/29/2009
(a)(4) Amendment No. 4 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 14, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #8 on Form N-1A (a)(4) 4/14/2010
(a)(5) Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 6, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #9 on Form N-1A (a)(5) 4/30/2010
(a)(6) Amendment No. 6 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 11, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (a)(6) 4/29/2011
(a)(7) Amendment No. 7 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 13, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (a)(7) 4/29/2011
(a)(8) Amendment No. 8 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 15, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A (a)(8) 3/2/2012
(a)(9) Amendment No. 9 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 12, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A (a)(9) 3/2/2012
(a)(10) Amendment No. 10 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 14, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(10) 4/26/2013
(a)(11) Amendment No. 11 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 13, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(11) 4/26/2013
(a)(12) Amendment No. 12 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 16, 2013 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(12) 4/26/2013
(a)(13) Amendment No. 13 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 17, 2013 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(13) 4/26/2013
(a)(14) Amendment No. 14 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 11, 2014 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A (a)(14) 4/29/2014
(a)(15) Amendment No. 15 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 14, 2015 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #46 on Form N-1A (a)(15) 5/15/2015
(a)(16) Amendment No. 16 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 19, 2016 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (a)(16) 4/28/2016

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(a)(17) Amendment No. 17 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 14, 2016 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #54 on Form N-1A (a)(17) 2/17/2017
(a)(18) Amendment No. 18 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 21, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #55 on Form N-1A (a)(18) 4/27/2017
(a)(19) Amendment No. 19 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 14, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (a)(19) 12/19/2017
(a)(20) Amendment No. 20 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective December 19, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #61 on Form N-1A (a)(20) 2/21/2018
(a)(21) Amendment No. 21 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective May 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (a)(21) 12/7/2018
(a)(22) Amendment No. 22 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 13, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (a)(22) 12/7/2018
(a)(23) Amendment No. 23 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 31, 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (a)(23) 4/26/2019
(a)(24) Amendment No. 24 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 19, 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (a)(24) 4/28/2020
(a)(25) Amendment No. 25 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective October 9, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (a)(25) 4/1/2021
(a)(26) Amendment No. 26 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective July 17, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (a)(26) 10/29/2021
(b) By-laws, effective September 6, 2007, most recently amended October 2, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (b) 4/1/2021
(c) Stock Certificate:
Not Applicable.
           
(d)(1) Management Agreement (amended and restated), dated April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(1) 4/28/2016
(d)(1)(i) Schedule A and Schedule B, effective June 15, 2021, to the Management Agreement (amended and restated), dated April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-89661 Post-Effective Amendment #198 on Form N-1A (d)(1)(i) 7/28/2021
(d)(2) Management Agreement, dated November 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (d)(2) 12/19/2017

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(2)(i) Schedule A and Schedule B, effective December 7, 2021, to the Management Agreement, dated November 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #227 on Form N-1A (d)(2)(i) 12/7/2021
(d)(3) Management Agreement, effective May 1, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and CVPCSF Offshore Fund, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund, a series of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(3) 4/28/2016
(d)(4) Subadvisory Agreement between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Allspring Global Investments, LLC (formerly known as Wells Capital Management Incorporated), dated June 15, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #389 on Form N-1A (d)(12) 11/23/2021
(d)(5) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and American Century Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(4) 5/15/2014
(d)(5)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of September 20, 2017, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and American Century Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (d)(4)(i) 12/19/2017
(d)(5)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of December 16, 2020, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, amended September 20, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and American Century Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (d)(4)(ii) 4/1/2021
(d)(6)(i) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 26, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (d)(6)(i) 4/27/2018
(d)(6)(ii) Sub-Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 26, 2018, between BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and BlackRock International Limited Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (d)(6)(ii) 4/27/2018
(d)(7) Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 2, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and CenterSquare Investment Management LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #61 on Form N-1A (d)(7) 2/21/2018

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(8) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement, dated November 23, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #392 on Form N-1A (d)(19) 2/17/2022
(d)(9) Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(16) 5/15/2014
(d)(9)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of November 19, 2015, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(17) 4/28/2016
(d)(9)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of October 21, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, as amended November 19, 2015, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(12)(ii) 4/28/2020
(d)(9)(iii) Amendment No. 3, as of February 5, 2020, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, as amended November 19, 2015 and October 21, 2019 between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(12)(iii) 4/28/2020
(d)(10) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Massachusetts Financial Services Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(18) 5/15/2014
(d)(10)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of February 10, 2016, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Massachusetts Financial Services Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(20) 4/28/2016
(d)(10)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of September 20, 2017, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended February 10, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Massachusetts Financial Services Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (d)(17)(ii) 12/19/2017
(d)(11) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(20) 5/15/2014

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(11)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of February 10, 2016, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(22) 4/28/2016
(d)(11)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of March 27, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended February 10, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(17)(ii) 12/7/2018
(d)(12) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 22, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Pzena Investment Management, LLC Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (d)(12) 4/4/2022
(d)(13)(i) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 17, 2020, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #72 on Form N-1A (d)(17)(i) 5/12/2020
(d)(13)(ii) Sub-Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 17, 2020, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #72 on Form N-1A (d)(17)(ii) 5/12/2020
(d)(13)(iii) Amendment No. 1, dated January 26, 2021, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 17, 2020, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (d)(17)(iii) 4/1/2021
(d)(14) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 18, 2019, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Scout Investments, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (d)(18) 5/20/2019
(d)(15) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 22, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (d)(16) 10/29/2021
(d)(16) Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #53 on Form N-1A (d)(29) 11/14/2016
(d)(16)(i) Amendment No. 1, dated July 24, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(i) 12/7/2018

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(16)(ii) Amendment No. 2, dated November 9, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, as amended July 24, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(ii) 12/7/2018
(d)(16)(iii) Amendment No. 3, dated March 19, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, as amended July 24, 2018 and November 9, 2018 between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(iii) 5/20/2019
(d)(17) Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and TCW Investment Management Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(26) 5/15/2014
(d)(17)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of November 1, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and TCW Investment Management Company LLC (formerly TCW Investment Management Company) Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(20)(i) 4/28/2020
(d)(18) Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 15, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (d)(19) 10/29/2021
(d)(19) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 11, 2008, last amended January 16, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Threadneedle International Limited Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(27) 5/15/2014
(d)(19)(i) Amendment, as of November 1, 2018, to Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 11, 2008, last amended January 16, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Threadneedle International Limited Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(24)(i) 12/7/2018
(d)(20) Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 19, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Victory Capital Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(29) 5/15/2014
(d)(20)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of May 13, 2019, to Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 19, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Victory Capital Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(i) 4/28/2020
(d)(21) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 17, 2020, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Walter Scott & Partners Limited Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #73 on Form N-1A (d)(24) 5/15/2020

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(23) Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 21, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #57 on Form N-1A (d)(36) 9/18/2017
(d)(24) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 19, 2019, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and William Blair Investment Management, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (d)(26) 5/20/2019
(d)(24)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of March 22, 2021, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 19, 2019, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and William Blair Investment Management, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #79 on Form N-1A (d)(25)(i) 4/28/2021
(e)(1) Distribution Agreement, dated June 15, 2021, by and between Registrant, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (e)(1) 10/29/2021
(e)(1)(i) Schedule I, effective June 15, 2021, and Schedule II, dated September 7, 2010, to the Distribution Agreement, dated June 15, 2021, between Registrant, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (e)(1)(i) 10/29/2021
(f) Deferred Compensation Plan, adopted as of December 31, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #218 on Form N-1A (f) 2/25/2021
(g)(1) Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (g)(1) 5/15/2014
(g)(2) Addendum (related to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Fund, now known as Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund), dated March 9, 2012, and Addendum (related to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund), dated March 15, 2013, to the Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (g)(2) 5/15/2014
(g)(3) Side letter (related to the China Connect Service on behalf of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Emerging Markets Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund (formerly known as Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select International Equity Fund)), dated March 6, 2018, to the Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (g)(3) 4/27/2018

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(g)(4) Addendum (related to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund), dated November 8, 2017, to the Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (g)(4) 12/19/2017
(h)(1) Shareholder Services Agreement by and between the Registrant, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., dated June 15, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (h)(1) 10/29/2021
(h)(1)(i) Schedule A, effective July 1, 2021, and Schedule B, effective July 1, 2017, to the Shareholder Services Agreement by and between the Registrant, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., dated June 15, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (h)(1)(i) 10/29/2021
(h)(2) Fee Waiver and Expense Cap Agreement, effective June 15, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust I, Columbia Funds Series Trust II and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-89661 Post-Effective Amendment #198 on Form N-1A (h)(2) 7/28/2021
(h)(2)(i) Schedule A, as of December 7, 2021, to the Fee Waiver and Expense Cap Agreement, effective June 15, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust I, Columbia Funds Series Trust II and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #392 on Form N-1A (h)(3)(i) 2/17/2022
(h)(3) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated September 11, 2007, between RiverSource Variable Portfolio Funds, each a series of a Minnesota corporation, and corresponding RiverSource Variable Portfolio Funds, each a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, now known as Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, a Massachusetts business trust, and between RiverSource Variable Portfolio – Core Bond Fund, a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, and RiverSource Variable Portfolio – Diversified Bond Fund, a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, now known as Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #2 on Form N-1A (h)(5) 4/21/2008

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(h)(4) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated December 20, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (h)(9) 4/29/2011
(h)(5) Agreement and Plan of Redomiciling, dated December 20, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (h)(10) 4/29/2011
(h)(6) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated October 9, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-89661 Post-Effective Amendment #117 on Form N-1A (h)(9) 5/30/2013
(h)(7) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated December 17, 2015 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-208706 Registration Statement on Form N-14 (4) 12/22/2015
(h)(8) Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as of October 28, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #389 on Form N-1A (h)(8) 11/23/2021
(h)(9) Master Inter-Fund Lending Agreement, dated May 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Registration Statement on Form N-1A (h)(11) 5/25/2018
(h)(9)(i) Schedule A and Schedule B, effective December 7, 2021, to the Master Inter-Fund Lending Agreement dated May 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #227 on Form N-1A (h)(9)(i) 12/7/2021
(h)(10)(i) Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated January 19, 2022, between BlackRock ETF Trust, BlackRock ETF Trust II, iShares Trust, iShares, Inc., IShares U.S. ETF Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust I, Columbia Funds Series Trust II and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #392 on Form N-1A (h)(11) 2/17/2022
(h)(10)(ii) Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated January 19, 2022, between Vanguard Funds and Columbia Funds Series Trust I, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #392 on Form N-1A (h)(13) 2/17/2022
(h)(10)(iii) Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated January 11, 2022, between Legg Mason Partners Variable Equity Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (h)(10)(iii) 4/4/2022
(h)(10)(iv) Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated January 19, 2022, between SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (h)(10)(iv) 4/4/2022
(i)(1) Opinion and consent of counsel as to the legality of the securities being registered Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A (i) 4/29/2014

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(i)(2) Opinion and consent of counsel as to the legality of the securities being registered for Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (i)(2) 12/19/2017
(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm: Not Applicable            
(k) Omitted Financial Statements: Not Applicable.            
(l) Initial Capital Agreement: Not Applicable.            
(m)(1) Plan of Distribution and Agreement of Distribution, effective May 1, 2009, amended and restated March 7, 2011, between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A (m)(1) 4/29/2014
(m)(1)(i) Schedule A, effective June 15, 2021, to the Plan of Distribution and Agreement of Distribution, effective May 1, 2009, amended and restated March 7, 2011, between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (m)(1)(i) 10/29/2021
(n) Rule 18f – 3(d) Plan, amended and restated June 15, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (n) 10/29/2021
(o) Reserved.            
(p)(1) Code of Ethics adopted under Rule 17j-1 for Registrant, effective March 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (p)(1) 4/26/2019
(p)(2) Columbia Threadneedle Investments Global Personal Account Dealing and Code of Ethics, effective December 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #392 on Form N-1A (p)(2) 2/17/2022
(p)(3) Allspring Global Investments, LLC Code of Ethics Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #389 on Form N-1A (p)(11) 11/23/2021
(p)(4) American Century Investment Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, updated November 19, 2021 Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (p)(4) 4/4/2022
(p)(5) BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective April 30, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (p)(5) 4/1/2021
(p)(6) BNY Mellon Code of Conduct (for Walter Scott & Partners Limited) effective August 2021 Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (p)(6) 4/4/2022
(p)(7) CenterSquare Investment Management LLC Code of Ethics, effective May 15, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (p)(6) 10/29/2021
(p)(8) J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective February 1, 2005, last revised December 18, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (p)(10) 4/1/2021
(p)(9) Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Code of Ethics, effective January 14, 2000, as amended December 16, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (p)(12) 4/1/2021

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(p)(10) Massachusetts Financial Services Company Code of Ethics, effective October 15, 2021 Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (p)(10) 4/4/2022
(p)(11) Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective December 11, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (p)(15) 4/1/2021
(p)(12) Pzena Investment Management, LLC Code of Ethics revised June 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #79 on Form N-1A (p)(23) 4/28/2021
(p)(13) Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Code of Ethics, effective May 1, 2017, revised May 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #72 on Form N-1A (p)(16) 5/12/2020
(p)(14) Scout Investments, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective August 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (p)(18) 4/1/2021
(p)(15) Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC Code of Ethics, dated October 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (p)(18) 4/26/2019
(p)(16) T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and Its Affiliates Code of Ethics, as of March 1, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (p)(16) 10/29/2021
(p)(17) TCW Investment Management Company LLC Code of Ethics, dated September 30, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #389 on Form N-1A (p)(5) 11/23/2021
(p)(18) Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC Code of Ethics, updated June 18, 2021 Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (p)(18) 4/4/2022
(p)(19) Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective January 1, 2022 Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (p)(19) 4/4/2022
(p)(20) Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Code of Ethics, as of June 21, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (p)(21) 10/29/2021
(p)(21) William Blair Investment Management, LLC Code of Ethics, as of July 31, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (p)(24) 5/20/2019
(q)(1) Trustees’ Power of Attorney to sign Amendments to this Registration Statement, dated January 1, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (q)(1) 4/1/2021
(q)(2) Trustee’s Power of Attorney for Daniel J. Beckman, dated November 22, 2021 Filed Herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #81 on Form N-1A (q)(2) 4/4/2022
(q)(3) Power of Attorney for Michael G. Clarke, dated February 1, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #76 on Form N-1A (q)(2) 4/1/2021
(q)(4) Power of Attorney for Daniel J. Beckman, dated June 16, 2021 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #80 on Form N-1A (q)(3) 10/29/2021
(q)(5) Power of Attorney for Joseph Beranek, dated January 3, 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (q)(4) 4/28/2020

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the investment manager or Columbia Management), as sponsor of the Columbia funds, may make initial capital investments in Columbia funds (seed accounts). Columbia Management also serves as investment manager of certain Columbia funds-of-funds that invest primarily in shares of affiliated funds (the underlying funds). Columbia Management does not make initial capital investments or invest in underlying funds for the purpose of exercising control. However, since these ownership interests may be significant, in excess of 25%, such that Columbia Management may be deemed to control certain Columbia funds, procedures have been put in place to assure that public shareholders determine the outcome of all actions taken at shareholder meetings. Specifically, Columbia Management (which votes proxies for the seed accounts) and the Boards of Trustees of the affiliated funds-of-funds (which votes proxies for the affiliated funds-of-funds) vote on each proposal in the same proportion as the vote of the direct public shareholders vote; provided, however, that if there are no direct public shareholders of an underlying fund or if direct public shareholders represent only a minority interest in an underlying fund, the Fund may cast votes in accordance with instructions from the independent members of the Board.
Item 30. Indemnification
Article Five of the Bylaws of Registrant provides that Registrant shall indemnify each of its trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) who are not employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof and its chief compliance officer, regardless of whether such person is an employee or officer of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof, and each of its other trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (i.e., those who are employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof) (Covered Persons), to the fullest extent authorized by applicable law against all liabilities and expenses in connection with the defense or disposition of any proceeding in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of any alleged act or omission as a trustee or officer or by reason of his or her being or having been such a Covered Person, all as more fully set forth in the Bylaws, which are filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
Section 17(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) provides that no instrument pursuant to which Registrant is organized or administered shall contain any provision which protects or purports to protect any trustee or officer of Registrant against any liability to Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Registrant’s Declaration of Trust provides that nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect any trustee or officer against any liabilities to the Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position with or on behalf of the Registrant and the Registrant’s Bylaws provides that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Registrant or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office.
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. agrees to indemnify the Registrant, its officers and trustees against claims, demands, liabilities and expenses under specified circumstances, all as more fully set forth in the Registrant’s Distribution Agreement, which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
The Registrant may be party to other contracts that include indemnification provisions for the benefit of the Registrant’s trustees and officers.
The trustees and officers of the Registrant and the personnel of the Registrant’s investment adviser and principal underwriter are insured under an errors and omissions liability insurance policy. Registrant’s investment adviser, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, maintains investment advisory professional liability insurance to insure it, for the benefit of Registrant and its non-interested trustees, against loss arising out of any effort, omission, or breach of any duty owed to Registrant or any series of Registrant by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant’s organizational instruments or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and, therefore, is unenforceable.

 

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser
To the knowledge of the Registrant, none of the directors or officers of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management), the Registrant’s investment adviser, or any subadviser to a series of the Registrant, except as set forth below, are or have been, at any time during the Registrant’s past two fiscal years, engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature.
(1) Columbia Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., performs investment advisory services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Columbia Management and the directors and principal officers of Columbia Management is also included in the Form ADV filed by Columbia Management with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-25943), which information is incorporated herein by reference. In addition to their position with Columbia Management, certain directors and officers of Columbia Management also hold various positions with, and engage in business for, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. or its other subsidiaries.
(2) American Century Investment Management, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of American Century Investment Management, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by American Century Investment Management, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of American Century Investment Management, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of American Century Investment Management, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by American Century Investment Management, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-8174), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(3) BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-48433), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(4) BlackRock International Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of BlackRock International Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by BlackRock International Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of BlackRock International Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of BlackRock International Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by BlackRock International Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-51087), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(5) CenterSquare Investment Management LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by CenterSquare Investment Management LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by CenterSquare Investment Management LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-111965), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(6) Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-60824), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(7) J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of J.P. Morgan

 

  Investment Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-21011), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(8) Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. and the directors and principal executive officers of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.is also included in the Form ADV filed by Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-170), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(9) Massachusetts Financial Services Company performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Massachusetts Financial Services Company is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Massachusetts Financial Services Company and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Massachusetts Financial Services Company and the directors and principal executive officers of Massachusetts Financial Services Company is also included in the Form ADV filed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-17352), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(10) Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-15757), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(11) Pzena Investment Management, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Pzena Investment Management, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Pzena Investment Management, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Pzena Investment Management, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Pzena Investment Management, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Pzena Investment Management, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-50838), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(12) Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-15834), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(13) Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd and the directors and principal executive officers of Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd is also included in the Form ADV filed by Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-37163), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(14) Scout Investments, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Scout Investments, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Scout Investments, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Scout Investments, Inc. and the directors and principal

 

  executive officers of Scout Investments, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Scout Investments, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-60188), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(15) Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-47232), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(16) T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-856), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(17) TCW Investment Management Company LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of TCW Investment Management Company LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by TCW Investment Management Company LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of TCW Investment Management Company LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of TCW Investment Management Company LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by TCW Investment Management Company LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-29075), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(18) Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-6273), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(19) Threadneedle International Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Threadneedle International Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Threadneedle International Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Threadneedle International Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of Threadneedle International Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by Threadneedle International Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-63196), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(20) Victory Capital Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Victory Capital Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Victory Capital Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Victory Capital Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Victory Capital Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Victory Capital Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-46878), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(21) Walter Scott & Partners Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Walter Scott & Partners Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Walter Scott & Partners Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Walter Scott & Partners Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of Walter Scott & Partners Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by Walter Scott & Partners Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-19420), which information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(22) Allspring Global Investments, LLC (formerly known as Wells Capital Management Incorporated), performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Allspring Global Investments, LLC and certain of its officers is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series subadvised by Allspring Global Investments, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Allspring Global Investments, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Allspring Global Investments, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Allspring Global Investments, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-21122), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(23) Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. and the directors and principal executive officers of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-69413), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(24) William Blair Investment Management, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of William Blair Investment Management, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by William Blair Investment Management, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of William Blair Investment Management, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of William Blair Investment Management, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by William Blair Investment Management, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-80640), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 32. Principal Underwriter
(a) Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies, including the Registrant:
  Columbia Acorn Trust; Columbia Funds Series Trust; Columbia Funds Series Trust I; Columbia Funds Series Trust II; Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II; Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Wanger Advisors Trust.
(b) As to each director, principal officer or partner of Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
    
Name and
Principal Business Address*
  Position and Offices
with Principal Underwriter
  Positions and Offices with Registrant
William F. Truscott   Chief Executive Officer and Director   Senior Vice President
Scott E. Couto   President and Director   None
Michael S. Mattox   Chief Financial Officer   None
Michael E. DeFao   Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Secretary   Vice President and Assistant Secretary
Stephen O. Buff   Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer   None
James Bumpus   Vice President – National Sales Manager   None
Thomas A. Jones   Vice President and Head of Strategic Relations   None
Gary Rawdon   Vice President – Sales Governance and Administration   None
Leslie A. Walstrom   Global Head of Marketing   None
Daniel J. Beckman   Vice President and Head of North America Product and Director   Board Member, President and
Principal Executive Officer
Marc Zeitoun   Chief Operating Officer, North American Distribution   None
Wendy B. Mahling   Secretary   None
Amy L. Hackbarth   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   None
Mark D. Kaplan   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   None
Nancy W. LeDonne   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   None
Ryan C. Larrenaga   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Joseph L. D’Alessandro   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   Assistant Secretary
Christopher O. Petersen   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary

 

Name and
Principal Business Address*
  Position and Offices
with Principal Underwriter
  Positions and Offices with Registrant
Shweta J. Jhanji   Vice President and Treasurer   None
Michael Tempesta   Anti-Money Laundering Officer and Identity Theft Prevention Officer   None
Kevin Wasp   Ombudsman   None
Kristin Weisser   Conflicts Officer   None
* The principal business address of Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. is 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210.
(c) Not Applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
Persons maintaining physical possession of accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules thereunder include:
Registrant, 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210;
Registrant’s investment adviser and administrator, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210;
Registrant’s subadviser, Allspring Global Investments, LLC (formerly known as Wells Capital Management Incorporated), 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105;
Registrant’s subadviser, American Century Investment Management, Inc., 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7709;
Registrant’s subadviser, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055;
Registrant’s sub-subadviser, BlackRock International Limited, Exchange Place One, 1 Semple Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, Scotland;
Registrant’s subadviser, CenterSquare Investment Management LLC, 630 W Germantown Pike, Suite 300, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462;
Registrant’s subadviser, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179;
Registrant’s sub-subadviser, Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC, 300 East Lombard Street, Suite 810, Baltimore, MD 21202;
Registrant’s subadviser, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621;
Registrant’s subadviser, Massachusetts Financial Services Company, 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02199;
Registrant’s subadviser, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036;
Registrant’s subadviser, Pzena Investment Management, LLC, 320 Park Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022;
Registrant’s subadviser, Schroder Investment Management North America Inc., 7 Bryant Park, New York, NY 10018-3706;
Registrant’s sub-subadviser, Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd, 1 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU, UK;
Registrant’s subadviser, Scout Investments, Inc., 1201 Walnut Street, 21st Floor, Kansas City, MO 64106;
Registrant’s subadviser, Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC, 540 West Madison Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60661-2551;
Registrant’s subadviser, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202;
Registrant’s subadviser, TCW Investment Management Company LLC, 865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017;
Registrant’s subadviser, Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC, 6641 West Broad Street, Suite 600, Richmond, VA 23230;
Registrant’s subadviser, Threadneedle International Limited, Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6AG, UK;
Registrant’s subadviser, Victory Capital Management Inc., 15935 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78256;
Registrant’s subadviser, Walter Scott & Partners Limited, One Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DR, UK;
Registrant’s subadviser, Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P., One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111;
Registrant’s subadviser, William Blair Investment Management, LLC, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL, 60606;
Former subadviser, AQR Capital Management, LLC, Two Greenwich Plaza, 3rd Floor, Greenwich, CT 06830;
Former subadviser, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One, Austin, TX 78746;
Former subadviser, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, 71 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606;

 

Former subadviser, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC, 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor, Dallas, TX 75201-2761;
Former subadviser, BMO Asset Management Corp., 115 South LaSalle Street, 11th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60603;
Former subadviser, Eaton Vance Management, Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110;
Former subadviser, FIAM LLC (d/b/a Pyramis Global Advisors), 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917;
Former subadviser, Donald Smith & Co., Inc., 152 West 57th Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10019;
Former subadviser, Invesco Advisers, Inc., 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309;
Former subadviser, Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc., 100 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor West, Florham Park, NJ 07932-0650;
Former subadviser, Jennison Associates LLC, 466 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017;
Former subadviser, Kennedy Capital Management, Inc., 10829 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63141;
Former subadviser, Los Angeles Capital Management, LLC (formerly Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc.), 11150 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025;
Former subadviser, The London Company of Virginia, 1800 Bayberry Court, Suite 301, Richmond, VA 23226;
Former subadviser, Marsico Capital Management, LLC, 1200 17th Street, Suite 1600, Denver, CO 80202;
Former subadviser, Mondrian Investment Partners Limited, 10 Gresham Street, 5th Floor, London EC2V7JD, UK;
Former subadviser, Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606;
Former subadviser, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281;
Former subadviser, Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, 650 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660;
Former subadviser, Palisade Capital Management, L.L.C., One Bridge Plaza North, Suite 695, Fort Lee, NJ 07024;
Former subadviser, River Road Asset Management, LLC, 462 South Fourth Street, Suite 2000, Louisville, KY 40202-3466;
Former subadviser, Sit Investment Associates, Inc., 3300 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402;
Former subadviser, Snow Capital Management L.P., 1605 Carmody Court, Suite 300, Sewickley, PA 15143-8992;
Former subadviser, Turner Investments, L.P., 1205 Westlakes Drive, Suite 100, Berwyn, PA 19312 (merged into Turner Investments LLC, 1000 Chesterbrook Boulevard, 1st Floor, Berwyn, PA 19312-2414);
Former subadviser, Winslow Capital Management, LLC, 4400 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402;
Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC (a successor for former subadviser NFJ Investment Group LLC), 1633 Broadway, 43rd Floor, New York, NY 10019;
Registrant’s principal underwriter, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210;
Registrant’s transfer agent, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210;
Registrant’s sub-transfer agent, DST Asset Manager Services, 2000 Crown Colony Dr., Quincy, MA 02169; and
Registrant’s custodian, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10005.
In addition, Iron Mountain Records Management is an off-site storage facility housing historical records that are no longer required to be maintained on-site. Records stored at this facility include various trading and accounting records, as well as other miscellaneous records. The address for Iron Mountain Records Management is 920 & 950 Apollo Road, Eagan, MN 55121.
Certain information on the above-referenced physical possession of accounts, books and other documents is also included in the Registrant’s filings on Form N-CEN filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2022.
Item 34. Management Services
Not Applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not Applicable.

 

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II, has duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 4th day of April, 2022.
COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II
By: /s/ Daniel J. Beckman
  Daniel J. Beckman
Trustee and President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the 4th day of April, 2022.
Signature Capacity Signature Capacity
/s/ Daniel J. Beckman Trustee and President
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ J. Kevin Connaughton* Trustee
Daniel J. Beckman J. Kevin Connaughton
/s/ Michael G. Clarke* Chief Financial Officer,
Principal Financial Officer
and Senior Vice President
/s/ Olive M. Darragh* Trustee
Michael G. Clarke Olive M. Darragh
/s/ Joseph Beranek* Treasurer, Chief
Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer) and Principal Financial Officer
/s/ Patricia M. Flynn* Trustee
Joseph Beranek Patricia M. Flynn
/s/ Catherine James Paglia* Co-Chair of the Board /s/ Brian J. Gallagher* Trustee
Catherine James Paglia Brian J. Gallagher
/s/ Douglas A. Hacker* Co-Chair of the Board /s/ Nancy T. Lukitsh* Trustee
Douglas A. Hacker Nancy T. Lukitsh
/s/ George S. Batejan* Trustee /s/ David M. Moffett* Trustee
George S. Batejan David M. Moffett
/s/ Kathleen A. Blatz* Trustee /s/ Minor M. Shaw* Trustee
Kathleen A. Blatz Minor M. Shaw
/s/ Pamela G. Carlton* Trustee /s/ Natalie A. Trunow* Trustee
Pamela G. Carlton Natalie A. Trunow
/s/ Janet Langford Carrig* Trustee /s/ Sandra Yeager* Trustee
Janet Langford Carrig Sandra Yeager
    
* By:
Name:
/s/ Joseph D’Alessandro  
Joseph D’Alessandro**
Attorney-in-fact
 
** Executed by Joseph D’Alessandro on behalf of Michael G. Clarke pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated February 1, 2021, and incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to Registration Statement No. 333-146374 of the Registrant on Form N-1A (Exhibit (q)(2)), filed with the Commission on April 1, 2021, on behalf of Joseph Beranek pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated January 3, 2020, and incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to Registration Statement No. 333-146374 of the Registrant on Form N-1A (Exhibit (q)(4)), filed with the Commission on April 28, 2020 and on behalf of each of the Trustees pursuant to a Trustees Power of Attorney, dated January 1, 2021 and incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to Registration Statement No. 333-146374 of the Registrant on Form N-1A (Exhibit (q)(1)), filed with the Commission on April 1, 2021.

 

Exhibit Index
(d)(12) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 22, 2021, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Pzena Investment Management, LLC
(h)(10)(iii) Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated January 11, 2022, between Legg Mason Partners Variable Equity Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II
(h)(10)(iv) Fund of Fund Investment Management Agreement, dated January 19, 2022, between SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II
(p)(4) American Century Investment Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, updated November 19, 2021
(p)(6) BNY Mellon Code of Conduct (for Walter Scott & Partners Limited) effective August 2021
(p)(10) Massachusetts Financial Services Company Code of Ethics, effective October 15, 2021
(p)(18) Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC Code of Ethics, updated June 18, 2021
(p)(19) Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective January 1, 2022
(q)(2) Trustee’s Power of Attorney for Daniel J. Beckman, dated November 22, 2021

Document Number: 362008

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

Agreement made as of the 22nd day of March, 2021 by and between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company (“Investment Manager”), and Pzena Investment Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Subadviser”).

WHEREAS, the Fund listed in Schedule A is a series of an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

WHEREAS, Investment Manager entered into a Management Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with the Fund pursuant to which Investment Manager provides investment advisory services to the Fund.

WHEREAS, Investment Manager and the Fund each desire to retain Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the Fund, and Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services.

WHEREAS, the effective date of this Agreement is May 3, 2021.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1.

Subadviser’s Duties.

 

  (a)

Portfolio Management. Subject to supervision by Investment Manager and the Fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees (the “Board”), Subadviser shall manage the investment operations and the composition of that portion of the assets of the Fund which is allocated to Subadviser from time to time by Investment Manager (which portion may include any or all of the Fund’s assets), including the purchase, retention, and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies, and restrictions, and subject to the following understandings:

 

  (i)

Investment Decisions. Subadviser shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, or sold with respect to that portion of the Fund allocated to it by Investment Manager, and what portion of such assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash. Subadviser is prohibited from consulting with any other subadviser of the Fund concerning transactions of the Fund in securities or other assets, other than for purposes of complying with the conditions of Rule 12d3-1(a) or (b) of the 1940 Act. Subadviser will not be responsible for voting proxies issued by companies held in the Fund although Investment Manager may consult with Subadviser from time to time regarding the voting of proxies of securities owned by the Fund. Subadviser will not be responsible for filing claims in class action settlements related to securities currently or previously held by that portion of the Fund allocated to it by Investment Manager, although Investment Manager may consult with Subadviser from time to time regarding the filing of claims in class action settlements.

 

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Document Number: 362008

 

  (ii)

Investment Limits. In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, Subadviser shall act in conformity with applicable limits and requirements, as amended from time to time, as set forth in the (a) Fund’s prospectus (“Prospectus”) and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”); (b) instructions and directions of Investment Manager and of the Board; and (c) requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), as applicable to the Fund, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Investment Manager agrees to give Subadviser prompt written notice if Investment Manager believes any recommendations, advice or investments to be in violation of (a), (b) or (c) above.

 

  (iii)

Portfolio Transactions.

 

  (A)

Trading. With respect to the securities and other investments to be purchased or sold for the Fund, Subadviser shall be authorized to take all actions necessary to establish relationships and place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers, or futures commission merchants (including, but not limited to, broker-dealers that are affiliated with Investment Manager or Subadviser) selected by Subadviser; provided, however, that such orders shall be consistent with Subadviser’s brokerage policy; conform with federal securities laws; and be consistent with seeking best execution. The Subadviser may consider the research, investment information, and other services provided by, and the financial responsibility of, brokers, dealers, or futures commission merchants who may effect, or be a party to, any such transaction or other transactions to which Subadviser’s other clients may be a party in accordance with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent permitted by law, and consistent with its obligation to seek best execution, Subadviser may execute transactions or pay a broker-dealer a commission, spread or markup in excess of that which another broker-dealer might have charged for executing a transaction provided that Subadviser determines, in good faith, that the execution is appropriate or the commission, spread or markup is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or Subadviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund and other clients for which it acts as subadviser. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent Subadviser is directed by Investment Manager to use a particular broker or brokers to borrow securities to cover securities sold short, Subadviser shall have no responsibility for setting the rate charged to borrow a security or otherwise ensuring that the rate charged by such broker to borrow a security is favorable.

 

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Document Number: 362008

 

  (B)

Aggregation of Trades. Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or other investments to be sold or purchased for the Fund as well as other clients of Subadviser in order to seek best execution. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by Subadviser in the manner Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients.

 

  (C)

Subadviser will not arrange purchases or sales of securities or other investments between the Fund and other accounts advised by Subadviser or its affiliates unless (a) such purchases or sales are in accordance with applicable law (including Rule 17a-7 of the 1940 Act) and the Fund’s policies and procedures as provided in writing to Subadviser along with any amendments, and (b) Subadviser determines the purchase or sale is in the best interests of the Fund.

 

  (iv)

Records and Reports. Subadviser (a) shall maintain such books and records for such time periods as are required of a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)-registered investment adviser to an investment company registered under the 1940 Act, (b) shall render to the Board such periodic and special reports as the Board (or a Committee thereof) or Investment Manager may reasonably request in writing, and (c) shall meet with any persons at the request of Investment Manager or the Board for the purpose of reviewing Subadviser’s performance under this Agreement at reasonable times and upon reasonable advance notice.

 

  (v)

Transaction Reports. Subadviser shall provide Investment Manager a daily trade file with information relating to all transactions concerning the allocated portion of the Fund’s assets for which Subadviser is responsible and shall provide Investment Manager with such other information regarding the Fund upon Investment Manager’s reasonable request. Subadviser shall affirm or send a trade file of these transactions as instruction to the custodian of the Fund.

 

  (vi)

Management of Funds with Multiple Subadvisers. Subadviser’s responsibilities for providing services to a Fund shall be limited to the portion of the Fund’s assets allocated to Subadviser (“Subadviser Account”). Subadviser shall not, without the prior approval of Investment Manager, effect any transactions that would cause the Subadviser Account, treated as a separate fund, to be out of compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions. Subadviser shall not consult with any other subadviser of a Fund concerning transactions for the Fund in securities or other assets.

 

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Document Number: 362008

 

  (b)

Compliance Program and Ongoing Certification(s). As requested, Subadviser shall timely provide to Investment Manager (i) information and commentary for the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports, in a format approved by Investment Manager, and shall (a) certify that such information and commentary does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the information and commentary not misleading, in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time, and (b) provide (i) additional certifications related to Subadviser’s management of the Fund in order to support the Fund’s filings on Form N-CSR and Form N-Q, and the Fund’s Principal Executive Officer’s and Principal Financial Officer’s certifications under Rule 30a-2 of the 1940 Act, thereon; in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time, (ii) a quarterly sub-certification with respect to compliance matters related to Subadviser and Subadviser’s management of the Fund, in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time; (iii) an annual certification from Subadviser’s Chief Compliance Officer, appointed under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), or his or her designee with respect to the design and operation of Subadviser’s compliance program, in a format reasonably requested by Investment Manager, as it may be amended from time to time; and (iv) from time to time Subadviser shall provide such certifications to assist Investment Manager in fulfilling Investment Manager’s obligations under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act, as are reasonably requested by the Fund or Investment Manager. In addition, Subadviser will, from time to time, provide a written assessment of its compliance program in conformity with current industry standards that is reasonably acceptable to Investment Manager to enable the Fund to fulfill its obligations under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act.

 

  (c)

Maintenance of Records. Subadviser shall timely furnish to Investment Manager all information relating to Subadviser’s services hereunder which Subadviser is required by law or regulation to keep and which are needed by Investment Manager to maintain the books and records of the Fund required under the 1940 Act. Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Fund are the property of the Fund and Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Fund any of such records upon the Fund’s request; provided, however, that Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed under the 1940 Act any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof.

 

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Document Number: 362008

 

  (d)

Insurance and Code of Ethics. Subadviser will provide the Fund with reasonable evidence that, with respect to its activities on behalf of the Fund, Subadviser is maintaining (i) adequate errors and omissions insurance and (ii) an appropriate Code of Ethics and related reporting procedures.

 

  (e)

Confidentiality. Each of the parties hereto agrees that it shall exercise the same standard of care that it uses to protect its own confidential and proprietary information (“Confidential Information”), but no less than reasonable care, to protect the Confidential Information of the other party. As used herein, Confidential Information, includes, but is not limited, to “Fund Portfolio Information,” which refers to confidential and proprietary information with regard to (i) the portfolio holdings and characteristics of the portion of the Fund allocated to Subadviser that Subadviser manages under the terms of this Agreement, and (ii) any copies of any agreements between the Investment Manager and its various counterparties and all the terms and provisions contained therein, which the Investment Manager (which term shall include the Investment Manager’s directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors, proposed financing sources, attorneys and accountants) may furnish, disclose or reveal to Subadviser (which term shall include Subadviser’s directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors, proposed financing sources, attorneys and accountants). Each party hereby agrees to restrict access to the other party’s Confidential Information to its employees who will use it only for the purpose of providing services under this Agreement. The foregoing shall not prevent a party from disclosing Confidential Information (1) that is publicly known or becomes publicly known through no unauthorized act; (2) that is rightfully received from a third party without obligation of confidentiality; (3)(a) that, in the case of Investment Manager’s Confidential Information, is approved in writing by Investment Manager for disclosure, (3)(b) that, in the case of Subadviser’s Confidential Information, is approved in writing by Subadviser for disclosure; (4) that is disclosed in the course of a regulatory examination or that is required to be disclosed pursuant to a requirement of a governmental or regulatory agency or law, so long as the disclosing party provides (to the extent permitted under applicable law) the non-disclosing party (i.e., the party whose Confidential Information would be disclosed) with prompt written notice of such requirement prior to any such disclosure; however, Subadviser is not required to provide such notice if information is provided on an aggregate basis without specific attribution to the Fund; (5) to affiliates that have a reason to know such information; (6) to the custodian of the Fund; (7) to brokers and dealers that are counterparties for trades for the Fund; (8) to futures commission merchants executing or clearing transactions in connection with the Fund, if applicable; and (9) to third party service providers to Subadviser subject to confidentiality agreements or duties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Fund Portfolio Information is similar to investments for other clients of Subadviser, Subadviser may disclose such investments without direct reference to the Fund. Investment Manager agrees that Subadviser may identify Investment Manager or the Fund by name in Subadviser’s current client list. Such list may be used with third parties.

 

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Document Number: 362008

 

  (f)

Cooperation. As reasonably requested by Investment Manager or the Board and in accordance with the scope of Subadviser’s obligations and responsibilities contained in this Agreement, Subadviser will cooperate with, and provide reasonable assistance to, Investment Manager or the Fund as needed in order for Investment Manager and the Fund to comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, but not limited to, compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder and the evaluation of any actions under U.S. or foreign securities laws pursuant to which the Fund may be able to assert a potential claim.

 

2.

Investment Manager’s Duties. Investment Manager shall continue to have responsibility for all other services to be provided to the Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement and shall oversee and review Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. Investment Manager shall also retain direct portfolio management responsibility with respect to any assets of the Fund which are not allocated by it to the portfolio management of Subadviser as provided in paragraph 1(a) hereof or to any other subadviser. Investment Manager will periodically provide to Subadviser a list of the affiliates of Investment Manager or the Fund to which investment restrictions apply, and will specifically identify in writing (a) all publicly traded companies that issue securities in which the Fund may not invest, together with ticker symbols for all such companies, and (b) any affiliated brokers and any restrictions that apply to the use of those brokers by Subadviser. Neither Subadviser nor any of its directors, officers, partners, principals, employees or agents shall have responsibility whatsoever for, and shall incur no liability on account of (i) diversification, selection or establishment of such investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund, (ii) advice on, or management of, any assets for the Fund other than the assets for which Investment Manager has delegated investment discretion to Subadviser, (iii) filing of any tax or information returns or forms, withholding or paying any taxes, or seeking any exemption or refund, (iv) registration of the Fund with any government or agency, (v) administration of the plans and trusts investing in the Fund, or (vi) overall Fund compliance with requirements of the 1940 Act and Subchapter M of the Code, relating to percentage limitations applicable to the Fund’s assets that would require knowledge of the Fund’s holdings other than the assets subject to this Agreement.

 

3.

Documents Provided to Subadviser. Investment Manager has delivered or will deliver to Subadviser current copies and supplements thereto of each of the Prospectus and SAI pertaining to the Fund, and will promptly deliver to it all future amendments and supplements regarding changes to Subadviser, its services to the Fund or investment policies and strategies, if any.

 

4.

Compensation of Subadviser. For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, Investment Manager will pay to Subadviser, effective from the date of this Agreement, a fee which shall be determined daily and paid monthly, on or before the last business day of the next succeeding calendar month, at the annual rates set forth in the attached Schedule A which Schedule can be modified from time to time upon mutual agreement of the parties to reflect changes in annual rates, subject to appropriate

 

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Document Number: 362008

 

  approvals required by the 1940 Act, if any. If this Agreement becomes effective or terminates before the end of any month, the fee for the period from the effective date to the end of the month or from the beginning of such month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion that such portion of the month bears to the full month in which such effectiveness or termination occurs. During the term of this Agreement, Subadviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement other than costs in connection with the purchase or sale of securities and other assets (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Fund.

 

5.

Expenses. Subadviser shall bear all expenses incurred by it and its staff with respect to all activities in connection with the performance of Subadviser’s services under this Agreement, including but not limited to salaries, overhead, travel, preparation of Board materials, review of marketing materials relating to Subadviser or other information provided by Subadviser to Investment Manager and/or the Fund’s distributor, and marketing support. Subadviser agrees to pay to Investment Manager the cost of generating a prospectus supplement, which includes preparation, filing, printing, and distribution (including mailing) of the supplement, if the Subadviser makes any changes that counsel to the Fund deems to require disclosure in the prospectus or any required regulatory documents that may be caused by changes to its structure or ownership, to investment personnel, to investment style or management, or otherwise (“Changes”), and at the time of notification to the Fund or Investment Manager by the Subadviser of such Changes, the Fund is not generating a supplement for other purposes or the Fund or the Investment Manager does not wish to add such Changes to a pending supplement. In the event two or more subadvisers, if applicable, each require a supplement simultaneously, the expense (other than the costs of printing and mailing) of a combined supplement will be shared pro rata with such other subadviser(s) based upon the number of pages required by each such subadviser, and each such subadviser shall pay its pro rata share of printing and mailing costs and expenses based upon the number of supplements required to be printed and mailed. All other expenses not specifically assumed by Subadviser hereunder or by Investment Manager under the Advisory Agreement are borne by the applicable Fund.

In the event that there is a proposed change in control of Subadviser that would act to terminate this Agreement, if a vote of shareholders to approve continuation of this Agreement is at that time deemed by counsel to the Fund to be required by the 1940 Act or any rule or regulation thereunder, Subadviser agrees to assume all reasonable costs associated with soliciting shareholders of the appropriate Fund(s), to approve continuation of this Agreement. Such expenses include the reasonable costs of preparation, filing and mailing of a proxy statement, and of soliciting proxies.

In the event that such proposed change in control of Subadviser shall occur and the Fund is operating under an exemptive order issued by the SEC to Investment Manager with respect to the appointment of subadvisers absent shareholder approval, Subadviser agrees to assume all reasonable costs and expenses (including the costs of preparation, mailing and filing) associated with the preparation of an information statement, required by the exemptive order containing all information that would be included in a proxy statement.

 

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6.

Representations of Subadviser. Subadviser represents and warrants as follows:

 

  (a)

Subadviser (i) is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and will continue to be so registered for so long as this Agreement remains in effect; (ii) is not an affiliated person of the Investment Manager or of the Fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act (other than by virtue of serving as a Subadviser to the Fund); (iii) is not prohibited by the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement; (iv) has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Advisers Act; (v) has adopted written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act from occurring, detect violations that have occurred, correct promptly any violations that have occurred, and will provide prompt notice of any material violations relating to the Fund to Investment Manager; (vi) has met and will seek to continue to meet for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, any other applicable federal or state requirements, or the applicable requirements of any regulatory or industry self-regulatory agency necessary to be met in order to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; (vii) has the authority to enter into and perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; and (viii) will promptly notify Investment Manager (1) in the event that Subadviser becomes an affiliated person of the Investment Manager or of the Fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act; (2) of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify Subadviser from serving as an investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act, (3) in the event the SEC or other governmental authority has: censured Subadviser; placed limitations upon the activities, functions or operations of Subadviser; or has commenced proceedings or an investigation that may result in any of these actions, (4) upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the Fund has ceased to qualify or might not qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and (5) of any material fact known to Subadviser respecting or relating to Subadviser that is not contained in the Prospectus, and is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or of any statement relating to Subadviser contained therein that becomes untrue in any material respect.

 

  (b)

Subadviser has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and will provide Investment Manager with a copy of the code of ethics. Within 60 days of the end of the last calendar quarter of each year that this Agreement is in effect, a duly authorized officer of Subadviser shall certify to Investment Manager that there has been no material violation of Subadviser’s code of ethics or, if such a violation has occurred, that appropriate action was taken in response to such violation. To the extent Subadviser has approved any material changes to its code of ethics, such revised code together with an explanation of such amendments shall be promptly (but in no event later than 60 days) provided to Investment Manager.

 

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  (c)

Subadviser has provided Investment Manager with a copy of a document intended to address the disclosures specified in Form ADV Part 2A, and promptly will furnish a copy of any amendments to such document to Investment Manager (at least annually). Investment Manager hereby consents to Subadviser’s use of electronic mail to satisfy its disclosure delivery requirements under the federal securities laws (including the Subadviser’s obligation to deliver its Form ADV Part 2A to Investment Manager), and to deliver any other reports and documents related to the services provided under this Agreement. Such consent shall be effective for the duration of this Agreement, unless Investment Manager revokes such consent, in writing.

 

  (d)

Subadviser will promptly notify Investment Manager of any changes in the controlling shareholder, in the key personnel who are either the portfolio manager(s) responsible for the Fund or the Chief Executive Officer of Subadviser, or if there is otherwise an actual change in control or management of Subadviser.

 

7.

Representations of Investment Manager. Investment Manager represents and warrants as follows:

 

  (a)

Investment Manager (i) is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and will continue to be so registered for so long as this Agreement remains in effect; (ii) is not prohibited by the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement; (iii) has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Advisers Act; (iv) has adopted written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act from occurring, detect violations that have occurred, correct promptly any violations that have occurred, and will provide prompt notice of any material violations relating to the Fund to the Subadviser; (v) has met and will seek to continue to meet for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, any other applicable federal or state requirements, or the applicable requirements of any regulatory or industry self-regulatory agency necessary to be met in order to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; (vi) has the authority to enter into and perform the services contemplated by this Agreement; and (vii) will promptly notify Subadviser (1) of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify Investment Manager from serving as an investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act or otherwise, (2) in the event the SEC or other governmental authority has: censured Investment Manager; placed limitations upon its activities, functions or operations; or has commenced proceedings or an investigation that may result in any of these actions or (3) upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the Fund has ceased to qualify or might not qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.

 

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  (b)

Investment Manager agrees that neither it nor any of its affiliates will in any way refer directly or indirectly to its relationship with Subadviser, or any of its affiliates in offering, marketing, or other promotional materials without the prior written consent of Subadviser; provided that Investment Manager shall not be required to obtain Subadviser’s prior written consent to make factual statements regarding the fact that Subadviser serves as subadviser to the Fund, in responding to requests for information, in required disclosures or in responding to regulatory inquiries.

 

  (c)

The Fund is and will continue to be the owner of all assets for which Investment Manager delegates investment discretion to Subadviser from time to time, and there are and will continue to be no restrictions on the pledge, hypothecation, transfer, sale or public distribution of such assets.

 

  (d)

Investment Manager is establishing and will be maintaining the Fund’s account with Subadviser solely for the purpose of investing the relevant assets and not with a view to obtaining information regarding portfolio holdings or investment decisions in order to effect securities transactions based upon such information or to provide such information to another party, and that Investment Manager and its employees, officers and directors shall not use account holdings information for any of the foregoing purposes.

 

  (e)

The Board has approved the appointment of Subadviser pursuant to this Agreement.

 

8.

Liability and Indemnification.

 

  (a)

Except as may otherwise be provided by the 1940 Act or any other federal securities law, Subadviser, any of its affiliates and any of the officers, partners, employees, consultants, or agents thereof shall not be liable for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including legal and other expenses) incurred or suffered by the Fund, Investment Manager, or any affiliated persons thereof (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act) or controlling persons thereof (as described in Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) ) (collectively, “Fund and Investment Manager Indemnitees”) as a result of any error of judgment or mistake of law by Subadviser with respect to the Fund, except that nothing in this Agreement shall operate or purport to operate in any way to exculpate, waive, or limit the liability of Subadviser for, and Subadviser shall indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and Investment Manager Indemnitees against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) to which any of the Fund and Investment Manager Indemnitees may become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, or under any other statute, at common law, or otherwise arising out of or based on (i) any willful misconduct, bad faith, reckless disregard, or negligence of Subadviser in the performance of any of its duties or obligations hereunder; (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact regarding Subadviser contained in the Prospectus and SAI, proxy materials, reports,

 

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  advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Fund or the omission to state therein a material fact regarding Subadviser known to Subadviser which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon written information furnished to Investment Manager or the Fund by Subadviser Indemnitees (as defined below) for use therein; provided, however, that Subadviser has had a reasonable opportunity to review information regarding Subadviser contained in the Prospectus and SAI, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature or other materials pertaining to the Fund as set forth in section 11; or (iii) any violation of federal or state statutes or regulations by Subadviser. It is further understood and agreed that Subadviser may rely upon information furnished to it by Investment Manager that it reasonably believes to be accurate and reliable. Subadviser shall be liable for any loss incurred by the Fund, the Investment Manager or their respective affiliates to the extent such losses arise out of any act or omission directly attributable to Subadviser which results, directly or indirectly, in an error in the net asset value of the Fund. The federal securities laws impose liabilities in certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith, and therefore nothing herein shall in any way constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights which Investment Manager may have under any securities laws. Neither Subadviser nor any Subadviser Indemnitees (as defined below) shall be liable for any loss or damage arising or resulting from the acts or omissions of the custodian of the Fund, any broker, financial institution or any other third party with or through whom Subadviser arranges or enters into a transaction in respect of the Fund, except to the extent that Subadviser or its affiliate instructed such broker, financial institution or third party to take such action or omission. Investment Manager understands and acknowledges that Subadviser does not warrant that the portion of the assets of the Fund managed by Subadviser will achieve any particular rate of return or that its performance will match any benchmark index or other standard or objective.

 

  (b)

Except as may otherwise be provided by the 1940 Act or any other federal securities law, Investment Manager and the Fund shall not be liable for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including legal and other expenses) incurred or suffered by Subadviser or any of its affiliated persons thereof (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act) or controlling persons (as described in Section 15 of the 1933 Act) (collectively, “Subadviser Indemnitees”) as a result of any error of judgment or mistake of law by Investment Manager with respect to the Fund, except that nothing in this Agreement shall operate or purport to operate in any way to exculpate, waive, or limit the liability of Investment Manager for, and Investment Manager shall indemnify and hold harmless Subadviser Indemnitees against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) to which any of Subadviser Indemnitees may become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, or under any other statute, at common law, or otherwise arising out of or based on (i) any willful misconduct, bad faith, reckless disregard, or negligence of Investment Manager in the performance of

 

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  any of its duties or obligations hereunder; (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus and SAI, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Fund or the omission to state therein a material fact known to Investment Manager which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or omission concerned Subadviser and was made in reliance upon written information furnished to Investment Manager or the Fund by a Subadviser Indemnitee for use therein, or (iii) any violation of federal or state statutes or regulations by Investment Manager or the Fund.

 

  (c)

After receipt by Investment Manager or Subadviser, its affiliates, or any officer, director, employee, or agent of any of the foregoing, entitled to indemnification as stated in (a) or (b) above (“Indemnified Party”) of notice of the commencement of any action, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any person obligated to provide indemnification under this section (“Indemnifying Party”), such Indemnified Party shall notify the Indemnifying Party in writing of the commencement thereof as soon as practicable after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim that has been served upon the Indemnified Party; provided that the failure to so notify the Indemnifying Party will not relieve the Indemnifying Party from any liability under this section, except to the extent that the omission results in damages to the Indemnifying Party caused solely as a result of the failure to give such notice. The Indemnifying Party, upon the request of the Indemnified Party, shall retain counsel satisfactory to the Indemnified Party to represent the Indemnified Party in the proceeding, and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party unless (1) the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, or (2) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party and representation by both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Party agrees to indemnify the Indemnified Party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.

 

9.

Duration and Termination.

 

  (a)

Unless sooner terminated as provided herein, this Agreement shall continue for two years from the date written above. Thereafter, if not terminated, this Agreement shall continue automatically for successive periods of 12 months each, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by a vote of a majority of the Board members who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, and (ii) by the Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund.

 

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  (b)

Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to Subadviser. This Agreement may also be terminated, without the payment of any penalty, by Investment Manager (i) upon 60 days’ written notice to Subadviser; (ii) upon material breach by Subadviser of any representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement, if such breach has not been cured within 20 days after written notice of such breach; or (iii) immediately if, in the reasonable judgment of Investment Manager, Subadviser becomes unable to discharge its duties and obligations under this Agreement, including circumstances such as the insolvency of Subadviser or other circumstances that could adversely affect the Fund. Subadviser may terminate this Agreement at any time, without payment of any penalty, (1) upon 60 days’ written notice to Investment Manager; or (2) upon material breach by Investment Manager of any representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement, if such breach has not been cured within 20 days after written notice of such breach. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement.

 

  (c)

In the event of termination of the Agreement, those paragraphs of the Agreement which govern conduct of the parties’ future interactions with respect to Subadviser having provided investment management services to the Fund(s) for the duration of the Agreement, including, but not limited to, paragraphs 1(a)(iv)(a), 1(c), 1(d), 1(e), 1(f), 8(a), 8(b), 8(c), 15, 17, 18, 20 and 21 shall survive such termination of the Agreement.

 

10.

Subadviser’s Services Are Not Exclusive. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of Subadviser or any of its partners, officers, or employees to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, or limit or restrict Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other mutual fund, corporation, firm, individual, or association or other entity. Subadviser acts as adviser to other clients and may, subject to compliance with its fiduciary obligations, give advice, and take action, with respect to any of those which may differ from the advice given, or the timing or nature of action taken, with respect to the Fund. Subject to its fiduciary obligation to the Fund, Subadviser shall have no obligation to purchase or sell for the Fund, or to recommend for purchase or sale by the Fund, any security which Subadviser, its principals, affiliates or employees may purchase or sell for themselves or for any other clients.

 

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11.

References to Subadviser. Subadviser hereby grants to Investment Manager during the term of this Agreement, the right to use Subadviser’s name as required for public filings and marketing materials in accordance with the terms described herein and the right to display Subadviser’s logo on Investment Manager’s website. Investment Manager agrees to furnish to Subadviser at its principal office all prospectuses, SAI’s, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature, screenshot images (with respect to the display of Subadviser’s logo on Investment Manager’s website) or other material prepared for distribution to sales personnel, shareholders of the Fund or the public, that refer to Subadviser prior to the use thereof, and not to use such material if Subadviser reasonably objects in writing five (5) business days (or such other time as may be mutually agreed upon) after receipt thereof. Such materials may be furnished to Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, electronic or facsimile transmission, or hand delivery.

 

12.

Notices. Any notice, statement, consent or approval required or permitted to be given in connection with this Agreement (“Notice”) shall be in writing and shall be sufficiently given if delivered (whether in person, by post, by courier service or other personal method of delivery), or if transmitted by facsimile or other electronic means of communication:

In the case of Subadviser:

 

William L. Lipsey

President

Pzena Investment Management, LLC

320 Park Avenue, 8th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Tel:

   (212) 583-1408

Fax:

   (212) 308-0010

Email:

   Lipsey@pzena.com

with a copy to:

Joan F. Berger

General Counsel

Pzena Investment Management, LLC 320

Park Avenue, 8th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Tel:

   (212) 583-1291

Fax:

   (212) 308-0010

Email:

   Berger@pzena.com

Cc:

   Legal@pzena.com

In the case of Investment Manager:

Paul Mikelson

Vice President, Subadvised Strategies

Columbia Threadneedle Investments

707 2nd Ave. S, Routing: H16-10334

 

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Document Number: 362008

 

Minneapolis, MN 55402

Tel:     (612) 671-4452

Fax:     (612) 671-0618

Email: paul.a.mikelson@columbiathreadneedle.com

with a copy to:

Christopher O. Petersen

Vice President and Lead Chief Counsel

Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

5228 Ameriprise Financial Center, Routing: 27/5228

Minneapolis, MN 55474

Tel:     (612) 671-4321

Fax:     (612) 671-2680

Email: christopher.o.petersen@ampf.com

Any Notice delivered or transmitted to a party as provided above shall be deemed to have been given and received on the day it is delivered or transmitted, provided that it is delivered or transmitted on any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or statutory holiday in the jurisdiction where the Notice is received (“Business Day”) prior to 5:00 p.m. local time in the place of delivery or receipt. However, if the Notice is delivered or transmitted after 5:00 p.m. local time or if such day is not a Business Day then the Notice shall be deemed to have been given and received on the next Business Day.

Any party may, from time to time, change its address by giving Notice to the other party in accordance with the provisions of this section.

 

13.

Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, subject to approval by the Board and the Fund’s shareholders to the extent required by the 1940 Act.

 

14.

Assignment. No assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act, as amended) of this Agreement shall be made by Investment Manager or Subadviser without the prior written consent of the Fund, and, if required by law, the Fund’s shareholders, and Investment Manager or Subadviser (as applicable). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no assignment shall be deemed to result from any changes in the directors, officers, or employees of Investment Manager or Subadviser except as may be provided to the contrary in the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

15.

Governing Law. This Agreement, and, in the event of termination of the Agreement, those paragraphs that survive such termination of the Agreement under paragraph 9(c), shall be governed by the laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to the conflicts of laws principles thereof, or any applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. To the extent that the laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, or any of the provision of this Agreement, conflict with applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control. The Investment Manager and Subadviser hereby consent to the jurisdiction of a state or federal court situated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in

 

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  connection with any dispute arising hereunder. Any action or dispute between the Investment Manager and the Subadviser arising out of this Agreement shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Investment Manager and Subadviser hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which either party may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that such proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

16.

Entire Agreement. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding among the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.

 

17.

Severability. Should any part of this Agreement be held invalid by a court decision, statute, rule, or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement and, in the event of termination of the Agreement, those paragraphs that survive such termination of the Agreement under paragraph 9(c), shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.

 

18.

Interpretation. Any questions of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision in the 1940 Act and to interpretation thereof, if any, by the federal courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations, or orders of the SEC validly issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. Where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is altered by a rule, regulation, or order of the SEC, whether of special or general application, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation, or order.

 

19.

Headings. The headings in this Agreement are intended solely as a convenience and are not intended to modify any other provision herein.

 

20.

Authorization. Each of the parties represents and warrants that the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action by such party and when so executed and delivered, this Agreement will be the valid and binding obligation of such party in accordance with its terms.

 

21.

No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Fund is intended to be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, and without in any way implying that there are any other third-party beneficiaries to the Agreement or any other agreement with respect to the Trust or any of its series, no person other than the Investment Manager and the Subadviser is a party to this Agreement or shall be entitled to any right or benefit arising under or in respect of this Agreement (with the exception of the Fund), and there are no other third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or shall be read to, (i) create in any other person (including without limitation any shareholder of any Fund) any direct, indirect, derivative, or other rights against the Investment Manager or Subadviser, or (ii) create or give rise to any duty or obligation on the part of the Investment Manager or Subadviser (including without limitation any fiduciary duty) to any person other than the Fund, all of which rights, benefits, duties, and obligations are hereby expressly excluded.

 

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

 

Columbia Management Investment

Advisers, LLC

      Pzena Investment Management, LLC
By:   

/s/ David Weiss

      By:   

/s/ Evan Fire

   Signature          Signature
Name:   

David Weiss

      Name:   

Evan Fire

   Printed          Printed
Title:    Assistant Secretary       Title:    COO

 

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SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

SCHEDULE A

[SCHEDULE LISTING FUND AND FEE RATE OMITTED]

 

18       Page

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON

RULE 12d1-4

FUND OF FUNDS INVESTMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of January 11, 2022, is made among the Acquiring Funds, severally and not jointly (each, an “Acquiring Fund”), and the Acquired Funds, severally and not jointly (each, an “Acquired Fund” and together with the Acquiring Funds, the “Funds”), in each case as listed on Schedule A, as amended from time to time. This Agreement shall be effective as of January 18, 2022.

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”);

WHEREAS, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act limits the extent to which a registered investment company may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, Section 12(d)(1)(B) limits the extent to which a registered investment company, its principal underwriter (“Distributor”) or registered brokers or dealers (“Brokers”) may knowingly sell shares of such registered investment company to other investment companies, and Section 12(d)(1)(C) limits the extent to which an investment company may invest in the shares of a registered closed-end investment company;

WHEREAS, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Rule”) permits (i) registered investment companies, such as the Acquiring Funds, to invest in shares of other registered investment companies, such as the Acquired Funds, in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1)(A) and Section 12(d)(1)(C) of the 1940 Act, and (ii) registered investment companies, such as the Acquired Funds, as well as the Distributor and Brokers, knowingly to sell shares of the Acquired Funds to the Acquiring Funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the 1940 Act, subject to compliance with the conditions of the Rule;

WHEREAS, an Acquiring Fund may, from time to time, invest in shares of one or more Acquired Funds in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1)(A) and Section 12(d)(1)(C), as applicable, in reliance on the Rule;

WHEREAS, an Acquired Fund, Distributor, or Broker, from time to time, may knowingly sell Shares of one or more Acquired Funds to an Acquiring Fund in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1)(B) in reliance on the Rule; and

WHEREAS, to date such investments have been governed by Participation Agreements dated as of February 7, 2020 and March 12, 2020, respectively, by and among the Acquiring Funds and certain of the Acquired Funds (each, a “Participation Agreement”) and made in reliance on SEC exemptive relief that will be rescinded one year from the effective date of the Rule;

NOW THEREFORE, in accordance with the Rule, the Acquiring Funds and the Acquired Funds desire to set forth the following terms pursuant to which the Acquiring Funds may invest in the Acquired Funds in reliance on the Rule and the Acquired Funds, Distributor, or Broker may sell shares of the Acquired Funds to the Acquiring Funds in reliance on the Rule.

 

1


1.

Terms of Investment

(a) In order to help reasonably address the risk of undue influence on an Acquired Fund that operates as a mutual fund (“Acquired Mutual Fund”) by an Acquiring Fund, and to assist the Acquired Mutual Fund’s investment adviser with making the required findings under the Rule, each Acquiring Fund and each Acquired Mutual Fund agree as follows:

(i) In-kind redemptions. The Acquiring Fund acknowledges and agrees that, if and to the extent consistent with the Acquired Mutual Fund’s registration statement, as amended from time to time, the Acquired Mutual Fund in its sole discretion may honor any redemption request partially or wholly in-kind. In the event that the Acquired Mutual Fund honors a redemption request partially or wholly in-kind, the Acquired Mutual Fund shall have sole discretion to determine the selection of its portfolio securities to distribute in-kind.

(ii) Timing/advance notice of redemptions. The Acquiring Fund will use reasonable efforts to spread large redemption requests over multiple days or to provide advance notification of redemption requests to the Acquired Mutual Fund(s) whenever practicable and consistent with the Acquiring Fund’s best interests. The Acquired Mutual Fund acknowledges and agrees that any notification provided pursuant to the foregoing is not a commitment to redeem and constitutes an estimate that may differ materially from the amount, timing and manner in which a redemption request is submitted, if any.

(iii) Scale of investment. Upon a reasonable request by an Acquired Mutual Fund, the Acquiring Fund will provide summary information regarding the anticipated timeline of its investment in the Acquired Mutual Fund and the scale of its contemplated investments in the Acquired Mutual Fund.

(b) In order to assist the Acquiring Fund’s investment adviser with evaluating the complexity of the structure and fees and expenses associated with an investment in an Acquired Fund, each Acquired Fund shall provide each Acquiring Fund with information on the fees and expenses of the Acquired Fund and such other information relating to the Acquired Fund as may be reasonably requested by the Acquiring Fund to facilitate compliance with the Rule. In accordance with the foregoing and in recognition of each Acquired Fund’s obligations regarding disclosure of material nonpublic information under applicable laws, rules and regulations, including without limitation Regulation FD, each Acquiring Fund and Acquired Fund agree that the information on fees and expenses of each Acquired Fund shall be provided through delivery or access to publicly available documents.

(c) With respect to investments in Acquired Funds that operate as exchange-traded funds (“Acquired ETFs”), the Funds note that each Acquired ETF is designed to accommodate large investments and redemptions, whether from Acquiring Funds or other investors. Creation and redemption orders for shares of the Acquired ETFs can only be submitted by Brokers or other participants of a registered clearing agency (collectively,

 

2


Authorized Participants”) that have entered into an agreement (“Authorized Participant Agreement”) with the Acquired ETFs’ distributor to transact in shares of the Acquired ETFs. The Acquired ETFs also have policies and procedures (the “Basket Policies”) that have been adopted pursuant to Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, which govern creations and redemptions of the Acquired ETFs’ shares. Any creation or redemption order submitted by an Acquiring Fund through an Authorized Participant will be satisfied pursuant to the Basket Policies and the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement. The Basket Policies include provisions that govern in-kind creations and redemptions, as well as cash transactions. In any event, the Funds generally expect that the Acquiring Funds will transact in shares in the Acquired ETFs on the secondary market rather than through direct creation and redemption transactions with the Acquired ETF. The Funds believe that these material terms regarding an Acquiring Fund’s investment in shares of an Acquired ETF should assist the Acquired ETF’s investment adviser with making the required findings under the Rule.

(d) With respect to investments in Acquired Funds that operate as closed-end funds (“Acquired CEFs”), the Funds note that Acquired CEFs do not permit daily redemptions, and that Acquired CEFs that permit periodic repurchases, such as interval funds that operate under Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act or funds that conduct periodic tender offers pursuant to Rule 13e-4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, would do so only under prescribed circumstances. Upon a reasonable request by an Acquired CEF, the Acquiring Fund will provide summary information regarding the anticipated timeline of its investment in the Acquired CEF and the scale of its contemplated investments in the Acquired CEF.

(e) An Acquiring Fund shall provide an Acquired Fund with information regarding the amount of the Acquiring Fund’s investments in the Acquired Fund, and information regarding affiliates of the Acquiring Fund, upon the Acquired Fund’s reasonable request.

 

2.

Representations of the Acquired Funds.

(a) In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A) or Section 12(d)(1)(C) or knowing sale of shares by an Acquired Fund, Distributor, or Broker to an Acquiring Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(B), the Acquired Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to the Acquired Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquiring Fund if such Acquired Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to an investment by the Acquiring Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or fails to comply with this Agreement.

(b) Each Acquired Fund represents that it does not own as of the date of this Agreement, and it will not purchase or otherwise acquire during the term of this Agreement, the securities of an investment company or private fund as defined in the Rule (a Private Fund) where immediately after such purchase or acquisition, the securities of investment companies and Private Funds owned by the Acquired Fund have an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Acquired Fund except as otherwise permitted by the Rule and guidance issued thereunder by the SEC or its Staff.

 

3


3.

Representations of the Acquiring Funds.

In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A) or Section 12(d)(1)(C) or knowing sale of Shares by an Acquired Fund, Distributor, or Broker to an Acquiring Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(B), the Acquiring Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to the Acquiring Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquired Fund if such Acquiring Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to its investment in such Acquired Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or fails to comply with this Agreement.

 

4.

Notices.

All notices, including all information that either party is required to provide under the terms of this Agreement and the Rule, shall be in writing and shall be delivered by registered or overnight mail, facsimile, or electronic mail to the address for each party specified below.

 

If to the Acquiring Fund:

 

Kevin Wuerfel

Vice President Investment Compliance

Franklin Templeton

One Franklin Parkway

Building 920, 2nd Floor

San Mateo, CA 94403

E-mail: Rule12d1-4InvestmentAgreements@franklintempleton.com

  

If to the Acquired Fund:

 

Dan Beckman

c/o Columbia Threadneedle Investments

290 Congress St.

Boston, MA 02210

Email: dan.beckman@columbiathreadneedle.com

  

With a copy to:

 

Ryan Larrenaga

c/o Columbia Threadneedle Investments

290 Congress St.

Boston, MA 02210

Email: ryan.c.larrenaga@columbiathreadneedle.com

 

5.

Term and Termination; Assignment; Amendment

(a) This Agreement shall be effective for the duration of the Acquired Funds’ and the Acquiring Funds’ reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time. While the terms of the Agreement shall only be applicable to investments in Funds made in reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, the Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated pursuant to Section 5(b).

 

4


(b) This Agreement shall continue until terminated in writing by either party upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund may not purchase additional shares of the Acquired Fund beyond the Section 12(d)(1)(A) or Section 12(d)(1)(C) limits in reliance on the Rule.

(c) This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other. In the event either party assigns this Agreement to a third party as provided in this Section, such permitted third party shall be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement applicable to the assigning party.

(d) This Agreement may be amended, including for the purpose of adding Acquiring Funds and Acquired Funds to Schedule A, only by a writing that is signed by each affected party.

 

6.

Additional Provisions

(a) The parties hereby mutually agree to terminate the Participation Agreements as of the date hereof and waive any provision of either Participation Agreement requiring advance notice of termination thereof.

(b) This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its choice of law principles.

(c) In no event and under no circumstances will any party to this Agreement be liable to any person, including without limitation any other party to this Agreement, for any special, indirect or consequential loss or damages resulting from any act or failure to act in accordance with the provision of this Agreement, even if such party had been advised of the possibility of such loss or damages.

(d) In any action arising under this Agreement, each Acquiring Fund and each Acquired agrees to look solely to the particular Acquired Funds or Acquiring Funds, as applicable, involved in the matter in controversy and not to any other Fund.

(e) The parties are hereby put on notice that no director/trustee, officer, employee, agent, employee or shareholder of the Funds shall have any personal liability under this Agreement, and that this Agreement is binding only upon the assets and property of the applicable Funds.

[Signature page to follow.]

 

5


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

Acquiring Funds
By:   Legg Mason Partners Variable Equity Trust,
  On behalf of each of the Acquiring Funds
  By:  

/s/ Jane E. Trust

  Name: Jane E. Trust
  Title: President
Acquired Funds
By:   Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
  On behalf of each of the Acquired Funds
  By:  

/s/ Ryan C. Larrenaga

  Name: Ryan C. Larrenaga
  Title: Senior Vice President

 

6


SCHEDULE A

Acquiring Funds

Legg Mason Partners Variable Equity Trust

Franklin Templeton Aggressive Model Portfolio

Franklin Templeton Conservative Model Portfolio

Franklin Templeton Moderate Model Portfolio

Franklin Templeton Moderately Aggressive Model Portfolio

Franklin Templeton Moderately Conservative Model Portfolio

Acquired Funds

Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Small Cap Value Fund

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Emerging Markets Bond Fund

 

7

FUND OF FUNDS INVESTMENT AGREEMENT

This Fund of Funds Investment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of January 19, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), is made among Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II (each referred to as a “Trust”), on behalf of their series listed on Schedule A, severally and not jointly (each, the “Acquiring Fund”), and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, severally and not jointly (each, the “Acquired Fund” and together with the Acquiring Funds, the “Funds”).

WHEREAS, each Acquired Fund is a unit investment trust that is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”);

WHEREAS, each Acquiring Fund is registered with the SEC as an investment company under the 1940 Act;

WHEREAS, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act limits the extent to which a registered investment company may invest in shares of other registered investment companies and Section 12(d)(1)(B) limits the extent to which a registered investment company, its principal underwriter or registered brokers or dealers may knowingly sell shares of such registered investment company to other investment companies;

WHEREAS, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Rule”) permits registered investment companies, such as the Acquiring Fund, to invest in shares of other registered investment companies, such as the Acquired Fund, in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act subject to compliance with the conditions of the Rule; and

WHEREAS, the Acquiring Fund may, from time to time, invest in shares of one or more Acquired Funds in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1)(A) in reliance on the Rule;

NOW THEREFORE, in accordance with the Rule, the Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund desire to set forth the following terms pursuant to which the Acquiring Fund may invest in the Acquired Fund in reliance on the Rule.

 

  1.

Terms of Investment

(a) In order to assist the Acquiring Fund’s investment adviser with evaluating the complexity of the structure and fees and expenses associated with an investment in the Acquired Fund, the Acquired Fund shall provide the Acquiring Fund with information on the fees and expenses of the Acquired Fund reasonably requested by the Acquiring Fund with reference to the Rule. Such fee and expense information shall be limited to that which is made publicly available by the Acquired Fund.

(b) The agreement contained in paragraph 1(a) applies only with respect to an investment by the Acquiring Fund in the Acquired Fund that exceeds the limits in Section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the 1940 Act.


  2.

Covenants of the Acquired Fund

In connection with any investment by the Acquiring Fund in the Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A), the Acquired Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to the Acquired Fund; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquiring Fund if the Acquired Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to an investment by the Acquiring Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or this Agreement.

 

  3.

Covenants of the Acquiring Fund.

(a) In connection with any investment by the Acquiring Fund in the Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A), the Acquiring Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to Acquiring Fund; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquired Fund if the Acquiring Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to its investment in the Acquired Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or this Agreement.

(b) Any of the provisions of this Agreement notwithstanding, the Acquiring Fund represents and warrants to the Acquired Fund that it operates, and will continue to operate, in compliance with the 1940 Act, and the SEC’s rules and regulations thereunder. The Acquiring Fund agrees that the Acquired Fund is entitled to rely on the representations contained in this Agreement and that the Acquired Fund has no independent duty to monitor the Acquiring Fund’s or its investment adviser’s or, if applicable, its subadviser’s compliance with this Agreement, the 1940 Act, or the SEC’s rules and regulations thereunder.

(c) The Acquiring Fund shall provide the Acquired Fund with information regarding the amount of the Acquiring Fund’s investments in the Acquired Fund upon the Acquired Fund’s reasonable request.

(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent the Acquiring Fund, the investment adviser to the Acquiring Fund or, if applicable, the subadviser to the Acquiring Fund has an “affiliated person” (as defined under the 1940 Act) that is: (i) a broker-dealer, (ii) a broker-dealer or bank that borrows as part of a securities lending program, or (iii) a futures commission merchant or a swap dealer, the Acquiring Fund will: (a) not make an investment in the Acquired Fund that causes the Acquiring Fund to hold 5% or more of the Acquired Fund’s total outstanding voting securities without prior approval from the Acquired Fund, and (b) notify the Acquired Fund if any investment by the Acquiring Fund that complied with (a) at the time of purchase no longer complies.

 

  4.

Notices

All notices, including all information that either party is required to provide under the terms of this Agreement and the Rule, shall be in writing and shall be delivered by registered or overnight mail, facsimile, or electronic mail to the address for each party specified below.


If to the Acquiring Fund:

  

If to the Acquired Fund:

Dan Beckman

 

c/o Columbia Threadneedle Investments

 

290 Congress St

 

Boston, MA 02210

 

dan.beckman@columbiathreadneedle.com

 

With a copy to:

 

Ryan Larrenaga

 

c/o Columbia Threadneedle Investments

 

290 Congress St.

 

Boston, MA 02210

 

Email: ryan.c.larrenaga@columbiathreadneedle.com

  

State Street Global Advisors

 

One Iron Street

 

Boston, MA 02210

 

Attn: Global Funds Management

 

Email: NewFoFRule@SSGA.com

 

With a copy to:

 

State Street Global Advisors

 

One Iron Street

 

Boston, MA 02210

 

Attn: Legal Department

 

Email: NewFoFRule@SSGA.com

 

  5.

Term and Termination; Assignment; Amendment

(a) This Agreement shall be effective for the duration of the Acquired Fund’s and the Acquiring Fund’s reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time. While the terms of the Agreement shall only be applicable to investments in Funds made in reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, the Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated.

(b) This Agreement shall continue until terminated in writing: (i) by either party upon sixty (60) days’ notice to the other party; or (ii) in the event of a material breach of this Agreement, upon written notice to the breaching party, which may be given in the sole discretion of the non-breaching party. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund may not purchase additional shares of the Acquired Fund beyond the Section 12(d)(1)(A) limits in reliance on the Rule.

(c) This Agreement is binding upon and inures to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other. Any purported assignment of rights in violation of this Section is void.

(d) This Agreement may be amended only by a writing that is signed by each affected party.


(e) In any action involving the Acquiring Fund under this Agreement, the Acquired Fund agrees to look solely to the individual Acquiring Fund that is involved in the matter in controversy and not to any of the other Acquiring Funds.

(f) In any action involving the Acquired Fund under this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund agrees to look solely to the individual Acquired Fund that is involved in the matter in controversy and not to any of the other Acquired Funds.

(g) The Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund may file a copy of this Agreement with the SEC or any other regulatory body if required by applicable law.

 

  6.

Indemnification

(a) Each Fund (an “Indemnifying Fund”), severally and not jointly, agrees to hold harmless, indemnify and defend each other Fund (an “Indemnitee Fund”), including any principals, directors or trustees, officers, employees and agents (“Agents”) of the Indemnitee Fund, against and from any and all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities incurred by or claims or actions (“Claims”) asserted against the Indemnitee Fund, including any of its Agents, to the extent such Claims result from a violation of any provision of this Agreement by the Indemnifying Fund or its Agents or result from any willful misfeasance, bad faith, reckless disregard or gross negligence of the Indemnifying Fund or its Agents in the performance of any of its duties or obligations hereunder. Any indemnification pursuant to this Section shall include any reasonable counsel fees and expenses incurred in connection with investigating and/or defending the applicable Claims. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Indemnifying Fund shall not be responsible for any Claim against the Indemnitee Fund or its Agents to the extent such Claim results from a violation of any provision of this Agreement by the Indemnitee Fund or its Agents or results from any willful misfeasance, bad faith, reckless disregard or gross negligence of the Indemnitee Fund or its Agents in the performance of any of its duties or obligations hereunder. This Section shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

(b) Any liability pursuant to the forgoing provision shall be several and not joint. In any action involving the parties under this Agreement, the parties agree to look solely to the individual Acquiring Fund(s) or Acquired Fund(s) that is/are involved in the matter in controversy and not to any other Acquiring Fund or Acquired Fund.

 

  7.

Additional Funds

In the event that the Trust wishes to include one or more series in addition to those originally set forth on Schedule A (each such series a “New Fund”), the Trust shall so notify the Acquired Fund in writing, and, upon written agreement, each New Fund shall hereunder become an Acquiring Fund and Schedule A shall be amended accordingly.

 

  8.

Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement remain in full force and effect, if the essential terms and conditions of this Agreement for both parties remain valid, legal and enforceable.


  9.

Governing Law

(a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

(b) In the case of a Massachusetts business trust, as applicable, a copy of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust is on file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that no trustee, officer, employee, agent, or shareholder of the Trust shall have any personal liability under this Agreement, and that this Agreement is binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust.

 

  10.

Consequential Damages

Under no circumstances will any party to this Agreement be liable to any person, including without limitation any other party to this Agreement, for any special, indirect or consequential loss or damages resulting from any act or failure to act in accordance with the provision of this Agreement, even if such party had been advised of the possibility of such loss or damages.

 

  11.

Entire Agreement

(a) This Agreement contains the entire understanding and agreement of the parties. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same document.

(b) The execution of this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute the termination as of the Effective Date of any and all prior agreements between the Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund that relates to the investment by any Acquiring Fund in any Acquired Fund in reliance on a participation agreement, exemptive order or other arrangement among the parties intended to permit investments beyond the statutory limits of Section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the 1940 Act (the “Prior Section 12 Agreements”). The parties hereby waive any notice provisions, conditions to termination, or matters otherwise required to terminate such Prior Section 12 Agreements.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]


SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST

SPDR DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE ETF TRUST

(severally and not jointly)

 

By:   STATE STREET GLOBAL ADVISORS TRUST COMPANY, not in its general corporate capacity but solely as Trustee of each Acquired Fund
By:  

/s/ Ellen M. Needham

Name:   Ellen M. Needham
Title:   Senior Managing Director

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank; Acquiring Fund signature page follows]


Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II

(each on behalf of their series listed on Schedule A, severally and not jointly)

 

By:  

/s/ Ryan C Larrenaga

Name:   Ryan C. Larrenaga
Title:   Vice President


SCHEDULE A

List of Acquiring Fund(s) to Which the Agreement Applies

Acquiring Funds (each, severally and not jointly)

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, on behalf of:

 

   

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund

Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, on behalf of:

 

   

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund

 

   

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund

 

   

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund

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Applicable Entities / Rules

 

    Applicable Entities:    Enterprise wide policy, including American Century Investment Management, Inc., Registered Investment Companies, Schedule A, American Century Investment Services, Inc., American Century Services, LLC
Statutory/Regulatory:    Investment Company Act § 17(j), Rule 17j-1; Investment Advisers Act § 204A, 206, Rule 204A-1 and 204-2(12)
        Effective Date(s):    October 29, 1999, Last Revised April 1, 2021
Policy or Summary:    Policy
    Related Summary:    Code of Ethics Policies and Procedures
    Related Documents:    Business Code of Conduct; Insider Trading Policy

Table of Contents

 

Snapshot of the Policy

     2  

Requirements for All Employees

     2  

Requirements for Access, Investment and Portfolio Persons

     2  

Trading Prohibitions for Investment and Portfolio Persons

     2  

I.

  Purpose of Code      3  

II.

  Why Do We Have a Code of Ethics?      3  

III.

  Does the Code of Ethics Apply to You?      4  

IV.

  Restrictions on Personal Investing Activities      6  

V.

  Reporting Requirements      10  

VI.

  Can there be any exceptions to the restrictions?      13  

VII.

  Confidential Information      15  

VIII.

  Conflicts of Interest      15  

IX.

  What happens if you violate the rules in the Code of Ethics?      15  

X.

  ACI’s Quarterly Report to Fund Directors/Trustees      17  

APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS

     18  

APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS “BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP”?

     21  

APPENDIX 3: CODE-EXEMPT SECURITIES

     24  

APPENDIX 4: HOW THE PRECLEARANCE PROCESS WORKS

     26  

APPENDIX 5: ACCOUNT REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

     29  

SCHEDULE A: BOARD APPROVAL DATES

     33  

SCHEDULE B: SUBADVISED FUNDS

     34  

SCHEDULE C: APPROVED ELECTRONIC BROKERS

     36  

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

1


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Snapshot of the Policy

The Code of Ethics is a comprehensive policy which provides the standards for personal investing by American Century Investments (ACI) employees. Each employee has a Code of Ethics classification based on their job responsibilities and the ability to access nonpublic information about ACI client portfolios’ security holdings and trading activities. The restrictions on personal investing contained in the Code vary by classification. The Code of Ethics also applies to accounts and securities that ACI employees beneficially own (i.e., owned by immediate family sharing your household, your domestic partner, or accounts for which you have trading authority or power of attorney, etc.).

It is important that you understand the Code and the restrictions on personal investing. These restrictions may include preclearance of trades and reporting of transactions and holdings, including for exchange traded funds (ETFs) and reportable mutual funds. This page contains a summary of the Code requirements. Please review the full text of the Code to fully understand your responsibilities. Contact Compliance if you have questions about the policy and how it applies to your situation. ComplianceAlpha is the primary tool for performing your duties under the Code. All reporting and preclearance activities are performed in ComplianceAlpha.

Requirements for All Employees

Non-Access Persons, Access Persons, Investment Persons, and Portfolio Persons must

 

   

Place our client’s interest first

 

   

Comply with federal securities laws

 

   

Report violations to Compliance

 

   

Acknowledge that you have read and understand the Code of Ethics

 

   

Link reportable brokerage accounts and reportable mutual fund accounts in ComplianceAlpha

 

   

Comply with short-term trading restrictions for ACI client portfolios

 

   

Obtain written approval to enter into an arrangement or agreement that could create a conflict of interest with ACI activities (i.e. serving on the board of directors of a publicly traded company)

Requirements for Access, Investment and Portfolio Persons

Access Persons, Investment Persons, Portfolio Persons must

 

   

Disclose holdings within 10 days of designation and annually, thereafter

 

   

Disclose personal security transactions on a quarterly basis

 

   

Disclose conflicts of interest annually

 

   

Obtain approval (preclearance) to trade in reportable securities

Trading Prohibitions for Investment and Portfolio Persons

 

   

Investment Persons and Portfolio Persons cannot participate in an Initial Public Offering.

 

   

Investment Persons and Portfolio Persons cannot profit on short-term reportable security trades within 60 calendar days.

 

   

Portfolio Persons cannot trade in a security within seven days before and after transactions of a client portfolio you manage.

 

   

Portfolio Persons cannot sell a security which is held by your assigned client portfolio or buy a security held as a short position in your assigned funds.

 

   

Portfolio Persons that manage a Semi-Transparent Active Exchange Traded Fund (STA ETF) are required to obtain pre-approval prior to trading in shares of the STA ETF. They are restricted from selling shares of a STA ETF that they manage within 30 days after purchase.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

2


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I.    Purpose

of Code

The Code of Ethics guides the personal investment activities of American Century Investments (ACI) employees (including full and part-time employees, contract and temporary employees, officers and directors), and members of their immediate family.1 The Code of Ethics aids in the elimination and detection of personal securities transactions by employees that might be viewed as fraudulent or might conflict with the interests of our client portfolios. Such transactions may include, without limitation:

 

   

the misuse of client trading information for personal benefit (including so-called “front-running”),

 

   

the misappropriation of investment opportunities that may be appropriate for client portfolios, and

 

   

excessive personal trading that may affect our ability to provide services to our clients.

Violations of this Code must be promptly reported to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

II.

Why Do We Have a Code of Ethics?

 

  A.

Investors have placed their trust in ACI

As an investment advisor, ACI is entrusted with the assets of our clients for investment purposes. Our employees’ personal trading activities and the administration of the Code are governed by these general fiduciary principles:

 

   

The interests of our clients must be placed before our own.

 

   

Any personal securities transactions must be conducted consistent with this Code and in a manner as to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Complying with these principles is how we earn and keep our clients’ trust. To protect this trust, we will hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.

 

  B.

ACI wants to give you flexible investing options

Management believes that ACI’s own mutual funds, ETFs and other pooled investment vehicles provide a broad range of investment alternatives in virtually every segment of the securities market. We encourage ACI employees to use these vehicles for their personal investments. We do not encourage active trading by our employees. We recognize,

 

1 

The directors or trustees of Fund Clients who are not “interested persons” (the “Independent Directors”) are covered under a separate Code applicable only to them.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

3


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however, that individual needs differ and that there are other attractive investment opportunities. As a result, this Code is intended to give you and your family flexibility to invest, without jeopardizing relationships with our clients.

Our employees are able to undertake personal transactions in stocks and other individual securities subject to the terms of this Code. All employees are required to report their personal transactions in securities owned by them and in beneficially owned securities under this Code. Additionally, Portfolio, Investment and Access Persons are required to receive preclearance of transactions and further limitations are placed on the transactions of Portfolio and Investment Persons.

 

  C.

Federal law requires that we have a Code of Ethics

The Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 require that we have safeguards in place to prevent personal investment activities that might take inappropriate advantage of our fiduciary position. These safeguards are embodied in this Code of Ethics.2

 

III.

Does the Code of Ethics Apply to You?

Yes! All ACI employees and contract personnel must observe the principles contained in this Code of Ethics. This Code applies to your personal investments, as well as those for which you are a beneficial owner. However, there are different requirements for different categories of employees. The category in which you have been placed generally depends on your job function, although circumstances may prompt us to place you in a different category. The range of categories is as follows:

 

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The standard profile for each of the categories is described below:

 

  A.

Portfolio Persons

Portfolio Persons include portfolio managers and equity investment analysts and any other Investment Persons (as defined below) with authority to enter purchase/sale orders on behalf of client portfolios.

 

  B.

Investment Persons

Investment Persons include:

 

2 

Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 serve as a basis for much of what is contained in this Code of Ethics.

 

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any persons that are involved in or have access to client portfolio securities trading, securities recommendations, or portfolio holdings or are involved in making securities recommendations that are nonpublic, and

 

   

any officers and directors of an investment advisor.

 

  C.

Access Persons

Access Persons are persons who, in connection with their regular function and duties, consistently obtain information regarding current purchase and sale recommendations and daily transaction and holdings information concerning client portfolios. Examples of persons that may be considered Access Persons include

 

   

persons who are directly involved in the execution, clearance, and settlement of purchases and sales of securities (e.g. certain investment operations personnel),

 

   

persons whose function requires them to evaluate trading activity on a real-time basis (e.g. attorneys, accountants, portfolio compliance personnel),

 

   

persons who assist in the design, implementation, and maintenance of investment management technology systems (e.g. certain I/T personnel, including contractors),

 

   

support staff and supervisors of the above if they are required to obtain such information as a part of their regular function and duties, and

 

   

officers or “interested” director of our Fund Clients.

Single, infrequent, or inadvertent instances of access to current recommendations or real-time trading information or the opportunity to obtain such information through casual observance or bundled data security access may not be sufficient to qualify you as an Access Person.

 

  D.

Non-Access Persons

If you are an ACI officer, director, or employee and you do not fit into any of the above categories, you are a Non-Access Person. Contractors and temporary employees may be considered Non-Access Persons depending on their role. While your trading is not subject to preclearance and other restrictions applicable to Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons, you are still subject to the remaining provisions of the Code.

 

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IV.

Restrictions on Personal Investing Activities

 

  A.

Principles of Personal Investing

All ACI employees, officers, and directors, and members of their immediate family, must comply with the federal securities laws and other governmental rules and regulations, and maintain ACI’s high ethical standards when making personal securities transactions. You must not misuse nonpublic information about client security holdings or contemplated, pending, or completed portfolio transactions for your personal benefit or the benefit of others. Likewise, you may not cause a client portfolio to take action, or fail to take action, for your personal benefit.

In addition, investment opportunities appropriate for client portfolios should not be retained for the personal benefit of yourself or others. Investment opportunities arising as a result of ACI investment management activities must first be considered for inclusion in our client portfolios.

 

  B.

Trading on Inside Information

Federal law prohibits you from trading based on material nonpublic information received from any source or communicating this information to others. This could include confidential information received by employees regarding securities that are, or maybe considered as potential portfolio investments. You are expected to abide by the highest ethical and legal standards in conducting your personal investment activities. For more information regarding what to do when you believe you are in possession of material nonpublic information, please consult ACI’s Insider Trading Policy.

 

  C.

Trading in ACI Open-End Mutual Funds

Excessive, short-term trading of ACI open-end mutual funds and other abusive trading practices (such as time zone arbitrage) may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm fund performance. These practices can cause funds to maintain higher-than-normal cash balances and incur increased trading costs. Short-term and other abusive trading strategies can also cause unjust dilution of shareholder value if such trading is based on information not accurately reflected in the price of the fund.

You may not engage in short-term trading or other abusive trading strategies with respect to any ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio. For purposes of this Code, “ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolios” include any open-end mutual fund or variable annuity, advised or subadvised by ACI.3

Seven-Day Holding Period. You will be deemed to have engaged in short-term trading if you have purchased shares or otherwise invested in a variable-priced (non-money market) ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio and redeem shares or otherwise withdraw assets from that portfolio within seven days. In other words, if you make an investment in an ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio, you may not redeem shares from that fund before the completion of the seventh day following the purchase date.

 

3 

See Schedule A for a list of Fund Clients. See Schedule B for a list of subadvised funds.

 

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Limited Trading Within 30 Days. We realize that abusive trading is not limited to a seven-day window. As a result, we may deem the sale of all or a substantial portion of an employee’s purchase in an ACI open-end mutual fund client portfolio to be abusive if the sale is made within 30 days, and it happens more than once every rolling twelve months.

These trading restrictions are applicable to any account for which you have the authority to direct trades or of which you are a beneficial owner, including brokerage accounts, ACI Personal Financial Solutions (PFS) accounts, retirement plans, subadvised accounts, or accounts held through an intermediary.

Transactions NOT Subject to Limitations. Automatic investments such as AMIs, dividend reinvestments, employer plan contributions, and payroll deductions are not considered transactions for purposes of the holding requirements. Redemptions in variable-priced funds that allow check writing privileges or trusts used as cash instruments in the retirement plan will not be considered redemptions for purposes of the holding requirements.

Information to be Provided. You may be required to provide certain information regarding mutual fund accounts beneficially owned by you and transactions in reportable mutual funds. See the Reporting Requirements for your applicable Code of Ethics classification.

 

  D.

Preclearance of Personal Securities Transactions

  [Portfolio,

Investment, and Access Persons]

Preclearance of personal securities transactions allows ACI to prevent certain trades that may conflict with client trading activities. The nature of securities markets makes it impossible to predict all conflicts. As a consequence, even trades that are precleared can result in potential conflicts between your trades and those affected for client portfolios. You are responsible for avoiding such conflicts with any client portfolios for which you make investment recommendations. You have an obligation to ACI and its clients to avoid even a perception of a conflict of interest with respect to personal trading activities.

All Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons must comply with the following preclearance procedures prior to entering into (i) the purchase or sale of a security for your own account or (ii) the purchase or sale of a security for an account for which you are a beneficial owner.4

All preclearance request should be submitted in ComplianceAlpha. Refer to “Appendix 4: How the preclearance process works.” for more information.

 

4 

See Appendix 2 for an explanation of beneficial ownership.

 

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  1.

Is the security a “Code-Exempt Security”?

Check Appendix 3 to see if the security is listed as a code-exempt security. If it is, then you may execute the transaction. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

 

  2.

Submit a Preclearance Request in ComplianceAlpha. You will be required to provide the following:

 

   

Security identifier (Ticker symbol, CUSIP, etc.)

 

   

Broker and account number used for the transaction;

 

   

Transaction type

 

   

Quantity (number of shares or par value)

 

   

Price

 

   

Dollar value

 

  3.

The request will be reviewed through our preclearance process. You will receive an e-mail informing you of your approval or denial.

 

  4.

If you receive preclearance for the transaction,5 you may execute the approved transaction the day your preclearance is granted and the following business day (the “Preclearance Period”). For example, if preclearance is granted at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, you have until the close of the market on Thursday to execute the trade. If you do not execute the approved transaction within the Preclearance Period, you must repeat the preclearance procedure prior to executing the transaction.

ACI reserves the right to restrict the purchase or sale by Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons of any security at any time. Such restrictions are imposed through the use of a Restricted List that will cause ComplianceAlpha to deny the approval of preclearance to transact in the security. Securities may be restricted for a variety of reasons including without limitation the possession of material nonpublic information by ACI or its employees.

 

  E.

Additional Trading Restrictions

  [Portfolio

and Investment Persons]

The following additional trading restrictions apply if you are a Portfolio or Investment Person:

 

 

5 

See Appendix 4 for a description of the preclearance process.

 

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  1.

Initial Public Offerings. You may not acquire securities issued in an initial public offering.

 

  2.

Private Placements. Before you acquire any securities in a private placement, you must obtain approval from the Chief Investment Officer. Request preclearance by entering your request in ComplianceAlpha. While your preclearance request is pending or if you own or beneficially own the privately-placed security, you may not participate in any consideration of an investment in securities of the private placement issuer for any client portfolios.

 

  3.

60-Day Rule (Short-Term Trading Profits). You may not profit from any purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same (or equivalent) securities other than code-exempt securities within sixty (60) calendar days.

 

  F.

Seven-Day Blackout Period

  [Portfolio

Persons]

If you are a Portfolio Person, you may not purchase or sell a security other than a code exempt security during the seven (7) calendar days before and after the day it has been traded in a client portfolio that you manage (i.e., if a client portfolio transacts in a security on Monday, the Portfolio Persons managing the client portfolio must not personally trade in the security from the Monday before until the Monday after the client portfolio transaction.

 

  G.

Securities Held in Your Funds

  [Portfolio

Persons]

Personally investing in the same securities held by the client portfolios you manage may result in a conflict of interest. To mitigate this risk, you may not sell a security in which your client portfolio has a long position or purchase a security in which your client portfolio has a short position without an exemption from this Code.

 

  H.

Trading in Semi-Transparent Active ETFs (STA ETF) that You Manage

  [Portfolio

Persons]

Trading shares of an ACI STA ETF while in possession of information regarding STA ETF security transactions not fully disseminated in the market is prohibited. As a result, you are required to obtain preclearance to transact in the STA ETFs for which you have portfolio manager or trade order authority assigned through the order-trade system. You will only be allowed to execute the trade on the day following your approved preclearance. In addition, you are limited from selling shares of the STA ETF for 30 calendar days after your last purchase.

To preclear a transaction in an ACI STA ETF for which you have portfolio manager or trade order authority, enter your preclearance request in ComplianceAlpha.

 

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V.

Reporting Requirements

You are required to file complete, accurate, and timely reports of all required information under this Code. All reported information is subject to review for indications of abusive trading, misappropriation of information, or failure to adhere to the requirements of this Code.

 

  A.

Reporting Requirements Applicable to All Employees

 

  1.

Code Acknowledgement

Upon employment, any amendment of the Code, and not less than annually thereafter, you will be required to acknowledge that you have received, read, and will comply with this Code. Compliance will notify you when you must provide this information.

 

  2.

Brokerage Accounts and Duplicate Confirmations

You are required to report ALL reportable brokerage accounts in ComplianceAlpha. Reportable brokerage accounts include both brokerage accounts maintained by you and brokerage accounts maintained by a person whose trades you must report because you are a beneficial owner. (Refer to Appendix 5 Account Reporting Instructions). Compliance will use your account information to obtain trade confirmations for the activity in your account.

To aid with required recordkeeping requirements and streamline operations, employees may be required to hold all reportable brokerage accounts at a firm that provides electronic trade confirmations to ComplianceAlpha. Through reporting your account information, you are consenting to receipt by Compliance of electronic trade confirmations.

 

  3.

Reporting of American Century Managed Mutual Fund Accounts

 

  a)

Employee-owned ACI Personal Financial Solutions (PFS) and ACI Retirement Plans

You are not required to report ACI PFS and ACI Retirement Plan accounts held under your own Social Security number. Trading in these accounts will be monitored based on information contained on our transfer agency and retirement plan systems.

 

  b)

Beneficially-Owned ACI PFS Accounts (Portfolio and Investment Persons Only)

You must report all ACI PFS open-end mutual fund accounts that are owned by your immediate family members and other accounts you beneficially-own.    

 

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Compliance will obtain trading activity in these accounts which will be monitored for short-term and abusive trading.

 

  c)

Certain third-party accounts invested in funds managed by ACI

You are required to report other accounts invested in funds managed by ACI such as those invested in (i) any subadvised fund (see Schedule B of this Code for a list of subadvised funds); and (ii) non-ACI retirement plan, unit investment trust, variable annuity, or similar accounts in which you own or beneficially own reportable mutual funds.

In addition, you must provide either account statements or confirmations of all trading activity in reportable third-party accounts to Compliance within 30 calendar days of the end of each calendar quarter.

Refer to Appendix 5: Account Reporting Instructions for the process to report your accounts in the ComplianceAlpha.

 

  B.

Additional Reporting Requirements [Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons]

 

  1.

Holdings Report

Within ten (10) calendar days of becoming a Portfolio, Investment, or Access Person, and annually, thereafter, you must submit a Holdings Report. You will be sent an email from ComplianceAlpha with a link to the compliance system where you will complete your report. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than 45 calendar days before the report is filed and include the following:

 

   

A list of all securities, other than certain code-exempt securities 6, that you own or in which you have a beneficial ownership interest. This listing must include the financial institution, account number, security identifier and description, number of shares, currency, and principal amount of each covered security. If you are using an Approved Electronic Broker (AEB) through the Direct or Aggregation Feed on ComplianceAlpha, your holdings will be imported into ComplianceAlpha for you. For securities held in accounts listed as Manual in ComplianceAlpha, you will be required to import or manually add your holdings prior to the reporting deadline.

 

   

Portfolio and Investment Persons must also provide a list of all reportable mutual fund holdings owned or in which they have a beneficial ownership interest. This list must include investments held through ACI PFS in accounts that are beneficially-owned, investments in any subadvised fund,

 

6 

See Appendix 3 for a listing of code-exempt securities that must be reported.

 

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holdings in a reportable brokerage account, and holdings in non-ACI retirement plans, unit investment trusts, variable annuity, or similar accounts. ACI PFS reportable mutual fund holdings held under an employee’s tax payer identification number are not required to be listed in ComplianceAlpha. Compliance will obtain the information from ACI PFS.

 

   

A summary of your relationships that may conflict with the interests of ACI, such as outside employment, relationships with competitors, suppliers, vendors, independent contractors or consultants of ACI, or relationships with directors or trustees in outside organizations other than community charitable activities, education activities, or dissimilar family business.

 

  2.

Quarterly Transactions Report

Within 30 calendar days of the end of each calendar quarter, all Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons must submit a Quarterly Transactions Report. Compliance will notify you of the dates and requirements for filing the report. A report of the transactions for which we have received your trade confirmations during the quarter will be provided for your review in ComplianceAlpha. It is your responsibility to review the completeness and accuracy of this report, provide any necessary changes, and certify its contents when submitted.

 

  a)

The Quarterly Transactions Report must contain the following information about each personal securities transaction undertaken during the quarter other than those in certain code exempt securities:

 

   

The financial institution’s name and account number in which the transaction was executed;

 

   

The date of the transaction, the security identifier and description and number of shares or the principal amount of each security involved;

 

   

The nature of the transaction, that is, purchase, sale, or any other type of acquisition or disposition; and

 

   

The transaction price, currency, and amount.

In addition, information regarding accuracy and completeness of your reportable brokerage and other accounts should be verified at this time.

 

  b)

Portfolio and Investment Persons are also required to report transactions in reportable mutual funds held through a brokerage account. The Quarterly Transactions Report for such persons must contain the following information about each transaction during the quarter:

 

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The date of the transaction, the fund identifier and description and number of shares or units of each trade involved;

 

   

The nature of the transaction, that is, purchase, sale, or any other type of acquisition or disposition;

 

   

The transaction price, and amount; and

 

   

The financial institution’s name and account number in which the trade was executed.

Transactions of reportable mutual funds that do not need to be reported by Portfolio and Investment Persons on the Quarterly Transaction Report include:

 

   

Reinvested dividends;

 

   

Transactions in ACI open-end mutual funds through the ACI retirement plan accounts;

 

   

Transactions in ACI open-end mutual funds held through ACI PFS accounts under your Social Security number;

 

   

Transactions in ACI open-end mutual funds in beneficially-owned ACI PFS accounts if the account has been linked to ComplianceAlpha through the Aggregation Feed; and

 

   

Transactions in reportable third-party accounts for which the account statements or confirmations are provided to Compliance within 30 days of the end of the calendar quarter in which the transactions took place.

 

VI.

Can there be any exceptions to the restrictions?

Yes. The Chief Compliance Officer or their designee may grant limited exemptions to specific provisions of the Code on a case-by-case basis. Exemptions are requested in ComplianceAlpha (see Appendix 6: Requesting an Exemption).

 

  A.

Factors Considered

In considering your request, the Chief Compliance Officer or their designee may grant your exemption request if they are satisfied of the following:

 

   

Your request addresses an undue personal hardship imposed on you by the Code of Ethics;

 

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Your situation is not in conflict with the Code; and

 

   

Your exemption, if granted, would be consistent with the achievement of the objectives of the Code of Ethics.

 

  B.

Exemption Reporting

All exemptions must be reported to the Boards of Directors/Trustees of our Fund Clients at the next regular meeting following the initial grant of the exemption. Subsequent grants of an exemption of a type previously reported to the Boards may be affected without reporting. The Boards of Directors/Trustees may choose to delegate the task of receiving and reviewing reports to a committee comprised of Independent Directors/Trustees.

 

  C.

Thirty-Day Denial Exemption on Sales

An exemption may be requested when a request to sell a security has been denied once a week over a 30-day timeframe. The covered person must be able to verify that they have periodically entered a preclearance request to sell a security in ComplianceAlpha at least four times throughout a period of time that is at least 30 days. The Chief Compliance Officer or their designee will review the request and determine if the exemption is warranted. If approval is granted, compliance will designate a short trading window during which the sale can take place.

 

  D.

Non-volitional Transaction Exemption

Certain non-volitional purchase and sale transactions are exempt from the preclearance requirements of the Code. These transactions include stock splits, stock dividends, exchanges and conversions, mandatory tenders, pro rata distributions to all holders of a class of securities, receipt of securities as gifts, the giving of securities, inheritances, margin/ maintenance calls (where the securities to be sold are not directed by the covered person), dividend reinvestment plans, and employer sponsored payroll deduction plans.

 

  E.

Blind Trust/Managed Account Exemption

An exemption from the preclearance and reporting requirements of the Code may be requested for securities that are held in a blind or quasi-blind trust arrangement or a managed (discretionary) account. For the exemption to be available, you or a member of your immediate family must not have authority to advise or direct securities transactions of the trust or managed account. You must provide a copy of the trust document or management agreement when requesting the exemption. The request will only be granted once the covered person and/or the investment advisor for the trust or managed account certify that the covered person or members of their immediate family will not advise or direct transactions. ACI may require that statements or trade confirmations be received for the trust or managed account. The employee and/or advisor may be requested by Compliance to re-certify the trust arrangement.

 

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VII.

Confidential Information

All information about clients’ securities transactions and portfolio holdings is confidential. You must not disclose, except as required by the duties of your employment, actual or contemplated securities transactions, portfolio holdings, portfolio characteristics or other nonpublic information about Clients, or the contents of any written or oral communication, study, report or opinion concerning any security. Employees should consult the Portfolio Holdings and Characteristics Disclosure and the Confidential Information Asset Security policies before disseminating information to individuals that otherwise do not have access to the information. Employees should not disseminate information about clients’ securities transactions and portfolio holdings to employees or contract personnel that are Non-Access Persons. This does not apply to information which has already been publicly disclosed.

 

VIII.

Conflicts of Interest

You must receive prior written approval from ACI’s General Counsel or their designee, as appropriate, to do any of the following:

 

   

Negotiate or enter into any agreement on a client’s behalf with any business concern doing or seeking to do business with the client if you, or a person related to you, has a substantial interest in the business concern;

 

   

Enter into an agreement, negotiate or otherwise do business on the client’s behalf with a personal friend or a person related to you; or

 

   

Serve on the board of directors of, or act as consultant to, any publicly traded corporation. Please note that ACI’s Business Code of Conduct also contains limitations on outside employment and directorships.

 

IX.

What happens if you violate the rules in the Code of Ethics?

If you violate the requirements of the Code of Ethics, you may be subject to serious penalties. Violations of the Code and proposed sanctions are documented by Compliance and submitted to the Code of Ethics Review Committee. The Committee consists of representatives of the investment advisor and the Compliance and Legal departments of ACI. The Committee is responsible for determining the materiality of Code violations and appropriate sanctions.

 

  A.

Materiality of Violation

In determining the materiality of a violation, the Committee considers:

 

   

Evidence of violation of law;

 

   

Indicia of fraud, neglect, or indifference to Code provisions;

 

   

Frequency of violations;

 

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Monetary value of the violation in question; and

 

   

Level of influence of the violator.

 

  B.

Penalty Factors

In assessing the appropriate penalties, the Committee will consider the foregoing in addition to any other factors they deem applicable, such as:

 

   

Extent of harm to client interests;

 

   

Extent of unjust enrichment;

 

   

Tenure and prior record of the violator;

 

   

The degree to which there is a personal benefit from unique knowledge obtained through employment with ACI;

 

   

The level of accurate, honest and timely cooperation from the covered person; and

 

   

Any mitigating circumstances.

 

  C.

The penalties which may be imposed include, but are not limited to:

 

  1.

Non-material violation

 

  a)

Warning (notice sent to manager) and/or

 

  b)

Attendance at a Code of Ethics training session and/or

 

  c)

Suspension of trading privileges.

 

  2.

Penalties for material or more frequent non-material violations will be based on the circumstances of the violation. These penalties could include, but are not limited to

 

  a)

Suspension of trading privileges and/or

 

  b)

Suspension or termination of employment.

In addition, you may be required to surrender to ACI any profit realized from any transaction(s) in violation of this Code of Ethics.

 

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X.

ACI’s Quarterly Report to Fund Directors/Trustees

ACI will prepare a quarterly report to the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund Client of any material violation of this Code of Ethics.

 

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APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS

 

1.

“Automatic Investment Plan”

“Automatic investment plan” means a program in which regular periodic purchases, exchanges or redemptions are made automatically in or from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation including dividend reinvestment plans.

 

2.

“Beneficial Ownership” or “Beneficially Owned”

See “Appendix 2: What is Beneficial Ownership?”

 

3.

“Code-Exempt Security”

A “code-exempt security” is a security in which you may invest without preclearing the transaction with ACI. The list of code-exempt securities appears in Appendix 3. Code-exempt securities may require reporting of transactions and holdings.

 

4.

“Federal Securities Law”

“Federal securities law” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisors, and any rules adopted by the Commission or the Department of Treasury.

 

5.

“Fund Clients”

Fund clients includes each Fund Client listed on Schedule A.

 

6.

“Initial Public Offering”

“Initial public offering” means an offering of securities for which a registration statement has not previously been filed with the SEC and for which there is no active public market.

 

7.

“Investment Advisor”

“Investment advisor” includes each investment advisor listed on Schedule A

 

8.

“Member of Your Immediate Family”

A “member of your immediate family” means any of the following:

 

   

Your spouse or domestic partner;

 

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Your minor children; or

 

   

A relative who shares your home.

For the purpose of determining whether any of the foregoing relationships exist, a legally adopted child of a person is considered a child of such person.

 

9.

“Private Placement”

“Private placement” means an offering of securities in which the issuer relies on an exemption from the registration provisions of the Federal Securities Laws, and usually involves a limited number of sophisticated investors and a restriction on resale of the securities.

 

10.

“Reportable Brokerage Accounts”

A “reportable brokerage account” includes any account in which securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of any person subject to this Code of Ethics.

 

11.

“Reportable Mutual Fund”

A “reportable mutual fund” includes any mutual fund issued by a Fund Client (as listed on Schedule A) and any subadvised funds (as listed on Schedule B).

 

12.

“Security”

A “security” includes a large number of investment vehicles. However, for purposes of this Code of Ethics, “security” (or “securities”) includes but is not limited to any of the following:

 

   

Note;

 

   

Stock, (including stock acquired in private placements and restricted stock in nonpublic companies received through an employee stock ownership program);

 

   

Treasury stock;

 

   

Bond;

 

   

Debenture;

 

   

Derivative security;

 

   

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) or similar securities;

 

   

Unit Investment Trusts (UIT);

 

   

Shares of open-end mutual funds;

 

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Shares of closed-end mutual funds;

 

   

Evidence of indebtedness;

 

   

Certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement;

 

   

Collateral-trust certificate;

 

   

Preorganization certificate or subscription;

 

   

Transferable share;

 

   

Investment contract;

 

   

Voting-trust certificate;

 

   

Certificate of deposit for a security;

 

   

Interests in private investment companies, hedge funds, or other unregistered collective investment vehicles;

 

   

Fractional undivided interest in oil, gas or other mineral rights;

 

   

Any put, call, straddle, option, future, or privilege on any security or other financial instrument (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), including stock options received from an employer or through a retirement plan;

 

   

Any put, call, straddle, option, future, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency;

 

   

In general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security;” or

 

   

Any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, future on or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.

 

13.

“Subadvised Fund”

A “subadvised fund” means any mutual fund or portfolio listed on Schedule B.

 

14.

“Supervised Person”

A “supervised person” means any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employee of an investment advisor, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of an investment advisor and is subject to the supervision and control of the investment advisor.

 

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APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS “BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP”?

A “beneficial owner” of a security is any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, has or shares in the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a purchase or sale of the security.

 

1.

Are securities held by immediate family members or domestic partners “beneficially owned” by me?

Yes. As a general rule, you are regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of

 

   

A member of your immediate family OR

 

   

Any other person IF you obtain from such securities benefits substantially similar to those of ownership. For example, if you receive or benefit from some of the income from the securities held by your spouse, or domestic partner, you are the beneficial owner; OR

 

   

You hold an option or other contractual rights to obtain title to the securities now or in the future.

 

2.

Must I report accounts for which I am listed as a joint owner or have power of attorney?

Yes. As a general rule, you are regarded as an owner of any accounts for which you are listed as a joint owner or have power of attorney.

 

3.

Am I deemed to beneficially own securities in accounts owned by a relative not living in my household for whom I am listed as beneficiary upon death?

Probably not. Unless you have power of attorney to transact in such accounts or are listed as a joint owner, you likely do not beneficially own the account or securities contained in the account until ownership has been passed to you.

 

4.

Are securities held by a company I own an interest in also “beneficially owned” by me?

Probably not. Owning the securities of a company does not mean you “beneficially own” the securities that the company itself owns. However, you will be deemed to “beneficially own” the securities owned by the company if:

 

   

You directly or beneficially own a controlling interest in or otherwise control the company; OR

 

   

The company is merely a medium through which you, members of your immediate family, or others in a small group invest or trade in securities and the company has no other substantial business.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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5.

Are securities held in trust “beneficially owned” by me?

Maybe. You are deemed to “beneficially own” securities held in trust if you or a member of your immediate family are:

 

   

A trustee; or

 

   

Have a vested interest in the income or corpus of the trust; or

 

   

A settlor or grantor of the trust and have the power to revoke the trust without obtaining the consent of all the beneficiaries.

A blind trust exemption from the preclearance and reporting requirements of the Code may be requested if you or members or your immediate family do not have authority to advise or direct securities transactions of the trust.

 

6.

Are securities in pension or retirement plans “beneficially owned” by me?

Maybe. Beneficial ownership does not include indirect interest by any person in portfolio securities held by a pension or retirement plan of a company whose employees generally are the beneficiaries of the plan.

However, your participation in a pension or retirement plan is considered beneficial ownership of the portfolio securities if you can withdraw and trade the securities without withdrawing from the plan or you can direct the trading of the securities within the plan (IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.).

 

7.

Examples of Beneficial Ownership

 

  a)

Securities Held by Family Members or Domestic Partners

Example 1: Tom and Mary are married. Although Mary has an independent source of income from a family inheritance and segregates her funds from those of her husband, Mary contributes to the maintenance of the family home. Tom and Mary have engaged in joint estate planning and have the same financial advisor. Since Tom and Mary’s resources are clearly significantly directed towards their common property, they shall be deemed to be the beneficial owners of each other’s securities.

Example 2: Mike’s adult son David lives in Mike’s home. David is self-supporting and contributes to household expenses. Mike is a beneficial owner of David’s securities.

Example 3: Joe’s mother Margaret lives alone and is financially independent. Joe has power of attorney over his mother’s estate, pays all her bills and manages her investment affairs. Joe borrows freely from Margaret without being required to pay back funds with interest, if at all. Joe takes out personal loans from Margaret’s bank in Margaret’s name, the interest from such loans being paid from Margaret’s account. Joe is a beneficial owner of Margaret’s estate.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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Example 4: Bob and Nancy are in a relationship. The house they share is still in Nancy’s name only. They have separate checking accounts with an informal understanding that both individuals contribute to the mortgage payments and other common expenses. Nancy is the beneficial owner of Bob’s securities.

 

  b)

Securities Held by a Company

Example 5: ABC Company is a holding company with five shareholders owning equal shares in the company. Although ABC Company has no business of its own, it has several wholly-owned subsidiaries that invest in securities. Stan is a shareholder of ABC Company. Stan has a beneficial interest in the securities owned by ABC Company’s subsidiaries.

Example 6: XYZ Company is a large manufacturing company with many shareholders. Stan is a shareholder of XYZ Company. As a part of its cash management function, XYZ Company invests in securities. Neither Stan nor any members of his immediate family are employed by XYZ Company. Stan does not beneficially own the securities held by XYZ Company.

 

  c)

Securities Held in Trust

Example 7: John is trustee of a trust created for his two minor children. When both of John’s children reach 21, each shall receive an equal share of the corpus of the trust. John is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.

Example 8: Jane placed securities held by her in a trust for the benefit of her church. Jane can revoke the trust during her lifetime. Jane is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.

Example 9: Jim is trustee of an irrevocable trust for his 21-year-old daughter (who does not share his home). The daughter is entitled to the income of the trust until she is 25 years old and is then entitled to the corpus. If the daughter dies before reaching 25, Jim is entitled to the corpus. Jim is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.

Example 10: Joan’s father (who does not share her home) placed securities in an irrevocable trust for Joan’s minor children. Neither Joan nor any member of her immediate family is the trustee of the trust. Joan is a beneficial owner of the securities owned by the trust. She may, however, be eligible for the blind trust exemption to the preclearance and reporting of the trust securities.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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APPENDIX

3: CODE-EXEMPT SECURITIES

Because they do not pose a likelihood for abuse, code-exempt securities are exempt from the Code’s preclearance requirements. However, confirmations of transactions in reportable brokerage accounts are required in all cases and some code-exempt securities must also be disclosed on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial, and Annual Holdings Reports.

 

1.

Code-Exempt Securities Not Subject to Disclosure on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial and Annual Holdings Reports:

 

   

Open-end mutual funds that are not considered a reportable mutual fund;

 

   

Reportable mutual funds (Access Persons only);

 

   

Reportable mutual fund shares purchased through an automatic investment plan (including reinvested dividends);

 

   

Money market mutual funds;

 

   

Bank Certificates of Deposit;

 

   

U.S. government Treasury and Government National Mortgage Association securities;

 

   

Commercial paper;

 

   

Bankers acceptances;

 

   

High quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements. A “high quality short-term debt instrument” means any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and that is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a nationally recognized rating organization.

 

2.

Code-Exempt Securities Subject to Disclosure on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial and Annual Holdings Reports:

 

   

Reportable mutual fund shares purchased other than through an automatic investment plan (Portfolio and Investment Persons only)

 

   

Exchange Traded Products*, Closed-End Funds and Unit Investment Trusts

 

   

Securities which are acquired through an employer-sponsored automatic payroll deduction plan (only the acquisition of the security is exempt, NOT the sale)

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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Securities other than open-end mutual funds purchased through dividend reinvestment programs (only the re-investment of dividends in the security is exempt, NOT the sale or other purchases)

 

   

Futures contracts on the following:

 

   

Large Cap Indices including, but not limited to Standard & Poor’s 500 or 100 Index, NASDAQ 100 Index, DOW 30 Industrials, FTSE All World Index, MSCI Indices (ACWI, EAFE, World), Russell 2000 and 3000, Wilshire 5000 . Futures contracts on non-Large Cap Indices and for other financial instruments are not code-exempt. Please contact Compliance to confirm that an index not listed is exempt from preclearance.

 

   

Commodity futures contracts for agricultural products (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.) only. Futures contracts on precious metals or energy resources are not Code-exempt.

 

*

ACI STA ETF transactions require preclearance by the Portfolio Persons who have been granted portfolio manager or trade order access in the order-trade system (See Restrictions on Personal Investing Section H). [Portfolio Persons only]

We may modify this list of securities at any time. Please contact Compliance to request the most current list..

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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APPENDIX

4: HOW THE PRECLEARANCE PROCESS WORKS

Preclearance Requests are submitted in ComplianceAlpha (https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login). To submit a request:

 

  1.

From the ComplianceAlpha Dashboard, click on the “Submit Trade Request” link under Quick Links.

 

  2.

Click “Trade”, the select the appropriate template:

 

  a.

Preclearance Request

 

  b.

Municipal Bond Preclearance Request

 

  c.

Corporate Bond Preclearance Request

 

  d.

Convertible Corporate Bond Preclearance Request

 

  e.

Private Placement Preclearance Request

 

  f.

ACI STA ETF (Portfolio Persons assigned to an ACI STA ETF only)

 

  3.

Once the preclearance process is complete, you will receive an email indicating if the request is approved or denied.

After you’ve entered a Preclearance Request on ComplianceAlpha, your equity transaction is subject to the following tests.

 

Step

1: Restricted Security List

 

   

Is the security on any Restricted Security list?

If “YES”, the system will send a message to you DENYING the personal trade request.

If “NO”, then your request is subject to Step 2.

 

Step

2: De Minimis Transaction Test (per security per day)

 

   

Is the security issuer’s market capitalization less than $1 billion and the value of the employee’s requests in the security equal to or less than $5,000 per day?

 

   

Is the security issuer’s market capitalization between $1billion and $7.5 billion and the value of the employee’s requests in the security equal to or less than $10,000 per day?

 

   

Is the security issuer’s market capitalization greater than $7.5 billion and the value of the employee’s requests in the security equal to or less than $25,000 per day?

If the answer to any of these questions is “NO”, then your request is subject to Step 3.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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Step

3: Client Trades Test

 

   

Have there been any transactions in the past 24 hours or is there an open order for that security for any Client?

If “YES”, the system will send a message to you DENYING the personal trade request.

If “NO”, then your request is Approved. You will receive an email with the approval and trading window.

The preclearance request process can be changed at any time to ensure that the goals of this Code of Ethics are met.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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APPENDIX 5: ACCOUNT REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Reportable brokerage accounts

All employees are required to link their reportable accounts in ComplianceAlpha. ACI has contracted with frequently used brokers to obtain secure electronic trade confirmations and position files for your trading activity and holdings information, listed on Schedule C Approved Electronic Brokers (AEB). Using an AEB is the preferred method for linking your accounts to ComplianceAlpha. However, if you choose to use a broker that is not an AEB, you will be required to link your accounts through ComplianceAlpha’s Aggregation Feed. This process requires you to securely provide your log-in credentials so that ComplianceAlpha can obtain your trading and position information. Your log-in information will not be available to Compliance or ComplianceAlpha support staff. By linking your accounts to ComplianceAlpha, you are consenting for Compliance to obtain electronic trade confirmations and position information for your account.

The third option is to provide account information, trading history, and position information manually. This option is not available for most brokerage accounts and is only available for special circumstances, such as a spouse’s stock purchase plan, a trust account, or international brokers for which an Account Exemption must be requested (see Appendix 6: Requesting an exemption).

Follow these steps to link your accounts to ComplianceAlpha:

 

  1.

Log-in to ComplianceAlpha at https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login.

 

  2.

From the Employee Dashboard, click on “Create Brokerage Account”.

 

  3.

Use the Direct Feed tile to link Approved Electronic Brokers (listed on Schedule C of this policy).

 

  a.

Select your broker.

 

  b.

Provide your account details (Account Name, Account #s); Click “Next”

 

  c.

Provide Date Opened, Account Owner Type, and Investment Discretion.

 

  4.

Use the Aggregation Feed tile to link accounts for brokers that are not an AEB. Before using the Aggregation Feed, ensure that your account cannot be linked through the Direct Feed (step 3). The Aggregation Feed requires that you and your family member’s account log-in credentials are provided to link your account to ComplianceAlpha.

 

  a.

Click on your broker or click “Search Here” to find your broker.

 

  b.

Provide your broker account’s Username and Password. Your information is immediately encrypted and passed along to the broker feed provider to connect your account and pull back your holdings and transactions.

 

  5.

Use the Manual tile for accounts that cannot be linked through the Direct Feed or Aggregation Feed. Note, you may be required to move these accounts to a firm that can be accessed through a Direct Feed or Aggregation Feed unless you have a special circumstance to maintain the account through a manual feed. If you are required to move the account, it must be completed within 90 days of your hire date. See “Appendix 6: Requesting an exemption” to request an Account Exemption.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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Beneficially-owned ACI PFS Accounts (Portfolio and Investment Persons only)

You are required to report your beneficially-owned accounts in ACI open-end mutual funds held at ACI PFS. Use the Aggregation Feed tile to link ACI PFS accounts that are beneficially-owned. The Aggregation Feed requires that you and your family member’s account log-in credentials are provided to link your account to ComplianceAlpha.

 

  1.

Click on your broker or click “Search Here” to find your American Century Investments.

 

  2.

Provide your broker account’s Username and Password. Your information is immediately encrypted and passed along to the broker feed provider to connect your account and pull back your holdings and transactions. Compliance and ComplianceAlpha do not have access to the log-in credentials.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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APPENDIX

6: REQUESTING AN EXEMPTION

The Code of Ethics policy allows for limited exemptions. Exemption requests are submitted in ComplianceAlpha using the following process:

Trading Exemptions:

 

  1.

Log-in to ComplianceAlpha at https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login.

 

  2.

From the Employee Dashboard, click on the “Submit Trade Request” link under Quick Links or click on the Green Action Button and click “Create Request or Disclosure”.

 

  3.

Select “Trade” at “What type of request or disclosure would you like to set up?”

 

  4.

Select the type of exemption you are requesting (contact Compliance if you are uncertain of the correct form to use):

 

  a.

30-Day Denial Exemption for Sells (used when you have been denied on a sell request at least four times over a 30-day period)

 

  b.

PM Sell Exemption (used by Portfolio Persons when they have a special circumstance that requires selling a security, owned personally, which is also held in their assigned funds). Portfolio Persons may be required to go through a 30-day denial exemption before requesting a PM Sell Exemption.

 

  c.

Inheritance Exemption (used when trying to sell a portfolio of securities that were recently inherited).

 

  d.

Employee Stock Plan (used to sell a security that is held in a previous employee or beneficially owned stock purchase plan which has trading restrictions or to exercise employee stock options).

 

  e.

Financial Hardship Exemption (used when selling securities due to a financial hardship).

 

  5.

Complete the required fields on the request form and submit the form.

 

  6.

Compliance will review your request. If your request is approved, Compliance will assign a one-day trading window for you to complete your transaction. The trading window will typically be the day following the approval of the exemption. You will be notified by email.

Account Exemptions:

A Managed Account or Blind Trust account exemption may be requested for accounts for which you or your immediate family members do not have discretionary trading authority.

An Account Exemption Request may be requested to continue to hold an account which cannot be linked to ComplianceAlpha through the Direct Feed or Aggregation Link (i.e. Manual Accounts). A special circumstance must be in place for the Account Exemption to be approved.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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Exemption requests are submitted in ComplianceAlpha using the following process:

 

  1.

Log-in to ComplianceAlpha at https://www.compliancealpha.com/auth/login.

 

  2.

From the Employee Dashboard, click on the green action button.

 

  3.

Click “Create Request or Disclosure”.

 

  4.

Click on “Other”

 

  5.

Select the appropriate template (Managed/Trust Account or Account Exemption) and click continue.

 

  6.

Complete the requested information.

 

  7.

Attaching supporting documentation as required (i.e. Management Agreement or Discretionary Account Agreement).

 

  8.

Click Submit.

 

  9.

Compliance will review the request and determine if the exemption can be approved. You will be notified of the completion of the review through an email.

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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SCHEDULE A: BOARD APPROVAL DATES

This Code of Ethics was most recently approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees of the following Companies as of the dates indicated:

 

Investment Advisor    Most Recent Approval Date
American Century Investment Management, Inc.    January 1, 2018
Principal Underwriter    Most Recent Approval Date
American Century Investment Services, Inc.    January 1, 2018
Fund Clients    Most Recent Approval Date
American Century Asset Allocation Portfolios, Inc.    December 1, 2017
American Century California Tax-Free and Municipal Funds    December 14, 2017
American Century Capital Portfolios, Inc.    December 1, 2017
American Century ETF Trust    December 20, 2017
American Century Government Income Trust    December 14, 2017
American Century Growth Funds, Inc.    December 1, 2017
American Century International Bond Funds    December 14, 2017
American Century Investment Trust    December 14, 2017
American Century Municipal Trust    December 14, 2017
American Century Mutual Funds, Inc.    December 1, 2017
American Century Quantitative Equity Funds, Inc.    December 14, 2017
American Century Strategic Asset Allocations, Inc.    December 1, 2017
American Century Target Maturities Trust    December 14, 2017
American Century Variable Portfolios, Inc.    December 1, 2017
American Century Variable Portfolios II, Inc.    December 14, 2017
American Century World Mutual Funds, Inc.    December 1, 2017

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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SCHEDULE B: SUBADVISED FUNDS

(Last updated November 19, 2021)

The following funds are subject to the Code of Ethics, as well as any other funds for which American Century Investment Management, Inc. serves as an investment adviser. This list of affiliated funds will be updated on a regular basis.

 

ABN AMRO Funds: ABN AMRO Funds European Sustainable Equities Mandate 10
American Beacon Funds – American Beacon International Equity Fund
Bridge Builder Trust – Bridge Builder Small /Mid Cap Value Fund
CIBC Global Equity Growth Pool
CIBC International Small Companies Fund
CIBC U.S. Equity Value Pool
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II: CTIVP-American Century Diversified Bond Fund
EQ Advisors Trust: EQ/American Century Mid Cap Value Portfolio
EQ Advisors Trust / American Century Moderate Growth Allocation Fund
FP Brunel Pension Partnership ACS – Global Small Cap Equities
GuideStone Funds: Defensive Market Strategies Fund
GuideStone Funds: Small Cap Equity Fund
GuideStone Funds: Value Equity Fund
Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program
LGT Select Funds – LGT Select Equity Global
Lincoln Variable Insurance Products Trust – LVIP American Century Select Mid Cap Managed Volatility Fund
MassMutual Select Funds: MassMutual Mid-Cap Value Fund
MassMutual Select Funds: MassMutual Small Company Value Fund
Mercer Funds: Mercer Non-U.S. Core Equity Fund
Mercer Global Investments Canada Limited: Mercer International Equity Fund
MML Series Investment Fund: MML Mid Cap Value Fund
MML Series Investment Fund: MML Small Company Value Fund
Nationwide Mutual Funds: Nationwide American Century Small Cap Income Fund
Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust: American Century NVIT Multi Cap Value Fund
NN(L): NN(L) US High Dividend
Nomura – ACI Advanced Medical Impact Investment Mother Fund
Nomura – ACI ESG Global REIT Mother Fund
Nomura – ACI ESG Global Small Cap Equity Mother Fund
Nomura – ACI Global REIT Mother Fund
Nomura Institutional Fund Select – American Century Global Growth Fund
Nomura U.S. Municipal General Obligation Bond Mother Fund

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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Nomura U.S. Value Strategy Mother Fund
Nomura Currency Fund – U.S. Growth Equity Fund
Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Inflation Protection Portfolio
Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Large Company Value Portfolio
Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Mid Cap Value Portfolio
Pacific SelectFund: Value Portfolio
Penn Series Funds, Inc.: Mid Core Value Fund
PrivilEdge: American Century Emerging Markets Equity
Renaissance Private Pools – Renaissance Global Equity Private Pool
Renaissance U.S. Equity Income Fund
Schwab Capital Trust: Laudus International MarketMasters Fund
Seasons Series Trust: SA Multi-Managed Large Cap Value Portfolio
Stichting Blue Sky Active Equity Emerging Markets Global Fund: Blue Sky Active Equity Emerging Markets Global Fund
Voya Partners, Inc.: VY American Century Small-Mid Cap Value Portfolio

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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SCHEDULE C: APPROVED ELECTRONIC BROKERS

(Last updated November 19, 2021)

The following brokers have entered into an agreement with ACI to provide trade confirmations electronically. Employees are prohibited from holding accounts at firms that do not provide electronic trade confirmations unless an account exemption has been given. Please send a message LG-personal_security_trades@americancentury.com to request an account exemption.

AllianceBernstein

American Century Brokerage (through Pershing)

American Century Personal Financial Solutions (through Pershing)

Ameriprise Financial

Charles Schwab—Investments

Chase – Investments

Citi Private Wealth

Citibank—Investments

Edward Jones

E*TRADE

Fidelity Investments

Goldman Sachs Wealth Management

GW & Wade Asset Management (through National Financial Services)

Interactive Brokers

JP Morgan Private Client

LPL Financial

MML Investors (through National Financial Services)

Merrill Lynch – MyMerrill Investments

Morgan Stanley—ClientServ

Northern Trust Securities

Northwestern Mutual (thru National Financial Services)

Oppenheimer

Raymond James

Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management (RBC)

Stifel Nicholas

TD Ameritrade, Inc.

UBS

US Trust

Vanguard Investments

Wells Fargo Advisors

 

Policy updated: November 19, 2021

 

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C O D E O F E T H I C S

 

Walter Scott has a strong ethics and compliance culture and has established policies and procedures to ensure that it meets regulatory, legal and best practice requirements together with maintaining high fiduciary standards in the management of its clients’ assets. Employees of Walter Scott bear a fiduciary responsibility to its clients and are therefore responsible for knowing, understanding and following the firm’s policies and procedures.

Walter Scott has adopted a Code of Ethics that is made up of three parts:

 

1.

BNY Mellon Code of Conduct and Interpretative Guidance (the “BNY Mellon Code”);

 

2.

BNY Mellon Personal Securities Trading Policy (the “PSTP”)

 

3.

Walter Scott Personal Securities Trading Policy.

1. BNY MELLON CODE

The BNY Mellon Code provides to employees the framework and sets the expectations for business conduct. In addition, it clarifies our responsibilities to clients, employees, suppliers, government officials, competitors and the communities we serve and outlines important legal and ethical issues:

 

1.

Respecting Others: mutual respect and professional treatment; harassment-free environment; and safety and security.

 

2.

Avoiding Conflicts: gifts and entertainment; outside employment and business dealings; outside service as a director, officer or general partner; ownership of an outside business;

fiduciary appointments; personal investment decisions; dealing with family and close personal friends; and corporate opportunities.

 

3.

Conducting Business: fair competition and anti-trust; anti-corruption and improper payments; and combating financial crime and money laundering.

 

4.

Working with Governments: knowing the restrictions or limitations on presenting and receiving hospitality; observing a ‘higher standard of care’; and cooperating with government investigations and audits.

 

5.

Protecting Company Assets: financial integrity; additional standards for senior financial professionals; protecting client and employee records and observing privacy principles; records management; use of computers, systems and corporate information; and inside or proprietary information.

 

6.

Supporting our Communities: political activities; investor and media relations; charitable contributions and corporate sponsorship; participating in trade associations, and conferences and speaking engagements.

All employees are bound by the BNY Mellon Code and must sign their acceptance of this on joining the firm.

2. BNY MELLON PERSONAL

SECURITIES TRADING POLICY

The PSTP is designed to reinforce our reputation for integrity by avoiding even the appearance of impropriety and to ensure compliance with applicable laws in the conduct of our business. The PSTP sets forth procedures and limitations that

 

govern the personal securities transactions of our employees in accounts held in their own names as well as accounts in which they have indirect ownership.

3. WALTER SCOTT PERSONAL SECURITIES TRADING POLICY

In addition to the PSTP we have a more restrictive policy regarding personal securities trading which prevents employees from having discretion to purchase single equities with the exception of BNY Mellon stock. Compliance with the personal securities trading rules is a condition of employment and our employees must, therefore, be familiar with them. Employees can invest in two UK based funds which are sponsored by BNY Mellon with us acting as investment advisor. One of these funds is also utilized as part of the long-term incentive plan.

3.1 DISCLOSURE / PRE -CLEARANCE

Existing holdings, which must be disclosed within 10 calendar days of joining the firm, may be retained or, following pre-clearance from our Risk & Compliance team, sold at a later date.

3.2 PRE - CLEARANCE REQUIRED

For all buys and sells pre-clearance is required from the Risk & Compliance team with the following exception. Pre-clearance is not required for unit trusts and OEICs except for those being managed by any BNY Mellon affiliate (known as “Proprietary Funds”). This only relates

 

 

 

Revised August 2021. Approved 18 August 2021

 

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CODE OF ETHICS

 

to unit trusts and OEICs not investment trusts or ETFs. Investment trusts and ETFs must be pre-cleared and included in the quarterly reporting as described below

3.3 PROHIBITED INVESTMENTS

Our employees may not invest in:

 

  individual securities other than BNY Mellon stock;

 

  rights issues on individual securities;

 

  collective investment vehicles where we act as the sub-adviser (except the BNY Mellon Long Term Global Equity Fund and the BNY Mellon Global Leaders Fund where Walter Scott is the investment manager);

 

  convertible bonds;

 

  custom made ETFs or ISAs;

 

  spread betting on securities, currencies or indices;

 

  or derivative instruments based on individual securities.

3.4 REPORTING

Our employees must report quarterly both on any trading activity during the quarter (excluding non-affiliated unit trusts and OEICs) plus their total holdings as at the end of the reporting period within 30 calendar days. Unit trusts, OEICs (with the exception of those managed by any BNY Mellon affiliates, known as “Proprietary Funds”, and AVCs need not be reported, however the prohibited investments noted above apply. Employees are permitted to open discretionary investment accounts where they are not involved in decisions at the individual security level. A copy of the contractual agreement relating to such accounts needs to be pre-cleared by BNY Mellon’s Ethics Office via the Risk & Compliance team prior to opening.

All employees must sign an annual declaration confirming acceptance of the BNY Mellon Code, the PTSP and the Walter Scott Personal Securities Trading Policy and that no violation of those policies has occurred during the period.

This information is reviewed and monitored by our Risk & Compliance team and is uploaded into the Protegent Personal Trading Assistant system maintained by BNY Mellon. This system is monitored by the Ethics Office of BNY Mellon.

3.5 OUTSIDE INTERESTS / PRIVATE PLACEMENTS

New or existing investments in private placements, i.e. shares in private companies, partnerships and investments in family owned businesses, must be pre-cleared through our Risk & Compliance team and BNY Mellon’s Ethics Office.

3.6 SHORT TERM TRADING / DISGORGEMENT

Our employees are prohibited from engaging in short-term trading (i.e. selling and purchasing BNY Mellon securities within any 60 calendar day period) with any profits being disgorged.

4. OWNERSHIP

This statement is owned by Walter Scott’s Risk and Compliance Committee.

A copy of these policies will be provided upon request.

 

 

WALTER SCOTT & PARTNERS LIMITED , ONE CHARLOTTE SQUARE , EDINBURGH EH2 4DR

TEL : + 44 (0) 131 225 1357 . FAX : + 44 (0) 131 225 7997

WWW.WALTERSCOTT.COM

Registered in Scotland 93685. Registered Office as above. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

FCA Head Office: 12 Endeavour Square, London E20 1JN · www.fca.org.uk

 

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MFS® Code of Ethics   
Policy   
October 15, 2021    Personal Investing

 

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Applies to

  

All MFS full-time, part-time and temporary employees globally

 

All MFS contractors, interns and co-ops who have been notified by Compliance that they are subject to this policy

  

The inherent nature of MFS’ services in selecting and trading securities has the potential to create a real or apparent conflict of interest with your personal investing activities. As a result, every individual subject to this policy has a fiduciary duty to avoid taking personal advantage of any knowledge of our clients’ investment activities.

 

Following the letter and spirit of the rules in this policy is central to meeting client expectations and ensuring that we remain a trusted and respected firm.

All MFS entities   
Questions?   
iComply@mfs.com   
Compliance Helpline, x54290   
Ryan Erickson, x54430   
Elysa Aswad, x54535   
Carrie Arnott, x55971   

For more information on administration such as regulatory authority, supervision, interpretation and escalation, monitoring, related policies, amendment or recordkeeping please

click this link.

  

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Your fiduciary duty

Always place client interests ahead of your own. You must never:

Take advantage of your position at MFS to misappropriate investment opportunities from MFS clients.

Seek to defraud an MFS client or do anything that could have the effect of creating fraud or manipulation.

Mislead a client.

Account reporting obligations

Make sure you understand which accounts are reportable accounts. To determine whether an account is reportable, ask the following questions:

 

1

Is the account one of the following?

 

    A brokerage account.

 

    Any other type of account (such as employee stock option or stock purchase plans or UK Stocks and Shares ISA accounts) in which you have the ability to hold or trade reportable securities (see the list of reportable securities on page 8).

 

    Any account, including MFS-sponsored retirement or benefit plans, that holds a reportable fund (see definition of reportable fund on page 9 and a list of these funds on iComply).

 

2

Is any of the following true?

 

    You beneficially own the account.

 

    The account is beneficially owned by your spouse or domestic partner.

 

    The account is beneficially owned by another member of your household such as a parent, sibling or child for whom you provide financial support, such as sharing of household expenses.

 

    The account is beneficially owned by anyone who you claim as a tax deduction.

 

    The account is controlled (such as via trading authority or power of attorney) by you or another member of your household (other than to fulfill duties of employment) for whom you provide financial support, such as sharing of household expenses.

If you answered “yes” to both questions, the account is reportable.

    

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Beneficial ownership

The concept of beneficial ownership is broader than that of outright ownership. Anyone who is in a position to benefit from the gains or income from, or who controls, an account or investment is considered to have beneficial ownership. This means that this policy applies not only to you, but to others that share beneficial ownership in these accounts or securities. See examples on page 7. Frequently Asked Questions on the topic can be found here.

Ensure that MFS receives account statements for all your reportable accounts. Depending on the type of account or your location, you may need to provide them to Compliance directly.

Promptly report any newly opened reportable account or any existing account that has become reportable (including those at an approved broker). This includes accounts that become reportable accounts through life events, such as marriage, divorce, power of attorney or inheritance.

 

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR US EMPLOYEES

Does not include interns, contractors, co-ops, or temporary employees

Maintain your reportable accounts at an approved broker. When you join MFS, if you have accounts at non- approved brokers you must close them or move them to an approved broker (list available on iComply).

In rare cases, if you file a request that includes valid reasons for an exception, we may permit you to maintain a reportable account at a broker not on the approved broker list (for instance, if you have a fully discretionary account).

 

 

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Mobile Investing Apps

Many brokerage firms offer apps for mobile devices that allow you to quickly invest in reportable securities. Be aware that these apps are brokerage accounts that are covered by this policy, and all of its rules apply to those accounts as they would to any other brokerage account. Be aware of these rules and be sure to speak with your family or household members about the applicability of this policy when using such apps.

 

 

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HELPFUL TO KNOW

Discretionary accounts and automatic investment plans

Discretionary accounts (accounts that are managed for you by a third-party registered investment adviser or bank or trust company) and transactions made under an automatic investment plan (such as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan) are reportable, but with approval from Compliance they are:

exempt from quarterly transaction and annual holdings certifications (though you must still provide account statements).

exempt from the Access Person and Research Analyst/Portfolio Manager trading rules (such as the rules concerning pre-clearance and the 60-day holding period, pp. 5–6), but you still must obtain pre-approval before your advisor participates in an IPO or private placement.

exempt from certain “Ethical Personal Investing” trading rules such as excessive trading and trading of MFS funds (pp. 3–4).

Request approval for these accounts using the Account Exception form found in iComply.

Securities reporting obligations

Make sure you understand which securities are reportable securities. This includes most stocks, bonds, MFS funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), futures, options, structured products, private placements and other unregistered securities even if they are not held in a reportable account. See the table on page 8.

Report all applicable accounts, transactions and holdings timely. Use the iComply system and submit all reports by these deadlines:

Initial Accounts & Holdings reports: Submit within 10 calendar days of hire or upon an access level change. Information about these holdings must be no more than 45 days old when submitted.

Quarterly Personal Transaction Report: Submit within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter.

Annual Holdings Report: Submit within 30 days of the end of each calendar year.

Note that you must submit each report even if no transactions or other changes occurred during the time period.

The Quarterly Personal Transaction Reports do not need to include:

Transactions or holdings in non-reportable securities.

Transactions or holdings in discretionary accounts for which there is an approval on file with Compliance.

Involuntary transactions, such as automatic investment plans, dividend reinvestments, etc. The Annual Holdings Report, however, must reflect these transactions.

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES IN SINGAPORE

Provide a copy of the contract note for any trade of any security, including reportable securities and non- reportable securities, to Singapore Compliance, within 7 days of the trade. Check with Singapore Compliance on the information you must provide.

 

 

Ethical Personal Investing

Never trade securities based on the improper use of information, and never help anyone else to do so. This includes any trade based on:

Information about the investments of any MFS client, including front-running and tailgating (trading just before or just after a similar trade for a client account).

Confidential information or inside information (information about the issuer of a security, or the security itself, that is both material and non-public).

Do not buy or sell options on Reportable Securities. This includes options on equities (but not employee stock options), ETFs and indexes. This rule does not apply to those securities listed in the Exempt Securities box below.

Do not sell securities short. This rule does not apply to those securities listed in the Exempt Securities box below.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

Securities exempt from options and short selling rules

Options on, or ETFs that track, the following indexes: S&P 500; NASDAQ 100; Russell 2000; S&P Europe 350; FTSE 100; FTSE Mid 250; Hang Seng 100; Nikkei 225; S&P ASX 200; S&P TSX

Options (but not ETFs) based on non-reportable securities (e.g. commodities, currencies, US Treasuries)

Consult with Compliance when uncertain. Compliance may update this list with approval from the Employee Conduct Oversight Committee and maintain a current list on iComply.

 

 

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Do not trade excessively. At MFS, personal trading is a privilege, not a right. It should never interfere with your job performance.

MFS may limit the number of trades you are allowed during a given period, or may discipline you for trading excessively. In addition, frequent trading in MFS funds may trigger other penalties, as described in the relevant fund prospectuses.

Do not accept investment discretion over accounts that are not yours. In limited circumstances, and with advance approval from Compliance, you may be allowed to assume power of attorney relating to financial or investment matters for another person or entity.

If you become an executor or trustee of an estate and it involves control over a securities account, you must notify Compliance upon assuming the role, and you must meet any reporting or pre-clearance obligations that apply.

Do not participate in any investment contest or club. This applies whether or not any compensation or prize is awarded.

Do not trade securities that MFS has restricted. Follow MFS’ instructions when you are notified of a restriction in designated securities.

Only make investments in MFS open-end funds or funds sub-advised by MFS through these methods:

Directly through MFS Service Center (for US open-end funds) or State Street (Lux) (for Meridian Funds)

Through an MFS Approved Broker (US employees)

Non-US employees may invest through a financial institution of their choice

Through an MFS-sponsored benefit plan account

Accounts for which you have received an exception from Compliance, such as a fully discretionary account

Note that investments in non-MFS accounts are publicly available share classes only. You must also follow all rules of the relevant prospectus and all rules in this policy, such as reporting and statements.

Do not participate in initial public offerings (IPOs) or other limited offerings of securities except with advance approval from MFS. This rule includes initial, secondary and follow-on offerings of equity securities and closed-end funds and new issues of corporate debt securities.

To request approval for an IPO or secondary offering, enter an Initial Public Offering Request using the form found on iComply. Note that approval is not typically granted, and when granted often involves strict limits.

Never use a derivative, or any other instrument or technique, to get around a rule. If an investment transaction is prohibited, then you are also prohibited from effectively accomplishing the same thing by using futures, options, ETFs or any other type of financial instrument.

Do not invest in Contracts for Difference or engage in spread betting on financial markets. This includes any wagering on market spreads or behaviors and any off-exchange trading.

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Changes in job status and life events

When changing jobs within MFS, ensure that you understand the rules that apply to you. Confirm with your new manager and Compliance what your access level is and what restrictions and requirements apply to you.

When going on leave, you must continue to comply with this policy unless otherwise approved by Compliance. When you return from leave you must complete any outstanding obligations.

Be cognizant of reporting obligations under this policy when life events occur such as marriage, divorce or inheritance of an account. Consult with Compliance when uncertain.

 

 

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Pre-clearing personal trades

WHICH ACCESS LEVEL ARE YOU?

Access Persons Most MFS personnel, including all officers and directors, are designated as Access Persons. You should consider yourself an Access Person unless it has been communicated to you by Compliance that you are not.

Research Analysts and Portfolio Managers In addition to the rules for Access Persons, these individuals are subject to additional rules, as noted on the following pages.

Compliance may designate other personnel as Access Persons. This may include consultants, contractors or interns who provide services to MFS, and employees of Sun Life Financial Inc.

Make sure you understand which securities require pre-clearance. Note that there are some differences between which securities require pre-clearance and which must be reported.

See the table on page 8 of this policy.

Pre-clear all personal trades in applicable securities. Request pre-clearance on the day you want to place the trade by entering your request in the iComply system. Remember that you must pre-clear trades for all of your reportable accounts (such as those of a spouse or domestic partner) as well as for securities not held in an account.

Once you have requested pre-clearance, wait for a response. Do NOT place any trade order until you have received notice of approval for that trade. Note that pre-clearance requests can be denied at any time and for any reason.

Pre-clearance approvals expire at the end of the trading day on which they are issued.

Obtain advance approval for any private investments or other unregistered securities. This includes private placements (investments in private companies), private investment in public equity securities (PIPES), hedge funds or other private funds, “crowdfunding” or “crowdsourcing” investments, peer-to-peer lending, pooled vehicles (such as partnerships), Initial Coin Offerings (ICO’s), Security Tokens and other similar investments.

Before investing, enter a Private Placement/Unregistered Securities Approval Request found on iComply, and do not act until you have received approval.

 

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Not recommended: Good ‘til canceled orders and buying on margin

These practices can create significant risk of policy violations.

Good ‘til canceled orders may execute after your pre-clearance approval has expired. Placing day orders avoids this risk. With margin, you might not be able to receive pre-clearance approval for those securities you wish to sell to meet a margin call

Limits to personal investment practices

Do not buy and then sell (or sell and then buy) at a profit the same or equivalent reportable security within 60 calendar days. MFS may interpret this rule very broadly. For example, it may look at transactions across all of your reportable accounts and may match trades that are not of the same size, security type or tax lot. Any gains realized in connection with these transactions must be surrendered. Note that this rule does not apply to securities that are not subject to pre-clearance, to accounts where a registered investment adviser has investment discretion, or to involuntary transactions. Japan-based personnel: See rule with higher standard below.

 

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR JAPAN-BASED PERSONNEL

Do not buy and then sell (or sell and then buy) the same or equivalent reportable security within six months.

Never trade personally in any security you have researched in the prior 30 days or are scheduled to research in the future.

 

 

 

    

 

 

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ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH ANALYSTS

including Research Associates and Portfolio Managers who may write research notes

Never trade (or transfer ownership of) reportable securities personally while in possession of material information about an issuer you have researched or been assigned to research unless you have already communicated the information in a research note. Japan-based personnel: See rule with higher standard above.

Understand and fulfill your duties with regard to research recommendations. You have an affirmative duty to provide unbiased and timely research recommendations in a research note. You must:

Disclose trading opportunities for client accounts prior to trading personally in any securities of that issuer.

Provide a research recommendation if a security is suitable for the client accounts even if you have already traded the security personally or if making such a recommendation would create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Notify Compliance promptly of any apparent conflicts, but do not refrain from making a research recommendation.

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

including Research Analysts assigned to a fund as a portfolio manager

Never personally trade (or transfer ownership of) a reportable security within seven calendar days before or after a trade in any security or derivative of the same issuer in any client account that you manage. In practice, this means:

Contacting Compliance promptly when deciding to make a portfolio trade in any security you have personally traded within the past seven calendar days (but do not refrain from making a trade that is suitable for a client account even if you have traded the security personally).

Refraining from personally trading any reportable securities you think any of your client accounts might wish to trade within the next seven calendar days.

Delaying personal trades in any reportable securities your client accounts have traded until the eighth calendar day after the most recent trade by a client account (or longer, to be certain of avoiding any appearance of conflict of interest).

Note that this rule does not apply to securities that are not subject to pre-clearance, to accounts where a registered investment adviser has investment discretion or to involuntary transactions.

Never buy and then sell (or sell and then buy), within 14 calendar days, any shares of a fund you manage.

Contact Compliance before any fund you manage invests in any securities of an issuer whose private securities you own or if the private entity enters into a material transaction with a public issuer. You will need to disclose your private interest and assist Compliance in performing review.

 

 

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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

Accounts of parents or children

You share a household with one or both parents, but you do not provide any financial support to the parent(s): You are not a beneficial owner of the parents’ accounts and securities.

You share a household with one or more of your children, whether minor or adult, and you provide financial support to the child: You are a beneficial owner of the child’s accounts and securities.

You have a child who lives elsewhere whom you claim as a dependent for tax purposes: You are a beneficial owner of the child’s accounts and securities.

Accounts of domestic partners or roommates

You are a joint owner or named beneficiary on an account of which a domestic partner is an owner: You are a beneficial owner of the domestic partner’s accounts and securities.

You provide financial support to a domestic partner, either directly or by paying any portion of household costs: You are a beneficial owner of the domestic partner’s accounts and securities.

You have a roommate: Generally, roommates are presumed to be temporary and to have no beneficial interest in one another’s accounts and securities.

UGMA/UTMA accounts

Either you or your spouse is the custodian of a Uniform Gift/ Trust to Minor Account (UGMA/UTMA) for a minor, and one or both of you is a parent of the minor: You are a beneficial owner of the account. (If someone else is the custodian, you are not a beneficial owner.)

Either you or your spouse is the beneficiary of an UGMA/UTMA account and is of majority age (for instance, 18 years or older in Massachusetts): You are a beneficial owner of the account.

Transfer on death (TOD) accounts

You automatically become the registered owner upon the death of the prior account owner: You are a beneficial owner as of the date the account is re-registered in your name, but not before.

Trusts

You are a trustee for an account whose beneficiaries are not immediate family members: Beneficial ownership is determined on a case-by-case basis, including whether it constitutes an outside business activity (see the Outside Activities & Affiliations Policy).

You are a trustee for an account and you or a family member is a beneficiary: You are a beneficial owner of the account.

You are a beneficiary of the account and can make investment decisions without consulting a trustee: You are a beneficial owner of the account.

You are a beneficiary of the account but have no investment control: You are a beneficial owner as of the date the trust is distributed, but not before.

You are the settlor of a revocable trust: You are a beneficial owner of the account.

Your spouse or domestic partner is a trustee and a beneficiary: Beneficial ownership is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Investment powers over an account

You have power of attorney over an account: You are a beneficial owner as of the date you assume control of the trading or investment decisions on the account, but not before.

You have investment discretion over an account that holds, or could hold, reportable securities: You are a beneficial owner of the account, regardless of the location, account type or the registered owner(s) (other than to fulfill duties of employment).

You are serving in a role that allows or requires you to delegate investment discretion to an independent third party: Beneficial ownership is determined on a case-by-case basis.

 

 

HELPFUL TO KNOW

How we enforce this policy

Compliance is responsible for interpreting and enforcing this policy. Exceptions may only be granted by Compliance. In that capacity, Compliance reviews and monitors transactions and reports and also investigates potential violations.

The Employee Conduct Oversight Committee reviews potential violations, and where it determines that a violation has occurred, it usually imposes a penalty. These may range from a violation notice to a requirement to surrender profits to a termination of employment, among other possibilities.

 

 

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Security types and transactions that must be reported and/or pre-cleared

   Report
All personnel
   Pre-clear
Access persons only
           
Note: Securities terminology varies widely in global markets. If a security type is not listed here or you are unsure how a security is treated under this policy, please contact Compliance directly.

Funds

         
Money market funds (MFS or other)    No    No
Open-end funds and other pooled products that are advised or sub-advised by MFS (and are not money market funds)    Yes    No
Open-end funds that are not advised or sub-advised by MFS    No    No
529 Plans holding MFS advised or sub-advised funds    Yes    No
Closed-end funds (including venture capital trusts, investment trusts and MFS closed-end funds)    Yes    Yes
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs), including options, futures, structured notes and other derivatives related to these exchange-traded securities    Yes    No
Private funds    Yes    Yes

Equities

         
Sun Life Financial Inc. (publicly traded shares)    Yes    Yes
Equity securities, including real estate investment trusts (REITS), and including options, futures, structured notes or other derivatives on equities    Yes    Yes

Fixed income

         
Corporate and municipal bond securities, including options, futures or other derivatives    Yes    Yes
US Treasury securities and other obligations backed by the full faith and credit of the US government    No    No
US government agency debt obligations that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the US government (such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks and Tennessee Valley Authority)    Yes    Yes
Non-US government securities, and options, futures or other derivatives on these securities.    Yes    Yes
Money market instruments, such as certificates of deposit and commercial paper    No    No

Other types of assets

         
Initial and subsequent investments (including capital calls) in any private placement or other unregistered securities (including real estate limited partnerships or cooperatives)    Yes    Yes
Private MFS stock and private shares of Sun Life of Canada (US) Financial Services Holdings, Inc.    No    No
Limited offerings, IPOs, secondary offerings    Yes    Yes
Derivatives (such as options, futures or swaps) on security indexes    Yes    No
Derivatives (such as options, futures or swaps) on commodities and currencies, including virtual currencies    Only if notified by

Compliance

   Only if notified
by Compliance

Other types of transactions

         
Involuntary transactions (see definition below)    No    No
Gifts of securities, including charitable donations, transfers of ownership, and inheritances    Yes    No

 

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Terms with special meanings

Within this policy, the following terms carry the specific meanings indicated below.

contract for difference A contract for difference (CFD) is a contract between an investor and an investment bank or a spread-betting firm. At the end of the contract, the parties exchange the difference between the opening and closing prices of a specified financial instrument, including shares or commodities.

involuntary transaction Transactions that are not under your direct or indirect influence or control, such as inheritances, gifts received, automatic investment plans, dividends and dividend reinvestments, corporate actions (such as stock splits, reverse splits, mergers, consolidations, spin-offs and reorganizations), exercise of a conversion or redemption right or automatic expiration of an option.

reportable funds Any fund for which MFS acts as investment advisor, sub-advisor, or principal underwriter including MFS retail funds, MFS Variable Insurance Trust and MFS Meridian funds. See the iComply system Policies & Procedures page for a current list of reportable funds.

 

 

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CODE OF ETHICS

 

Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC

 

I.

PREAMBLE

This Code of Ethics (“COE”) is adopted in compliance with requirements adopted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Company Act”), and Section 204A and Rules 204-2 and 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), to effectuate the purposes and objectives of the provisions contained therein. Rule 17j-1 of the Company Act requires that investment advisers to mutual funds adopt written codes of ethics; Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information by investment advisers; Rule 204-2 of the Advisers Act imposes recordkeeping requirements with respect to Personal Securities Transactions of Advisory Representatives (Capitalized terms are generally defined in Section IX); and Rule 204A-1 requires SEC registered investment advisers to adopt codes of ethics prescribing ethical standards under which they operate and also imposes recording and recordkeeping requirements with respect to Personal Securities Transactions of Access Persons. This COE of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (the “Firm” or “TSW”) is designed to:

 

  1.

Protect the Firm’s clients by deterring misconduct;

 

  2.

Educate Supervised Persons regarding the Firm’s expectations and the laws governing their conduct;

 

  3.

Remind Supervised Persons that they are in a position of trust and must always act with complete propriety;

 

  4.

Protect the reputation of the Firm;

 

  5.

Guard against violation of the Federal Securities laws; and

 

  6.

Establish procedures for Supervised Persons to follow so that the Firm may determine whether Supervised Persons are complying with its ethical principles.

 

II.

STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

The Board of Managers of the Firm adopted the COE which sets forth standards of business conduct and fiduciary obligations that the Firm requires of its Supervised Persons. Supervised Persons are required to maintain the highest ethical standards in carrying out the Firm’s business activities. The Firm’s reputation is one of its most important assets and maintaining the trust and confidence of clients is a vital responsibility. This section sets forth the Firm’s business conduct standards.

Compliance Review: June 18, 2021

Last Update: LD1

 

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CODE OF ETHICS

 

Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC

 

General Principles

Our principles and philosophy regarding ethics stress the Firm’s fiduciary duty to its clients and the obligation of Firm personnel to uphold that fundamental duty. In recognition of the trust and confidence placed in the Firm by its clients and to give effect to the belief that the Firm’s operations should be directed to benefit its clients, the Firm has adopted the following general principles to guide the actions of its Supervised Persons:

 

  1.

The interests of clients are paramount. All Supervised Persons must conduct themselves and their operations to give maximum effect to this belief by at all times placing the interests of clients before their own.

 

  2.

All personal transactions in Securities by Supervised Persons must be accomplished so as to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of such Supervised Persons with the interests of any client.

 

  3.

All Supervised Persons must avoid actions or activities that allow (or appear to allow) a Person to profit or benefit from his or her position with respect to a client, or that otherwise bring into question the Supervised Person’s independence or judgment.

 

  4.

All information concerning the specific Security holdings and financial circumstances of any client is strictly confidential. Supervised Persons are expected to maintain such confidentiality, secure such information and disclose it only to other Supervised Persons with a need to know that information.

 

  5.

All Supervised Persons will conduct themselves honestly, with integrity and in a professional manner to preserve and protect the Firm’s reputation.

Supervised Persons must comply with applicable Federal Securities laws and are prohibited from engaging in any of the following actions:

 

  1.

To employ a device, scheme or artifice to defraud a client or prospective client;

 

  2.

To make to a client or prospective client any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading;

 

  3.

To engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a client or prospective client;

 

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CODE OF ETHICS

 

Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC

 

  4.

To act as principal for his/her own account, knowingly to sell any Security to or purchase any Security from a client, or acting as a broker for a Person other than such client, knowingly to effect any sale or purchase of any Security for the account of such client, without disclosing to such client in writing before the completion of such transaction the capacity in which he/she is acting and obtaining the consent of the client to such transaction. The prohibitions of this paragraph shall not apply to any transaction with a customer of a bank, broker or dealer if such broker or dealer is not acting as an investment adviser in relation to such transaction;

 

  5.

To engage in any act, practice or course of business which is fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative, including with respect to Securities (i.e., price manipulation); or

 

  6.

To originate or circulate, except as permitted below, in any manner a false or misleading rumor about a security or its issuer for the purpose of influencing the market price of the security. Where a legitimate business reason exists for discussing a rumor, for example, where a client is seeking an explanation for an irregular share price movement which could be explained by the rumor, care should be taken to ensure that the rumor is communicated in a manner that:

 

   

Sources the origin of the information (where possible);

 

   

Gives it no additional credibility or embellishment;

 

   

Makes clear that the information is a rumor; and

 

   

Makes clear that the information has not been verified.

This formulation has the benefit of allowing discussions of a rumor for legitimate purposes while including some safeguards against building to the rumor’s credibility and effect on the market. These guidelines would permit, for example, a money manager to call an analyst or trader at another firm to report a rumor that the manager thinks are untrue and to ask if the analyst or trader has heard the rumor and has any relevant information. These conversations should be conducted with care, in a professional manner and without exaggeration.

This COE contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent Supervised Persons of the Firm from engaging in acts in violation of the above standards and procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of the COE.

Federal law requires that this COE not only be adopted but that it will also be enforced with reasonable diligence. Failure to comply with the COE may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment. Noncompliance with the COE has severe ramifications, including enforcement actions by regulatory authorities, criminal fines, civil injunctions and penalties, disgorgement of profits and sanctions on your ability to be employed in an investment advisory business or in a related capacity. This COE is based upon the principle that the Supervised Persons of the Firm, and certain Affiliated Persons of the Firm, owe a fiduciary duty to, among others, the clients of the Firm to conduct their affairs, including their Personal Securities Transactions, in such a manner as to avoid: (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients; (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with the Firm; and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility. This fiduciary duty includes the duty of the Review Officer of the Firm to report material violations of this COE to the Firm’s Board of Managers and to the Board of Directors of any U.S. registered investment company client advised or sub-advised by the Firm and of the actions taken as a result of such violations.

 

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CODE OF ETHICS

 

Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC

 

III.

POLICY STATEMENT ON INSIDER TRADING

The Firm forbids any Supervised Person from trading, either personally or on behalf of others, including accounts managed by the Firm, on material nonpublic information or communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of the law. This conduct is frequently referred to as “insider trading.” The Firm’s policy applies to every Supervised Person and extends to activities within and outside their duties at the Firm. Any questions regarding the Firm’s policy and procedures should be referred to the Review Officer. Trading Securities while in possession of material nonpublic information or improperly communicating that information to others may expose you to severe penalties. Any person who engages in insider trading or tipping can face a substantial jail term (up to 20 years), civil penalties of up to three times the profit gained (or loss avoided) by that person and/or his or her “tippee”, and criminal fines of up to $5,000,000. In addition, if it is found that TSW failed to take appropriate steps to prevent insider trading, TSW or Pendal USA Inc. (“Pendal-US”) may be subject to significant criminal fines and civil penalties not to exceed the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the profit gained (or loss avoided) as a result of the insider trading. Regardless of whether a government inquiry occurs, the Firm views seriously any violation of its insider trading policies, and such violations constitute grounds for disciplinary sanctions, including immediate dismissal.

The term “material nonpublic information” relates not only to issuers but also to the Firm’s Securities recommendations and client Securities holdings and transactions. The term “insider trading” is not defined in the Federal Securities laws, but generally is used to refer to the use of material nonpublic information to trade in Securities (whether or not one is an “insider”) or to communications of material nonpublic information to others. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell Securities may, in some contexts, be deemed material. Similarly, prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may be deemed material.

While the law concerning insider trading is not static, it is generally understood that the law prohibits:

 

  1.

Trading by an insider while in possession of material nonpublic information;

 

  2.

Trading by a non-insider, while in possession of material nonpublic information, where the information either was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider’s duty to keep it confidential or was misappropriated; or

 

  3.

Communicating material nonpublic information to others.

 

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CODE OF ETHICS

 

Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC

 

The concept of “insider” is broad. It includes officers, directors and associated persons of a company. In addition, a Person can be a “temporary insider” if he or she enters into a special confidential relationship in the conduct of a company’s affairs and as a result is given access to information solely for the company’s purposes. A temporary insider can include, among others, a company’s attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers and the associated persons of such entities. The Firm’s Review Officer will make the determination if a Person is to be deemed a “temporary insider.” In addition, the Firm may become a temporary insider of a company it advises or for which it performs other services. For that to occur the company must expect the Firm to keep the disclosed nonpublic information confidential and the relationship must at least imply such a duty before the Firm will be considered an insider.

Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information is material. “Material information” generally is defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s Securities. Information that officers, directors and associated persons should consider material includes, but is not limited to: dividend changes, earnings estimates, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

Information is nonpublic until it has been effectively communicated to the marketplace. Tangible evidence of such dissemination is the best indication that the information is public. One must be able to point to some publicly available fact to show that the information is generally public. For example, information found in a report filed with the SEC or some other governmental agency, appearing in Dow Jones publications, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications of general circulation, media broadcasts, over public internet websites and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely would be considered public.

Before trading for yourself or others in the Securities of a company about which you may have potential inside information, ask yourself the following questions:

 

  1.

Is the information material? Is this information that an investor would consider important in making his or her investment decisions? Is this information that would substantially affect the market price of the Securities if generally disclosed?

 

  2.

Is the information nonpublic? To whom has this information been provided? Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace?

If, after consideration of the above, you believe that the information is material and nonpublic, or if you have questions as to whether the information is material and nonpublic, you should take the following steps:

 

  1.

Report the matter immediately to a member of the Compliance Department.

 

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Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC

 

  2.

Do not purchase or sell the Securities on behalf of yourself or others, including clients.

 

  3.

Do not communicate the information inside or outside the Firm, other than to the Firm’s Review Officer.

 

  4.

After the Firm’s Review Officer has reviewed the issue, you will be instructed to continue the prohibitions against trading and communication, or you will be allowed to trade and communicate the information.

Information in your possession that you identify as material and nonpublic may not be communicated to anyone, including Supervised Persons within the Firm, except as provided above. In addition, care should be taken so that such information is secure. For example, files containing material nonpublic information should be sealed, access to computer files containing material nonpublic information should be restricted and conversations containing or related to such information, if appropriate at all, should be conducted in private to avoid potential interception.

The role of the Firm’s Review Officer is critical to the implementation and maintenance of the Firm’s policy and procedures against insider trading. The Firm enforces prevention of insider trading and detection of insider trading.

To prevent insider trading, the Firm will:

 

  1.

Provide, an educational program to familiarize Supervised Persons with the Firm’s policy and procedures, and

 

  2.

When it has been determined that a Supervised Person of the Firm has material nonpublic information, the Firm will:

 

  a)

implement measures to prevent dissemination of such information, and

 

  b)

if necessary, restrict Supervised Persons from trading the Securities.

To detect insider trading, the Compliance Department will:

 

  1.

Review the trading activity reports filed by each Supervised Persons; and

 

  2.

Review the trading activity of accounts managed by the Firm.

 

IV.

POLICY STATEMENT ON THE PAY-TO-PLAY RULE

TSW requires pre-approval by Compliance of all Political Contributions, political fundraising activities, and political volunteer activities by all Firm employees. However, many such activities may be approved if they are allowable or represent exemptions under the Pay-to-Play Rule as described below, and in the related policy in the Firm’s Policy & Procedures Manual or “PPM” under the policies for Solicitor Arrangements and Pay-to-Play Rule. This policy is necessary to prevent the result of the Firm not being compensated for certain investment advisory services for two years if such rules are violated. See Appendix for definitions and further clarifications under the Pay-to-Play Rule.

 

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Notwithstanding this policy, it is never permitted for TSW and its employees to make, or direct or solicit any other person to make, any Political Contribution or provide anything else of value for the purpose of influencing or inducing the obtaining or retaining of investment advisory services business.

TSW has adopted various procedures and internal controls to review, monitor and ensure the Firm’s Solicitor Arrangements and Pay-to-Play policies are observed, implemented properly and amended or updated, as appropriate, which include the following:

 

  1.

Political Contributions: All employees are required to obtain approval from Compliance prior to making any Political Contribution of any value. Employees may obtain such pre-approval from Compliance by completing and submitting a “Political Contribution Request Form” via Schwab Compliance Technologies (“SCT”), the Firm’s automated personal trading and compliance system. Compliance will review and evaluate each completed and submitted form to determine whether the Contribution is permissible based upon the requirements of Rule 206(4)-5 and Firm policy. Employees and their immediate supervisor(s) will be notified in writing and/or via the SCT system of Compliance’s final determination.

 

  2.

Coordinating or Soliciting Political Contributions, and Political Fundraising: In addition, all employees need to obtain approval from Compliance prior to engaging in Coordinating or Soliciting Political Contributions or engaging in any other political fundraising efforts. Employees should use the “Political Volunteering/Solicitation/Fundraising Form” via SCT to request pre-approval for such activities. Coordinating or Soliciting Political Contributions, or political fundraising, may even include, for example, merely having one’s name appear in the letterhead or any other portion of a political fundraising letter.

 

  3.

Indirect Political Contributions: Employees are forbidden from performing any act which would result in a violation of Rule 206(4)-5 and/or the provisions of the Code, whether directly or indirectly, or through or by any other person or means. Employees may not use other persons or entities, including family members or friends or any other conduits to circumvent Rule 206(4)-5 and/or the Code. Activities conducted at the direction or suggestion of a Firm employee are considered to be made by the employee in the context of political contributions.

 

  4.

Annual Political Contributions Certification Form: At the end of each year, Compliance will distribute to all Firm employees an Annual Political Contributions Certification Form also via SCT. This Form is intended to capture information regarding any Political Contribution made by each such employee, both directly and indirectly, during that calendar year.

 

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Employees return the forms either (1) acknowledging that no Political Contributions were made, or (2) disclosing all Political Contributions made, including Contributions for which the employee received pre-clearance. In order to protect the privacy of employees, the records shall be treated as confidential and may only be accessed and/or reviewed by person(s) with a “need to know” or for purposes of making necessary disclosures to the SEC, if required.

In addition, a question is included on the quarterly reporting forms via SCT as well to be certain all such contributions and fundraising efforts are properly pre-cleared and reported.

Please consult TSW’s PPM for definitions or more details on this issue.

 

V.

PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

The following prohibitions apply to all Access Persons, unless indicated otherwise and unless exempted under Section VI. In addition to these prohibitions, the Review Officer may prohibit transactions other than those specifically indicated below if they determine that a proposed transaction presents a potential conflict of interest.

 

  1.

Access Persons are prohibited from directly or indirectly using any act, device, scheme, artifice, practice or course of conduct to defraud, mislead or manipulate a client in connection with the Purchase or Sale of a Security held or to be acquired by the client. Access Persons are also prohibited from making any untrue statement of material fact to a client and from omitting to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement made to the client, under the circumstances, not misleading.

 

  2.

Access Persons are generally prohibited from purchasing or selling, directly or indirectly, any Security (excluding ETFs and other Securities excluded from pre-clearance under the Firm’s COE) in which he/she has, or by reason of time of such purchase or sale:

 

  a)

is on the Restricted List;

 

  b)

is being purchased or sold by any Portfolio (Firm managed accounts, including WPS strategies, but excluding any WPS limit orders);

 

  c)

was purchased or sold by any Portfolio during the previous trading day or the day following (thus violating the 3-day black-out period); or

 

  d)

is less than $3.0 billion in market capitalization and held in a TSW Primary Product (or Primary Strategy which includes any long-only equity strategy and fixed income strategies (and thus excludes long/short strategies) offered to outside clients and described in TSW’s Form ADV).

 

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Exemptions from the black-out period may be permitted in certain circumstances where the Chief Compliance Officer or their designee has determined there is no conflict of interest or appearance of impropriety. In such cases, this will not be considered a violation of the Firm’s COE.

 

  3.

Unless exempted under Section VI or otherwise above, Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing or selling a Reportable Security without prior approval through the SCT automated system. However, even if exempted for prior approval/pre-clearance, all Securities will be reported on transactions statements or otherwise as dictated under Section VIII Reporting Requirements.

 

  4.

Access Persons are prohibited from acquiring a beneficial interest in any Securities in a Limited Offering commonly referred to as a private placement, without prior approval of the CCO. The CCO (or designee) will maintain a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision to approve the Access Person’s acquisition of a private placement.

Before granting such approval, the CCO should carefully evaluate such investment to determine that the investment could create no material conflict between the Access Person and any Portfolio. The Review Officer may make such determination by looking at, among other things, the nature of the offering and the particular facts surrounding the purchase. For example, the CCO may consider approving the transaction if he or she can determine that: (i) the investment did not result from directing Portfolio or Firm business to the underwriter or issuer of the Security; (ii) the Access Person is not misappropriating an opportunity that should have been offered to any Portfolio; and (iii) the Access Person’s investment decisions for a Portfolio would not be unduly influenced by his or her personal holdings, and investment decisions are based solely on the best interests of that Portfolio.

 

  5.

Access Persons are prohibited from acquiring Beneficial Ownership of a Security, excluding new issues of tax-exempt Securities or corporate bonds, as part of an Initial Public Offering. However, such new issues of tax-exempt Securities or corporate bonds, if purchased, should be pre-cleared and reported.

 

  6.

Access Persons and their family members are discouraged from accepting or giving any gift, favor, service, special accommodation or other thing of more than de minimis material value from or to any Person or entity that does business with or seeks to do business with or on behalf of the Firm. Such gifts may be prohibited where they could be viewed as overly generous or reasonably could be expected to compromise an Access Person’s or another’s independence and objectivity. For Gifts and Entertainment purposes under this COE, “de minimis” shall be considered to be the annual receipt/provision of gifts

 

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  from or to the same source valued at $100 or less per individual recipient/source, when the gifts are in relation to the Firm’s business. Gifts do not include business entertainment; however, entertainment, and the pre-clearance process for gifts and business entertainment, is addressed in more detail below in the next section. Any exceptions to this policy need to be approved by the Firm’s Review Officer or a Board Member. Access Persons will acknowledge, quarterly, the receipt or gift of any business-related gifts, services or other things of material value via the SCT system. In addition, a gift log for all gifts, even those of de minimis value, will be maintained by the Review Officer or their designee via SCT. Finally, Political Contributions, discussed separately, are not considered gifts.

Exception: Promotional gifts of little intrinsic value such as coffee mugs, calendars, plaques, trophies or similar items solely for the purpose of presentation and display of a company’s logo, where the estimated value of the item is under $10, are not required to be logged or reported quarterly, as such items are not included in the calculation of the aggregate value of gifts required to be reported by the DOL. That said, this exception does not cover a gift that clearly has a value in excess of $10—for example, a $400 golf club embossed with a company logo would likely be prohibited, but should be pre-cleared and reported; a pen valued at $75 and embossed with a company logo would likely not be prohibited, but should be reported.

For accounts related to ERISA plans (involving increased fiduciary responsibility) or Taft-Hartley plans (involving union officials or labor unions) or for gifts to elected officials, any gifts considered at all value levels need to be pre- approved, logged and reported. Access persons should bear in mind that for Taft-Hartley plans, the DOL has established a $250 per person annual aggregate limit which should not be exceeded. This limit will be applied to ERISA plans as well due to the increased fiduciary responsibility.

 

  7.

Access Persons may host or attend a business entertainment event of reasonable value, such as a dinner or sporting event that serves a legitimate and appropriate business purpose. Such business entertainment may be prohibited where it could be viewed as overly generous or reasonably could be expected to compromise an Access Person’s or another’s independence and objectivity. Access Persons should seek prior approval or pre-clearance from the Firm’s Review Officer or a Board Member in cases where they are unsure of whether the entertainment (or a gift as described above) may be viewed as overly generous, or in any case where a proposed gift is over $100 or business entertainment is over $250 in estimated value. What may constitute “overly generous” gifts or entertainment may be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Review Officer or a Board Member. In cases where pre-approval is necessary, it will occur automatically via the SCT system.

 

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It is acknowledged that such pre-clearances (as described above) will only be submitted and reviewed in cases where the entertainment event or gift is prospective in nature, quantifiable, and can be properly analyzed. In other cases, an approval may be obtained and reported after the gift is received or the event has taken place. Exceptions: Where an entertainment event or gift is included as part of an educational conference, seminar, research conference or similar event which may entail multiple meals and entertainment events. In such cases, the employee will log the event and it must always be approved, but on the log and approval form, it is not necessary to include the value or estimated cost—just a description of the event and other details.

Business entertainment of little intrinsic value, such as group lunches where the estimated value of the expense is under $10 per person, is not required to be logged or reported quarterly. However, this exception does not apply in cases involving ERISA plans or Taft-Hartley plans where any gifts or entertainment provided at all value levels need to be pre-approved, logged and reported.

Except for the exemptions described above, all business entertainment events (either hosted or attended by Access Persons) will be acknowledged and reported quarterly via the SCT system. Finally, an entertainment log for all business entertainment events (either hosted or attended) will also be maintained by the Review Officer or their designee via SCT.

For accounts related to ERISA plans (involving increased fiduciary responsibility) or Taft-Hartley plans (involving union officials or labor unions) or for business entertainment provided to elected officials, any entertainment considered at all value levels must be pre-approved, logged and reported. Access persons should bear in mind that for Taft-Hartley plans, the DOL has established a $250 per person annual aggregate limit which should not be exceeded. This limit will be applied to ERISA plans as well due to the increased fiduciary responsibility.

 

  8.

Access Persons are prohibited from profiting in the purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same (or equivalent) Reportable Securities, including Firm Managed Funds, within 30 calendar days. Trades made in violation of this prohibition should be unwound, if possible.

Exception: The Review Officer may allow exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis when the abusive practices that the policy is designed to prevent, such as front running or conflicts of interest, are not present and the equity of the situation strongly supports an exemption. An example is the involuntary sale of Securities due to unforeseen corporate activity such as a merger. The ban on short-term trading profits is specifically designed to deter potential conflicts of interest and front running transactions, which typically involve a quick trading pattern to capitalize on a short-lived market impact of a trade by one of the Portfolios. The Review Officer shall consider the policy reasons for the ban on short-term trades, as stated herein, in determining when an exception to the prohibition is permissible. The Review Officer may consider granting an exception to this prohibition if the Securities involved in the transaction are not being considered for purchase or sale by a Portfolio. The Review Officer shall retain a record in SCT of any exceptions granted and the reasons supporting the decision.

 

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  9.

Access Persons are prohibited from serving on the Board of Directors of any publicly traded company without prior authorization of the Review Officer of the Firm. Any such authorization shall be based upon a determination that the board service would be consistent with the interests of the Firm and any Portfolios. Authorization of board service shall be subject to the implementation by the Firm of “Chinese Wall” or other procedures to isolate such Access Persons from making decisions about trading in that company’s Securities.

 

VI.

EXEMPTED TRANSACTIONS

Prohibited transactions described in Section V above, which appear upon reasonable inquiry and investigation to present no reasonable likelihood of harm to a Portfolio may be permitted within the discretion of the Review Officer on a case-by-case basis. Such exempted transactions may include the following, and even if not required to be pre-cleared, should be reported as dictated under Section VIII Reporting Requirements:

 

  1.

Purchases or sales of securities which are not held by a Portfolio and which are not related economically to Reportable Securities held by a Portfolio.

 

  2.

Other exemptions:

 

  a)

purchase or sale that is non-volitional on the part of the Access Person, including (i) a purchase or sale upon the exercise of puts or calls written by the Access Person, (ii) sales from a margin account, pursuant to a bona fide margin call and (iii) a purchase or sale performed by an independent financial professional acting with sole discretion and performed pursuant to an arrangement previously approved by the Review Officer;

 

  b)

purchase that is part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan or other similar program, including any sale through a systematic withdrawal plan;

 

  c)

purchase effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of the Security, to the extent such rights were acquired from the issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired;

 

  d)

an acquisition of a Security through a gift or bequest;

 

  e)

a disposition of Security through gift.

 

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The CCO may, on a case-by-case basis, exempt Reportable Accounts which appear upon reasonable inquiry and investigation to present no reasonable likelihood of harm to a Portfolio from pre-clearance requirements.

 

VII.

COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES

 

  A.

Pre-Clearance Procedures for Personal Trading

Unless exempted under Section VI above or otherwise, all Access Persons need to receive prior approval from the Firm’s Review Officer via SCT before purchasing or selling Reportable Securities in an account for which such Access Person has Beneficial Ownership. The Access Person should request pre-clearance by completing and submitting a personal trading Pre-Clearance Form via the SCT system to the Review Officer.

Pre-clearance approval will expire at the close of business on the trading date on which authorization is received. If the trade is not completed before such pre-clearance expires, the Access Person is required to again obtain pre- clearance for the trade. No Review Officer may pre-clear their own trades. In addition, if an Access Person becomes aware of any additional information with respect to a transaction that was pre-cleared, such Person is obligated to disclose such information to the Review Officer prior to executing the pre-cleared transaction.

Access Persons are excluded from pre-clearing Reportable Securities purchased, sold, acquired or disposed in the following transactions:

 

  1.

purchase or sale that is non-volitional on the part of the Access Person, including (i) a purchase or sale upon the exercise of puts or calls written by the Access Person, (ii) sales from a margin account, pursuant to a bona fide margin call and (iii) a purchase or sale performed by an independent financial professional acting with sole discretion and performed pursuant to an arrangement previously approved by the Review Officer;

 

  2.

purchase that is part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan or other similar program, including any sale through a systematic withdrawal plan;

 

  3.

purchase effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of the Reportable Security, to the extent such rights were acquired from the issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired;

 

  4.

an acquisition of a Reportable Security through a gift or bequest;

 

  5.

a disposition of Reportable Security through a gift;

 

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Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC

 

  6.

purchase or sale of Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), options on ETFs, indexes, commodities and currencies;

 

  7.

entry into futures contracts on ETFs, indexes, commodities and currencies;

 

  8.

purchase or sale of tax-exempt and corporate bonds (unless they are new issues);

 

  9.

purchase or sale of shares of foreign unit trusts and foreign mutual funds; and

 

  10.

purchase or sale of shares of open- and/or closed-end funds except Firm Managed Funds.

 

  B.

Pre-Clearance Procedures for Political Contributions, Fundraising Efforts, and Other Similar Actions

Political Contributions or Fundraising Efforts: All employees are required to obtain approval from Compliance prior to making any Political Contribution of any value or prior to participating in any fundraising efforts or similar actions.

Employees may obtain such pre-approval from Compliance by completing and submitting a “Political Contribution Request Form” or “Political Volunteering/Solicitation/Fundraising Form” via the SCT system. Compliance will review and evaluate each completed and submitted form to determine whether the Contribution is permissible based upon the requirements of Rule 206(4)-5 and Firm policy. Employees will be notified in writing and/or via the SCT system of Compliance’s final determination.

 

  C.

Logging and Pre-Clearance Procedures for Gifts and Entertainment

All employees are required to obtain approval from the Firm’s Review Officer or a Board Member prior to giving or receiving a gift valued at more than $100 or business entertainment valued at more than $250 per person (unless it is exempted from approval or reporting as described above). Employees may obtain such pre-approval by completing and submitting a “Gift Request” or “Entertainment Request” via SCT. Employees will be notified in writing of the Review Officer or Board Member’s final determination. Please note that for virtual events, consumable items provided or received in advance for use/consumption during the virtual event may, if used/consumed during the virtual event, be considered as part of a ‘virtual’ entertainment event. Non-consumable items provided or received in connection with a virtual event are deemed gifts. TSW Associates are encouraged to reach out to members of the Compliance Department with questions concerning virtual events.

 

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All employees are required to log all gifts (except those described as promotional gifts under $10 as described above) and all business entertainment (except that which is exempted as described above), either given or received.

 

  D.

Excessive Trading/Market Timing

The Firm understands that it is appropriate for Access Persons to participate in the public Securities markets as part of their overall personal investment programs. As in other areas, however, this should be done in a way that minimizes potential conflicts with the interests of any Portfolio. Further, it is important to recognize that otherwise appropriate trading, if excessive (measured in terms of frequency, complexity of trading programs, numbers of trades or other measures, as deemed appropriate by the Review Officer or senior management at the Firm, may compromise the best interests of any Portfolios if such excessive trading is conducted during work-time or using Firm resources. Accordingly, if personal trading rises to such a level as to create an environment that is not consistent with the COE, such personal transactions may not be approved or may be limited by the Review Officer of the Firm.

Each Firm Managed Fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and does not permit “market timing” or other types of excessive short-term trading by Access Persons and other shareholders. Excessive short-term trading into and out of the Firm Managed Funds can disrupt Portfolio investment strategies and may increase fund expenses for all shareholders, including long-term shareholders who do not generate these costs. Each Firm Managed Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request (including purchases by exchange) by any investor or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including, in particular, if the fund reasonably believes that the trading activity would be disruptive to the fund. Access Persons shall not be permitted to make a “round trip” trade in any Firm Managed Fund within 30 calendar days without the direct approval of the Review Officer of the Firm.

 

  E.

Conflicts of Interest

Every Supervised Person shall notify the Review Officer of the Firm of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve a Portfolio, such as the existence of any economic relationship between their transactions and Securities held or to be acquired by any Portfolio. Such notification shall occur in the pre-clearance process.

 

VIII.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

 

  A.

Disclosure of Personal Holdings upon Employment

All Access Persons shall submit to the Review Officer:

 

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A holdings report that includes: (1) information regarding all holdings in Securities in which Access Persons have Beneficial Ownership; and (2) the name of any broker, dealer, bank or other entity for any Reportable Account. All Securities accounts which hold or could hold Securities should be reported—those are all considered Reportable Accounts. New employees should submit these reports within 10 days of employment with the Firm. Information contained in the initial reports should be current as of a date not more than 45 days before the employee became an Access Person or prior to the date the report is submitted for annual reports.

In addition to reporting Securities holdings, every Access Person shall certify in their initial report that:

 

  1.

They have received, read, and understand the COE and recognize that they are subject thereto;

 

  2.

They have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve a Portfolio, such as any economic relationship between their transactions and Securities held or to be acquired by a Portfolio; and

 

  3.

They do not serve on the Board of Directors of any publicly traded company.

The initial report shall be made through affirmations via the SCT system and shall be delivered to the Review Officer/Compliance via SCT.

 

  B.

Quarterly Reporting Requirements

All Access Person shall disclose to the Review Officer/Compliance all transactions in Reportable Securities conducted during the period as of the calendar quarter ended within 30 calendar days after quarter-end. Access Persons do not need to pre-clear Personal Securities Transactions effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or Control; however, custodian statements in any such accounts must be sent to the Review Officer via SCT not less than quarterly.

In addition, on a quarterly basis via SCT, with respect to all Reportable Accounts, the Access Person must provide:

 

  1.

not less than quarterly, a custodian statement disclosing the transactions for any Reportable Securities;

 

  2.

the name of the broker, dealer, bank or other entity that acts as custodian;

 

  3.

if a new Reportable Account, the date the account was established; and

 

  4.

the date the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

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This quarterly report shall be made through affirmations via the SCT system and shall be delivered to the Review Officer/Compliance via SCT. This quarterly affirmation also includes a section for Pay-to-Play Rule reporting and Gifts and Entertainment.

 

  C.

Annual Report Certification of Compliance with Code of Ethics

All Access Persons shall disclose to the Review Officer via the SCT system all holdings in Reportable Securities as of the calendar year ended within 30 calendar days after year end. In addition to reporting Reportable Securities holdings, every Access Person shall certify annually via SCT that:

 

  1.

they have read and understand the COE and recognize that they are subject thereto;

 

  2.

they have complied with the requirements of the COE and that they have reported all Personal Securities Transactions required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the COE;

 

  3.

they do not serve on the Board of Directors of any publicly traded company;

 

  4.

they have not disclosed pending “buy” or “sell” orders for a Portfolio to any associate of any other Management Company, except where the disclosure occurred subsequent to the execution or withdrawal of an order;

 

  5.

they have disclosed all Reportable Accounts-all Securities accounts which hold or could hold Securities should be reported—those are all considered Reportable Accounts;

 

  6.

they have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve any Portfolio, such as any economic relationship between their transactions and Securities held or to be acquired by a Portfolio;

 

  7.

they have not received any gift or other thing valued at more than $100 or $250 for business entertainment (de minimis amount) in relation to the Firm’s business and have disclosed all gifts and entertainment both given and received via the Firm’s Gift and Entertainment Log; and

 

  8.

they have or have not made or previously pre-cleared any political contributions or fundraising activities.

These annual reports shall be made via affirmations on the SCT system and shall be delivered to the Review Officer/Compliance via SCT.

 

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  D.

Confidentiality of Reports

Reports submitted pursuant to this COE shall be confidential and shall be provided only to those Supervised Persons of the Firm with a need to know and, upon appropriate request, Compliance Departments of Pendal Group Ltd. (“Pendal”, TSW’s parent company) and any registered investment company the Firm advises or sub-advises, counsel, and/or regulatory authorities.

 

  E.

Acknowledgement of Receipt of Code of Ethics

Each Supervised Person shall be provided with a copy of this COE or access to it, and any amendments, and Supervised Persons shall submit a written acknowledgment of their receipt of this Code and any amendments to this COE. Written acknowledgement of the Code will be made via affirmations on the SCT system, both initially and annually.

 

  F.

Review of Reports

The Review Officer shall review reports submitted under this COE. The Review Officer shall not review his/her own reports.

 

  G.

Duplicate Confirmation and Statements

The Review Officer of the Firm may require Access Persons to provide duplicate copies of confirmation of each disclosable transaction in their accounts and will require duplicate copies of account statements, all provided via the SCT system where possible.

 

  H.

Reporting of Violations to the Board of Directors and Sanctions

Supervised Persons are required to report any violations of this COE promptly to the Review Officer. The Review Officer of the Firm shall report all violations (including non-material, technical violations) to the Compliance Committee and shall report material violations of this COE to the Board of Managers of the Firm. The Board of Managers of the Firm, and outside counsel, if deemed appropriate, shall consider reports made to it and shall determine whether or not there has been a violation of the Firm’s COE and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed, including, among other things, a letter of censure or suspension, fines, or termination of the employment of the violator.

 

  I.

Annual Reporting to the Board of Directors

The Review Officer of the Firm shall prepare an annual report relating to this COE to the Board of Managers of the Firm and of any U.S. registered investment company client advised or sub-advised by the Firm that request such reporting. Such annual report shall:

 

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  1.

summarize existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the past year;

 

  2.

identify any violations during the past year;

 

  3.

identify any recommended changes in the existing restrictions or procedures based upon the Firm’s experience under its COE, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable laws or regulations; and

 

  4.

state that the Firm had adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics.

 

  J.

Retention of Records

 

  5.

The Firm shall maintain the following records via the SCT system as required under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act:

 

  1.

a copy of any Code of Ethics in effect within the most recent five years;

 

  2.

a list of all Supervised Persons required to make reports hereunder within the most recent five years and a list of all Supervised Persons who were responsible for reviewing the reports, as shall be updated by the Review Officer of the Firm;

 

  3.

a copy of each report made by an Access Person hereunder and submitted to the Firm’s Review Officer for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it was made;

 

  4.

each memorandum made by the Review Officer of the Firm hereunder for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it was made;

 

  5.

a record of any violation under the Code of Ethics and any action taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;

 

  6.

a record of all written acknowledgements as required by Rule 204A-1(a)(5) for each Person who is currently, or in the past five years was, a Supervised Person of the Firm;

 

  7.

a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities by Access Persons under Rule 204A-1(c), for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted; and

 

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  8.

a copy of every report provided to the Firm’s Board of Managers or a fund’s Board which describes any issues arising under the Code of Ethics and certifies that the Firm has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics.

 

IX.

DEFINITIONS

 

  1.

“Access Person” means any Manager, officer, general partner or Advisory Representative of the Firm. As the nature and philosophy of the Firm tends to expose a large range of Supervised Persons to client information, all Supervised Persons are treated as Access Persons. Supervised Persons that are subject to another code of ethics that has been reviewed and approved by the Review Officer are not subject to the Access Person requirements of this Code.

 

  2.

“Advisory Representative” means any Supervised Person, who in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, normally makes, participates in, or otherwise obtains current information regarding the Purchase or Sale of a Security by the Firm, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales, and any natural Person in a Control relationship to the Firm who obtains information concerning recommendations made concerning a Purchase or Sale of a Security. This definition includes but is not limited to the following: partner, officer, Manager, investment person, Portfolio Manager and any other Supervised Person of the Firm designated as an “Advisory Representative” from time to time by the Review Officer.

 

  3.

“Affiliated Person” of another Person means (a) any Person directly or indirectly owning, Controlling, or holding with power to vote, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding voting securities of such other person; (b) any Person five percent (5%) or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, Controlled, or held with power to vote, by such other person; (c) any Person directly or indirectly Controlling, Controlled by, or under common Control with, such other person; (d) any officer, director, partner, copartner, or associate of such other person; (e) if such other Person is an investment company, any investment adviser thereof or any member of an advisory board thereof; and (f) if such other Person is an unincorporated investment company not having a board of directors, the depositor thereof.

 

  4.

“Affiliated Fund” means any investment vehicle registered under the Investment Company Act which the Firm or an Affiliated Person acts as manager, adviser or sub-adviser.

 

  5.

“Beneficial Ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), in determining whether a Person is the beneficial owner of a Security for purposes of Section 16 of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, that, generally speaking, encompasses those situations where the beneficial owner has the right to enjoy a direct or indirect economic

 

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  benefit from the ownership of the Security. A Person is normally regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in (i) the name of his or her spouse, domestic partner, minor children, or other relatives living in his or her household; (ii) a trust, estate or other account in which he/she has a present or future interest in the income, principal or right to obtain title to the securities; or (iii) the name of another Person or entity by reason of any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement whereby he or she obtains benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership.

 

  6.

“Control” means the power to exercise a Controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company. Any Person who owns beneficially, either directly or through one or more Controlled companies, more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting securities of a company shall be presumed to Control such company. Any Person who does not so own more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting securities of any company shall be presumed not to Control such company. A natural Person shall be presumed not to be a Control person.

 

  7.

“Exchange Traded Fund (“ETF”)” means a portfolio of securities that trades throughout the day on an exchange. A closed-end fund is not an ETF.

 

  8.

“Firm” means TSW, an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Advisers Act.

 

  9.

“Firm Managed Fund” means any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act or pooled investment vehicle for which the Firm acts as investment adviser or sub-adviser.

 

  10.

“Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

 

  11.

“Investment Personnel” means (a) any Portfolio Manager of the Firm; (b) any associate of the Firm (or of any company in a Control relationship to a fund or the Firm) who, in connection with his regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Firm, including securities analysts, traders and marketing Supervised Persons; or (c) any Person who Controls a fund or the Firm and who obtains information concerning recommendations made to any Portfolio regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Portfolio.

 

  12.

“Limited Offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) or Rules 504, 505 or 506 under the Securities Act. Limited offerings are commonly referred to as private placements.

 

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  13.

“Maintenance Trades” (also called “Non-Rotational Trades”) refer to any trades effected by Portfolio Managers for specific accounts including those in “SMA” accounts. Maintenance trades typically occur to get Portfolios in line with guidelines, raise cash for specific purposes, etc. These are not to be confused with Firm-wide block trades (also called “Rotational Trades” which affect large numbers of accounts at one time.

 

  14.

“Management Company” refers to investment advisers that are subsidiaries of, or organizations otherwise affiliated with, Pendal.

 

  15.

“Manager” refers to individual member of the Board of Managers.

 

  16.

“Person” means a natural Person or a company.

 

  17.

“Personal Securities Transactions” means any transaction in a Security pursuant to which an Access Person would have a Beneficial Ownership interest with the exception of obligations of the U.S. Government, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, money market fund shares, commercial paper, high quality short-term debt instruments and registered open-end investment companies, none of which are funds advised or sub-advised by the Firm.

 

  18.

“Portfolio” means any account, trust or other investment vehicle over which the Firm has investment management discretion.

 

  19.

“Portfolio Manager” means an associate of the Firm entrusted with the direct responsibility and authority to make investment decisions affecting the Portfolios or Firm Managed Funds.

 

  20.

“Primary Product” or “Primary Strategy” means any long-only equity strategy and fixed income strategy (and thus excludes long/short strategies) offered to outside clients and described in TSW’s Form ADV.

 

  21.

“Purchase or Sale of a Security” includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Security.

 

  22.

“Reportable Account” means any account held at a broker, dealer or bank with which an Access Person maintains Beneficial Ownership in any Security and for any account held at a broker, dealer, bank or other entity for which an Access Person has the ability to obtain Beneficial Ownership of any Security. All Securities accounts which hold or could hold Securities should be reported—those are all considered Reportable Accounts.

 

  23.

“Reportable Security” shall include any Firm Managed Fund and commodities contracts as defined in Section 2(a)(1)(A) of the Commodity Exchange Act. This definition includes but is not limited to futures contracts on equity indices.

 

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“Reportable Security” means any stock, bond, future, investment contract or any other instrument that is considered a “Reportable Security” or “Covered Security” under the Investment Company Act. The term “Reportable Security” is very broad and includes items you might not ordinarily think of as “Reportable Securities,” including:

 

   

Options on securities, on indexes and on currencies (options on securities defined as one option contract covering 100 shares of stock);

 

   

All kinds of limited partnerships;

 

   

Foreign unit trusts and foreign mutual funds;

 

   

Private investment funds, hedge funds, and investment clubs;

 

   

ETF’s, iShares and unit investment trusts; and

 

   

Closed-end Funds.

“Reportable Security” specifically does not include:

 

   

Direct obligations of the U.S. Government;

 

   

Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high-quality short-term debt obligations (including repurchase agreements);

 

   

Shares issued by money market funds; and

 

   

Shares of open-end funds, none of which are Affiliated Funds or Firm Managed Funds.

Any question as to whether a particular investment constitutes a “Reportable Security” should be referred to the Review Officer.

 

  24.

“Restricted List” is an actively monitored list of Securities being considered for purchase or sale by any equity and/or international Portfolios or funds.

 

  25.

“Review Officer” refers to the personnel, appointed and approved by the Firm’s Board of Managers to oversee its COE, or a designee appointed by the Chief Compliance Officer. In most cases, the Review Officer will be the CCO or a designee but will vary based on the circumstances.

 

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  26.

Security(ies)” means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act and includes any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security”, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.

 

  27.

Supervised Person” means:

 

   

Any Manager or officer of the Firm (or other Person occupying a similar status or performing a similar function);

 

   

Any other associate of the Firm;

 

   

Any other Person who provides advice on behalf of the Firm and is subject to the Firm’s supervision and Control; and

 

   

Any temporary worker, consultant, independent contractor, certain Supervised Persons of affiliates of the Firm or any particular Person designated by the Review Officer.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC

Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc.

and WestEnd Advisors, LLC

 

 

Effective January 1, 2022

Previously updated: June 1, 2021


Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

1.

  Introduction      1  

2.

  Definitions      2  

3.

  Culture of Compliance      4  

4.

  Policy Statement on Insider Trading      5  

A.

 

Introduction

     5  

B.

 

Scope of the Policy Statement

     5  

C.

 

What is Material Information?

     5  

D.

 

What is Non-Public Information?

     6  

E.

 

Identifying Inside Information

     6  

F.

 

Contact with Public Companies

     7  

G.

 

Tender Offers

     7  

H.

 

Protecting Sensitive Information

     7  

I.

 

Trading in Securities Listed on Exchanges in Other Countries

     7  

J.

 

Public Company Confidential Records

     7  

5.

  Conflicts of Interest      8  

A.

 

Gifts and Entertainment

     8  

B.

 

Political Contributions

     9  

C.

 

Outside Business Activities

     10  

D.

 

Other Prohibitions on Conduct

     11  

E.

 

Review of Employee Communications

     11  

6.

  Standards of Business Conduct      12  

7.

  Personal Trading, Code of Ethics Reporting and Certifications      12  

A.

 

Employee Investment Accounts

     12  

B.

 

Employee Investment Account Reporting

     13  

C.

 

Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions

     14  

D.

 

Representation and Warranties

     17  

E.

 

Quarterly and Annual Certifications of Compliance

     17  


Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

F.

 

Review Procedures

     18  

G.

 

Recordkeeping

     18  

H.

 

Whistleblower Provisions

     18  

I.

 

Confidentiality

     18  

J.

 

Reporting to the Board of Directors of Affiliated Funds

     18  

8.

  Code of Ethics Violation Guidelines      18  

Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Products & Reportable Funds

     i  

Appendix 2 – Approved Brokers List

     ii  

Appendix 3 – Investment Account Disclosure

     iii  

Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities

     iv  

Appendix 5 – ETFs Eligible for De Minimis Transaction Exemption

     vi  

Supplement 1 - RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited Code of Ethics Supplement (“Hong Kong Supplement”)

     vii  

Supplement 2 - RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (“RSIMS”) Code of Ethics Supplement (“Singapore Supplement”)

     x  


Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

1.

INTRODUCTION

Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) requires all investment advisers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to adopt codes of ethics that set forth standards of conduct and require compliance with federal securities laws. Victory Capital Management Inc. (“VCM”) and WestEnd Advisors, LLC (“WestEnd”) are both registered investment advisers under the Advisers Act and also both wholly owned subsidiaries of Victory Capital Holdings, Inc. (“VCH”). WestEnd and VCM, together with VCM’s subsidiaries, RS Investments (UK) Limited, RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, and RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (collectively the “Affiliated Advisers”), have adopted this Code of Ethics (“Code”), which sets forth the standards of business conduct that are required of Access Persons. As an adviser to regulated investment companies, VCM also adopts this Code in adherence to Rule 17j-11 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Officers and employees of RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited and RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. should also review the related Code supplements.

VCH is a Delaware corporation with its Class A common stock listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, under the ticker symbol “VCTR.” As a public company, compliance policies were adopted that apply to VCH and the Affiliated Advisers (collectively “Victory Capital’). The VCH policies are in addition to the compliance program of the Affiliated Advisers. In particular, the policies that apply to Victory Capital include: (1) Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, (2) Corporate Communications Policy and (3) Insider Trading Policy. Affiliated Advisers make these policies readily available to their Access Persons.

Victory Capital Services, Inc. (“VCS”), a Victory Capital affiliate, is a registered broker-dealer and principal underwriter of VCM’s Affiliated Funds (defined herein) and has adopted this Code in compliance with Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act. Victory Capital Transfer Agent, Inc., also a Victory Capital affiliate, is the registered transfer agent for the USAA Mutual Funds and certain Victory Funds. Certain Access Persons service USAA Mutual Fund direct accounts through a dedicated Contact Center. Victory Capital is not affiliated with United Services Automobile Association (“USAA”) or its affiliates.

Access Persons have a responsibility to adhere to the highest ethical principles. Thus, the Code imposes obligations in addition to those required under applicable laws and regulations. The Code is a minimum standard of conduct. Additionally, Access Persons must act in accordance with their fiduciary duty owed to Affiliated Adviser clients. Therefore, literal compliance with the Code will not protect an Access Persons if their behavior otherwise violates their fiduciary duty. If an Access Person is uncertain as to the intent or purpose of any provision of the Code, or whether a proposed action is compatible with their fiduciary duty, they should consult the appropriate Affiliated Adviser Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) or a member of the Compliance team.

The Affiliated Advisers recognize the importance of an Access Person’s ability to manage and develop their own and their dependents’ financial resources through long-term investments and strategies. However, because of the potential conflicts of interest inherent in our business and our industry, the Affiliated Advisers have implemented certain standards and limitations designed to minimize these conflicts.

Victory Capital’s reputation is of paramount importance; therefore, the Affiliated Advisers will not tolerate blemishes due to careless personal trading or other conduct prohibited by the Code. Consequently, Material Violations (as defined herein) of the Code may be subject to harsh sanctions. Frequent violations of the Code may result in limitations on personal securities trading or other disciplinary actions, which can include termination of employment.

 

1 

Rule 17j-1 requires that fund advisers adopt written codes of ethics and have procedures in place to prevent their personnel from abusing their access to information about the fund’s securities trading and requires “access persons” to submit reports periodically containing information about their personal securities holdings and transactions.

 

Copyright © 2022, Victory Capital Management Inc.    Page 1 of 20


Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

2.

DEFINITIONS

“Access Person” means any employee of VCM. It also includes anyone deemed an Access Person by a CCO. As a matter of practice, the Board of Directors of the USAA Mutual Funds Trust, Victory Portfolios, Victory Portfolios II and Victory Variable Insurance Funds (collectively the “Victory Funds”) generally consists of members who are not employees or officers of Victory Capital, or their affiliates. Unless designated by the COO, a non-employee director is not treated as an “access person” within the meaning of Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and is not treated as either an “access person” or an “advisory person” of VCM.

“Affiliated Funds” means any individual series portfolio of the USAA Mutual Funds Trust, Victory Portfolios, Victory Portfolios II and Victory Variable Insurance Funds, as well as other sub-advised affiliates listed in Appendix 1, each an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act.

Automatic or Periodic Investment Plan” is a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

“Beneficial Interest” means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to profit, or share in any profit derived from, a transaction in the subject Securities. An Access Person is deemed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities owned by members of his or her Immediate Family. Common examples of Beneficial Interest include joint accounts, spousal accounts (including Non-Victory Capital Employee Compensation Programs, Non-Victory Capital Employee Stock Participation Program, and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan Accounts), Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, partnerships, trusts and controlling interests in corporations. Any uncertainty as to whether an Access Person has a Beneficial Interest in a Security should be brought to the attention of the Compliance Department. Such questions will be resolved in accordance with, and this definition shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with, the definition of “beneficial owner” set forth in Rules 16a-1(a)(2) and (5) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

“Blackout Period” means seven (7) calendar days before through three (3) calendar days after the date a client trade is executed for VCM or the month in which a security is added to the Securities Under Consideration list for WestEnd.

“Business Entertainment” includes any social event, hospitality event, charitable event, sporting event, entertainment event, meal, leisure activity or event of like nature or purpose, and any transportation or lodging accompanying or related to such activity or event, including any entertainment activity offered in connection with an educational event or business conference, irrespective of whether any business is conducted during, or is attendant to, such activity.

“Covered Government Official” means a 1) state or local governmental official; 2) candidate for state or local office; or 3) federal candidate currently holding state or local office. A governmental “official” includes an incumbent, candidate, or successful candidate for elective office of a state or local government entity, if the office is directly or indirectly responsible for, or can influence the outcome of, the hiring of an investment adviser, or has authority to appoint any person who is directly or indirectly responsible for, or can influence the outcome of, the hiring of an investment adviser, by a state or a political subdivision of a state.

De Minimis Security” means a security of an issuer with a market cap of $10 Billion or more at the time of purchase, In certain situations, a client trade in a De Minimis Security may not trigger a Blackout Period (see Section 7.C. Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions for more detailed information). Personal Trades in De Minimis Securities in Personal Accounts always require pre-clearance and are subject to all other provisions of the Code.

“Exempt Securities” means 1) direct obligations of the U.S. Government; 2) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit and commercial paper; 3) investment grade, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; 4) shares held in money market funds; 5) variable insurance products that invest in funds for which an Affiliated Adviser does not act as adviser or sub-adviser; 6) open-end mutual funds for which an Affiliated Advisers does not act as adviser or sub-adviser; and 7) investments in qualified tuition programs (“529 Plans”). Exempt Securities do not need to be pre-cleared.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

“Franchise” means a group of employees who report directly or indirectly to the same Chief Investment Officer that oversees a brand-named strategy

Immediate Family” means all family members who share the same household, including but not limited to, a spouse, domestic partner, fiancée, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, step-siblings, step-children, step-parents, or in-laws. Immediate Family includes adoptive relationships and any other relationships (whether or not recognized by law) that a CCO determines could lead to conflicts of interest, diversions of corporate opportunity or create the appearance of impropriety.

Initial Holdings Report” is a report that discloses all securities holdings of every Access Person, which must be submitted to the Compliance Department within ten (10) calendar days of becoming an Access Person.

Initial Public Offering” or “IPO” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before such registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

“Managed Accounts” means investment advisory or brokerage accounts over which an Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control in the investment decisions or activities.

Material Non-Public Information” or “MNPI” means information that is both material and non-public that might have an effect on the market for a security. Access Persons who possess MNPI must not act or cause others to act on such information.

“Material Violation” means any violation of this Code or other misconduct deemed material by a CCO, in conjunction with the Compliance Committee or the VCM Board of Directors.

Maximum Allowable Trades” means Access Persons are limited to 20 trades per calendar quarter across their Personal Accounts. A trade in the same security in multiple accounts on the same day will count as one trade towards the Maximum Allowable Trades in a quarter. Trades that do not require pre-clearance (i.e. open-end mutual funds, dividend reinvestments) will not count towards the Maximum Allowable Trades.

“MCO” means MyComplianceOffice, which is a web-based compliance system used to track and approve employee personal trading, gifts and entertainment, political contributions, and outside business activities, store policies, and facilitate employee certifications and manage other compliance objectives.

“Personal Account” means an investment account in which an employee retains investment discretion.

Personal Trading” or “Personal Trades” means trades or transactions by Access Persons in their Personal Accounts.

Proprietary Product is a fund or product in which Victory Capital or its employees have an aggregate of 25% or more Beneficial Interest. See Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Products & Reportable Funds for more information.

“Reportable Fund” means any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act for which an Affiliated Adviser is an investment adviser or a sub-adviser, or any registered investment company whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls Victory Capital, is controlled by Victory Capital, or is under common control with Victory Capital. See Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Products & Reportable Funds for more information.

Reportable Security” means any security that is not an Exempt Security, for which Access persons must submit holdings and transaction reports. See the list of Exempt Securities under Appendix 4, as defined by rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

RIC” means a Regulated Investment Company.

“Short-Sell” or “Short-Selling” means the sale of a security that is not owned by the seller. Access Persons may not take a short position in a security. However, mutual funds or ETFs that correspond to the inverse performance of a broad-based index are not considered to be Short-Sales. For example, buying (long) the ProShares Short S&P500 ETF is permitted. Employees may also trade in funds that track a volatility index.

“Solutions Team” means any employee who is a member of the Solutions Platform group, generally involved in passive investments.

Victory Capital Stock” means securities offered by VCH or any subsidiary through a registration statement that has been declared effective by the SEC (e.g. “VCTR”).

 

3.

CULTURE OF COMPLIANCE

The Affiliated Advisers’ primary objective is to provide value through investment advisory, sub-advisory and other financial services to a wide range of clients, including governments, corporations, financial institutions, high net worth individuals, pension funds, and retail clients.

The Affiliated Advisers require that all dealings on behalf of existing and prospective clients be handled with honesty, integrity and high ethical standards, and that such dealings adhere to the letter and the spirit of applicable laws, regulations and contractual guidelines. As a general matter, the Affiliated Advisers are fiduciaries that owe their clients a duty of undivided loyalty, and you have a responsibility to act in a manner consistent with this duty. You must actively work to avoid the possibility that the advice or services provided to clients is, or gives the appearance of being, based on your self-interest or the interests of the Affiliated Advisers and not in the clients’ best interests. Violations of the Code must be reported promptly to the appropriate CCO or his/her designee.

You must act solely in the best interests of our clients. Statutory and regulatory requirements impose specific responsibilities governing the behavior of personnel in carrying out their responsibilities to clients and you must comply fully with these rules and regulations. Your respective Compliance Department professionals are available to assist you in meeting these requirements.

Since no set of rules can anticipate every possible situation, it is essential that you obtain guidance from the appropriate CCO, Chief Legal Officer (“CLO”), or their designees when you are unsure how to follow these rules in letter and in spirit. It is your responsibility to fully understand and comply with the Code and other applicable policies or seek guidance from a CCO. Technical compliance with the Code and its procedures will not necessarily validate an action. Any activity that compromises the Affiliated Advisers integrity, even if it does not expressly violate a rule, may result in further action from a CCO. In some instances, a CCO holds discretionary authority to apply exceptions under the Code. In a CCO’s absence, the CLO may act in his or her place.

The Affiliated Advisers’ fiduciary responsibilities apply to a broad range of investment and related activities, including sales and marketing, portfolio management, securities trading, allocation of investment opportunities, client service, operations support, performance measurement and reporting, new product development as well as personal investing activities. These obligations include the duty to avoid material conflicts of interest (and, if this is not possible, to provide full and fair disclosure to clients in communications), to keep accurate books and records, and to supervise personnel appropriately. These concepts are further described in the sections that follow.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

4.

POLICY STATEMENT ON INSIDER TRADING

 

  A.

Introduction

The Affiliated Advisers seek to foster a culture of compliance, a reputation for integrity, professionalism and values, and endeavors to protect the confidence and trust placed in us by our clients. To further that goal, this Policy Statement implements procedures to deter the misuse of MNPI in securities transactions.

The term “insider trading” is not defined in the federal securities laws but refers generally to the situation when a person trades while aware of MNPI or communicates MNPI to others in breach of a duty of trust or confidence.

While the law concerning insider trading is not static, it is generally understood that the law prohibits any of the following:

 

   

Trading by an insider, while aware of MNPI;

 

   

Trading by a non-insider, while aware of MNPI, where the information was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider’s duty to keep it confidential; or

 

   

Communicating MNPI to others in breach of a duty of trust or confidence.

Trading securities while in possession of MNPI or improperly communicating that information to others may result in stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include fines of up to $5,000,000, twenty years’ imprisonment, or both. The civil penalty for a violator may be an amount up to three times the profit (or loss avoided) as a result of the insider trading violation, and a permanent bar from working in the securities industry. Investors may sue and seek to recover damages for insider trading violations.

Regardless of whether a regulatory inquiry occurs, the Affiliated Advisers take seriously any violation of this Policy Statement. Such violations constitute grounds for disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal.

 

  B.

Scope of the Policy Statement

This Policy Statement is drafted broadly and will be applied and interpreted in a similar manner. It applies to all Access Persons and to transactions in any security participated in by Immediate Family members of Access Persons or trusts or corporations controlled by Access Persons.

Any questions relating to this Policy Statement should be directed to a CCO or his/her designee. You must notify compliance immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Policy Statement has occurred or is about to occur.

 

  C.

What is Material Information?

Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information relied upon is deemed to be material. “Material” information is defined generally as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s securities. If the disclosure of that information would be expected to alter the total mix of information that is publicly available about that company, then the information is considered material. Any questions about whether information is material should be directed to a member of compliance.

 

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Material information often relates to a company’s financial results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earning results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments. Information about a company could be material because of its expected effect on a particular class of the company’s securities, all of the company’s securities, the securities of another company, or the securities of several companies. Material information does not have to relate to a company’s business. For example, in Carpenter v. U.S., the Supreme Court considered as material certain information about the contents of a forthcoming newspaper column that was expected to affect the market price of a security. In that case, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal was found criminally liable for disclosing to others the dates that reports on various companies would appear in the Journal and whether those reports would be favorable or not.

 

  D.

What is Non-Public Information?

For issues concerning insider trading to arise, information must not only be material, it must also be “non-public”. Non-public information is information that has not been made available to investors generally. Information received in circumstances indicating that it is not yet in general circulation or where the recipient knows or should know that the information could only have been provided by an “insider” is also deemed non-public information. For non-public information to become public information, it must be disseminated through recognized channels of distribution designed to broadly reach the securities marketplace.

Facts verifying that the information is public (and therefore has become generally available) may include, for example, and without limitation, disclosure in:

 

   

National business and financial wire service, such as Dow Jones or Reuters;

 

   

National news service or newspaper, such as AP or The Wall Street Journal; or

 

   

Publicly disseminated disclosure document, such as a proxy statement or prospectus.

The circulation of rumors or “talk on the street”, even if accurate, widespread and reported in the media, does not constitute the requisite public disclosure. In addition, the information must not only be publicly disclosed, there must also be adequate time for the market to digest the information. Material non-public information is not made public by selective dissemination. Material information improperly disclosed only to institutional investors or to a fund analyst or a favored group of analysts retains its status as “non-public” information that must not be disclosed or otherwise misused.

Partial disclosure does not constitute public dissemination. So long as any material component of the “inside” information has yet to be publicly disclosed, the information is deemed non-public and may not be misused.

 

  E.

Identifying Inside Information

Before executing any Personal Trades or trades for client accounts, Access Persons must determine whether they have access to MNPI. If you believe that you might have access to MNPI, you should take the following steps:

 

   

Report the information and proposed trade immediately to a CCO or a member of compliance;

 

   

Do not purchase or sell the securities as Personal Trades or for clients without written clearance to do so from a CCO or a member of compliance; and

 

   

Do not communicate the information inside other than to compliance and, if necessary, your direct manager.

A member of the Compliance Department will determine whether the information is material and non-public.

 

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  F.

Contact with Public Companies

The Affiliated Advisers contact with public companies may help form the basis of investment decisions. Legal issues may arise if, in the course of these contacts, you become aware of MNPI. This could happen, for example, if a company’s chief financial officer were to prematurely disclose quarterly results, or an investor relations representative selectively discloses adverse news to a handful of investors.

 

  G.

Tender Offers

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons. First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company’s securities. Trading during this time is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC forbids trading and “tipping” while in possession of MNPI regarding the receipt of a tender offer, the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either of these parties. You should exercise caution any time you become aware of non-public information relating to a tender offer.

 

  H.

Protecting Sensitive Information

You are responsible for safeguarding all confidential information relating to investment research, fund and client holdings, including analyst research reports, investment meeting discussions or notes, and current fund or client transaction information, regardless whether such information is deemed MNPI. Other types of information (for example, marketing plans, employment issues and shareholder identities) may also be confidential and should not be shared with individuals outside the company unless approved by a CCO or an executive officer.

You are expressly prohibited from knowingly spreading any false rumor concerning any company, or any purported market development, that is designed to impact trading in or the price of that company’s or any other company’s securities, and from engaging in any other type of activity that constitutes illegal market manipulation.

 

  I.

Trading in Securities Listed on Exchanges in Other Countries

Trading in securities listed on exchanges in other countries is governed by the laws of that country. When trading in such securities, you must ensure compliance with applicable law, which in all relevant cases prohibits trading on the basis of MNPI or price-sensitive information, as those terms are defined in the relevant jurisdiction.

 

  J.

Public Company Confidential Records

VCH’s and Affiliated Adviser records must always be treated as confidential and must not be disclosed or used for any purpose at any time other than for the normal course of business. Information learned about other entities in a special relationship with VCH, such as acquisition, joint venture and partnership negotiations, is confidential and must not be disclosed without proper authorization.

At all times, you are prohibited from making any recommendation or expressing any opinion as to trading in Victory Capital Stock

See VCH’s Corporate Communications Policy and Insider Trading Policy for more information.

 

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5.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

A “conflict of interest” exists when your interests may be contrary to our client and shareholders interests. A conflict may arise if you takes action or have business, financial or other interests that may make it difficult to perform your work objectively and effectively.

Conflicts of interest may arise, for example, if you or your Immediate Family member receives improper personal benefits (for example, personal loans, services, or payment for services) as a result of your position at an Affiliated Adviser or you gain personal enrichment or benefits through access to confidential information. Conflicts may also arise if you or an Immediate Family member holds a financial interest in a company that does business with an Affiliated Adviser or has outside business interests that may result in divided loyalties or compromised independent judgment. Conflicts may also arise when making securities investments for Proprietary Products or Personal Accounts or when determining how to allocate trading opportunities.

Conflicts of interest can arise in many common situations, despite best efforts to avoid them. This Code does not attempt to identify all possible conflicts of interest. Literal compliance with each of the specific procedures will not shield you from liability for Personal Trading or other conduct that violates your fiduciary duties to clients. You are encouraged to seek clarification of, and discuss questions about, potential conflicts of interest. Any questions regarding a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest should be directed to a manager, a CCO or a representative of compliance.

The following areas represent many common types of conflicts of interests and the procedures to be followed; however, the list is not intended to be all-inclusive. A summary is provided for each case, but further details can be found in the related policies and procedures for your specific Affiliated Adviser. To the extent there is a conflict between an Affiliated Adviser’s related policies and procedures and the requirements of the Code, the Code shall prevail. For questions related to conflicts of interest, please contact a member of your Affiliated Adviser’s compliance department.

 

  A.

Gifts and Entertainment

Gifts

Giving or receiving gifts or other items of value to or from persons doing business or seeking to do business with an Affiliated Adviser could call into question the independence of its judgment as a fiduciary of its clients. Accordingly, such conduct is only permitted in accordance with the limitations stated herein.

Affiliated Adviser policies on gifts and entertainment are derived from industry practices. You should be aware that there are various laws and regulations that prohibit you from giving anything of value to employees of various financial institutions in connection with attempts to obtain any business transaction with the institution, which is viewed as a form of bribery. If there is any question about the appropriateness of any particular gift, you should consult a member of compliance.

Under no circumstances may a gift be received as any form of compensation for services provided by an Affiliated Adviser or an Access Person. Gifts of nominal value may be given to or accepted from present or prospective customers, brokers, service providers, suppliers or vendors with whom there is an actual or potential business relationship. You are required to promptly report all gifts given in excess of $50 in the Affiliated Adviser’s expense reporting system. Any gifts received in excess of $50 must promptly be disclosed in MCO. Gifts from an individual or entity may not exceed $100 in aggregate value in any calendar year unless approval is obtained from your direct manager and compliance.

 

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Gifts of up to $100 per person per year may be provided to present or prospective customers, brokers, service providers, suppliers or vendors with whom there is an actual or potential business relationship.

Additional policies concerning gifts may be applicable depending on the type of customer (e.g., ERISA, foreign, union, government officials, or Covered Government Officials).

Please refer to the Gifts and Entertainment Policy (F-3) for more information.

Entertainment

You may sponsor and participate in Reasonable and Customary Business Entertainment. Any Business Entertainment that is not Reasonable and Customary must be pre-approved by a CCO and your manager. You must accompany the persons being entertained for an entertainment activity to qualify as permissible Business Entertainment. All Business Entertainment expenses must be reported promptly in the applicable expense reporting system, listing each attendee at the entertainment event. The receipt of Business Entertainment in excess of $50 per occurrence per employee must be disclosed promptly after each occurrence in MCO. If the client, broker, service provider, vendor or supplier is not present, the entertainment is considered a gift. Items that are normally associated with entertainment that are given or received during a virtual event can be considered entertainment as long as the appropriate parties are in attendance at the virtual event.

Additional policies concerning gifts and entertainment may be applicable depending on the type of customer (e.g., ERISA, foreign, union, government officials, or Covered Government Officials).

Please refer to the Gifts and Entertainment Policy (F-3) for more information.

 

  B.

Political Contributions

SEC regulations limit political contributions to Covered Government Officials by employees of investment advisory firms and certain affiliated companies. The SEC’s “Pay-to-Play” Rule 206(4)-5 (the “Rule”) prohibits advisers from receiving any compensation for providing investment advice to a government entity within two years after a contribution has been made by the adviser or one of its covered associates. The two-year time out is triggered by a political contribution to an official of a government entity. The date of the contribution starts the time out.

The Rule permits contributions of up to $350 per person for any election to an elected official or candidate for whom the individual is entitled to vote, and up to $150 per person for any election to an elected official or candidate for whom the individual is not entitled to vote. Many U.S. cities, states and other government entities have also adopted regulations restricting political contributions by associates of investment management firms seeking to provide services to a governmental entity. While contributions to candidates in federal elections would generally not raise any issues under state or local laws, contributions to state and local officials may not be approved depending on the circumstances. Prior to the commencement of employment, you must disclose all political contributions in the past 2 years to Human Resources. During employment, you must receive approval from compliance through MCO before making personal political contributions at all levels. Political contributions which require pre-approval include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

   

Covered Government Officials;

 

   

Federal candidate campaigns and affiliated committees;

 

   

Political Action Committees (PACs) and Super PACs; and

 

   

Non-profit organizations that may engage in political activities, such as 501(c)(4), 501(c)(6) organizations, and 527 organizations

Note: U.S. national political party donations (e.g. Democratic or Republican) do not require pre-clearance.

 

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Contributions include:

 

   

Monetary contributions, gifts or loans;

 

   

“In kind” contributions (e.g. donations of goods or services or underwriting or hosting fundraisers);

 

   

Contributions to help pay a debt incurred in connection with an election (including transition or inaugural expenses, purchasing tickets to inaugural events);

 

   

Contributions to joint fund-raising committees; or

 

   

Contributions made by a PAC that is controlled by an Access Person.

See the Political Contributions Policy (F-2) for more information.

 

  C.

Outside Business Activities

Prior to commencement of employment with VCM, all Outside Business Activities (“OBAs”) must be disclosed to Human Resources. During employment and prior to commencement of any new OBA, you must fill out and submit an OBA request form in MCO. You are responsible for notifying compliance of any material OBA changes and must review, update and certify quarterly to your OBA activities.

Holding Political Office/Appointments

You must avoid any political appointment that may conflict with the performance of your duties on behalf of the Affiliated Advisers and their clients Prior written approval must be obtained from a CCO before holding political office and, if approved, must be confirmed annually through the compliance certification process. You must expressly remove yourself from any discussions and decisions regarding products or services offered by the Affiliated Advisers.

Outside Employment or Business Activities

You may pursue other interests on your own time as long as the activity doesn’t conflict, interfere, or reflect negatively on the Affiliated Advisers or their clients. However, full-time employees should consider their position to be their primary employment.

All outside business activities must be reported to and pre-approved by both your manager and a CCO. Outside employment or business activities may be considered any activity conducted by you for another organization or business purpose that is outside the scope of your job function with the Affiliated Advisers. This includes, but is not limited to, being an employee, independent contractor, consultant, sole proprietor, officer, director or partner of another organization, or being compensated by, or having the reasonable expectation of compensation from, any other person or organization as a result of any business activity outside the scope of the relationship with the Affiliated Advisers. Certain activities are not considered reportable OBAs, including any non-investment related activity that is exclusively charitable, civic, religious or fraternal, and is recognized as tax exempt.

Passive investments requirements are governed by the Limited Offerings and Private Placement sections of this Code. If you are unsure if a specific activity is an OBA or passive investment, you should consults with a member of compliance.

Absent prior approval of a CCO and the Chief Executive Officer, you or your Immediate Family member may not serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company or investment company. You are your Immediate Family member’s service on a for-profit private company’s board of directors must also be pre-approved by your direct manager and a CCO or CLO, and reported on the your annual Code certification.

 

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All outside employment or business activities must be reported to and pre-approved by both the your direct manager and a CCO and reported on your quarterly certification. You are prohibited from the commencement of any outside employment or business activities until a CCO’s approval within MCO has occurred.

In addition to these outside employment or business activity procedures, if you are a registered representatives of VCS, you must also adhere to related requirements as set forth in VCS’s Written Supervisory Procedures Manual.

See the Outside Business Activity Policy (F-4) for more information.

Bequests

A bequest is the act of leaving or giving something of value in a will. The acceptance of a bequest from a client, vendor or business partner may raise questions about the propriety of that relationship. Any potential or actual bequest in excess of $100 made to you by a client, vendor, or business partner under a will or trust agreement must be reported to compliance. Such bequests shall be subject to the approval of your direct manage and a CCO.

 

  D.

Other Prohibitions on Conduct

In addition to the specific prohibitions detailed elsewhere in the Code, you are subject to a general requirement not to engage or participate in any act or practice that would defraud Affiliated Adviser clients. This general prohibition includes, among other things:

 

   

Making any untrue statement of a material fact or employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a client;

 

   

Omitting to state a material fact, or failing to provide any information necessary to properly clarify any statements made, in light of the circumstances, thereby creating a materially misleading impression;

 

   

Misuse of client confidential information;

 

   

Making investment decisions, changing internal research ratings and trading decisions other than exclusively for the benefit and in the best interest of our clients;

 

   

Using information about investment or trading decisions or changes in research ratings (whether considered, proposed or made) to benefit or avoid economic injury to an Access Person or anyone other than our clients.

 

   

Taking, delaying or failing to take any action with respect to any research recommendation, report or rating or any investment or trading decision for a client in order to avoid economic injury to an Access Person or anyone other than a client;

 

   

Purchasing or selling a security on the basis of knowledge of a possible trade by or for a client with the intent of personally profiting from personal holdings in the same or related securities (“front-running” or “scalping”);

 

   

Revealing to any other person (except in the normal course of an your duties on behalf of a client) any information regarding securities transactions by any client or the consideration by any client of any such securities transactions; or

 

   

Engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on a client or engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to any client.

 

  E.

Review of Employee Communications

All correspondence related to the Affiliated Advisers’ business and any client correspondence is subject to review by compliance. The Affiliated Advisers are required to maintain original records of employee correspondence that is communicated on approved devices (such as through email). In addition, the Affiliated Advisers are required to monitor employee communications and compliance

 

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with conflicts of interest and insider trading policies and procedures. Consequently, all employee communications, including emails and other forms of electronic communication for are archived and subject to review for compliance purposes. You are advised that you should have no expectation of privacy regarding personal communications that are sent or received on company-provided or connected electronic devices or communication platforms, such as instant messages or emails.

Additionally, you are prohibited from sending client communications via any personal email account, instant messaging, text or other method that is not captured in our archiving system. You may only use an Affiliated Adviser’s e-mail system, instant messaging system, Bloomberg and other explicitly approved methods for business-related communications. You are permitted to communicate on an Affiliated Adviser’s e-mail system connected through personal mobile devices such as smartphones. See the appropriate technology policy for more information.

 

6.

STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

 

   

You have a duty to place the interests of client accounts first and not take advantage of your position at the expense of clients

 

   

You must not mislead or defraud any clients by any statement, act or manipulative practice.

 

   

All personal securities transactions must be conducted in a manner to avoid any actual, potential, or appearance of, a conflict of interest, or any abuse of your position of trust and responsibility.

 

   

You may not induce or cause a client to take action, or not to take action, for personal benefit.

 

   

You may not share portfolio holdings information except as permitted by the applicable portfolio holdings disclosure policy. See the policy for more information.

 

   

You must notify a CCO or CLO, as soon as reasonably practical, if you are arrested, arraigned, indicted or plead no contest or guilty to any criminal offense (other than minor traffic violations) or if named as a defendant in any investment-related civil proceeding or any administrative or disciplinary action.

 

7.

PERSONAL TRADING, CODE OF ETHICS REPORTING AND CERTIFICATIONS

Personal Trading is a privilege granted by the Affiliated Advisers that may be withdrawn at any time. The CCOs have complete discretion over all Personal Trading activity and have no obligation to explain any denial or restriction relating thereto. You may be required to disgorge any gains generated (or losses avoided) from Personal Trading violations. Access Persons must maintain adequate records of all Personal Trading transactions and be prepared to disclose those transactions to compliance.

 

  A.

Employee Investment Accounts

Subject to disclosure and pre-clearance requirements, Access Persons may open and maintain Managed Accounts and Personal Accounts with select brokers supported by MCO through direct electronic feeds (“Approved Brokers”). Any accounts held with a broker that is not on the Approved Broker List must be transferred to an Approved Broker within 90 days of the commencement of employment.

On a case-by-case basis, compliance may approve certain accounts held with brokers that are not on the Approved Brokers List. Compliance must still receive statements for each of these types of accounts, regardless of whether they are Managed or Personal Accounts.

For a list of Approved Brokers see Appendix 2 – Approved Brokers List. For a summary of account disclosure requirements see Appendix 3 – Investment Account Disclosure. For a summary of pre-clearance requirements see Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities.

 

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Managed Accounts

Access Persons may open and maintain Managed Accounts with Approved Brokers. With the exception of IPOs and Limited Offerings, the requirements listed below under Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions do not apply to Managed Accounts. Participation in an IPO or a private placement in a Managed Account still requires prior approval of a CCO or his/her designee.

Managed Accounts require the following:

 

   

They must be approved by compliance prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner;

 

   

At the end of each quarter, all employees must certify that all Managed Accounts have been disclosed and verify all transactions are correctly reflected in MCO;

 

   

The employee must certify and compliance must be able to independently verify that the account is truly discretionary; and

 

   

Access Persons must certify quarterly that they had no direct or indirect influence or control over any transactions that occurred in their Managed Accounts.

Failure to adhere to these requirements could lead to disciplinary actions and penalties up to and including termination.

Personal Accounts

Access Persons may open and maintain Personal Accounts with brokers on the Approved Brokers List. All requirements listed below under Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions apply to Personal Accounts.

Personal Accounts require the following:

 

   

They must be approved by compliance prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner;

 

   

At the end of each quarter, all employees must certify that all Personal Accounts have been disclosed and verify all Personal Trades or transactions are correctly reflected in MCO.

Access Persons acknowledge and agree that the Affiliated Advisers may request and obtain information regarding Personal Accounts from broker-dealers. Affiliated Advisers may use personal information, including name, address and social security numbers, to identify and verify employee accounts.

 

  B.

Employee Investment Account Reporting

Investment Account Disclosure

All Personal Accounts and Managed Accounts must be disclosed to and approved by compliance prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner. New Hires may not trade in their existing accounts until they have been disclosed and approved by compliance. By regulation, such disclosure must take place within 10 days of hire. Failure to comply may result in sanctions imposed by the VCM Compliance Committee and/or Board of Directors.

Initial Holdings Report/Annual Holdings Report

No Personal Trading will be authorized before compliance has received a completed Initial Holdings Report as part of the new hire on-boarding process. Any exceptions must be approved by a CCO. The Initial Holdings Report must be submitted to compliance within ten (10) calendar days of becoming an Access Person. All Access Persons must submit a similar report annually to compliance. These reports must include the following information:

 

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The date when the individual became an Access Person (Initial Holdings Report only);

 

   

The name of each Personal Account in which any securities are or could be held in the Beneficial Interest of the Access Person, and the name of the broker-dealer or financial institution holding these accounts;

 

   

Current holdings in private placements (or non-public offering), including private equity, hedge funds or partnerships; and

 

   

Each Reportable Security or Reportable Fund in which the Access Person has a Beneficial Interest, including title, number of shares, and principal amount. Holdings information must be current as of 45 calendar days before the report is submitted.

Quarterly Securities Transaction Report

At the end of each quarter, every Access Person must verify his or her Personal Trades or transactions in Personal Accounts through MCO by submitting a Securities Transaction Report (“STR”) no later than 30 calendar days following the end of each calendar quarter (whether or not trades were made). The STR must include:

 

   

A description of any transaction in a Reportable Security or Reportable Fund effected during the preceding quarter, such as the date, number of shares, principal amount of securities involved, nature of the transaction (i.e., a buy or a sell), price, and the name of the broker-dealer or financial institution that effected the transaction; and

 

   

The name and number for any account established in the preceding quarter, including the name and address of the broker-dealer or financial institution where the account is held and the date it was created.

Certain transactions are exempt from the quarterly reporting requirement. See “Summary of Pre-clearance Requirements” in Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities for more information.

 

  C.

Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions

Prohibited Securities and Transactions

Commodities, currencies, futures, options, and selling securities short are prohibited in Personal Accounts.

Investments in companies under common control of VCH are also prohibited in Personal Accounts.

Pre-clearance Requirement

Transactions that require pre-clearance are listed in Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities.

For transactions that require preclearance, you must obtain compliance approval prior to executing the transaction. Approval may only be requested by submitting a Personal Trade Pre-Clearance Request (“PTR”) in MCO. Compliance approval expires at the end of the trading day approval was provided (see exception granted to Covered Persons, as defined in VCH’s Insider Trading Policy).

In certain circumstances, an approved and executed Personal Trade may need to be broken or profits disgorged (e.g. a Blackout Period triggered by subsequent client trading).

Cryptocurrencies – Trading in cryptocurrencies must be pre-cleared using the appropriate section of the Trade Pre-Clearance form within MCO. Such trades must be executed either in an account at a firm that is on our approved broker list (see Appendix 2) or in an account that does not offer any security trading capability. Accounts established to trade cryptocurrencies that do not have security trading capabilities must be reported in MCO. Receiving pre-clearance approval does not relieve you of your fiduciary duty and their responsibility to follow the spirit of the Code.

 

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Compliance will review cryptocurrency trade requests for perceived or actual conflicts. As a general rule, compliance expects that cryptocurrencies traded on common crypto exchanges (e.g. Coinbase) will not pose a conflict and would be approved. Trades in cryptocurrencies will not be subject to the Short-Term Trading Period or count towards your Maximum Allowable Trades, however compliance may deny trades if it determines an actual or perceived conflict exists or an employee is trading too frequently. Decisions for approval and denial are the sole responsibility of compliance and are final.

You should be aware that the regulatory environment continues to evolve with respect to cryptocurrencies. In the future, you may be required to divest crypto holdings or hold them only at approved account providers if deemed necessary to meet regulatory requirements.

Prohibition on Personal Trades Ahead of Client Pending Orders

You are prohibited from executing Personal Trades in securities where you are aware of any pending orders in such securities by any Franchise that, if executed, would trigger a Blackout Period, create a conflict, or disadvantage a client. Adherence to the above Pre-Clearance Requirement does not provide relief from this prohibition.

Franchise Blackout Period

The Franchise Blackout Period is triggered by all client trades within an employee’s specific Franchise. There are no exceptions to the Franchise Blackout period. Therefore, a Personal Trade by a Franchise employee in the same name as a client trade of that employee’s Franchise during a Blackout Period is strictly prohibited.

Solutions Team Blackout Period

The Solutions Team Blackout Period is triggered by all Solutions Platform client trades. Therefore, a Personal Trade by a Solutions Team member during a Blackout Period in the same name as a Solutions Platform client is generally prohibited. Personal Trades in De Minimis Securities by Solutions Team members are not subject to the Solutions Team Blackout Period. The appropriate CCO, or his/her designee, may determine that a non-volitional client trade (e.g. cash flow trading) did not trigger a Blackout Period. In such cases, Compliance will confirm that there are no other potential conflicts before approving the Personal Trade.

The appropriate CCO, or his/her designee, may extend the Solutions Team Blackout Period beyond 10 days and apply it to employees outside of the Solutions Team during rebalance periods.

Standard Blackout Period

For all other employees (e.g. support staff), the Standard Blackout Period is triggered by all client trades. Therefore, a Personal Trade by an employee during a Blackout Period in the same name as any client is generally prohibited. Personal Trades in De Minimis Securities are not subject to the Standard Blackout Period. The appropriate CCO, or his/her designee, may determine that a non-volitional client trade (e.g. cash flow trading) did not trigger a Blackout Period. In such cases, Compliance will confirm that there are no other potential conflicts before approving the Personal Trade. Additionally, in certain situations (e.g. shared office spaces), the CCO, or his/her designee, may apply the Standard Blackout Period to Franchise or Solutions employees.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

Private Equity Prohibitions

Employees who are part of a franchise that invests in private equity on behalf of clients are prohibited from investing in any publicly-listed portfolio companies held by such franchise. Publicly-listed companies that are not portfolio companies but are in similar sectors and industries as those that are held will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for potential conflicts.

Short-Term Holding Period

Personal Trading must be for investment purposes rather than for speculation. You may not purchase and sell or sell and purchase the same security within sixty (60) calendar days, calculated on a LIFO basis. This means each purchase will require you to hold your entire position in that security for 60 days. Similarly, this means each sale will require you not to purchase that name for 60 days. Excess profits (or losses avoided) as a result of violating this restriction may be subject to disgorgement. You should carefully consider whether you have the conviction to hold an entire position or refrain from adding to a position for at least 60 days before engaging in buy or sell transactions. See exceptions related to trading in Victory Capital stock. The Short-Term Holding Period only applies to transactions that require pre-clearance.

The appropriate CCO, in his/her sole discretion, may approve exceptions to this requirement.

Maximum Allowable Trades

You are limited to 20 Personal Trades per calendar quarter across your Personal Accounts. A trade in the same security in multiple accounts on the same day will count as one trade. A CCO, in his/her sole discretion, may approve exceptions to this requirement.

Small Market Capitalization Securities

Personal Trading in smaller market capitalization stocks (e.g. less than $1 billion), especially any “microcap stocks”, is discouraged. Personal Trading by members of a Franchise in common holdings with clients, especially in low volume or low market capitalization stocks, could lead to a potential conflict of interest and therefore may be prohibited.

IPO Rule

You may not directly or indirectly acquire a Beneficial Interest in any securities offered in an IPO or in an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), in a Personal Account or Managed Account, without prior approval of a CCO or his/her designee.

Limited Offerings (Private Placements)

You may not acquire a Beneficial Interest in a private placement without the prior approval of a CCO or his/her designee. Prior approval is required whether investing directly or through a Personal Account or Managed Account. Private placements, such as investment in a private company, investments in a hedge fund or other private investment fund are reportable through the pre-clearance process. Subsequent capital contributions and full or partial redemptions must be pre-cleared through MCO.

Market Timing Mutual Fund Transactions

You shall not participate in any activity that may be construed as market timing of mutual funds. Specifically, you shall not engage in excessive trading or market timing activities as described in each prospectus of a Proprietary Products or Reportable Fund.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

Trading in Victory Capital Stock

Victory Capital Stock (VCTR) is a Reportable Security under the Code and any transaction in VCTR in a Personal Account must be precleared. You may be eligible for certain benefits related to VCTR, such as participation in the ESPP and grants of stock options or restricted stock. Certain transactions related to these benefits will require pre-clearance. For a summary of pre-clearance requirements for VCTR see Pre-Clearance Requirements for Victory Capital Stock under Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities. If you are uncertain whether a transaction requires pre-clearance, they should consult with compliance prior to trading.

VCTR transactions related to the above employee benefits will not trigger the Short-Term Holding Period in a Personal Account. Likewise, VCTR transactions in a Personal Account will not affect an employee’s ability to exercise such employee benefits.

Covered Persons, as defined in VCH’s Insider Trading Policy, will have 3 business days upon receipt of approval to effect transactions in VCTR.

 

  D.

Representations and Warranties

Each time you submit a PTR, you shall be deemed to make the following representations and warranties:

 

   

You are not in possession of any MNPI for the requested security;

 

   

You are not aware of any client trading in the same security during any Blackout Period to which you are subject

 

   

You have not traded the same position in the opposite direction, in the past 60 days (Mandatory Short-Term Holding Period);

 

  E.

Quarterly and Annual Certifications of Compliance

You are required to certify quarterly that you have disclosed all reportable:

 

  1.

Gifts and entertainment;

 

  2.

Outside Business Activities;

 

  3.

Political activity and contributions;

 

  4.

All Personal Trading Accounts, including Managed Accounts; and

 

  5.

Personal Trades.

You are required to certify annually to the following:

 

  1.

You have read, understand and complied with this Code and other related policies;

 

  2.

You have read, understand and complied with Victory Capital’s Corporate Information Protection and Technology Use Policy (A-8);

 

  3.

You have provided and verified all reportable holdings data; and

 

  4.

You have answered all additional questions and disclosures within the Annual Code of Ethics Certification in an accurate and truthful manner.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

  F.

Review Procedures

Compliance will maintain review procedures consistent with this Code.

 

  G.

Recordkeeping

All Code of Ethics records will be maintained pursuant to the provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act.

 

  H.

Whistleblower Provisions

If you believe that there has been a violation of this Code, you must promptly notify a CCO or CLO or report anonymously to the Ethics telephone hotline at 800-584-9055. You are protected from retaliation for reporting violations of this Code. Retaliation or the threat of retaliation against you for reporting a violation constitutes a further violation of this Code and may lead to immediate suspension and further sanctions. See the appropriate whistleblower policy for more information.

VCM is also responsible for communicating the Affiliated Funds’ whistleblower procedures to applicable employees. The Affiliated Funds have implemented procedures for receiving anonymous reports of suspected or actual violations of Affiliated Funds’ policies and questionable accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters. Call 866-844-3863 to initiate a report regarding an Affiliated Fund.

 

  I.

Confidentiality

All information obtained from any employee shall be kept in strict confidence, except when requested by the SEC or any other regulatory or self-regulatory organization, and may otherwise be disclosed to the extent required by law or regulation. Additionally, certain information may be provided to a broker-dealer, service provider or vendor, such as employee name, social security number and home address, in order to ascertain Personal Trading activity that is required to be disclosed by an Access Person.

 

  J.

Reporting to the Board of Directors of Affiliated Funds

At least annually, the appropriate Affiliated Advisers will provide the Board of Directors of Affiliated Funds with information regarding: 1) any Material Violations under this Code and any sanctions imposed as a response to such Material Violation; and 2) certification that it has adopted procedures necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Code.

 

8.

CODE OF ETHICS VIOLATION GUIDELINES

You are responsible for conducting your activities in accordance with this Code. Violations of the Code may result in applicable sanctions.

Sanctions may correlate to the severity of the violation and may take into consideration, among other things, such factors as the frequency and severity of any prior violations. A CCO may recommend escalation to the VCM Board of Directors and Compliance Committee. When necessary, the VCM Board of Directors may obtain input from the Compliance Committee and a CCO when determining whether such violation is a Material Violation.

The CCOs hold discretionary authority to revoke Personal Trading privileges for any length of time and also reserve the right to lift Personal Trading sanctions in response to market conditions. Additionally, a CCO or Compliance Committee may impose a monetary penalty for any violation. A CCO will report all warnings, violations, exceptions granted and sanctions to the Compliance Committee.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

Minor Violations

  

Potential Actions

•  Provided incorrect or incomplete account or trading information

 

•  Engaging in a pattern of discouraged or excessive trading

 

•  Trading without pre-clearance approval when trade would have normally been approved and additional violations did not occur

 

•  Failure to submit a complete or timely initial or annual holdings or securities transactions report

 

•  Failure to provide the Compliance Department a duplicate confirmation in a timely manner after request or notice by the Compliance Department

 

•  Failure to pre-clear properly an outside business activity prior to commencement of such activity

 

•  Failure to complete a quarterly or annual certification by due date

 

•  Failure to pre-clear an investment in a private placement that would have been approved

  

•  Compliance may question you and document response

•  1st violation within a 12-month period may result in a warning letter

 

•  CCO and Compliance Committee may be notified of all warnings and citations given to employees

 

•  You may be required to break a trade or disgorge profits from the trade

 

•  Any additional actions a CCO or Compliance deem appropriate under the circumstances

Technical Violations

  

Potential Actions

•  Any pattern of a Minor Violation within a 12-month period may qualify as a Technical Violation

 

•  Failure to report a Personal Account

 

•  Trading without pre-clearance approval when trade would not have been approved

 

•  Trading without pre-clearance or supplied incorrect information, which may have resulted in additional violations

 

•  Failure to pre-clear any activity that would have been denied by the Compliance Department

 

•  Any willful violations of the Code, as determined by a CCO, to be more severe than a Minor Violation

  

•  Compliance may question you and document response

 

•  Compliance may issue a warning letter

 

•  Compliance Committee may be notified

 

•  Human Resources may be notified

 

•  You may be required to break a trade or disgorge profits from the trade – any such profits will be donated to charity

 

•  Temporary ban from Personal Trading for no less than 30 calendar days

 

•  A fine may be imposed, as determined by a CCO on a case-by-case basis

 

•  Any other actions deemed appropriate by a CCO or compliance

Repeat Technical Violations

  

Potential Actions

•  Any Technical Violation that is repeated at least two (2) times during a 12-month period

  

•  A CCO may meet with your direct manager to discuss violation

 

•  Human Resources may be notified

 

•  You may be required to break a trade or disgorge profits from the trade – any such profits will be donated to charity

 

•  Three (3) or more technical violations within a 12-month period may receive a citation letter, monetary fine and loss of Personal Trading privileges for no less than 90 calendar days

 

•  Any other actions deemed appropriate by a CCO or compliance

Material Violations / Fraudulent Actions

  

Potential Actions

•  Any Material Violation

  

•  Compliance Committee will review and recommend sanctions and penalties up to and including termination of employment

 

•  The Board of Directors and, when applicable, clients may be notified

 

•  Possible criminal sanctions imposed by regulatory authorities

 

•  A fine of $10,000 may be imposed by the Board of Directors

 

•  Any other actions deemed appropriate by a CCO, Compliance Committee or the Board of Directors

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

The Code of Ethics Violation Guidelines provides examples of potential Code violations and the actions that Victory Capital might take if you violate the Code; it is not intended to serve as an exhaustive list of potential Code violations or actions relating thereto. All findings of Code violations and any actions relating thereto will be made on a case-by-case basis. The CCOs have discretion to interpret violations and impose various sanctions in response to such violations as deemed necessary.

Reconsideration

If you wish to dispute a violation notice, you may submit a written explanation of the circumstances of the violation to a CCO. The CCOs (and the CLO if escalation is deemed necessary) will review submissions on a case-by-case basis. The CCOs and CLO are under no obligation to change any sanction that has been imposed.

 

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Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Products & Reportable Funds

As described in this Code, certain restrictions apply to trading in an Affiliated Fund, a Proprietary Product and any fund sub-advised by an Affiliated Adviser. Please refer to the company’s intranet site “Under the wing” for a complete list or follow one of the links below.

Affiliated Funds

For the most up-to-date list of Affiliated Victory Funds, please visit www.vcm.com.

Proprietary Products

Pre-clearance is required before trading in one of the following Proprietary Products, which is a fund or product in which Victory Capital or its employees have an aggregate of 25% or more Beneficial Interest:

 

   

Victory Munder Small Cap Growth Fund (MASCX, MYSGX), managed by Munder Capital Management

 

   

Victory Munder Small Cap/Mid-Cap Blend (strategy), managed by Munder Capital Management

Sub-Advised Funds

VCM acts as sub-adviser to a number of unaffiliated registered investment companies (mutual funds). Please refer to VCM’s ADV filed with the SEC by searching for the firm name on https://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. ADV Part 1 contains SECTION 5.G.(3), which lists “Advisers to Registered Investment Companies and Business Development Companies”. The name of the fund complex can be obtained by searching for the SEC File Number (under More Options) using EDGAR: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html. A complete list is also available on the company’s intranet site “Under the wing” under the compliance tab.

 

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Appendix 2 – Approved Brokers List

You are allowed to open new or maintain existing personal or managed accounts at any of the brokers listed below. However, you may NOT begin trading in a brokerage account until it is reported in MCO and set up on our broker data feed. The approved brokers have been divided into tiers based on how responsive they typically are to our requests to add new accounts to the broker data feed.

Tier 1 Approved Brokers

These brokers provide enhanced broker data feed functionality and typically add new accounts to our broker data feed within 1 – 3 business days.

  1.

Charles Schwab

  2.

Fidelity Investments

  3.

Interactive Brokers

  4.

TD Ameritrade

Tier 2 Approved Brokers

These brokers may take longer than Tier 1 Approved Brokers, but they generally add new accounts to our broker data feed within 5 business days.

 

  1.

Ameriprise Financial Services

  2.

E*TRADE

  3.

Edward Jones

  4.

Merrill Lynch

  5.

UBS

  6.

Vanguard

Tier 3 Approved Brokers

These brokers may require you to sign a form before they will add a new account to our broker data feed, and/or typically take longer to update the feed once all their requirements are met – your ability to trade in a new account at these firms may be significantly delayed.

 

  1.

JP Morgan Chase

  2.

Morgan Stanley

  3.

Northern Trust

  4.

Raymond James

  5.

RBC

  6.

Wells Fargo

Approved Non-Brokers

The following types of accounts are typically not held through a traditional brokerage firm but are still allowed under the Code of Ethics – you may be required to manually report transactions effected in reportable securities within these types of accounts.

 

  1.

Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans

  2.

ESOP/ESPP

  3.

Direct Registration Service (DRS – i.e. Computershare, American Stock Transfer Company, etc.)

 

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Appendix 3 – Investment Account Disclosure

New Hires may not trade in their existing accounts until they have been disclosed and approved by compliance. By regulation, such disclosure must take place within 10 days of hire. All new Personal Accounts and Managed Accounts must be reported to compliance prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner. Failure to comply may result in sanctions imposed by the VCM Compliance Committee and/or Board of Directors.

The below chart summarizes certain account types and their disclosure requirements. If you have a beneficial interest in any account identified below, you must follow the disclosure requirements. If you are uncertain whether an account should be disclosed or if you have a beneficial interest in an account not listed below, you should consult with a CCO or a member of the Compliance team.

 

Account Type

  

Initial Disclosure

  

Periodic Verification

All Personal Accounts    Yes    Yes
All Managed Accounts    Yes    Yes
Affiliated Fund Direct Accounts    Yes    Yes
401(k) if able to hold Reportable Securities    Yes    Yes
Security Lending Accounts    Yes    Yes
Margin Accounts    Yes    Yes
Investment Club Accounts    Yes    Yes
Private Placements    Yes    No
Unaffiliated Open-end Mutual Fund Direct Accounts    No    No
Retirement accounts if unable to hold Reportable Securities    No    No
529 Plans    No    No
Bank accounts if unable to hold Reportable Securities    No    No
Donor Advised Fund (only pre-clear gift of stock to account)    No    No
HSA Investments (if unable to hold Reportable Securities)    No    No
Accounts that facilitate trading cryptocurrencies    Yes    Yes

Also see the Account Reporting Job Aid for more details.

 

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Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities

Most transactions in Personal Accounts require you to submit a PTR through MCO. See Section VI: Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions for more information.

Summary of Pre-clearance and Reporting Requirements

The below chart summarizes the pre-clearance and reporting requirements of certain security types. Additional details can be found in the Pre-Clearance Job Aid. If you are uncertain whether a transaction requires pre-clearance, you should consult with a CCO or a member of the Compliance team. For Victory Capital Stock, please refer to the Summary of Pre-Clearance Requirements for Victory Capital Stock provided in this Appendix.

 

Prohibited in Personal Accounts
Commodity Futures
Futures
Options
Currency Futures
Selling Securities Short
Companies under common control with VCH
Pre-clear in Managed Accounts and Personal Accounts
Initial Public Offerings (IPO)
Initial Coin Offerings (ICO)
Private placements
Pre-clear in Personal Accounts
Equities
Corporate, High-Yield, Convertible, International, and Municipal Bonds
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including affiliated ETFs
Exchange-traded notes (ETNs)
Closed-end funds
Mortgage-Backed Securities
Agency Securities (e.g. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac etc.)
Trust preferred & traditional preferred securities
Any securities that are gifted or donated by an Access Person (e.g. direct to charity or to donor advised fund)
Unit investment trusts
Victory Proprietary Products (MASCX, MYSGX, MAEMX, MYEMX)
VCM 401(k) transactions greater than $100,000 in a Proprietary Product
Cryptocurrencies (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.)
Reportable ONLY (pre-clearance NOT required)
Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs)
Victory or USAA Mutual Funds, unless it’s a Proprietary Product
Variable insurance products only where an Affiliated Adviser serves as adviser or sub-adviser
Exempt Transactions (only the effect of these transactions will be captured as an update on the annual holdings certification)
Approved automatic or periodic investment plans
Dividend reinvestment transactions
Corporate action transactions (e.g., stock splits, rights offerings, mergers and acquisitions)
Security lending transactions
Exempt Securities not subject to the Code
Direct obligations of the U.S. government
Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit and commercial paper
Investment grade, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

Money market funds
Variable insurance products unless an Affiliated Adviser acts as adviser or sub-adviser
Unaffiliated open-end mutual funds
Investments in qualified tuition programs (“529 Plans”), including the USAA College Savings Plan
Physical Commodities (i.e. precious metals)
Foreign Currencies held in order to use as currency (not for investment/speculation purposes)

Summary of Pre-Clearance Requirements for Victory Capital Stock (ticker “VCTR”)

 

VCTR Transaction Description

  

Pre-Clear

Common Stock (Class A Shares)   
Employee purchase or sale in any Personal Account (e.g. a brokerage account for the benefit of the employee or for the benefit of the employee’s Immediate Family)    Yes
Employee purchase or sale in a Managed Account approved by Compliance.    No
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)   
Purchases made pursuant to Employee Stock Purchase Plan    No
Sales of shares acquired through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan    Yes
Options   
Sale of shares in the open market acquired through the exercise of any options    Yes
Cash Exercise - Employee pays the entire cost of the exercise.    No
Withhold Shares - Victory Capital withholds shares equal to the cost of the exercise.    No
Restricted Stock (Class B Shares)   
Selling restricted stock in the open market    Yes
Cash - Cash payment to cover vested shares tax liability    No
Net - Surrender shares to Victory Capital to cover vested shares tax liability    No
10b5-1 Trading Plan   
Officers of VCH required to make filings under Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, conducting trades in accordance with an approved 10b5-1 Trading Plan.    No

 

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Appendix 5 – ETFs Eligible for De Minimis Transaction Exemption

Firm trades in the following ETFs will not trigger any Blackout Period due to their use as highly liquid cash management vehicles in various client accounts.

 

Name

  

Symbol

  

CUSIP

iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF    IEF    464287440
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF    TLT    464287432
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF    IEFA    46432F842
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF    IEMG    46434G103
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF    IVV    464287200
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF    AGG    464287226
iShares FTSE China 25 Index    FXI    464287184
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond    HYG    464288513
iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF    LQD    464287242
iShares MSCI ACWI Index Fund    ACWI    464288257
iShares MSCI China Index Fund    MCHI    46429B671
iShares MSCI Emerging Index Fund ETF    EEM    464287234
iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund ETF    EFA    464287465
iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund ETF    EWJ    464286848
iShares MSCI India    INDA    46429B598
iShares Russell 1000    IWF    464287614
iShares Russell 2000 ETF    IWM    464287655
iShares Russell 2000 Value    IWN    464287630
iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value    IWS    464287473
SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF    JNK    78468R622
SPDR S&P 500 ETF    SPY    78462F103
SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF    MDY    78467Y107
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF    VEU    922042775
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF    VEA    921943858
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF    VWO    922042858
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF    VGK    922042874
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF    VMBS    92206C771
Vanguard Real Estate ETF    VNQ    922908553
Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF    BSV    921937827
Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF    VCSH    92206C409
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF    VOO    922908363
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF    BND    921937835
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF    VXUS    921909768
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF    VTI    922908769

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

Supplement 1

RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited

Code of Ethics Supplement (“Hong Kong Supplement”)

The following policies and procedures are in addition to, and supersede where relevant, the policies and procedures detailed in the Code.

 

I.

COMPLIANCE

General

Compliance with all regulatory requirements is of the utmost importance to RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited (“RSHK”). All staff members of RSHK should read and understand the content of the Code and Victory Capital’s Compliance Manual (the “Compliance Manual”), and each staff member should also read and understand the content of the Code of Conduct for Persons Licensed by or Registered with the Securities and Futures Commission (the “Code of Conduct”) and the Fund Manager Code of Conduct (the “FMCC”) issued by the Securities and Futures Commission (the “SFC”) where such staff member is licensed by the SFC. RSHK should at all times have at least one designated Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer and the responsible officers who are ultimately responsible for seeking to ensure compliance by RSHK with all applicable regulatory requirements on a daily basis are identified in the RSHK Compliance Manual.

In addition, it is also the duty of all staff members of RSHK to comply with the contents of the Code and the Compliance Manual, and to observe all other regulatory requirements as applicable to them from time to time, in all their activities on behalf of RSHK. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.

 

II.

PROHIBITED CONDUCT

General

Every director, manager or any other person involved in the management of RSHK has a statutory obligation to take all reasonable measures from time to time to seek to ensure that proper safeguards exist to prevent RSHK from acting in a way which would result in RSHK perpetrating any market misconduct under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (the “SFO”).

Market Misconduct

“Market misconduct” under the SFO means:

 

  1.

Insider dealing

 

  2.

False trading

 

  3.

Price rigging

 

  4.

Disclosure of information about prohibited transactions

 

  5.

Disclosure of false or misleading information inducing transactions stock market manipulation; and

 

  6.

Includes attempting to engage in, or assisting, counseling or procuring another person to engage in any of the above activities

Insider Dealing

See Section IV – Policy Statement on Insider Trading for more information.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

False Trading

False trading attracts civil and criminal liabilities. In brief, false trading occurs when a person, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, engages in conduct intending that, or being reckless as to whether, it creates, or is likely to create, a false or misleading appearance of active trading in securities or futures contracts traded on a Hong Kong or overseas market. An on-market “wash sale” or “matched order” is presumed to create a false or misleading appearance of active trading.

Price Rigging

Price rigging attracts civil and criminal liabilities. In brief, price rigging occurs where a person, in Hong Kong or elsewhere engages, directly or indirectly, in:

 

  1.

A wash sale which maintains, increases, reduces, stabilizes or causes fluctuations in, the price of securities traded on a Hong Kong market; or

 

  2.

Any fictitious or artificial transaction or device, intending that, or being reckless as to whether, it maintains, increases, reduces, stabilizes or causes fluctuations in, the price of securities, or the price for dealing in futures contracts, traded on a Hong Kong market.

There will also be a breach where such activity is carried out in Hong Kong which affects shares and futures contracts that are traded on an overseas market.

Disclosure of Prohibited Transactions and Disclosure of False and Misleading Information

Disclosure of prohibited transactions and disclosure of false and misleading information inducing transactions attract civil and criminal liabilities. In brief, these occur when a person discloses, circulates or disseminates information:

 

  1.

To the effect that the price of securities of a corporation, or the price for dealings in futures contracts, will be maintained, reduced or stabilized because of a prohibited transaction; or

  2.

That is likely to induce a transaction in securities or futures contracts if the information is false or misleading.

Stock Market Manipulation

Stock market manipulation attracts civil and criminal liabilities under the laws of Hong Kong. It is prohibited when, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, a person enters into, directly or indirectly, two or more transactions in securities that by themselves or in conjunction with any other transaction increase reduce, maintain or stabilize the price of securities and with the effect of influencing the investment decisions of other persons.

Other Offenses

All Victory Capital employees, including the employees of RSHK, are prohibited from engaging in the Short-Selling of any securities, including “naked” or “uncovered,” Short-Selling on the SEHK. It is a criminal offence under the SFO for a person to sell securities at or through the SEHK unless at the time of the sale he (or his client, if he acts as an agent) has a presently exercisable and unconditional right to vest the securities in the purchaser of them, or believes and has reasonable grounds to believe that he (or his client, as the case may be) has such a right.

RSHK should also note that section 171 of the SFO imposes a duty to report Short-Selling transactions (which are covered) on both the seller (as a principal, whether he is a client or an intermediary) and the intermediary (as an agent). RSHK must also observe the Securities and Futures (Short-Selling and Securities Borrowing and Lending (Miscellaneous) Rules) and the SFC’s “Guidance Note on Short-Selling Reporting and Stock Lending Record Keeping Requirements” as applicable.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

RSHK and the employees of RSHK shall not make any unsolicited call (unless specifically allowed under s174 of the SFO or under the Securities and Futures (Unsolicited Calls – Exclusion) Rules in order to induce or attempt to induce another person to sell or purchase securities, futures contract or leveraged foreign exchange contract.

Other criminal offences under the SFO include:

 

  1.

Offence involving fraudulent or deceptive devices etc. in transactions in securities, futures contracts or leveraged foreign exchange trading;

 

  2.

Offence of disclosing false or misleading information inducing others to enter into leveraged foreign exchange contracts; and

 

  3.

Offence of falsely representing dealings in futures contracts on behalf of others, etc.

Other Misconduct

Prohibition on Shadowing

An employee is prohibited from replicating deliberately what the clients of RSHK trade for the purpose of making speculative profits or avoiding losses.

Prohibition on Churning or Twisting

RSHK is not permitted to generate high commission income by putting excessive orders through the client accounts.

Prohibition on Rat Trading

An employee is prohibited from rat trading, which covers deliberate trading to the disadvantage of the client. For example, a fund manager might execute a buy order and delay allocating it to the funds or accounts it manages. If the price moves up, he may allocate it to his own account or to a nominee account at the lower execution price. On the other hand, he may delay executing the order and, if the price moves down, buy it at the lower price for himself or herself and sell it to the fund or accounts that it manages.

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

Supplement 2

RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (“RSIMS”)

Code of Ethics Supplement (“Singapore Supplement”)

The policies and procedures in this Singapore Supplement to the Code apply to Access Persons of RSIMS and are in addition to, and supplement, the policies and procedures detailed in the Code.

Matters set out in the relevant sections of this Singapore Supplement shall be read in conjunction, and as one, with the Code. To the extent there is any inconsistency between the Code and this Singapore Supplement, this Singapore Supplement shall prevail.

Short-Selling of Securities

All Victory Capital employees, including employees of RSIMS, are prohibited from Short-Selling any security.

Trading on Inside Information

In addition to the requirements set out in the Code, all employees of RSIMS and all members of their Immediate Family are required to comply with all applicable laws in Singapore in relation to any Securities Transactions. Such laws include but are not limited to Part XII (Market Conduct) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289 of Singapore) (“SFA”) which set out prohibitions against the following conduct:

 

   

False trading and market rigging transactions;

 

   

Securities market manipulation and manipulation of prices of futures contracts and cornering;

 

   

The making of false or misleading statements or the dissemination of information that is false or misleading;

 

   

Fraudulently inducing persons to deal in securities or trade in futures contracts;

 

   

Employment of fraudulent or deceptive devices, or manipulative and deceptive devices;

 

   

Bucketing; and

 

   

Insider trading and tipping off.

Reporting Requirements

In addition to the Personal Account and Personal Trading requirements and restrictions set out in the Code, each employee of RSIMS who acts as a representative of RSIMS in RSIMS’ capacity as the holder of a capital markets services license issued pursuant to the SFA for fund management (each a “Relevant Access Person”) is required to maintain a register of his or her interests in securities (as such term is defined in section 2(1) of the SFA, the relevant extract of which is set out in the Appendix) that are listed for quotation, or quoted, on a securities exchange or recognized market operator in the prescribed Form 15 to the Securities and Futures (Licensing and Conduct of Business) Regulations (Rg 10).

Within 7 days after the date he or she acquires the interest in the relevant securities, each Relevant Access Person shall be required to enter into his or her register:

 

  1.

Particulars of securities in which such Relevant Access Person has any interest; and

 

  2.

Particulars of such interests.

Where there is any change in any interest in the securities of such Relevant Access Person, he or she shall enter particulars of the change (including the date of the change and the circumstances by reason of which the change has occurred), within 7 days after the date of the change.

All entries in the register must be kept in an easily accessible form for a period of not less than 5 years after the date on which such entry was first made. The register shall:

 

  1.

If in physical form, be kept at RSIMS’s principal place of business in Singapore; or

 

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Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc. and WestEnd Advisors, LLC    January 1, 2022

 

  2.

If in electronic form, be kept in such manner so as to ensure that full access to the register may be gained by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS”) at RSIMS’s principal place of business in Singapore.

RSIMS is required to maintain records of the place at which the Relevant Access Persons keep their respective registers and the places at which copies of those registers are kept in Singapore. As a separate matter, RSIMS is also required to maintain a Form 15 in relation to RSIMS’ own interests in the relevant Securities.

 

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COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST

COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I

COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST II

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II

COLUMBIA ETF TRUST

COLUMBIA ETF TRUST I

COLUMBIA ETF TRUST II

(each a “Registrant”)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned constitutes and appoints Michael G. Clarke, Joseph D’Alessandro, Michael E. DeFao, Megan E. Garcy, Ryan C. Larrenaga, John M. Loder, Brian D. McCabe, and Christopher O. Petersen, each individually, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent (each an “Attorney-in-Fact”) with power of substitution or resubstitution, in any and all capacities, including without limitation in the undersigned’s capacity as a trustee of each Registrant, in the furtherance of the business and affairs of each Registrant: (i) to execute any and all instruments which said Attorney-in-Fact may deem necessary or advisable or which may be required to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (together the “Acts”) and any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in respect thereof, in connection with the filing and effectiveness of each Registrant’s Registration Statement regarding the registration of each Registrant or its shares of beneficial interest, and any and all amendments thereto, including without limitation any reports, forms or other filings required by the Acts or any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the SEC; and (ii) to execute any and all federal, state or foreign regulatory or other required filings, including all applications with regulatory authorities, state charter or organizational documents and any amendments or supplements thereto, to be executed by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, each Registrant. The undersigned hereby grants to each Attorney-in-Fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing contemplated above, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all that said Attorneys-in-Fact, individually or collectively, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

This Power of Attorney shall not be revoked with respect to any undersigned trustee by any subsequent power of attorney the undersigned may execute unless such subsequent power of attorney specifically refers to this Power of Attorney or specifically states that the instrument is intended to revoke all prior general powers of attorney or all prior powers of attorney (and unless otherwise required by a provision of law that cannot be waived). This Power of Attorney shall terminate automatically with respect to a Registrant if the undersigned ceases to hold the above-referenced office of the Registrant.

Dated: November 22, 2021

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/s/ Daniel J. Beckman

   Trustee
Daniel J. Beckman   

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