As filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 16, 2015
Registration No.333-148723
Registration No.811-22172
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | [X] | |
Pre-Effective Amendment No. |
[ ] | |
Post-Effective Amendment No. (137) |
[X] | |
and/or | ||
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | [X] | |
Amendment No. (138) |
[X] |
(804) 267-7400
(Registrants Telephone Number)
The Corporation
Trust Co.
Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
With Copy
to:
John H. Lively
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates,
Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law Group
TM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway,
Suite 310
Leawood, KS 66211
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this filing .
It is proposed that this filing will
become effective (check appropriate box):
[X] | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b); | |
[ ] | on________________ pursuant to paragraph (b); | |
[ ] | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1); | |
[ ] | on________________ (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1); | |
[ ] | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2); or | |
[ ] | on________________ (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485. | |
If appropriate, check the following box: |
| | This post-effective amendment designates
a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
Title of Securities
Being Registered: shares of beneficial interest.
PROSPECTUS
September 16,
2015
REMS INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE VALUE-OPPORTUNITY FUND
FOUNDERS SHARES
Ticker:
REIFX
This prospectus describes REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund (the Fund). The Fund is authorized to offer a single class of shares, which is offered by this prospectus. Other series of shares offered by the Trust and managed by the REMS Group are offered in separate prospectuses and include the REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund and the REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Fund Summary |
1 |
Investment Objective |
1 |
Fees and Expenses |
1 |
Principal Investment Strategies |
2 |
Principal Risks |
4 |
Performance Information |
8 |
Investment Adviser |
8 |
Portfolio Managers |
8 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares |
8 |
Tax Information |
8 |
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries |
9 |
Additional Information About Fund Investments |
10 |
Additional Information About Risk |
11 |
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure |
16 |
The Investment Adviser |
16 |
The Portfolio Manager |
16 |
How To Buy Shares |
17 |
How To Sell Shares |
18 |
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes |
19 |
Net Asset Value |
21 |
Fair Value Pricing |
22 |
Frequent Trading |
22 |
General Information |
24 |
Financial Highlights |
26 |
For More Information About the Fund |
Back Cover |
FUND SUMMARY
Investment Objective
The REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund (the Fund) seeks to achieve long-term capital growth and current income through a portfolio of securities of publicly traded real estate companies located outside the U.S. that may include REITs, real estate operating companies and other publicly traded companies whose asset base is primarily real estate.
Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Transaction Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | ||||
Founders Shares | ||||
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed on shares held less than ninety (90) days) | 2.00 | % | ||
1 Real Estate Management Services Group, LLC (the Adviser) has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses until December 31, 2015, so that there will be no annual fund operating expenses for the Founders Shares through that date. The adviser will have no opportunity to recoup these waivers and expense reimbursements at any time in the future.
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that
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the Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Share Class | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||||
Founders Shares | $336 | $1,024 | $1,736 | $3,622 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 1.42% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund pursues its Value, Yield-Advantage strategy (as described in more detail below) through investment in international public real estate securities, which may include equity REITs, REIT preferreds, real estate operating companies and other publicly traded companies whose asset base is primarily real estate. This strategy may lead to investment in smaller capitalization companies (under $1B). The composition of the portfolio does not seek to mimic equity REIT indices.
Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the real estate industry outside of the United States. Equity securities can consist of common stocks such as REITS, real estate operating companies and real estate exposed companies. Securities can also include rights or warrants to purchase common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks where the conversion feature represents, in the Advisers view, a significant element of a securitys value, and preferred stocks.
For purposes of the Funds investment policies, a company principally engaged in the real estate industry is one that derives at least 50% of its revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial or residential real estate or has at least 50% of its assets in such real estate businesses. These include securities issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs) or comparable foreign structures, and real estate operating companies. A domestic REIT is generally not taxed on income distributed to shareholders so long as it meets certain tax related requirements, including the requirement that it distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. The Fund may invest in equity REITs and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs generate revenue from interest earned on mortgage loans.
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Other countries have adopted, or are considering, similar structures whereby such companies would not be subject to corporate income tax in their respective home countries as long as certain similar tax requirements are met, including the distribution of a significant percentage of their net income to shareholders. To the extent the Fund invests in REITS and real estate partnerships, the Funds distributions may be taxable as ordinary income to investors because most REIT and real estate partnership distributions come from mortgage interest and rents. As such, the Funds distributions may be taxed at the ordinary income rate rather than qualifying for the rate applicable to qualified dividends.
The Fund does not invest in real estate directly. The majority of the Funds assets will normally be invested in the securities of companies located in countries other than the United States, although these companies may have investments that provide exposure to the U.S. or Canadian real estate industry. The Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in emerging market countries, but does not expect to invest greater than 30% of assets in such securities. For purposes of the foregoing investment strategies, the Fund considers an issuer to be located in a particular country based on where the issuers is domiciled, where it maintains its headquarters (or primary base of operations) or where its securities are registered and/or traded.
In selecting Fund investments, the Adviser employs its Value, Yield-Advantage investment process, which is a process that seeks to invest Fund assets in companies whose underlying real estate assets are trading at a discount to their private market value (i.e., the value of the ownership interested held by a private owners as opposed to a publicly traded company). In selecting Fund investments, the strategy also seeks to find above average dividend yield and strong free cash flow. The Adviser screens its universe of real estate securities for a number of proprietary valuation, income, and balance sheet metrics to identify candidates for investment. This process is combined with in-depth industry and company-specific research to narrow the investment options for the Fund. The Fund may invest in companies without regard to their market capitalization. The Funds strategy is an all-cap strategy which means that investments are not made based on securities in REIT indices or benchmarks. The Funds investment process is indifferent to index weightings which generally results in a portfolio that is differentiated by company names and percentage exposures. The portfolio of securities in which the Fund invests will normally represent a broad range of geographic regions, property types and tenants. The Fund is non-diversified which means it may hold a smaller number of positions than a fund that is diversified.
In executing its investment strategy, the Fund may borrow ( i.e ., borrow money from banks for investing, for the purpose of enhancing returns and meeting operating expenses and redemption requests while maintaining investment capacity). If the Fund borrows from a bank, it will maintain varying levels of leverage but the amount of leverage may not exceed 33-1/3% of the Funds total assets (including the amount of the bank borrowings but reduced by any liabilities not constituting bank borrowings). The Adviser is most likely to employ the use of leverage during periods when dividend yields from the Funds investments are in excess of the cost to borrow, and when the Adviser believes that the securities are trading at a discount to their underlying real estate value.
The Fund may also utilize leverage by taking short positions totaling up to 30% of the Funds total assets. The Adviser would be most likely to use shorting to protect accumulated unrealized gains, or to take advantage of special situations where an individual investments
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fundamental outlook is believed poor relative to its current valuation. The Adviser may short either individual securities and/or index funds to pursue these strategies.
The Fund may engage in various investments such as put and call options on foreign currencies, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency futures contracts, and foreign currency swaps for the purpose of hedging the Funds foreign currency risk. The Fund may use interest rate swaps and futures contracts (such as Treasury futures) to hedge against interest rate risk.
While both leverage and shorting are permitted, neither is required to execute the Funds Value, Yield-Advantage investment process. The Fund is long-biased.
Although the Fund intends to invest primarily in equity securities, the Fund may hold for extended periods of time a significant portion of its assets in cash or cash-equivalents like money market funds, certificates of deposit and short-term debt obligations, either due to pending investments or when investment opportunities are limited.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund is not guaranteed and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is not a complete investment program. It has been designed to provide exposure to the real estate industry and is typically used in conjunction with a variety of other investments to provide investors with a full and appropriate asset allocation. The value of your investment will go up and down, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares.
Stock Market Risk. Stock prices in general rise and fall as a result of investors perceptions of the market as a whole. If the stock market drops in value, the value of the Funds portfolio investments is also likely to decrease in value. The increase or decrease in the value of the Funds investments, in percentage terms, may be more or less than the increase or decrease in the value of the market.
Real Estate Market Risk . Since the Fund concentrates its assets in the real estate industry, your investment in the Fund involves many of the risks of investing directly in real estate such as declining real estate values, changing economic conditions, changing interest rates, risks related to general and local economic conditions, dependency on management skill, heavy cash flow dependency, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems, liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values and the appeal of properties to tenants, and changes in the tax laws.
REIT Risks . Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). The Fund will indirectly bear its
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proportionate share of expenses incurred by REITs in which the Fund invests in addition to the expenses incurred directly by the Fund. Investments in REITS also involve the following risks: limited financial resources, infrequent or limited trading, and abrupt or erratic price movements.
To the extent the Fund invests in foreign REITS, most of its distributions will be taxable as ordinary income (to the extent they come from mortgage interest and rents), rather than qualifying for the lower rate on qualified dividends. Thus, an investment in the Fund may not be suitable for taxable entities.
Interest Rate Risk . When interest rates decline, the value of a REITs investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REITs investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate mortgage loans are reset periodically, yields on a REITs investment in such loans will gradually align themselves to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations.
Foreign Investment Risk/Emerging Markets Risk . Investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies due to: smaller markets; differing reporting, accounting, and auditing standards; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; foreign currency fluctuations, currency blockage, or replacement; sovereign solvency considerations; less liquid and more volatile exchanges and/or markets; or political changes or diplomatic developments. Foreign investment risks may be greater in developing and emerging markets than in developed markets. An emerging market is considered to be a market that is in a transitional phase of its economic development and in the process of building liquid equity, debt and foreign exchange markets.
Foreign Currency Risk . Although the Fund will report its net asset value (NAV) and pay dividends in U.S. dollars, foreign securities often are purchased with and make any dividend and interest payments in foreign currencies. Therefore, the Funds NAV could decline solely as a result of changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies not tightly pegged to the U.S. dollar.
Investment in Smaller Companies Risk . The Fund may be focused on smaller companies (those companies with a market capitalization of less than $1 billion). Smaller real estate company stocks can be more volatile and speculative than, and perform differently from, larger real estate company stocks. Smaller companies tend to have limited resources, product, and market share and are dependent on a smaller management group than larger companies. As a result, their share prices tend to fluctuate more than those of larger companies. Their shares may also trade less frequently and in limited volume, making them potentially less liquid. The prices of small company stocks may fall regardless of trends in the broader market.
Leverage Risk. The amount of borrowings from banks, including the rates at which the Fund can borrow in particular and other forms of leverage (e.g. short selling see Short Sales Risk below), will affect the performance of the Fund. Leveraging the Fund exaggerates changes in the value and in the yield of the Funds portfolio. This may result in greater volatility of the
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net asset value of the shares. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with monies received from leverage is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage; the Funds return would be lower than if leverage had not been used.
Short Sales Risk. The Fund may also leverage the Fund by engaging in short sales of securities and index funds in executing its investment strategy. Short sales may occur if the Adviser determines an event is likely to have a downward impact on the market price of a companys securities. Such practices can, in certain circumstances, substantially increase the impact of adverse price movements on the Funds portfolio. Short sales may involve substantial risk and leverage. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as covering the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund may also cover its short positions by segregating an amount of the cash or liquid securities on its records equal to the market price of the securities sold short.
Concentration Risk. The Fund will concentrate its investments in real estate companies and other publicly traded companies whose asset base is primarily real estate. As such, the Fund will be subject to risks similar to those associated with the direct ownership of real estate including those noted above under Real Estate Market Risk.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and takes larger positions in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. The change in the value of a single stock in the Funds portfolio may have a greater impact on the Funds net asset value than it would on a diversified fund. The Funds share price may fluctuate more than the share price of a comparable diversified fund.
Investment Style Risk. The Fund pursues a value style of investing. Value investing focuses on companies with stocks that appear undervalued in light of factors such as the companys earnings, book value, revenues or cash flow. In light of the Funds investment strategies, this approach to investing focuses on the value of the underlying real estate assets of the issuers in which the Fund may invest, or the dividend yield rate or free cash flow of such issuers. If the Advisers assessment of a companys value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is wrong, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. In addition, value investing can result in holding portfolios of securities that continue to be undervalued by the markets for long periods of time, thus preventing realization of what the Adviser believes to be the value of the position.
Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities combine features of both fixed income and equity. Preferred securities tend to perform more like traditional fixed income securities because regular income distributions are the principal source of return, as opposed to capital appreciation. Therefore, prices of preferred securities can rise or fall depending on interest rates. Adverse changes in the credit quality of the issuer may negatively impact the market value of the securities. The securities may be redeemed beginning on their call date, or at any time following a special event (i.e. a change in tax law that adversely affects the company with regard to the securities). If called, holders may face a reinvestment decision at lower future rates. Certain events can impact a preferred security issuers financial situation and ability to make timely payments to shareholders, including economic, political, legal, or regulatory changes and natural disasters. Event risk is unpredictable and can significantly
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impact preferred security holders since they are paid after bondholders. Also, in the event of a sale or privatization of a company, its preferred shares may be negatively impacted.
Currency and Interest Rate Hedging Risk. The Fund may utilize put and call options for the purpose of hedging the Funds foreign currency risk. Options are a type of derivative instrument. The value of derivatives may rise or fall more rapidly than other investments. For some derivatives, it is possible to lose more than the amount invested in the derivative. If the Fund uses derivatives, such as options, to hedge the risk of its portfolio, it is possible that the hedge may not succeed. Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness or efficiency of the attempted hedging.
The seller (writer) of a call option which is covered (that is, the writer holds the underlying security) assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the purchase price of the underlying security less the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the call option. The seller (writer) of a put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing his entire premium invested in the put option.
By investing in options, the Fund may be subject to the risk of counterparty default, as well as the potential for unlimited loss.
The Fund may engage in currency transactions with counterparties in order to hedge the value of portfolio holdings denominated in particular currencies. Currency transactions may include foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency swaps and foreign currency futures contracts. While futures contracts generally are liquid investments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. As a result, the Fund may not be able to close out a position in a futures contract at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Funds investment in such contracts. Currency hedging can result in losses to the Fund if the currency being hedge fluctuates to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated.
The market price of the Funds investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. Generally, when interest rates rise, the values of fixed-income instruments fall, and vice versa. In typical interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term fixed-income instruments generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed-income instruments as interest rates change. These risks may be greater in the current market environment because certain interest rates are near historically low levels. In addition, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. A fund with a negative average portfolio duration may decline in value as interest rates decrease. Most high yield investments pay a fixed rate of interest and are therefore vulnerable to inflation risk. The obligor of a fixed-income instrument may not be able or willing to pay interest or to repay principal when due in accordance with the terms of the associated agreement.
The Fund may utilize interest rate swaps and futures contracts (such as Treasury futures) to hedge against interest rate risk. To the extent the Fund uses Treasury futures, it is exposed
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to the additional volatility in comparison to investing directly in U.S. Treasury bonds. Futures can be less liquid and involve the risk that anticipated treasury rate movements will not be accurately predicted.
The risks associated with the instruments in this section may be significant. The utilization of these types of instruments can magnify losses more than other types of investments. The extent of losses to which the Fund may be exposed as a result of its use of these derivative instruments is not limited.
Performance Information
The Fund has not yet completed a full calendar year of performance and therefore no performance history is presented. Investors should be aware that past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Investment Adviser
Real Estate Management Services Group, LLC, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The Funds portfolio managers are:
Quentin Velleley, CFA Senior Vice President has been a Portfolio Manager to the Fund since its inception in December, 2013.
John Webster President has been a Portfolio Manager to the Fund since its inception in December, 2013.
Edward W. Turville, CFA - Managing Director, has been a Portfolio Manager to the Fund since its inception in December, 2013.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund either through a financial adviser or directly from the Fund. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into Founders Shares of the Fund is $50,000. Subsequent investments must be in amounts of $5,000 or more for the Founders Shares. The Fund may waive minimums for purchases or exchanges through employer-sponsored retirement plans. The Fund shares are redeemable on any business day by contacting your financial adviser, or by written request to the Fund, by telephone, or by wire transfer.
Tax Information
The Funds distributions may be currently taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual
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retirement account, in which case you will generally be taxed upon withdrawal of monies from the tax-deferred arrangement.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its distributor may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT FUND INVESTMENTS
The Funds investment objective and strategy may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be given 60 days advance notice if the Fund decides to change its investment objective or strategy.
Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the real estate industry outside of the United States. The remainder of the Funds assets will be invested in cash, short-term investments, or debt securities. Since the Fund concentrates its assets in the real estate industry, your investment in the Fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets. A majority of the Funds assets will normally be invested in companies located in a number of different countries other than the United States. The Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in emerging market countries, but does not expect to invest greater than 30% of its assets in such securities. For purposes of the foregoing investment strategies, the Fund considers an issuer to be located in a particular country based on where the issuer is domiciled, where it maintains its headquarters (or primary base of operations) or where its securities are registered and/or traded. Although certain securities in which the Fund may invest may be issued by well-known companies, others may be issued by less recognized and smaller companies.
For purposes of the Funds investment policies, a company principally engaged in the real estate industry is one that derives at least 50% of its revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial or residential real estate or has at least 50% of its assets in such real estate businesses. These equity securities can consist of common stocks such as REITS, real estate operating companies and real estate exposed companies. Securities can also include rights or warrants to purchase common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks where the conversion feature represents, in the Advisers view, a significant element of a securitys value, and preferred stocks.
REITs. The Fund may invest without limit in shares of REITs. A REIT is a separately managed trust that makes investments in various real estate assets. REITs pool investors funds for investment primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. A REIT is not taxed on income or net capital gains distributed to shareholders if, among other things, it distributes to its shareholders substantially all of its taxable income for each taxable year. As a result, REITs tend to pay relatively higher dividends than other types of companies, and the Fund intends to use these REIT dividends in an effort to meet the current income goal of its investment objective.
Real Estate Operating Companies. The Fund may invest in real estate operating companies (REOCs), which are publicly traded real estate companies that have not elected to be taxed as REITs. Reasons for not making that election may include: (a) a REOC may carry forward net operating losses; (b) a REOC may operate lines of businesses that generate income and would not qualify as a business that a REIT may operate and would not retain its tax status; and (c) a REOC may retain and reinvest its earnings whereas a REIT must distribute substantially all of its taxable income every year to retain its tax status.
Real Estate Exposed Companies and Other Securities. The Fund may invest in companies whose primary business is not real estate, but where the majority of the companies assets
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or cash flows are real estate related. While the Fund emphasizes investments in common stocks, it can also buy other equity securities, such as preferred stocks, warrants, and securities convertible into common stocks (which may be subject to credit risks and interest rate risks), and bonds. The Adviser considers some convertible securities to be equity equivalents because of the conversion feature and in that case their rating has less impact on the Advisers investment decision than in the case of other debt securities. The Adviser may also invest in exchange traded funds (ETFs) related to the real estate industry.
The Fund may also invest in securities of foreign companies in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs).
Illiquid and Restricted Securities. Although the Fund does not generally invest in illiquid securities, investments may be illiquid because they do not have an active trading market, making it difficult to value them or dispose of them promptly at an acceptable price. Restricted securities may have terms that limit their resale to other investors or may require registration under federal securities laws before they can be sold publicly. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid or restricted securities. The Fund considers an illiquid security to be a security that may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued it.
Certain restricted securities that are eligible for resale to qualified institutional purchasers may not be subject to that limit. The Adviser monitors holdings of illiquid securities on an ongoing basis to determine whether to sell any holdings to maintain adequate liquidity.
Temporary Defensive and Interim Investments. In times of adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in temporary defensive investments that are inconsistent with the Funds principal investment strategies. If the Fund does so, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Cash equivalent investments that may be purchased by the Fund include short-term, high-quality debt securities, money market instruments, bills, notes and bonds that are issued, sponsored or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (U.S. Government Securities), commercial paper or floating rate debt instruments. Cash equivalent securities other than U.S. Government Securities purchased by the Fund must have received one of the two highest credit ratings from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or be of comparable quality, as determined by the Adviser. The Fund may also purchase shares of money market mutual funds or interests in collective accounts maintained by banks or financial institutions which hold the types of securities described above. In addition, cash not invested in equity securities may be invested in fixed income securities (Bonds) pending investment in equity securities, as well as to maintain liquidity. Bonds and money market securities, while generally less volatile than equity securities, are subject to interest rate and credit risks.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RISK
Investment Risk. The Fund expects to invest primarily in common stocks and other equity securities issued by real estate companies. The main risk is that the value of the stocks the Fund holds might decline as a result of the performance of individual stocks, a decline in the stock market in general or a general decline in real estate markets. An investment in the
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Fund is not guaranteed, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is not a complete investment program. It has been designed to provide exposure to securities of real estate companies and is typically used in conjunction with a variety of other investments to provide investors with a full and appropriate asset allocation. The value of your investment will go up and down, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares. The other risks associated with an investment in the Fund may include, but are not limited to:
Real Estate Market and REIT Risk. The real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns. REIT prices may drop because of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans, a dividend cut, a disruption to the real estate investment sales market, changes in federal or state taxation policies affecting REITs and poor management. Other risks that can adversely affect the value of securities in the real estate industry include: extended vacancies of properties; increased competition; increases in property taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems; liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems; casualty or condemnation losses; limitations on rents; changes in neighborhood values; and the appeal of properties to tenants and changes in interest rates.
Foreign Investment Risk/Emerging Markets Risk. Investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies due to: smaller markets; differing reporting, accounting, and auditing standards; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; foreign currency fluctuations, currency blockage, or replacement; sovereign solvency considerations; less liquid and more volatile exchanges and/or markets; or political changes or diplomatic developments. The Fund may invest in foreign REIT or other structures that are externally advised or otherwise have conflicts with shareholders. Foreign investment risks may be greater in developing and emerging markets than in developed markets. Exposure to foreign markets may increase the risk of negative external political events on investment performance. An emerging market is considered to be a market that is in a transitional phase or its economic development and in the process of building liquid equity, debt and foreign exchange markets.
Certain non-U.S. real estate companies in which the Fund may invest may constitute passive foreign investment companies. This may subject the Fund to U.S. federal tax and interest charges, or may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income without a corresponding receipt of cash. The Fund may be required to liquidate other investments to meet its distribution requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company.
Foreign Currency Risk. Although the Fund will report its net asset value (NAV) and pay dividends in U.S. dollars, foreign securities often are purchased with and make any dividend and interest payments in foreign currencies. Therefore, the Funds NAV could decline solely as a result of changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies not tightly pegged to the U.S.
Investment in Smaller Companies Risk. Small companies may have limited operating histories. There may be less trading volume in a smaller companys stock, which means that buy and sell transactions in that stock could have a larger impact on the stocks price than is the case with larger company stocks.
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Leverage Risk. The amount of borrowings from banks, including the rates at which the Fund can borrow in particular and other forms of leverage (e.g., short selling see Short Sales Risk below), will affect the performance of the Fund. Leveraging the Fund exaggerates changes in the value and in the yield of the Funds portfolio. This may result in greater volatility of the net asset value of the shares. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with monies received from leverage is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage; the Funds return would be lower than if leverage had not been used.
The Fund could lose more than the amount it invests. The Fund expects to borrow pursuant to a secured line of credit under which loans will be payable on demand by the lender and can be prepaid by the Fund at any time, without penalty. If the securities pledged to the Funds lender decline in value, or if the lender determines that additional collateral is required for any other reason, the Fund could be required to repay the loans, provide additional collateral or suffer mandatory liquidation of the pledged securities to compensate for the decline in value. In the event of a sudden drop in the value of the Funds assets, the Fund might not be able to liquidate assets quickly enough to pay off its debt.
Short Sales Risk. The Fund may also leverage the Fund by engaging in short sales. To effect a short sale, the Funds brokerage firm borrows the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the short position is closed, the Fund is obligated to deliver that security by purchasing it at the market price. A short sale position may be taken if the Adviser determines an event is likely to have a downward impact on the market price of a companys securities. In addition, short positions may be taken if, in the opinion of the Adviser, such positions will reduce the risk inherent in taking or holding long positions. The extent to which the Fund engages in short sales will depend upon its investment strategy and perception of market direction. Such practices can, in certain circumstances, substantially increase the impact of adverse price movements on the Funds portfolio. A short sale of a security involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the security, which could result in an inability to cover the short position or a theoretically unlimited loss. There can be no assurance that securities necessary to cover a short position will be available for purchase. The Fund may cover its short positions by segregating an amount of the cash or liquid securities on its records equal to the market price of the securities sold short.
Concentration Risk. The Fund will concentrate its investments in real estate companies and other publicly traded companies whose asset base is primarily real estate. As such, the Fund will be subject to risks similar to those associated with the direct ownership of real estate including those noted above under Real Estate Market and REIT Risk.
Non-Diversification Risk. As a non-diversified investment company, the Fund can take larger positions in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified investment company. The change in the value of a single stock in the Funds portfolio may have a greater impact on the Funds net asset value than it would on a diversified fund. The Funds share price may fluctuate more than the share price of a comparable diversified fund. Because the Fund may invest in a core portfolio of stocks operating in similar businesses, all could be affected by the same economic or market conditions, which may have a greater impact on the Funds net asset value than it would on a fund invested in more sectors that may not be affected by common economic or market conditions.
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Investment Style Risk. The Fund pursues a value style of investing. Value investing focuses on companies with stocks that appear undervalued in light of factors such as the companys earnings, book value, revenues or cash flow. In light of the Funds investment strategies, this approach to investing focuses on the value of the underlying real estate assets of the issuers in which the Fund may invest, or the dividend yield rates or free cash flow of such issuers. If the Advisers assessment of a companys value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is wrong, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. In addition, value investing can result in holding portfolios of securities that can continue to be undervalued by the markets for long periods of time, thus preventing realization of what the Adviser believes to be the value of the position.
Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities combine features of both fixed income and equity. Preferred securities tend to perform more like traditional fixed income securities because regular income distributions are the principal source of return, as opposed to capital appreciation. Therefore, prices of preferred securities can rise or fall depending on interest rates. Adverse changes in the credit quality of the issuer may negatively impact the market value of the securities. The securities may be redeemed beginning on their call date, or at any time following a special event (i.e. a change in tax law that adversely affects the company with regard to the securities). If called, holders may face a reinvestment decision at lower future rates. Certain events can impact a preferred security issuers financial situation and ability to make timely payments to shareholders, including economic, political, legal, or regulatory changes and natural disasters. Event risk is unpredictable and can significantly impact preferred security holders since they are paid after bondholders Also, in the event of a sale or privatization of a company, its preferred shares may be negatively impacted.
Interest Rate Risk. The value of bonds generally can be expected to fall when interest rates rise and to rise when interest rates fall. Interest rate risk is the risk that interest rates will rise, so that the value of the Funds investments in bonds will fall. Because interest rate risk is the primary risk presented by U.S. Government Securities and other very high quality bonds, changes in interest rates may actually have a larger effect on the value of those bonds than on lower quality bonds.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a bond will not make principal or interest payments when they are due. Even if an issuer does not default on a payment, a bonds value may decline if the market believes that the issuer has become less able, or less willing, to make payments on time. Even high quality bonds are subject to some credit risk. However, credit risk is higher for lower quality bonds. Low quality bonds involve high credit risk and are considered speculative.
Currency and Interest Rate Hedging Risk. The Fund may utilize put and call options for the purpose of hedging the Funds foreign currency risk. Options are a type of derivative instrument. The value of derivatives may rise or fall more rapidly than other investments. For some derivatives, it is possible to lose more than the amount invested in the derivative. If the Fund uses derivatives, such as options, to hedge the risk of its portfolio, it is possible that the hedge may not succeed. Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness or efficiency of the attempted hedging.
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The seller (writer) of a call option which is covered (that is, the writer holds the underlying security) assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the purchase price of the underlying security less the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the call option. The seller (writer) of a put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing his entire premium invested in the put option.
By investing in options, the Fund may be subject to the risk of counterparty default, as well as the potential for unlimited loss.
The Fund may engage in currency transactions with counterparties in order to hedge the value of portfolio holdings denominated in particular currencies. Currency transactions may include foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency swaps and foreign currency futures contracts. While futures contracts generally are liquid investments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. As a result, the Fund may not be able to close out a position in a futures contract at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Funds investment in such contracts. Currency hedging can result in losses to the Fund if the currency being hedge fluctuates to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated.
The Funds use of such investments may be inefficient or ineffective.
The market price of the Funds investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. Generally, when interest rates rise, the values of fixed-income instruments fall, and vice versa. In typical interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term fixed-income instruments generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed-income instruments as interest rates change. These risks may be greater in the current market environment because certain interest rates are near historically low levels. In addition, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. A fund with a negative average portfolio duration may decline in value as interest rates decrease. Most high yield investments pay a fixed rate of interest and are therefore vulnerable to inflation risk. The obligor of a fixed-income instrument may not be able or willing to pay interest or to repay principal when due in accordance with the terms of the associated agreement.
The Fund may utilize interest rate swaps and futures contracts to hedge against interest rate risk. To the extent the Fund uses Treasury futures, it is exposed to the additional volatility in comparison to investing directly in U.S. Treasury bonds. Futures can be less liquid and involve the risk that anticipated treasury rate movements will not be accurately predicted.
Portfolio Turnover. A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover. The Fund may have a high portfolio turnover rate of over 100% annually, although the Adviser anticipates that portfolio turnover will normally be less than 100%. Increased portfolio turnover creates higher brokerage and transaction costs for the Fund. If the Fund realizes capital gains when it sells its portfolio investments, it must generally pay those gains out to the shareholders, increasing their taxable distributions.
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PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE
A description of the policies and procedures employed by the Fund with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings is available in the Funds Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
THE INVESTMENT ADVISER
Real Estate Management Services Group, LLC, a Florida limited liability corporation organized in May 2002, serves as the Adviser for the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Company. The principal office of the Adviser is 1100 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 305, Naples, Florida 34102. Prior to its formation as an independent adviser, the Adviser operated as a division of Beach Investment Counsel (BIC) from May 2000 to May 2002. All assets, accounts and personnel of the REMS division of BIC transferred to the Adviser. As of August 31, 2015, the Adviser had over $950 million in assets under management.
The Adviser, subject to the general supervision of the Board, manages the Fund in accordance with its investment objective and policies, makes decisions with respect to, and places orders for all purchases and sales of, portfolio securities and maintains related records. Under the Advisory Agreement, the monthly compensation paid to the Adviser is accrued daily at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, the Adviser waived all of its fees.
In the interest of limiting the expenses of the Fund, the Adviser has entered into a contractual expense limitation agreement with the Trust. Pursuant to the agreement, the Adviser has agreed to waive or limit its fees and reimburse other operating expenses until December 31, 2015 so that the ratio of total annual operating expenses for the Fund, through that date, is 0.00% of the Funds average daily net assets through that date. The Adviser will have no opportunity to recoup these waivers and expense reimbursements at any time in the future
A discussion regarding the basis for the Boards approval of the Funds Advisory Agreement with Real Estate Management Services Group, LLC is available in the Funds semi-annual report for the period ending June 30, 2014.
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The Funds portfolio managers are:
Quentin Velleley, CFA, has served as a Portfolio Manager to the Fund since its inception in December, 2013. Mr. Velleley has 15 years experience in global real estate analysis, most recently serving as a director from 2005 to 2013 in Citi Global Markets New York office where his role included covering US retail and healthcare REITS, and coordinating product for Citis global real estate research. He joined the Adviser in 2013 and serves as Senior Vice President.
John Webster has served as a Portfolio Manager to the Fund since its inception in December, 2013. He co-founded the Adviser in 2002 and serves as President.
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Edward W. Turville, CFA, has served as a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since its inception in December, 2013. He co-founded the Adviser in 2002 and serves as Managing Director.
The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of shares of the Fund.
HOW TO BUY SHARES
You may purchase Shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries, such as fund supermarkets or through brokers or dealers who are authorized by the First Dominion Capital Corp. (the Distributor) to sell shares of the Fund (collectively, Financial Intermediaries). You may also purchase shares directly from the Distributor. You may request a copy of this prospectus by calling (800) 673-0550. There are no sales charges in connection with purchasing Shares of the Fund. Financial Intermediaries who offer Shares may require the payment of fees from their individual clients, which may be different from those described in this prospectus. For example, Financial Intermediaries may charge transaction fees or set different minimum investment amounts. Financial Intermediaries may also have policies and procedures that are different from those contained in this prospectus. Investors should consult their Financial Intermediary regarding its procedures for purchasing and selling shares of the Fund as the policies and procedures may be different. The price you pay for a share of the Fund is the net asset value next determined upon receipt of your purchase request by the Transfer Agent of Financial Intermediary. The Fund will be deemed to have received your purchase or redemption order when the Financial Intermediary receives the order. Such Financial Intermediaries are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Funds behalf.
Minimum Investments The minimum initial investment for Founders Shares of the Fund is $50,000. Subsequent investments must be in amounts of $5,000 or more for the Founders Shares. The Trust may waive the minimum initial investment requirement for purchases made by directors, officers and employees of the Trust. The Trust may also waive the minimum investment requirement for purchases by its affiliated entities and certain related advisory accounts and retirement accounts (such as IRAs). The Trust may also change or waive policies concerning minimum investment amounts at any time. The Trust retains the right to refuse to accept an order.
Customer Identification Program To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. This means that when you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask for other identifying documents and may take additional steps to verify your identity. We may not be able to open an account or complete a transaction for you until we are able to verify your identity.
Purchases by Mail For initial purchases, the account application should be completed, signed and mailed to the Transfer Agent at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 together with your check payable to the Fund. When you buy shares, be sure to specify the class of shares in which you choose to invest. For subsequent purchases, include with your check the tear-off stub from a prior purchase confirmation or otherwise identify the name(s) of the registered owner(s) and social security number(s).
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Investing by Wire You may purchase shares by requesting your bank to transmit by wire directly to the Transfer Agent. To invest by wire, please call the Trust at (800) 673-0550 or the Transfer Agent at (800) 628-4077 to advise the Trust of your investment and to receive further instructions. Your bank may charge you a small fee for this service. Once you have arranged to purchase shares by wire, please complete and mail the account application promptly to the Transfer Agent. This account application is required to complete the Funds records. You will not have access to your shares until the purchase order is completed in good form, which includes the receipt of completed account information by the Transfer Agent. Once your account is opened, you may make additional investments using the wire procedure described above. Be sure to include your name and account number in the wire instructions you provide your bank.
General The Trust reserves the right in its sole discretion to withdraw all or any part of the offering of shares of the Fund when, in the judgment of the Funds management, such withdrawal is in the best interest of the Fund. An order to purchase Shares is not binding on, and may be rejected by, the Fund until it has been confirmed in writing by the Fund and payment has been received. Once the order is accepted, the price you pay for a share of the Fund is the net asset value next determined upon receipt by the Transfer Agent or authorized intermediary.
Other Purchase Information You may purchase and redeem Fund shares, or exchange shares of the Fund for those of another managed by the Adviser, by contacting any broker authorized by the Distributor to sell shares of the Fund, by contacting the Fund at (800) 673-0550 or by contacting Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent), the Funds transfer and dividend disbursing agent, at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 or by telephoning (800) 628-4077. If you hold an account through a Financial Intermediary, you may purchase and redeem Fund shares, or exchange shares of the Fund for those of another, by contacting your Financial Intermediary. Financial Intermediaries may charge transaction fees for the purchase or sale of the Funds shares, depending on your arrangement.
HOW TO SELL SHARES
You may redeem your Shares of the Fund at any time and in any amount by contacting your Financial Intermediaries or by contacting the Fund by mail or telephone. For your protection, the Transfer Agent will not redeem your shares until it has received all information and documents necessary for your request to be considered in proper order. The Transfer Agent will promptly notify you if your redemption request is not in proper order. The Transfer Agent cannot accept redemption requests which specify a particular date for redemption or which specify any special conditions. The Funds procedure is to redeem shares at the NAV next determined after the Transfer Agent or authorized representative receives the redemption request in proper order. Payment of redemption proceeds will be made promptly, but no later than the seventh day following the receipt of the request in proper order. The Fund may suspend the right to redeem shares for any period during which the NYSE is closed or the SEC determines that there is an emergency. In such circumstances you may withdraw your redemption request or permit your request to be held for processing after the suspension is terminated.
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Delivery of the proceeds of a redemption of shares purchased and paid for by check shortly before the receipt of the redemption request may be delayed until the Fund determines that the Transfer Agent has completed collection of the purchase check, which may take up to 15 days. Also, payment of the proceeds of a redemption request for an account for which purchases were made by wire may be delayed until the Fund receives a completed account application for the account to permit the Fund to verify the identity of the person redeeming the shares and to eliminate the need for backup withholding.
Redemption By Mail To redeem shares by mail, send a written request for redemption, signed by the registered owner(s) exactly as the account is registered, to: REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, Attn: Redemptions, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, VA 23235. Certain written requests to redeem shares may require signature guarantees. For example, signature guarantees may be required if you sell a large number of shares, if your address of record on the account application has been changed within the last 30 days, or if you ask that the proceeds be sent to a different person or address. Signature guarantees are used to help protect you and the Fund. You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks or securities dealers, but not from a Notary Public. Please call the Transfer Agent at (800) 628-4077 to learn if a signature guarantee is needed or to make sure that it is completed appropriately in order to avoid any processing delays. There is no charge to shareholders for redemptions by mail.
Redemption By Telephone You may redeem your shares by telephone provided you requested this service on your initial account application. If you request this service at a later date, you must send a written request along with a signature guarantee to the Transfer Agent. Once your telephone authorization is in effect, you may redeem shares by calling the Transfer Agent at (800) 628-4077. There is no charge for establishing this service, but the Transfer Agent may charge your account a $10 service fee for each telephone redemption. The Transfer Agent may change the charge for this service at any time without prior notice. If it should become difficult to reach the Transfer Agent by telephone during periods when market or economic conditions lead to an unusually large volume of telephone requests, a shareholder may send a redemption request by overnight mail to the Transfer Agent at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235.
Redemption By Wire If you request that your redemption proceeds be wired to you, please call your bank for instructions prior to writing or calling the Transfer Agent. Be sure to include your name, Fund name, Fund account number, your account number at your bank and wire information from your bank in your request to redeem by wire.
The Fund will not be responsible for any losses resulting from unauthorized transactions (such as purchases, sales or exchanges) if it follows reasonable security procedures designed to verify the identity of the investor. You should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and Capital Gain Distributions Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually. The Fund intends to distribute annually any net capital gains.
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Dividends and distributions will automatically be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund, unless you elect to have the distributions paid to you in cash. There are no sales charges or transaction fees for reinvested dividends and all shares will be purchased at NAV. Shareholders will be subject to tax on all dividends and distributions whether paid to them in cash or reinvested in shares. If the investment in shares is made within an IRA, all dividends and capital gain distributions must be reinvested.
Unless you are investing through a tax deferred retirement account, such as an IRA, it may not be to your advantage to buy shares of the Fund shortly before the next distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is known as buying a dividend. To avoid buying a dividend, check the Funds distribution schedule before you invest.
Taxes In general, Fund distributions are taxable to you as either ordinary income or capital gains. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares of the Fund or receive them in cash. Any long-term capital gains the Fund distributes are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. Other Fund distributions (including distributions attributable to short-term capital gains of the Fund) will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions that are designated as qualified dividend income will be taxable at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains. Distributions attributable to dividends received by the Fund from a REIT do not qualify for qualified dividend income treatment. Every January, you will receive a statement that shows the tax status of distributions you received for the previous year.
Distributions declared in December but paid in January are taxable as if they were paid in December. Following year-end, a portion of the dividends paid by REITs may be re-characterized for tax purposes as capital gains and/or return of capital. To the extent this occurs, distributions paid by the Fund during the year also will be reclassified to reflect these REIT re-characterizations. In order to appropriately re-characterize the distributions paid by REITs and report accurate tax information to you, the Fund must gather year-end tax information issued by each REIT owned by the Fund during the calendar year. Therefore, the Fund will file a 30 day extension with the Internal Revenue Service that extends the deadline for the Fund to issue Form 1099-DIV to shareholders.
Equity investments by the Fund in certain passive foreign investment companies could subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company. The Fund may make certain elections in order to avoid such tax, which may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income without a corresponding receipt of cash. The Fund may be required to liquidate other investments, including when it may not be advantageous to do so, to meet its distribution requirements for treatment as a regulated investment company. Because it is not always possible to identify a foreign corporation as a passive foreign investment company, the Fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances.
When you sell shares of the Fund, you may have a capital gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your shares of the Fund for shares of a different fund of the Trust is the same as a sale. The individual tax rate on any gain from the sale or exchange of your shares depends on how long you have held your shares.
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Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your shares will generally be subject to state and local income tax. The one major exception to these tax principles is that distributions on, and sales exchanges and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-deferred retirement account) will not be currently taxable. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax. You should consult with your tax adviser about the federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences of your investment in the Fund.
By law, the Fund must withhold 28% of your taxable distribution and proceeds if you: (1) have failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN); (2) are subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS); (3) have failed to provide the Fund with the certifications required by the IRS to document that you are not subject to backup withholding; or (4) have failed to certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).
Cost Basis Reporting Federal law requires that mutual fund companies report their shareholders cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the IRS on the Funds shareholders Consolidated form 1099s when covered securities are sold. Covered securities are any regulated investment company and/or dividend reinvestment plan shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012. The Fund has chosen average cost as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. A tax lot identification method is the way the Fund will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing net asset values, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Funds standing tax lot identification method is the method covered shares will be reported on your Consolidated Form 1099 if you do not select a specific tax lot identification method. You may choose a method different than the Funds standing method and will be able to do so at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of the covered shares. Please refer to the appropriate Internal Revenue Service regulations or consult your tax adviser with regard to your personal circumstances.
For those securities defined as covered under current IRS cost basis tax reporting regulations, the Fund is responsible for maintaining accurate cost basis and tax lot information for tax reporting purposes. The Fund is not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the information for those securities that are not covered. The Fund and its service providers do not provide tax advice. You should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions you may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method.
NET ASSET VALUE
The Funds share price, called its NAV per share, is determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each business day that the NYSE is open (the Valuation Time). As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has been informed that the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. NAV per share is computed by adding the total value of the Funds investments and other assets attributable to the Funds Shares, subtracting any liabilities, and then dividing by the total number of shares outstanding.
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FAIR VALUE PRICING
The Funds securities are valued at current market prices. Investments in securities traded on a principal exchange (U.S. or foreign) and on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the last reported sales price on the exchange on which the securities are traded as of the close of business on the last day of the period or, lacking any sales, at the average of the bid and ask price on the valuation date. In cases where securities are traded on more than one exchange, the securities are valued on the exchange designated by or under the authority of the Funds Board of Trustees. Short-term debt securities (less than 60 days to maturity) are valued at their fair market value using amortized cost. Securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last available sale price in the over-the-counter market prior to time of valuation. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available are valued on a consistent basis at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Funds officers in a manner specifically authorized by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. Depositary Receipts will be valued at the closing price of the instrument last determined prior to time of valuation unless the Fund is aware of a material change in value. Securities for which such a value cannot be readily determined will be valued at the closing price of the underlying security adjusted for the exchange rate. Temporary investments in U.S. dollar denominated short-term investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Portfolio securities which are primarily traded on foreign exchanges are generally valued at the closing price on the exchange on which they are traded, and those values are then translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Generally, trading in corporate bonds, U.S. government securities and money market instruments is substantially completed each day at various times before the scheduled close of the NYSE. The value of these securities used in computing the NAV is determined as of such times.
The Trust has a policy that contemplates the use of fair value pricing to determine the NAV per share of the Fund when market prices are unavailable as well as under special circumstances, such as: (i) if the primary market for a portfolio security suspends or limits trading or price movements of the security; and (ii) when an event occurs after the close of the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded that is likely to have changed the value of the security.
When the Trust uses fair value pricing to determine the NAV per share of the Fund, securities will not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded, but rather may be priced by another method that the Board believes accurately reflects fair value. Any method used will be approved by the Board and results will be monitored to evaluate accuracy. The Trusts policy is intended to result in a calculation of the Funds NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing. However, fair values determined pursuant to the Trusts procedures may not accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing.
FREQUENT TRADING
Frequent purchases and redemptions of mutual fund shares may interfere with the efficient management of the Funds portfolio by its Portfolio Manager, increase portfolio transaction costs, and have a negative effect on the Funds long term shareholders. For example, in
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order to handle large flows of cash into and out of the Fund, the Portfolio Manager may need to allocate more assets to cash or other short-term investments or sell securities, rather than maintaining full investment in securities selected to achieve the Funds investment objective. Frequent trading may cause the Fund to sell securities at less favorable prices. Transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions and market spreads, can detract from the Funds performance.
If the Fund invests in certain smaller capitalization companies that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently, or relatively illiquid, there is the risk that the current market price for the securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences. To the extent that the Fund does not accurately value securities, short-term arbitrage traders may dilute the NAV of the Fund, which negatively impacts long-term shareholders. Although the Fund has adopted fair valuation policies and procedures intended to reduce the Funds exposure to price arbitrage and other potential pricing inefficiencies, under such circumstances there is potential for short-term arbitrage trades to dilute the value of Fund shares.
Because of the potential harm to the Fund and its long-term shareholders, the Board has approved policies and procedures that are intended to discourage and prevent excessive trading and market timing abuses through the use of various surveillance techniques. Under these policies and procedures, shareholders may not engage in more than four round-trips (a purchase and sale or an exchange in and then out of the Fund) within a rolling twelve month period. Shareholders exceeding four round-trips will be investigated by the Fund and possibly restricted from making additional investments in the Fund. The intent of the policies and procedures is not to inhibit legitimate strategies, such as asset allocation, dollar cost averaging, or similar activities that may nonetheless result in frequent trading of Fund shares. The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange or purchase of Fund shares with or without prior notice to the account holder. In cases where surveillance of a particular account establishes what the Fund identifies as market timing, the Fund will seek to block future purchases and exchanges of Fund shares by that account. Where surveillance of a particular account indicates activity that the Fund believes could be either abusive or for legitimate purposes, the Fund may permit the account holder to justify the activity. The policies and procedures will be applied uniformly to all shareholders and the Fund will not accommodate market timers.
The policies apply to any account, whether an individual account or accounts with financial intermediaries such as investment advisers, broker dealers or retirement plan administrators, commonly called omnibus accounts, where the intermediary holds Fund shares for a number of its customers in one account. Omnibus account arrangements permit multiple investors to aggregate their respective share ownership positions and purchase, redeem and exchange Fund shares without the identity of the particular shareholder(s) being known to the Fund. Accordingly, the ability of the Fund to monitor and detect frequent share trading activity through omnibus accounts is very limited and there is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify shareholders who may be engaging in frequent trading activity through omnibus accounts or to curtail such trading. However, the Fund will establish information sharing agreements with intermediaries as required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act that may involve sharing of certain information about you and your account, and
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otherwise use reasonable efforts to work with intermediaries to identify excessive short-term trading in underlying accounts.
The Funds policies provide for ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of current policies and surveillance tools, and the Funds Board reserves the right to modify these or adopt additional policies and restrictions in the future. Shareholders should be aware, however, that any surveillance techniques currently employed by the Fund or other techniques that may be adopted in the future, may not be effective, particularly where the trading takes place through certain types of omnibus accounts. As noted above, if the Fund is unable to detect and deter trading abuses, the Funds performance, and its long term shareholders, may be harmed. In addition, shareholders may be harmed by the extra costs and portfolio management inefficiencies that result from frequent trading of Fund shares, even when the trading is not for abusive purposes.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Signature Guarantees To help protect you and the Fund from fraud, signature guarantees are required for: (1) all redemptions ordered by mail if you require that the check be made payable to another person or that the check be mailed to an address other than the one indicated on the account registration; (2) all requests to transfer the registration of shares to another owner; and (3) all authorizations to establish or change telephone redemption service, other than through your initial account application. Signature guarantees may be required for certain other reasons. For example, a signature guarantee may be required if you sell a large number of shares or if your address of record on the account has been changed within the last thirty (30) days.
In the case of redemption by mail, signature guarantees must appear on either: (1) the written request for redemption; or (2) a separate instrument of assignment (usually referred to as a stock power) specifying the total number of shares being redeemed. The Company may waive these requirements in certain instances.
An original signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine so that you are protected from unauthorized account transactions. Notarization is not an acceptable substitute. Acceptable guarantors only include participants in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP2000). Participants in STAMP2000 may include financial institutions such as banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, broker-dealers and member firms of a national securities exchange.
Proper Form Your order to buy shares is in proper form when your completed and signed account application and check or wire payment is received. Your written request to sell or exchange shares is in proper form when written instructions signed by all registered owners, with a signature guarantee if necessary, is received.
Small Accounts Due to the relatively higher cost of maintaining small accounts, the Fund may deduct $50 per year (billed quarterly) from your account or may redeem the shares in your account, if it has a value of less than the required minimum investment at year end. If you bring your account balance up to the required minimum, no account fee or involuntary redemption will occur. The Company will not close your account if it falls below the required minimum solely because of a market decline. The Company reserves the right to waive this fee.
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Automatic Investment Plan Existing shareholders, who wish to make regular monthly investments in amounts of $100 or more, may do so through the Automatic Investment Plan. Under the Automatic Investment Plan, your designated bank or other financial institution debits a pre-authorized amount from your account on or about the 15th day of each month and applies the amount to the purchase of Fund shares. To use this service, you must authorize the transfer of funds by completing the Automatic Investment Plan section of the account application and sending a blank voided check.
Exchange Privilege You may exchange all or a portion of your shares in the Fund for shares of the same class of certain other funds of the Trust managed by the Adviser having different investment objectives, provided that the shares of the fund you are exchanging into are registered for sale in your state of residence. Your account may be charged $10 for a telephone exchange. An exchange is treated as a redemption and purchase and may result in realization of a gain or loss on the transaction.
Excessive trading can adversely impact Fund performance and shareholders. Therefore, the Company reserves the right to temporarily or permanently modify or terminate the Exchange Privilege. The Company also reserves the right to refuse exchange requests by any person or group if, in the Companys judgment, the Fund would be unable to invest the money effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies, or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected. The Company further reserves the right to restrict or refuse an exchange request if the Company has received or anticipates simultaneous orders affecting significant portions of the Funds assets or detects a pattern of exchange requests that coincides with a market timing strategy. Although the Company will attempt to give you prior notice when reasonable to do so, the Company may modify or terminate the Exchange Privilege at any time.
How to Transfer Shares If you wish to transfer shares to another owner, send a written request to the Transfer Agent at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, VA 23235. Your request should include: (i) the name of the Fund and existing account registration; (ii) signature(s) of the registered owner(s); (iii) the new account registration, address, taxpayer identification number and how dividends and capital gains are to be distributed; (iv) any stock certificates which have been issued for the shares being transferred; (v) signature guarantees (See Signature Guarantees); and (vi) any additional documents which are required for transfer by corporations, administrators, executors, trustees, guardians, etc. If you have any questions about transferring shares, call the Transfer Agent at (800) 628-4077.
Account Statements and Shareholder Reports Each time you purchase, redeem or transfer shares of the Fund, you will receive a written confirmation. You will also receive a year-end statement of your account if any dividends or capital gains have been distributed, and an annual and a semi-annual report.
Shareholder Communications The Fund may eliminate duplicate mailings of portfolio materials to shareholders who reside at the same address, unless instructed to the contrary. Investors may request that the Fund send these documents to each shareholder individually by calling the Fund at (800) 673-0550.
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General The Fund will not be responsible for any losses from unauthorized transactions (such as purchases, sales or exchanges) if it follows reasonable security procedures designed to verify the identity of the investor. You should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them.
Distribution Arrangements The Fund is offered through financial supermarkets, investment advisers and consultants, financial planners, brokers, dealers and other investment professionals, and directly through the Funds distributor. Investment professionals who offer Founders Shares may request fees from their individual clients. If you invest through a financial intermediary, the policies and fees may be different than those described in this prospectus. For example, third parties may charge transaction fees or set different minimum investment amounts.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries Certain financial intermediaries that maintain street name or omnibus accounts with the Fund provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Fund and are compensated for such services by the Fund. For more information, please refer to the SAI.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the period presented. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned [or lost] on an investment in shares of the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The financial highlights for the period presented (other than for the semi-annual period) have been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker, LLC, the Funds independent registered public accounting firm, whose unqualified report thereon, along with the Funds financial statements, are included in the Funds Annual Report to Shareholders (the Annual Report) and are incorporated by reference into the SAI. Additional performance information for the Fund is included in the Annual Report. The Annual Report and the SAI are available at no cost from the Fund at the address and telephone number noted on the back page of this prospectus. The following information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
You will find more information about the Fund in the following documents:
The Funds annual and semi-annual reports will contain more information about the Fund. The Funds annual reports will contain a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that had a significant effect on the Funds performance during the last fiscal year.
For more information about the Fund, you may wish to refer to the Funds current Statement of Additional Information (the SAI), which is on file with the SEC and incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You can obtain a free copy of the annual and semi-annual reports, and SAI by writing to World Funds Trust, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, by calling toll free (800) 673-0550, by e-mail at: mail@ccofva.com or on the World Funds Trust website at www.theworldfundstrust.com. General inquiries regarding the Fund may also be directed to the above address or telephone number.
Information about the Trust, including the SAI, can be reviewed and copied at the SECs Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. Information about the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. Reports and other information regarding the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commissions Public Reference Section, Washington D.C. 20549-0102.
(Investment Company Act File No. 811-22172)
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REMS International Real Estate
Value-Opportunity Fund
Founders Shares (REIFX)
8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite
205
Richmond, Virginia 23235
(800) 673-0550
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 16, 2015
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus of the REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund (the Fund), as it may be supplemented or revised from time to time.
Because this SAI is not itself a prospectus, no investment in shares of the Fund should be made solely upon the information contained herein. This SAI incorporates by reference the Funds Annual Report for the period March 19, 2014 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2014. Copies of the Funds Prospectus, Annual Report, and/or Semi-Annual Report may be obtained free of charge, by writing to the World Funds Trust, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 or by calling (800) 673-0550.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE | |
General Information | 1 | |
Additional Information about the Funds Investments | 1 | |
Strategies and Risks | 1 | |
Investment Restrictions | 9 | |
Disclosure of Portfolio Securities Holdings | 11 | |
Trustees and Officers of the Trust | 12 | |
Control Persons and Principal Securities Holders | 17 | |
Investment Adviser and Advisory Agreement | 18 | |
Management-Related Services | 20 | |
Portfolio Transactions | 21 | |
Description of Shares | 22 | |
Distribution | 23 | |
Additional Information About Purchases and Sales | 24 | |
Special Shareholder Services | 26 | |
Tax Status | 27 | |
Financial Information | 39 | |
Proxy and Corporate Action Voting Policies and Procedures | Exhibit A | |
Trust Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures | Exhibit B | |
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter | Exhibit C | |
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GENERAL INFORMATION
World Funds Trust (the Trust) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on April 9, 2007. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) and commonly known as a mutual fund. The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series (funds) of shares of beneficial interest (shares). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of additional funds. Each fund is a separate mutual fund, and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund and all assets of such fund belong solely to that fund and would be subject to liabilities related thereto. Each fund of the Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing, insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes and organization expenses; and (ii) pro rata share of the funds other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets. The other funds of the Trust are described in one or more separate Statements of Additional Information.
This SAI relates to the prospectus for the Founders Shares of the REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund (the Fund). The Fund is a separate investment portfolio or series of the Trust.
The Fund is a non-diversified series as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS INVESTMENTS
The following information supplements the discussion of the Funds investment objective and policies. The Funds investment objective and strategy may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval; except that, the Fund will give its investors at least sixty (60) days prior written notice of any change with respect to its policy of investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the real estate industry and other real estate related investments. These include securities issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies. A REIT is a separately managed trust that makes investments in various real estate assets. For purposes of the Funds investment policies, a company principally engaged in the real estate industry is one that derives at least 50% of its revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial or residential real estate or has at least 50% of its assets in such real estate businesses.
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The following discussion of investment techniques and instruments supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the investment information in the Funds prospectuses. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Fund may invest in any type of security whose characteristics are consistent with its investment programs described below.
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The Fund does not invest in real estate directly. The securities in which the Fund invests will normally be diversified as to geographic region, property type and tenant. The Fund may hold as few as twenty long positions and the Funds investment adviser may take short positions in real estate operating companies, REITs or REIT and other real estate company indices. The equity securities generally will be non-U.S. issuers that are considered by the Funds investment adviser to be undervalued and have dividend yields that exceed the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield.
EQUITY SECURITIES. Equity securities include common stocks, most preferred stocks and securities that are convertible into them, including common stock purchase warrants and rights, equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises and depositary receipts. Common stocks, the most familiar type, represent an equity (ownership) interest in a corporation. Preferred stock has certain fixed income features, like a bond, but is actually equity in a company, like common stock. Depositary receipts typically are issued by banks or trust companies and evidence ownership of underlying equity securities.
While past performance does not guarantee future results, equity securities historically have provided the greatest long-term growth potential in a company. However, their prices generally fluctuate more than other securities and reflect changes in a companys financial condition and in overall market and economic conditions. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment in a company. It is possible that the Fund may experience a substantial or complete loss on an individual equity investment.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITs). REITs are sometimes informally characterized as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. An equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold of land and buildings and derives its income primarily from rental income. An equity REIT may also realize capital gains (or losses) by selling real estate properties in its portfolio that have appreciated (or depreciated) in value. A mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real estate, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans. A mortgage REIT generally derives its income primarily from interest payments on the credit it has extended. A hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of equity REITs and mortgage REITs, generally by holding both ownership interests and mortgage interests in real estate. It is anticipated, although not required, that under normal circumstances a majority of the Funds investments in REITs will consist of equity REITs.
Since the Fund concentrates its assets in the real estate industry, your investment in the Fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets. REIT prices may drop because of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans, a dividend cut, a disruption to the real estate investment sales market, changes in federal or state taxation policies affecting REITs, and poor management. Other risks include extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems, liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values and the appeal of properties to tenants and changes in interest rates.
REAL ESTATE COMPANIES. For purposes of the Funds investment policies, a company principally engaged in the real estate industry is one that derives at least 50% of its revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial or residential real estate or has at least 50% of its assets in such real estate businesses. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest substantially all of its assets in the equity securities of real estate companies. These equity securities can
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consist of common stocks (including REIT shares), rights or warrants to purchase common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks where the conversion feature represents, in the investment advisers view, a significant element of the securities value, and preferred stocks.
FOREIGN SECURITIES AND CURRENCIES. The Fund will invest in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities involve certain inherent risks, including the following:
Political and Economic Factors. Individual foreign economies of certain countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, diversification and balance of payments position. The internal politics of certain foreign countries may not be as stable as those of the United States. Governments in certain foreign countries also continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these trading partners of protectionist trade legislation could have a significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries.
Currency Fluctuations. The securities in which the Fund may invest may be denominated in foreign currencies. Accordingly, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of the underlying security denominated in that currency. Such changes will also affect the Funds value. The value of the security may also be affected significantly by currency restrictions and exchange control regulations enacted from time to time.
Taxes. The interest and dividends payable on certain foreign portfolio securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thus reducing the net amount of income available for distribution to shareholders, including the Fund.
Costs. To the extent that the Fund invests in foreign securities, the Funds expense ratio is likely to be higher than those of investment companies investing only in domestic securities, because the cost of maintaining the custody of foreign securities is higher.
Emerging Markets. The Fund may invest in foreign securities that may include securities of companies located in developing or emerging markets, which entail additional risks, including: less social, political and economic stability; smaller securities markets and lower trading volume, which may result in less liquidity and greater price volatility; national policies that may restrict investment opportunities, including restrictions on investments in issuers or industries, or expropriation or confiscation of assets or property; and less developed legal structures governing private or foreign investment.
FIXED INCOME SECURITIES. Cash not invested in equity securities may be invested in fixed income securities pending investment in equity securities, as well as to maintain liquidity. Fixed income securities are debt obligations, including notes, debentures, and similar instruments and securities and money market instruments. Mortgage and asset-backed securities are types of fixed income securities, and certain types of income-producing, non-convertible preferred stocks may be treated as debt securities for investment purposes. Fixed income securities generally are used by corporations and
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governments to borrow money from investors. The issuer pays the investor a fixed rate of interest and normally must repay the amount borrowed on or before maturity. Many preferred stocks and some bonds are perpetual in that they have no maturity date.
Fixed income securities are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that interest rates will rise and that, as a result, bond prices will fall, lowering the value of the Funds investments in fixed income securities. In general, fixed income securities having longer durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes than are fixed income securities with shorter durations. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer may be unable or unwilling to repay interest and/or principal on the fixed income security. Credit risk can be affected by many factors, including adverse changes in the issuers own financial condition or in economic conditions.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities ordinarily provide a stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower than the yield of non-convertible debt. Convertible securities are usually subordinated to comparable-tier nonconvertible securities but rank senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure.
The value of a convertible security is a function of (1) its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege and (2) its worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock. The price of a convertible security often reflects variations in the price of the underlying common stock in a way that non-convertible debt does not. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument, which may be less than the ultimate conversion value.
Many convertible securities are rated below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) or, if unrated, are considered by an investment adviser to be of comparable quality. Securities rated below investment grade are more commonly referred to as junk bonds.
WARRANTS. Warrants are securities permitting, but not obligating, holders to subscribe for other securities. Warrants do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to the securities that they entitle their holder to purchase, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. As a result, warrants may be considered more speculative than certain other types of investments. In addition, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date.
SMALL- AND MID-SIZED COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in securities issued by small- and mid-capitalization companies. Investments in securities of companies with smaller revenues and market capitalizations present greater risks than investments in securities of larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies can be more volatile in price than larger capitalization companies due generally to the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities, and the greater sensitivity of small- and mid-capitalization companies to changes in, or failure
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of, management, and to other changes in competitive, business, industry and economic conditions, including risks associated with limited product lines, markets, management depth, or financial resources. In addition, some of the companies in which the Fund may invest may be in the early stages of development and have limited operating histories. There may be less publicly available information about small or early stage companies, and it may take a longer period of time for the prices of such securities to reflect the full value of their issuers underlying earnings potential or assets.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES. Although the Fund does not generally invest in illiquid securities, the investment adviser may hold up to 15% of the Funds portfolio in securities that may be considered illiquid, by virtue of the absence of a readily available market, legal or contractual restrictions on resale, longer maturities, or other factors limiting the marketability of the security. Generally, an illiquid security is any security that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the security. This policy does not apply to the acquisition of restricted securities eligible for resale to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 or commercial paper issued privately under section 4(2) of that act, when such investments are considered to be liquid by the investment adviser.
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS. The cash equivalent investments that may be purchased by the Fund include money market instruments such as bills, notes and bonds that are issued, sponsored or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities (U.S. Government Securities). The Fund may also purchase short-term, high quality debt securities such as time deposits, certificates of deposit or bankers acceptances issued by commercial banks or savings and loan associations, and may buy commercial paper or floating rate debt instruments. Cash equivalent securities other than U.S. Government Securities must have received one of the two highest ratings from an NRSRO or be of comparable quality, as determined by the investment adviser. The Fund may also purchase shares of money market mutual funds or interests in collective accounts maintained by banks or financial institutions, which hold the types of securities described above.
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies,
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such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement or Agreement). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasurys funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Funds, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.
U.S. government securities include: (1) securities that have no interest coupons or have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons; (2) individual interest coupons from such securities that trade separately; and, (3) evidences of receipt of such securities. Such securities that pay no cash income are purchased at a deep discount from their value at maturity. Because interest on zero coupon and stripped securities is not distributed on a current basis but is, in effect, compounded, such securities tend to be subject to greater market risk than interest-payment securities.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. Repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to the counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. The Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through the regular custodian or through a special tri-party custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both the Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations. Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed-upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by the Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements involving obligations other than U.S. Government Securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) may be subject to special risks and may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterpartys insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, the Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral. The Fund intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with counterparties believed by the investment adviser to present minimal credit risks.
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INDEX SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in index securities (Index Securities). Index Securities represent interests in a fixed portfolio of common stocks designed to track the price and dividend yield performance of a broad-based securities index, such as the NAREIT Index, but are traded on an exchange like shares of common stock. The value of Index Securities fluctuates in relation to changes in the value of the underlying portfolio of securities. However, the market price of Index Securities may not be equivalent to the pro rata value of the index it tracks. Index Securities are subject to the risks of an investment in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks. Index Securities are considered investments in other investment companies.
INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, the Funds shareholders indirectly bear the Funds proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by the shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Funds own operations.
SEGREGATED ACCOUNTS. When the Fund enters into certain transactions that involve obligations to make future payments to third parties, it will maintain with an approved custodian in a segregated account, or it will earmark, cash or liquid securities, marked to market daily, in an amount at least equal to the Funds obligation or commitment under such transactions. Temporary Investments. From time to time, the Fund may make temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its principal investment strategies. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its total assets in short-term, liquid, high-grade debt securities. The Fund may assume a temporary defensive posture to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. When the Fund maintains a temporary defensive position, it may not achieve its investment objective.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION OF INVESTMENTS. The Fund is operated as a non-diversified portfolio. As a non-diversified investment company, the Fund may be subject to greater risks than a diversified company because of the possible fluctuation in the values of securities of fewer issuers. However, at the close of each fiscal quarter at least 50% of the value of the Funds total assets will be represented by one or more of the following: (i) cash and cash items, including receivables; (ii) U.S. government securities; (iii) securities of other regulated investment companies; and (iv) securities (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one or more issuers which meet the following limitations: (a) the Fund will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any such issuer and (b) the entire amount of the securities of such issuer owned by the Fund will not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. Additionally, not more than 25% of the value of the Funds total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer.
BORROWING FOR LEVERAGE. The Fund has the ability to borrow from banks (as defined in the 1940 Act) on a secured basis to invest the borrowed funds in portfolio securities. This speculative technique is known as leverage. The Fund may borrow and, if so, will maintain varying levels of leverage depending on factors such as the price of the REIT security relative to the underlying real estate and the returns of the REIT security relative to the interest expense on the borrowing. However, the Fund may have no leverage or less than 10% leverage for an extended period of time when the investment adviser believes that leverage or leverage of 10% or more is not in the best interest of the Fund. The Fund may borrow only from banks. Under current regulatory requirements, borrowings can be made only to the extent
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that the value of the Funds assets, less its liabilities other than borrowings, is equal to at least 300% of all borrowings (including the proposed borrowing). If the value of the Funds assets fails to meet this 300% asset coverage requirement, the Fund will reduce its bank debt within three days to meet the requirement. To do so, the Fund might have to sell a portion of its investments at a disadvantageous time.
Leverage creates an opportunity for increased income and capital appreciation, but at the same time, it creates special risks. Leverage is a speculative technique in that it will increase the Funds exposure to capital risk. Successful use of leverage depends on the investment advisers ability to predict correctly interest rates and market movements, and there is no assurance that the use of a leveraging strategy will be successful during any period in which it is used.
The Fund will pay interest on these loans, and that interest expense will raise the overall expenses of the Fund and reduce its returns. If the Fund does borrow, its expenses will be greater than comparable mutual funds that do not borrow for leverage. Additionally, the Funds net asset value per share might fluctuate more than that of other mutual funds that do not borrow.
To secure the Funds obligation on these loans, the Fund will have to pledge portfolio securities in an amount deemed sufficient by the lender. Pledged securities will be held by the lender and will not be available for other purposes. The Fund will not be able to sell pledged securities until they are replaced by other collateral or released by the lender. Under some circumstances, this may prevent the investment adviser from engaging in portfolio transactions it considers desirable. The lender may increase the amount of collateral needed to cover a loan or demand repayment of a loan at any time. This may require the investment adviser to sell assets it would not otherwise choose to sell at that time.
To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with Fund assets received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the Funds return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such Fund assets is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage, the return on the Fund available for distribution to shareholders will be reduced and less than they would have been if no leverage had been used. Nevertheless, the investment adviser may determine to maintain the Funds leveraged position if it deems such action to be appropriate under the circumstances.
CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may engage in currency transactions with counterparties in order to hedge the value of portfolio holdings denominated in particular currencies against fluctuations in relative value. Currency transactions include forward currency contracts, exchange-listed currency futures, exchange-listed and OTC options on currencies, and currency swaps. A forward currency contract involves a privately negotiated obligation to purchase or sell (with delivery generally required) a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract between the parties, at a specified price. These contracts are traded in the interbank market and conducted directly between currency traders (usually large, commercial banks) and their customers. A forward foreign currency contract generally has no deposit requirement or commissions charges. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows based on the notional difference among two or more currencies. Currency swaps operate similarly to an interest rate swap (described below). The Fund may enter into currency transactions with counterparties which have received (or the guarantors of the obligations of which have received) a credit rating of A-1 or P-1 by S&P or Moodys, respectively, or that have an equivalent rating from a NRSRO, or (except for OTC currency options) are determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Funds Adviser.
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Currency hedging involves some of the same risks and considerations as other transactions with similar instruments. Currency transactions can result in losses to the Fund if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. Furthermore, there is the risk that the perceived linkage between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time the Fund is engaging in proxy hedging (see Proxy Hedging, below). If the Fund enters into a currency hedging transaction, it will comply with the asset segregation requirements described below. Cross currency hedges may not be considered directly related to the Funds principal business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures thereon), resulting in gains there from not qualifying under the less than 30% of gross income test of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code).
Currency transactions are also subject to risks different from those of other portfolio transactions. Because currency control is of great importance to the issuing governments and influences economic planning and policy, purchases and sales of currency and related instruments can be negatively affected by government exchange controls, blockages, and manipulations or exchange restrictions imposed by governments. These can result in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges the Fund has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure and transaction costs. Buyers and sellers of currency futures are subject to the same risks that apply to the use of futures generally. Furthermore, settlement of a currency futures contract for the purchase of most currencies must occur at a bank based in the issuing nation. Trading options on currency futures is relatively new, and the ability to establish and close out positions on such options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid market which may not always be available. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate based on factors extrinsic to that countrys economy. Although forward foreign currency contracts and currency futures tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such currency increase. The Funds dealing in forward currency contracts and other currency transactions such as futures, options on futures, options on currencies and swaps will be limited to hedging involving either specific transactions (Transaction Hedging) or portfolio positions (Position Hedging).
TRANSACTION HEDGING. Transaction Hedging occurs when the Fund enters into a currency transaction with respect to specific assets or liabilities. These specific assets or liabilities generally arise in connection with the purchase or sale of the Funds portfolio securities or the receipt of income therefrom. The Fund may use transaction hedging to preserve the United States dollar price of a security when they enter into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency. The Fund will be able to protect itself against possible losses resulting from changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies during the period between the date the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received by entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars, of the amount of the foreign currency involved in the underlying security transactions.
POSITION HEDGING. Position hedging is entering into a currency transaction with respect to portfolio security positions denominated or generally quoted in that currency. The Fund may use position hedging when the Funds Adviser believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar. The Fund may enter into a forward foreign currency contract to sell, for a fixed amount of dollars, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. The precise matching of the forward
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foreign currency contract amount and the value of the portfolio securities involved may not have a perfect correlation since the future value of the securities hedged will change as a consequence of market movements between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. The projection of short-term currency market movement is difficult, and the successful execution of this short-term hedging strategy is uncertain.
The Fund will not enter into a transaction to hedge currency exposure to an extent greater, after netting all transactions intended wholly or partially to offset other transactions, than the aggregate market value (at the time of entering into the transaction) of the securities held in its portfolio that are denominated or generally quoted in or currently convertible into such currency, other than with respect to proxy hedging as described below.
CROSS HEDGING. The Fund may also cross-hedge currencies by entering into transactions to purchase or sell one or more currencies that are expected to decline in value relative to other currencies to which the Fund has or expects to have portfolio exposure.
SHORT SALES. The Fund may attempt to limit exposure to a possible decline in the market value of portfolio securities through short sales of securities that the investment adviser believes possess volatility characteristics similar to those being hedged. The Fund also may use short sales in an attempt to realize gain. To effect a short sale, the Funds brokerage firm borrows the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the short position is closed, the Fund is obligated to deliver the shorted security by purchasing it at the market price at that time. No short sale will be effected which will, at the time of making such short sale transaction, cause the aggregate market value of all securities sold short to exceed 30% of the value of the Funds net assets.
To secure the Funds obligation to deliver any shorted security, it will leave the proceeds of the short sale with the selling broker and will also earmark or place in a segregated account, an amount that, when combined with the amount of collateral (not including short sale proceeds) deposited with the broker in connection with the short sale, equals the current market value of the security sold short. Depending on arrangements made with the broker or custodian, the Fund might not receive any payments (including interest) on collateral deposited with the broker or custodian.
If the price of a security sold short increases, the Fund may lose money on the short position. A short position for hedging purposes may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the security sold short and the securities being hedged. The Fund will realize a gain on the security sold short if the security declines in price between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will incur a loss if the price of the security increases between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of the loss increased, by the amount of any premium or interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale.
To the extent the Fund sells securities short (except in the case of short sales against the box), it is required to segregate an amount of cash or liquid securities on its records equal to the market price of the securities sold short. The segregated assets are marked to market daily in an attempt to ensure that the amount deposited in the segregated account is at least equal to the market value of the securities sold short. Segregated securities cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they are replaced with similar securities. As a result, there is the possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Funds assets could affect its portfolio management.
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OPTIONS. The Fund may purchase and sell options as described herein.
PUT AND CALL OPTIONS. A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to sell, and the writer the obligation to buy, the underlying security, commodity, index, currency or other instrument at the exercise price. The Fund may purchase a put option on a security to protect its holdings in the underlying instrument (or, in some cases, a similar instrument) against a substantial decline in market value by giving the Fund the right to sell such instrument at the option exercise price. Such protection is, of course, only provided during the life of the put option when the Fund is able to sell the underlying security at the put exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying securitys market price. By using put options in this manner, the Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized in its underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.
A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the seller the obligation to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price. The Funds purchase of a call option on a security, financial future, index, currency or other instrument might be intended to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of the underlying instrument. When writing a covered call option, the Fund, in return for the premium, gives up the opportunity to profit from a market increase in the underlying security above the exercise price, but conversely retains the risk of loss should the price of the security decline. If a call option which the Fund has written expires, it will realize a gain in the amount of the premium; however, such gain may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying security during the option period. If the call option is exercised, the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security.
The premium received is the market value of an option. The premium the Fund will receive from writing a call option, or, which it will pay when purchasing a put option, will reflect, among other things, the current market price of the underlying security, the relationship of the exercise price to such market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying security, the length of the option period, the general supply and demand for credit conditions, and the general interest rate environment. The premium received by a Fund or writing covered call options will be recorded as a liability in its statement of assets and liabilities. This liability will be adjusted daily to the options current market value, which will be the latest sale price at the time at which the Funds net asset value (NAV) per share is computed (currently the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)), or, in the absence of such sale, the latest asked price. The liability will be extinguished upon expiration of the option, the purchase of an identical option in a closing transaction, or delivery of the underlying security upon the exercise of the option.
The premium paid by the Fund when purchasing a put option will be recorded as an asset in its statement of assets and liabilities. This asset will be adjusted daily to the options current market value, which will be the latest sale price at the time at which the Funds NAV per share is computed (close of the NYSE), or, in the absence of such sale, the latest bid price. The asset will be extinguished upon expiration of the option, the selling (writing) of an identical option in a closing transaction, or the delivery of the underlying security upon the exercise of the option.
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The purchase of a put option will constitute a short sale for federal tax purposes. The purchase of a put at a time when the substantially identical security held long has not exceeded the long term capital gain holding period could have adverse tax consequences. The holding period of the long position will be cut off so that even if the security held long is delivered to close the put, short term gain will be recognized. If substantially identical securities are purchased to close the put, the holding period of the securities purchased will not begin until the closing date. The holding period of the substantially identical securities not delivered to close the short sale will commence on the closing of the short sale.
The Fund will purchase a call option only to close out a covered call option it has written. It will write a put option only to close out a put option it has purchased. Such closing transactions will be effected in order to realize a profit on an outstanding call or put option, to prevent an underlying security from being called or put, or, to permit the sale of the underlying security. Furthermore, effecting a closing transaction will permit the Fund to write another call option, or purchase another put option, on the underlying security with either a different exercise price or expiration date or both. If the Fund desires to sell a particular security from its portfolio on which it has written a call option, or purchased a put option, it will seek to effect a closing transaction prior to, or concurrently with, the sale of the security. There is, of course, no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect such closing transactions at a favorable price. If it cannot enter into such a transaction, it may be required to hold a security that it might otherwise have sold, in which case it would continue to be at market risk on the security. This could result in higher transaction costs, including brokerage commissions. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the writing or purchase of options to close out previously written options. Such brokerage commissions are normally higher than those applicable to purchases and sales of portfolio securities.
Options written by the Fund will normally have expiration dates between three and nine months from the date written. The exercise price of the options may be below, equal to, or above the current market values of the underlying securities at the time the options are written. From time to time, the Fund may purchase an underlying security for delivery in accordance with an exercise notice of a call option assigned to it, rather than delivering such security from its portfolio. In such cases, additional brokerage commissions will be incurred.
The Fund will realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received from the writing of the option; however, any loss so incurred in a closing purchase transaction may be partially or entirely offset by the premium received from a simultaneous or subsequent sale of a different call or put option. Also, because increases in the market price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund.
An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. The Fund is authorized to purchase and sell exchange-listed options and over-the-counter options (OTC options). Exchange-listed options are issued by a regulated intermediary such as the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), which guarantees the performance of the obligations of the parties to such options. The discussion below uses the OCC as an example, but is also applicable to other financial intermediaries.
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With certain exceptions, OCC issued and exchange listed options generally settle by physical delivery of the underlying security or currency, although cash settlement may become available in the future. Index options and Eurocurrency instruments are cash settled for the net amount, if any, by which the option is in-the-money (i.e., where the value of the underlying instrument exceeds, in the case of a call option, or is less than, in the case of a put option, the exercise price of the option) at the time the option is exercised. Frequently, rather than taking or making delivery of the underlying instrument through the process of exercising the option, listed options are closed by entering into offsetting purchase or sale transactions that do not result in ownership of the new option.
The Funds ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller of an OCC or exchange-listed put or call option is dependent, in part, upon liquidity of the option market. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid option market on an exchange are: (1) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (2) restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (3) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities including reaching daily price limits; (4) interruption of the normal operations of the OCC or an exchange; (5) inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or OCC to handle current trading volume; or (6) a decision by one or more exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the relevant market for that option on that exchange would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange would generally continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
The hours of trading for listed options may not coincide with the hours during which the underlying financial instruments are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying financial instruments, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets.
OTC options are purchased from or sold to securities dealers, financial institutions or other parties (Counterparties) through a direct bilateral agreement with the Counterparty. In contrast to exchange-listed options, which generally have standardized terms and performance mechanics, all the terms of an OTC option, including such terms as method of settlement, term, exercise price, premium, guarantees and security, are set by negotiation of the parties. The Fund will only sell OTC options (other than OTC currency options) that are subject to a buy-back provision permitting the Fund to require the Counterparty to sell the option back to the Fund at a formula price within seven days. Although not required to do so, the Fund generally expects to enter into OTC options that have cash settlement provisions. Unless the parties provide otherwise, there is no central clearing or guaranty function in an OTC option. As a result, if the Counterparty fails to make or take delivery of the security, currency or other instrument underlying an OTC option it has entered into with the Fund or fails to make a cash settlement payment due in accordance with the terms of that option, the Fund will lose any premium it paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit of the transaction. Accordingly, the Funds Adviser must assess the creditworthiness of each such Counterparty or any guarantor or credit enhancement of the Counterpartys credit to determine the likelihood that the terms of the OTC option will be satisfied. The Fund will engage in OTC option transactions only with United States government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as primary dealers, or broker dealers, domestic or foreign banks or other financial institutions which have received (or the guarantors of the obligation of which have received) a short-term credit rating of A-1 from S&P or P-1 from Moodys or an equivalent rating from any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization (a NRSRO). The staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) currently takes the position that OTC options purchased by the Fund and portfolio securities covering the amount of the Funds obligation pursuant
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to an OTC option sold by it (the cost of the sell-back plus the in-the-money amount, if any) are illiquid, and are subject to the Funds limitation on investing no more than 15% of its assets in illiquid securities.
If the Fund sells a call option, the premium that it receives may serve as a partial hedge against a decrease in the value of the underlying securities or instruments in its portfolio. The premium may also increase the Funds income.
The sale of put options can also provide income.
OPTIONS ON SECURITIES INDICES AND OTHER FINANCIAL INDICES. The Fund may also purchase and sell call and put options on securities indices and other financial indices. By doing so, the Fund can achieve many of the same objectives that it would achieve through the sale or purchase of options on individual securities or other instruments. Options on securities indices and other financial indices are similar to options on a security or other instrument except that, rather than settling by physical delivery of the underlying instrument, they settle by cash settlement. For example, an option on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the excess of the closing price of the index over the exercise price of the option, which also may be multiplied by a formula value. The seller of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The gain or loss on an option on an index depends on price movements in the instruments making up the market, market segment, industry or any other composite on which the underlying index is based, rather than price movements in individual securities, as is the case with respect to options on securities.
FUTURES. The Fund may enter into financial futures contracts or purchase or sell put and call options on such futures as a hedge against anticipated interest rate or currency market changes and for risk management purposes. The use of futures for hedging is intended to protect the Fund from (1) the risk that the value of its portfolio of investments in a foreign market may decline before it can liquidate its interest, or (2) the risk that a foreign market in which it proposes to invest may have significant increases in value before it actually invests in that market. In the first instance, the Fund will sell a future based upon a broad market index which it is believed will move in a manner comparable to the overall value of securities in that market. In the second instance, the Fund will purchase the appropriate index as an anticipatory hedge until it can otherwise acquire suitable direct investments in that market. As with the hedging of foreign currencies, the precise matching of financial futures on foreign indices and the value of the cash or portfolio securities being hedged may not have a perfect correlation. The projection of future market movement and the movement of appropriate indices is difficult, and the successful execution of this short-term hedging strategy is uncertain.
Regulatory policies governing the use of such hedging techniques require the Fund to provide for the deposit of initial margin and the segregation of suitable assets to meet its obligations under futures contracts. Futures are generally bought and sold on the commodities exchanges where they are listed with payment of initial and variation margin as described below. The sale of a futures contract creates a firm obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver to the buyer the specific type of financial instrument called for in the contract at a specific future time for a specified price (or, with respect to index futures and Eurocurrency instruments, the net cash amount). Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that an option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a position in a futures contract and obligates the seller to deliver such position. The Funds use of financial futures and options thereon will in all cases be consistent with applicable
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regulatory requirements, particularly the rules and regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The Fund will use such techniques only for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or other portfolio management purposes. The purchase of an option on financial futures involves payment of a premium for the option without any further obligation on the part of the Fund. If the Fund exercises an option on a futures contract, it will be obligated to post initial margin (and potential subsequent variation margin) for the resulting futures position. Futures contracts and options thereon are generally settled by entering into an offsetting transaction, but there can be no assurance that the position can be offset prior to settlement at an advantage price or that delivery will occur.
The Fund will not enter into a futures contract or related option (except for closing transactions) if immediately thereafter, the sum of the amount of its initial margin and premiums on open futures contracts and options thereon would exceed 5% of the Funds total assets (taken at current value); however, in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of the purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 5% limitation. The segregation requirements with respect to futures contracts and options thereon are described below.
SEGREGATED AND OTHER SPECIAL ACCOUNTS. In addition to other requirements, many transactions require the Fund to segregate liquid high grade assets with its custodian to the extent Fund obligations are not otherwise covered through the ownership of the underlying security, financial instruments or currency. In general, either the full amount of any obligation by the Fund to pay or deliver securities or assets must be covered at all times by the securities, instruments or currency required to be delivered, or, subject to any regulatory restrictions, an amount of cash or liquid high grade securities at least equal to the current amount of the obligation must be segregated with the custodian. The segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. For example, a call option written by the Fund will require the Fund to hold the securities subject to the call (or securities convertible into the needed securities without additional consideration) or to segregate liquid high grade securities sufficient to purchase and deliver the securities if the call is exercised. A call option sold by the Fund on an index will require the Fund to own portfolio securities which correlate with the index or segregate liquid high grade assets equal to the excess of the index value over the exercise price industry or other on a current basis. A put option written by the Fund requires the Fund to segregate liquid, high grade assets equal to the exercise price. A currency contract which obligates the Fund to buy or sell currency will generally requires the Fund to hold an amount of that currency or liquid securities denominated in that currency equal to the Funds obligations or to segregate liquid high grade assets equal to the amount of the Funds obligation.
OTC options entered into by the Fund, including those on securities, currency, financial instruments or indices and OCC issued and exchange-listed index options, will generally provide for cash settlement. As a result, when the Fund sells these instruments it will only segregate an amount of assets equal to its accrued net obligations, as there is no requirement for payment or delivery of amounts in excess of the net amount. These amounts will equal 100% of the exercise price in the case of a non cash-settled put, the same as an OCC guaranteed listed option sold by the Fund, or in-the-money amount plus any sell-back formula amount in the case of a cash-settled put or call. In addition, when the Fund sells a call option on an index at a time when the in-the-money amount exceeds the exercise price, the Fund will segregate, until the option expires or is closed out, cash or cash equivalents equal in value to such excess. OCC issued and exchange-listed options sold by the Fund other than those generally settle with physical delivery, and the Fund will segregate an amount of liquid assets equal to the full value of the
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option. OTC options settling with physical delivery, or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement will be treated the same as other options settling with physical delivery.
In the case of a futures contract or an option thereon, the Fund must deposit initial margin and possible daily variation margin in addition to segregating sufficient liquid assets. Such assets may consist of cash, cash equivalents, liquid debt securities or other liquid assets.
With respect to swaps, the Fund will accrue the net amount of the excess, if any, of its obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap on a daily basis and will segregate an amount of cash or liquid high grade securities having a value equal to the accrued excess. Caps, floors and collars require segregation of assets with a value equal to the Funds net obligation, if any. The Fund may also enter into offsetting transactions so that its combined position, coupled with any segregated assets, equals its net outstanding obligation in related options. For example, the Fund could purchase a put option if the strike price of that option is the same or higher than the strike price of a put option sold by the Fund. Moreover, instead of segregating assets, if the Fund holds a futures or forward contract, it could purchase a put option on the same futures or forward contract with a strike price as high or higher than the price of the contract held. If the offsetting transaction terminates at the time of or after the primary transaction, no segregation is required, but if it terminates prior to such time, liquid assets equal to any remaining obligation would need to be segregated.
INTEREST RATE SWAPS. The Fund may invest in interest rate swaps. Such transactions are subject to market risk, liquidity risk, risk of default by the other party to the transaction, known as counterparty risk, regulatory risk and risk of imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets and may involve commissions or other costs. As a seller, the Fund would be incurring a form of leverage. The Fund will cover its swap positions by segregating an amount of cash and/or liquid securities as required by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC interpretations and guidance from time to time.
Swap agreements are primarily entered into by institutional investors and the value of such agreements may be extremely volatile. Certain swap agreements are traded OTC between two parties, while other more standardized swaps must be transacted through a Futures Commission Merchant and centrally cleared or exchange-traded. While central clearing and exchange-trading are intended to reduce counterparty credit and liquidity risk, they do not make a swap transaction risk-free. The current regulatory environment regarding swap agreements is subject to change. The Adviser will continue to monitor these developments, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Funds ability to enter into swap agreements.
The swap market has matured in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid; however there is no guarantee that the swap market will continue to provide liquidity and may be subject to liquidity risk, which exists when a particular swap is difficult to purchase or sell. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The inability to close derivative positions also could have an adverse impact on the Funds ability to effectively hedge its portfolio. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates or currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used. In a total return swap, the Fund pays the counterparty a floating short-term interest rate and receives in exchange the total return of underlying loans or debt securities. The Fund bears the risk of
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default on the underlying loans or debt securities, based on the notional amount of the swap and, therefore, incurs a form of leverage. The Fund would typically have to post collateral to cover this potential obligation.
CFTC Exemption. This Fund is being operated by an investment adviser that has claimed an exemption from registration with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act, and therefore the investment adviser is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under that Act.
This claim of exemption from registration as a commodity pool operator is pursuant to Rule 4.5 promulgated under the Commodity Exchange Act. Specifically, in accordance with the requirements of Rule 4.5(b)(1), the Fund will limit its use if commodity futures contracts and commodity options contracts to no more than (i) five percent (5%) of the Funds liquidation value being committed as aggregate initial premium or margin for such contracts or (ii) one hundred percent (100%) of the Funds liquidation value in aggregate net notional value of commodity futures, commodity options and swaps positions.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER. Average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the year, excluding from both the numerator and the denominator all securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. A higher portfolio turnover rate involves greater transaction expenses to the Fund and may result in the realization of: (a) net short-term capital gains, which would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income when distributed, and (b) net long-term capital gains, which would be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains when distributed. The Funds investment adviser makes purchases and sales for the Funds portfolio whenever necessary, in the investment advisers opinion, to meet the Funds objective. The investment adviser anticipates that the average annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund normally will not exceed 100%.
OTHER INVESTMENTS. The Board may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities other than those listed in this SAI and in the prospectuses, provided such investments would be consistent with the Funds investment objective and that such investment would not violate the Funds fundamental investment policies or restrictions.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
Fundamental Investment Policies and Restrictions - The Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment restrictions. The fundamental investment restrictions cannot be changed without approval by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund will not:
(1) |
borrow
money, except: (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there
is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank
or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings
are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Funds total assets at the time when
the borrowing is made. This limitation
|
17
does not
preclude the Fund from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that
the Fund has an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings and repurchase commitments
of the Fund pursuant to reverse repurchase transactions.
|
||
(2) |
issue senior
securities. This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to
involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that the
Funds engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the
1940 Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of
the SEC or its staff.
|
|
(3) |
make loans,
except through loans of portfolio securities or through repurchase agreements, provided
that for purposes of this restriction, the acquisition of bonds, debentures, other
debt securities or instruments, or participations or other interests therein and
investments in government obligations, commercial paper, certificates of deposit,
bankers acceptances or similar instruments will not be considered the making
of a loan.
|
|
(4) |
engage
in the business of underwriting securities of other issuers, except to the extent
that the Fund might be considered an underwriter under the federal securities laws
in connection with its disposition of portfolio securities.
|
|
(5) |
purchase
or sell real estate, except that investments in securities of issuers that invest
in real estate and investments in mortgage-backed securities, mortgage participations
or other instruments supported by interests in real estate are not subject to this
limitation, and except that the Fund may exercise rights under agreements relating
to such securities, including the right to enforce security interests and to hold
real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement until that real estate can be
liquidated in an orderly manner. The Fund does not consider securities issued by
companies which invest in real estate or interests therein, or securities directly
or indirectly secured by real estate or interests therein to be investments in real
estate.
|
|
(6) |
purchase
or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of owning securities or
other instruments, but the Fund may purchase, sell or enter into financial options
and futures, forward and spot currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial
contracts or derivative instruments.
|
|
(7) |
The Fund
will concentrate its investments in publicly-traded real estate companies such as
REITs, real estate operating companies and other publicly traded companies whose
asset base is primarily real estate (collectively, Real Estate Companies).
|
With regard to investment limitation 2 above, currently, with respect to senior securities, the 1940 Act and regulatory interpretations of relevant provisions of the 1940 Act establish the following general limits, subject to modification to conform to the 1940 Act as interpreted or modified from time to time: Open-end registered investment companies such as the Funds are not permitted to issue any class of senior security or to sell any senior security of which they are the issuers. The Trust is, however, permitted to issue separate series of Shares (each Fund is a series of the Trust) and to divide those series into separate classes. Individual class and institutional class are separate classes. The Funds have no intention of issuing senior securities, except that the Trust has issued its Shares in separate series and may divide those series into classes of Shares. Collateral arrangements with respect to forward
18
contracts, futures contracts or options, including deposits of initial and variation margin, are not considered to be the issuance of a senior security for purposes of this restriction.
With regard to investment limitation 2 above, the Fund defines Real Estate Companies as publicly traded real estate companies, REITs, REIT preferreds, real estate partnerships, real estate operating companies and other publicly traded companies whose asset base is primarily real estate.
Non-Fundamental Policies and Restrictions - In addition to the fundamental policies and investment restrictions described above, and the various general investment policies described in the prospectuses and elsewhere in the SAI, the Fund will be subject to the following investment restrictions. These restrictions are considered non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
As a matter of non-fundamental policy, the Fund may not:
(1) |
hold more
than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, a term which means securities
that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business
at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the securities and includes,
among other things, repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.
|
|
(2) |
purchase
securities of other investment companies, except to the extent permitted by the
1940 Act and except that this limitation does not apply to securities received or
acquired as dividends, through offers of exchange or as a result of reorganization,
consolidation or merger (and except that the Fund will not purchase securities of
registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in
reliance on Sections12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act).
|
|
(3) |
under normal
circumstances, invest less than 80% of its net assets in securities of companies
principally engaged in the real estate industry. Prior to any change in this investment
policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days written notice.
|
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES HOLDINGS
This Disclosure of Portfolio Securities Holdings Policy (the Policy) shall govern the disclosure of the portfolio securities holdings of each series (individually and collectively the Fund or Funds) of the World Funds Trust (the Trust). The Trust maintains this Policy to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio securities is in the best interests of the Fund and the Funds shareholders. The Board reviews these policies and procedures as necessary and compliance will be periodically assessed by the Board in connection with a report from the Trusts Chief Compliance Officer. In addition, the Board has reviewed and approved the list below of entities that may receive portfolio holdings information prior to and more frequently than the public disclosure of such information (i.e., non- standard disclosure). The Board has also delegated authority to the officers of the Trust and Advisor to provide such information in certain circumstances (see below).
The Trust is required by the SEC to file its complete portfolio holdings schedule with the SEC on a quarterly basis. This schedule is filed with the Trusts annual and semi-annual reports on Form N-CSR for the second and fourth fiscal quarters and on Form N-Q for the first and third fiscal quarters. The portfolio
19
holdings information provided in these reports is as of the end of the respective quarter. Form N-CSR must be filed with the SEC no later than ten (10) calendar days after the Trust transmits its annual or semi-annual report to its shareholders. Form N-Q must be filed with the SEC no later than sixty (60) calendar days after the end of the applicable quarter.
The Trusts service providers which have contracted to provide services to the Trust and its funds, including, for example, the custodian and the fund accountants, and that require portfolio holdings information in order to perform those services, may receive non-standard disclosure. Non-standard disclosure of portfolio holdings information may also be provided to a third-party when the Trust has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. The Trust has the following ongoing arrangements with certain third parties to provide the Funds portfolio holdings information:
1. |
to the
Trusts auditors within sixty (60) days after the applicable fiscal period
or other periods as necessary for use in providing audit opinions and other advice
related to financial, regulatory, or tax reporting;
|
|
2. |
to financial
printers within sixty (60) days after the applicable fiscal period for the purpose
of preparing Trust regulatory filings; and
|
|
3. |
to the
Trusts administrator, custodian, transfer agent and accounting services provider
on a daily basis in connection with their providing services to the Fund.
|
The Trusts service providers may also disclose non-public portfolio holdings information if such disclosure is required by applicable laws, rules or regulations, or by regulatory authorities. Additionally, the Adviser may establish ongoing arrangements with certain third parties to provide the Funds portfolio holdings information that the Adviser determines that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so and the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality. These third parties may include:
1. |
financial
data processing companies that provide automated data scanning and monitoring services
for the Fund;
|
|
2. |
research companies
that allow the Adviser to perform attribution analysis for the Fund; and
|
|
3. | the Advisers proxy voting agent to assess and vote proxies on behalf of the Fund. |
From time to time, employees of the Adviser may express their views orally or in writing on the Funds portfolio securities or may state that the Fund has recently purchased or sold, or continues to own, one or more securities. The securities subject to these views and statements may be ones that were purchased or sold since a Funds most recent quarter-end and therefore may not be reflected on the list of the Funds most recent quarter-end portfolio holdings. These views and statements may be made to various persons, including members of the press, brokers and other financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund, shareholders in the Fund, persons considering investing in the Fund or representatives of such shareholders or potential shareholders, such as fiduciaries of a 401(k) plan or a trust and their advisers, and other entities for which the Adviser may determine. The nature and content of the views and statements provided to each of these persons may differ. From time to time, employees of the Adviser also may provide oral or written information (portfolio commentary) about the Fund, including, but not limited to, how the Funds investments are divided among various sectors, industries, countries, investment styles and capitalization sizes, and among stocks, bonds, currencies and cash, security types, bond maturities, bond coupons and bond credit quality ratings. This portfolio commentary may also include information on how these various weightings and factors contributed to Fund performance. The Adviser may also provide oral or written information (statistical information) about various financial characteristics of the Fund or its underlying portfolio securities including, but not limited to, alpha, beta, R-squared, coefficient of determination, duration, maturity, information ratio, sharpe ratio, earnings growth, payout ratio, price/book value, projected earnings growth, return on equity, standard deviation, tracking error, weighted average quality, market capitalization, percent debt to equity, price to cash flow, dividend yield or growth, default rate, portfolio turnover, and risk and style characteristics. This portfolio
20
commentary and statistical information about the Fund may be based on the Funds portfolio as of the most recent quarter-end or the end of some other interim period, such as month-end. The portfolio commentary and statistical information may be provided to various persons, including those described in the preceding paragraph. The nature and content of the information provided to each of these persons may differ.
Additionally, employees of the Adviser may disclose one or more of the portfolio securities of the Fund when purchasing and selling securities through broker-dealers, requesting bids on securities, obtaining price quotations on securities, or in connection with litigation involving the Funds portfolio securities. The Adviser does not enter into formal non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements in connection with these situations; however, the Fund would not continue to conduct business with a person who the Adviser believed was misusing the disclosed information.
The Adviser may manage products sponsored by companies other than itself, including investment companies, offshore funds, and separate accounts. In many cases, these other products are managed in a similar fashion to the Fund and thus have similar portfolio holdings. The sponsors of these other products may disclose the portfolio holdings of their products at different times than the Adviser discloses portfolio holdings for the Fund.
The Trust and the Adviser currently have no other arrangements for the provision of non-standard disclosure to any party or shareholder. Other than the non-standard disclosure discussed above, if a third-party requests specific, current information regarding the Funds portfolio holdings, the Trust will refer the third-party to the latest regulatory filing.
All of the arrangements above are subject to the policies and procedures adopted by the Board to ensure such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interests of the Trust and its shareholders. There may be instances where the interests of the Trusts shareholders respecting the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings may conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of the Adviser, any principal underwriter for the Trust or an affiliated person of the Trust (including such affiliated persons investment adviser or principal underwriter). In such situations, the conflict must be disclosed to the Board.
Affiliated persons of the Trust who receive non-standard disclosure are subject to restrictions and limitations on the use and handling of such information, including requirements to maintain the confidentiality of such information, pre-clear securities trades and report securities transactions activity, as applicable. Affiliated persons of the Trust and third party service providers of the Trust receiving such non-standard disclosure will be instructed that such information must be kept confidential and that no trading on such information should be allowed.
Neither the Trust nor its Adviser or any affiliate thereof receives compensation or other consideration in connection with the non-standard disclosure of information about portfolio securities.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
The Trust is governed by the Board, which is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees are experienced businesspersons who meet throughout the year to oversee the Trusts activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Fund and review performance. The names, addresses and ages of the trustees and officers of the Trust, together with information as to their principal occupations during the past five years, are listed below. The trustees who are considered interested persons as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, as well as those persons affiliated with the investment adviser and the principal underwriter, and officers of the Trust, are noted with an asterisk(*).
21
Each Trustee was nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees based on their particular experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills. Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills. Mr. David J. Urban has been a Professor of Education since 1989. His strategic planning, organizational and leadership skills help the Board set long-term goals. Ms. Mary Lou H. Ivey has over 10 years of business experience as a practicing tax accountant and, as such, brings tax, budgeting and financial reporting skills to the Board. Mr. Theo H. Pitt has experience as an investor, including his role as a trustee of several other investment companies and business experience as Senior Partner of a financial consulting company, as a partner of a real estate partnership and as an Account Administrator for a money management firm. Mr. John Pasco III serves as President, Treasurer and Director of the Trusts administrator and also serves as a member of 2 other mutual fund boards outside of the Fund Complex. Mr. Pasco has over 30 years of experience in the mutual fund industry, including several years on staff with the Securities and Exchange Commission. With experience from these positions, he is able to provide the Board with knowledge and insight related to fund administration. The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustees qualifications, but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes them each highly qualified.
Following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and their principal occupation over the last five years.
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
NAME, ADDRESS
AND AGE |
POSITION(S)
HELD WITH THE TRUST |
TERM OF
OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED |
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S)
DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
NUMBER OF
FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE |
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
John Pasco III*
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 70 |
Trustee | Indefinite, Since June 2010 | President and Director of Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc. (CSS), the Trusts Administrator, since 1993; President and Director of First Dominion Capital Corp. (FDCC), the Trusts underwriter, since 1985; President and Director of Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (CFSI), the Trusts Transfer and Disbursing Agent, since 2003; and President and Director of Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc. (CFA), the Trusts pricing agent, since 2003. Mr. Pasco is a certified public accountant. | 14 | The World Funds, Inc.; American Growth Fund, Inc. |
Mr. Pasco would be an interested trustee, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, because of his positions with and financial interests in CSS, FSI, CFA and FDCC.
22
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
NAME,
ADDRESS
AND AGE |
POSITION(S)
HELD WITH THE TRUST |
TERM
OF OFFICE
AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED |
PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S) DURING
THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
NUMBER
OF
FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE |
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
David J. Urban
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 60 |
Trustee | Indefinite, Since June 2010 | Dean, Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University since June 2013; Virginia Commonwealth University, Professor of Education from 1989 to 2013. | 14 | None |
Mary Lou H.
Ivey
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 57 |
Trustee | Indefinite, Since June 2010 | Accountant, Harris, Hardy & Johnstone, P.C., accounting firm, since 2008; Accountant, Wildes, Stevens & Brackens & Co., accounting firm, from 2007 to 2008; Accountant, Martin, Dolan & Holton, Ltd., accounting firm, from1997 to 2007. | 14 | None |
Theo H. Pitt,
Jr.
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 79 |
Trustee | Indefinite; Since August 2013 | Senior Partner, Community Financial Institutions Consulting (bank consulting) since 1997 to present; and Account Administrator, Holden Wealth Management Group of Wachovia Securities (money management firm) 2003 to 2008. | 14 | Independent Trustee of Gardner Lewis Investment Trust for the two series of that trust; Leeward Investment Trust for the two series of that trust; Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust for the one series of that trust; and Starboard Investment Trust for the 27 series of that trust; (all registered investment companies). |
OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES
NAME,
ADDRESS
AND AGE |
POSITION(S)
HELD WITH THE TRUST |
TERM
OF
OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED |
PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
NUMBER
OF FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE |
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE |
Karen M. Shupe
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 51 |
Treasurer | Indefinite, Since June 2008 | Managing Director of Fund Operations, Commonwealth Companies, since 2003. | N/A | N/A |
23
David Bogaert
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 51 |
Vice President | Indefinite, Since November 2013 | Managing Director of Business Development, Commonwealth Companies, October 2013 present; Senior Vice President of Business Development and other positions for Huntington Asset Services, Inc. from 1986 to 2013. | N/A | N/A |
John H. Lively
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 46 |
Secretary | Indefinite, Since November 2013 | Attorney, The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc. (law firm), March 2010 to present; Attorney, Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP (law firm), March 2007 to February 2010. | N/A | N/A |
Cynthia D.
Baughman 8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 46 |
Assistant Secretary | Indefinite, Since November 2013 | Attorney, The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc. (law firm), July 2011 to present; Associate, Investment Law Group, LLP (law firm) (May 2009 June 2011); Associate, Dechert, LLP (law firm) (Oct. 1999 Feb. 2009). | N/A | N/A |
Holly B. Giangiulio
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 53 |
Assistant Secretary | Indefinite, Since May 2015 | Managing Director, Corporate Operations, Commonwealth Companies, since 2015; Corporate Accounting and HR Manager from 2010 to 2015. | N/A | N/A |
Julian G.
Winters
8730 Stony Point Pkwy Suite 205 Richmond, VA 23235 Age: 46 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Indefinite, Since August 2013 | Managing Member of Watermark Solutions, LLC (investment compliance and consulting) since March 2007. | N/A | N/A |
Board of Trustees . The Board of Trustees oversees the Trust and certain aspects of the services that the Adviser and the Funds other service providers. Each trustee+ will hold office until their successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. Each officer of the Trust serves at the pleasure of the Board and for a term of one year or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.
The Audit Committee of the Board is comprised of Mr. Urban, Ms. Ivey and Mr. Pitt. The functions of the Audit Committee are to meet with the Trusts independent auditors to review the scope and findings of the annual audit, discuss the Trusts accounting policies, discuss any recommendations of the independent auditors with respect to the Trusts management practices, review the impact of changes in accounting standards on the Trusts financial statements, recommend to the Board the selection of independent registered public accounting firm, and perform such other duties as may be assigned to the Audit Committee by the Board. For the Funds most recent fiscal year ended, December 31, 2014, the Audit Committee met 4 times.
24
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of Mr. Urban, Ms. Ivey and Mr. Pitt. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees purposes, duties and powers are set forth in its written charter, which is attached as Exhibit C the charter also describes the process by which shareholders of the Trust may make nominations. The Trust established this Committee on August 2, 2013 and, as of December 31, 2014, the Committee met once.
The Valuation Committee is comprised of Mr. Urban, Ms. Ivey and Mr. Pitt. The
Valuation Committee meets as needed in the event that the Funds hold any securities
that are subject to valuation and it reviews the fair valuation of such securities
on an as needed basis. The Trust established this Committee on August 2, 2013 and,
as of December 31, 2014, the Committee did not meet.
Trustee Compensation . Each Trustee who is not an interested person of the Trust may receive compensation for their services to the Trust. All Trustees are reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings. Effective January 1, 2015, each Trustee will receive an annual retainer of $18,000. Compensation received from the Trust for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 is as follows:
Name of
Person / Position |
Aggregate
Compensation From Fund |
Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued As Part of Funds Expenses |
Estimated Annual
Benefits upon Retirement |
Total Compensation From
Trust/Fund Complex Paid To Trustees (*)(1) |
||||
David J. Urban,
Trustee |
$513 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | ||||
Mary Lou H.
Ivey, Trustee |
$513 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | ||||
Theo H. Pitt,
Jr.,
Trustee |
$513 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | ||||
* | Trust does not pay deferred compensation. |
(1) | The Fund Complex consists of the Trust, which is comprised of the fourteen Funds. |
Sales Loads . No front-end or deferred sales charges are applied to purchase of Fund shares by current or former trustees, officers, employees or agents of the Trust, the Adviser or the principal underwriter and by the members of their immediate families. The Fund currently offers Founders Shares. No front-end or deferred sales charges are applied to the purchase of Founders.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Mr. Pasco, who is an interested person of the Trust, within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Trust does not have a lead independent trustee. The use of an interested Chairman balanced by an independent Audit Committee allows the Board to access the expertise necessary of oversee the Trust, identify risks, recognize shareholder concerns and needs and highlight opportunities. The Audit Committee is able to focus Board time and attention to matters of interest to shareholders and, through its private sessions with the Trusts auditor, Chief Compliance Officer and legal counsel, stay fully informed regarding management decisions. Considering the size of the Trust and its shareholder base, the Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman balanced by an independent Audit Committee is the appropriate leadership structure for the Board of Trustees.
25
Mutual funds face a number of risks, including investment risk, compliance risk and valuation risk. The Board oversees management of the Funds risks directly and through its officers. While day-to-day risk management responsibilities rest with the each Funds Chief Compliance Officer, investment advisers and other service providers, the Board monitors and tracks risk by: (1) receiving and reviewing quarterly reports related to the performance and operations of the Funds; (2) reviewing and approving, as applicable, the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust, including the Trusts valuation policies and transaction procedures; (3) periodically meeting with the portfolio manager to review investment strategies, techniques and related risks; (4) meeting with representatives of key service providers, including the Funds investment advisers, administrator, distributor, transfer agent and the independent registered public accounting firm, to discuss the activities of the Funds; (5) engaging the services of the Chief Compliance Officer of the each Fund to monitor and test the compliance procedures of the Trust and its service providers; (6) receiving and reviewing reports from the Trusts independent registered public accounting firm regarding the Funds financial condition and the Trusts internal controls; and (7) receiving and reviewing an annual written report prepared by the Chief Compliance Officer reviewing the adequacy of the Trusts compliance policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation. The Board has concluded that its general oversight of the investment advisers and other service providers as implemented through the reporting and monitoring process outlined above allows the Board to effectively administer its risk oversight function.
Each Trustee was nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees based on their particular experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills. The characteristics that have led the Board to conclude that each of the Trustees should continue to serve as a Trustee of the Trust are discussed below.
Policies Concerning Personal Investment Activities . The Fund, the Adviser, and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that permit investment personnel, subject to their particular code of ethics, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, for their own account.
The Codes of Ethics are on file with, and can be reviewed and copied at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, D. C. In addition, the Codes of Ethics are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs Internet website at http://www.sec.gov .
Proxy Voting Policies . The Trust is required to disclose information concerning the Funds proxy voting policies and procedures to shareholders. The Board has delegated to the Adviser the responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which have been reviewed by the Board, and which are found in Exhibit A. The Trusts proxy voting policies and procedures are found in Exhibit B.
Any material changes to the proxy policies and procedures will be submitted to the Board for approval. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ending June 30, will be available (1) without charge, upon request by calling (800) 673-0550; and (2) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov .
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITIES HOLDERS
A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of such control. As a
26
controlling shareholder, each of these persons could control the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to the Funds fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser.
As of August 31, 2015, the following persons owned of record, or beneficially owned, 5% or more of the outstanding voting shares of the Funds Founders Class:
Shareholder Name and Address | Number of Shares Held | Percentage of Fund Shares Held | ||
Thomas Beach
25 Fourth Avenue South Naples, FL 34102 |
278,586 | 31.29 % | ||
Signature
fd Global Opportunities
Fund, LP 1230 Peachtree St. NE Suite 1800 Atlanta, GA 30309 |
197,087 | 22.14 % | ||
Timothy George
Dalton, Jr.
3500 Gin Lane Naples, FL 34102 |
74,524 | 8.37 % | ||
Ken Greiner
105 5 th Ave 9A New York, NY 10003 |
50,181 | 5.64 % | ||
Pennsylvania
Lumbermens Mutual
Insurance One Commerce Sq. # 1200, 2005 Market St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 |
49,900 | 5.60 % | ||
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Real Estate Management Services Group, LLC, 1100 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 305, Naples, Florida 34102, is the Funds investment adviser. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser was organized in May, 2002 as a limited liability corporation in the state of Florida. Mr. Edward Turville, Managing Director of the Adviser, and Beach Investment Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser, are control persons under the 1940 Act due to ownership interests of 45.5% and 27.3% respectively, of the Adviser.
The Adviser currently provides investment advisory services pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the Advisory Agreement). Unless sooner terminated, the Advisory Agreement will continue in effect from year to year as long as such continuance is approved at least annually: (1) by the
27
Trusts Board or by a majority vote of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (2) a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and may be terminated without penalty at any time upon sixty (60) days written notice to the other party by: (i) the majority vote of all the trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; or (ii) the Adviser.
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provides a continuous investment program for the Fund, including investment research and management with respect to securities, investments and cash equivalents, in accordance with the Funds investment objective, policies, and restrictions as set forth in the prospectuses and this SAI. The Adviser is responsible for effecting all security transactions on behalf of the Fund, including the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage and the negotiation of commissions. The Adviser also maintains books and records with respect to the securities transactions of the Fund and furnishes to the Board of Trustees such periodic or other reports as the Trustees may request. Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser pays all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities thereunder, except the cost of securities (including brokerage commissions, if any) purchased for the Fund. The services furnished by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement are not exclusive, and the Adviser is free to perform similar services for others.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and reimburse other operating expenses until December 31, 2015 so that the total annual operating expense is limited, through that date, to 0.00% of the Funds Founders Shares average daily net assets. The Adviser will have no opportunity to recoup these waivers and expense reimbursements at any time in the future.
Under the Advisory Agreement, the monthly compensation paid to the Adviser is accrued daily at an annual rate of 1.00% on the average daily net assets of the Fund.
The Advisor received the following payment for the year ended December 31, 2014:
Gross Advisory Fees | $ | 31,535 | ||
Waivers and reimbursements | 31,535 | |||
Net Advisory fees | $ | - |
The following table provides information about the other registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund as of December 31, 2014.
Registered Investment
Companies |
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts* | ||||
Number
of Accounts |
Total
Assets (millions) |
Number
of Accounts |
Total
Assets (millions) |
Number
of Accounts |
Total
Assets (millions) |
|
Edward W. Turville | 2 | $598 | 0 | $0 | 24 | $256 |
John Webster | 2 | $598 | 0 | 0 | 24 | $256 |
Quentin Velleley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* The fees received for managing these other accounts are not based upon the performance of the account .
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The Adviser does not believe that any material conflicts exist between the portfolio management of the Fund and the management of the private accounts. This is based upon a number of factors. These private accounts have different investment objectives, strategies and policies than the Fund.
Mr. Turville is the Managing Director of the Adviser. For his services, Mr. Turville receives a fixed annual salary plus a bonus. In addition, as the majority owner of the Adviser, Mr. Turville is entitled to receive distributions from the Advisers net profits. Mr. Turville does not receive compensation that is based upon the Funds or any private accounts pre- or after-tax performance or the value of assets held by such entities. Mr. Turville does not receive any special or additional compensation from the Adviser for his services as Portfolio Manager.
Mr. Webster is the President of the Adviser. For his services, Mr. Webster receives a fixed annual salary plus a bonus. Mr. Webster does not receive compensation that is based upon the Funds or any private accounts pre- or after-tax performance or the value of the assets held by such entities. Mr. Webster does not receive any special or additional compensation from the Adviser for his services as Portfolio Manager.
Mr. Velleley is the Senior Vice President of the Adviser. For his services, Mr. Velleley receives a fixed annual salary plus a bonus. Mr. Velleley does not receive compensation that is based upon the Funds or any private accounts pre- or after-tax performance or the value of the assets held by such entities. Mr. Velleley does not receive any special or additional compensation from the Adviser for his services as Portfolio Manager.
As of December 31, 2014, the Portfolio Managers owned shares of the Fund in the following ranges:
Portfolio Manager | Dollar Range of Fund Shares | |||
Edward W. Turville |
$10,001 - $50,000 | |||
John Webster |
None | |||
Quentin Velleley |
None |
MANAGEMENT-RELATED SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION. Pursuant to the Administrative Services Agreement with the Trust (the Services Agreement), Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc. (CSS), located at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, serves as the administrator of the Fund. CSS supervises all aspects of the operation of the Fund, except those performed by the Adviser. CSS provides certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund, including preparing and maintaining certain books, records, and monitoring compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements.
29
As administrator, CSS provides shareholder, recordkeeping, administrative and blue-sky filing services. For such administrative services, CSS receives an asset-based fee based on the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to an annual minimum. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, CSS voluntarily waived its Services fees.
CUSTODIAN AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES - Pursuant to a Custodian Agreement and the Accounting Agency Agreement with the Trust, UMB Fund Services (UMB), acts as the custodian of the Funds securities and cash and as the Funds accounting services agent. With the consent of the Trust, UMB has designated The Depository Trust Company of New York (DTC) as its agent to secure a portion of the assets of the Fund. UMB is authorized to appoint other entities to act as sub-custodians to provide for the custody of foreign securities acquired and held by the Fund outside the U.S. Such appointments are subject to appropriate review by the Trusts Board. As the accounting services agent of the Fund, UMB maintains and keeps current the books, accounts, records, journals or other records of original entry relating to the Funds business.
TRANSFER AGENT. Pursuant to a Transfer Agent Agreement with the Trust, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) acts as the Funds transfer and disbursing agent. The Transfer Agent is located at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235.
The Transfer Agent provides certain shareholder and other services to the Fund, including furnishing account and transaction information and maintaining shareholder account records. The Transfer Agent is responsible for processing orders and payments for share purchases. The Transfer Agent mails proxy materials (and receives and tabulates proxies), shareholder reports, confirmation forms for purchases and redemptions and prospectuses to shareholders. The Transfer Agent disburses income dividends and capital distributions and prepares and files appropriate tax-related information concerning dividends and distributions to shareholders. For its services as transfer agent, the Transfer Agent receives per account fees and transaction charges against a minimum fee, plus out-of-pocket.
DISTRIBUTOR AND PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER. First Dominion Capital Corp. (FDCC or the Distributor), located at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor of the Funds shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement (the Distribution Agreement). The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The offering of the Funds shares is continuous. At present, the Fund is offering Founders Shares. Founders Shares have no distribution (i.e., 12b-1) fees.
John Pasco, III, interested trustee and Chairman of the Board, is the sole owner of CSS, CFSI and FDCC. Therefore, CSS, CFSI and FDCC may be deemed to be affiliates of the Trust and each other.
REGULATORY MATTERS AND SETTLEMENT WITH THE SEC. In 2009 the SEC conducted an inspection of the Trust, World Funds Inc., and CSS, and made further inquiries in 2011 of those entities, as well as Commonwealth Capital Management, Inc. (CCM). Neither CSS nor CCM is affiliated with the Adviser or the Fund although CSS does provide administrative services to the Fund. The staffs questions did not relate to the safety of the assets of the funds comprising the Trust or World Funds Inc., or the investment of those assets, which has always been conducted properly with all assets securely in the hands of the Trusts custodian banks. No fund or shareholder of the Trust or World Funds Inc. was charged any fees or made subject to any expense that was not proper. Ultimately, the staff addressed two issues. One involved the manner in which three former trustees of the Trust performed their duties in 2009, including the process used to
30
consider and approve agreements the current Trustees of the Trust assumed their positions on the Board after the periods reviewed by the staff. The former trustees, CCM (which advises another mutual fund that is currently a series of the Trust), and the SEC have now agreed that some information was not effectively documented during 2009. Unrelated to the Trust, CSS and the SEC also agreed that when CSS prepared a report that was submitted to the SEC for another fund, two paragraphs were inadvertently omitted. To document the matters reviewed and to conclude the inquiry, the former trustees, Mr. Pasco, CCM, and CSS have entered into a settlement on June 17, 2015, in which the SEC assessed a fine of $50,000 against Mr. Pasco, CCM, and CSS, and provided that the settling parties will not permit further errors of this type to occur in the future in violation of applicable federal securities laws and regulations.
LEGAL COUNSEL. The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc., a member firm of The 1940 Act Law Group TM , 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310, Leawood, KS 66211, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Fund.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM. The Funds independent registered public accounting firm, Tait, Weller & Baker LLP audits the Funds annual financial statements, assists in the preparation of certain reports to the SEC, and prepares the Funds tax returns. Tait, Weller & Baker LLP is located at 1818 Market Street, Suite 2400, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
It is the policy of the Adviser, in placing orders for the purchase and sale of the Funds securities, to seek to obtain the best price and execution for securities transactions, taking into account such factors as price, commission, where applicable, (which is negotiable in the case of U.S. national securities exchange transactions but which is generally fixed in the case of foreign exchange transactions), size of order, difficulty of execution and the skill required of the executing broker/dealer. After a purchase or sale decision is made by the Adviser, the Adviser arranges for execution of the transaction in a manner deemed to provide the best price and execution for the Fund.
Exchange-listed securities are generally traded on their principal exchange, unless another market offers a better result. Securities traded only in the over-the-counter market may be executed on a principal basis with primary market makers in such securities, except for fixed price offerings and except where the Fund may obtain better prices or executions on a commission basis or by dealing with other than a primary market maker.
The Adviser, when placing transactions, may allocate a portion of the Funds brokerage to persons or firms providing the Adviser with investment recommendations, statistical research or similar services useful to the Advisers investment decision-making process. The term investment recommendations or statistical research or similar services means (1) advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities, and (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, and portfolio strategy. Such services are one of the many ways the Adviser can keep abreast of the information generally circulated among institutional investors by broker-dealers. While this information is useful in varying degrees, its value is indeterminable. Such services received, on the basis of transactions for the Fund, may be used by the Adviser for the benefit of other clients, and the Fund may benefit from such transactions effected for the benefit of other clients.
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The Board has adopted policies and procedures governing the allocation of brokerage to affiliated brokers. The Adviser has been instructed not to place transactions with an affiliated broker-dealer, unless such transactions are performed in accordance with the Funds policies and procedures and the 1940 Act. The Board reviews all transactions which have been placed pursuant to those policies and procedures at its Board meetings.
When two or more funds that are managed by the Adviser are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security, the transactions are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each fund. In some cases this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as a fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of a fund to participate in volume transactions will be beneficial for a fund. The Board believes that these advantages, when combined with the other benefits available because of the Advisers organization, outweigh the disadvantages that may exist from this treatment of transactions.
Most of the Funds brokerage transactions are carried out through a single broker, designated as the Funds prime broker. The Fund may place its trades with any one of a number of executing brokers. However, the prime broker maintains an account with each executing broker, through which the Funds trades are processed. When the Fund sells a security short, the prime broker borrows the security on the Funds behalf, and the Fund posts collateral for the benefit of the prime broker.
Aggregate brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions for the fiscal year for the Fund are listed below:
2014
$156,580
The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund, the Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. Under the 1940 Act and the 1934 Act, affiliated broker-dealers are permitted to receive and retain compensation for effecting portfolio transactions for the Fund on an exchange if a written contract is in effect between the affiliate and the Fund expressly permitting the affiliate to receive and retain such compensation. These rules further require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed usual and customary brokerage commissions. The rules define usual and customary commissions to include amounts which are reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time. The Board, including those who are not interested persons, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
SECURITIES OF REGULAR BROKER-DEALERS. The Fund is required to identify any securities of its regular brokers and dealers (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which the Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. There are currently none of those to report for the most recent fiscal year end.
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on April 9, 2007. The Trusts Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest in the Trust and to classify or reclassify any unissued shares into one or more series of shares. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust further authorizes the trustees to classify or reclassify any series of shares into one or more classes. The Trusts shares of beneficial interest have no par value.
Shares have no preemptive rights and only such conversion or exchange rights as the Board may grant in its discretion. When issued for payment as described in the applicable prospectus, shares will be fully paid and non-assessable. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual fund, shareholders of a fund are entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to the particular fund, and a proportionate distribution, based upon the relative asset values of the respective fund, of any general assets of the Trust not belonging to any particular fund which are available for distribution.
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held, and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share held, and will vote in the aggregate and not by class, except as otherwise expressly required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted on affects only the interests of shareholders of a particular class. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate of the Trusts outstanding shares may elect all of the trustees, irrespective of the votes of other shareholders.
Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each fund affected by the matter. A particular fund is deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each fund in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the fund. Under the Rule, the approval of an investment management agreement or any change in an investment objective, if fundamental, or in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a fund only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such fund. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent public accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts and the election of trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series or class.
The Trust does not presently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 25% of the Trusts shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more trustees and other certain matters. To the extent required by law, the Trust will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.
The Board has full power and authority, in its sole discretion, and without obtaining shareholder approval, to divide or combine the shares of any class or series thereof into a greater or lesser number, to classify or reclassify any issued shares or any class or series thereof into one or more classes or series of shares, and to take such other action with respect to the Trusts shares as the Board may deem desirable. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the trustees, without shareholder approval, to cause the Trust to merge or to consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or other organization in order to change the form of organization and/or domicile of the Trust or to sell or exchange all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or any series or class thereof, in dissolution of
33
the Trust, or any series or class thereof. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust permits the termination of the Trust or of any series or class of the Trust by the trustees without shareholder approval. However, the exercise of such authority by the Board without shareholder approval may be subject to certain restrictions or limitations under the 1940 Act.
RULE 18F-3 PLAN . The Board has adopted a Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class Plan on behalf of the Trust for the benefit of each of its series. The key features of the Rule 18f-3 Plan are as follows: (i) shares of each class of the Fund represents an equal pro rata interest in the Fund and generally have identical voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights, preferences, powers, restrictions, limitations qualifications, terms and conditions, except that each class bears certain specific expenses and has separate voting rights on certain matters that relate solely to that class or in which the interests of shareholders of one class differ from the interests of shareholders of another class; and (ii) subject to certain limitations described in the prospectuses, shares of a particular class of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of the same class of another Fund. At present, the Fund offers Founders Shares, imposing no front-end sales charge or distribution (i.e., 12b-1) fees.
DISTRIBUTION
In connection with promotion of the sales of the Fund, the Distributor may, from time to time, offer (to all broker dealers who have a sales agreement with the Distributor) the opportunity to participate in sales incentive programs (which may include non-cash concessions). The Distributor may also, from time to time, pay expenses and fees required in order to participate in dealer sponsored seminars and conferences, reimburse dealers for expenses incurred in connection with pre-approved seminars, conferences and advertising, and may, from time to time, pay or allow additional promotional incentives to dealers as part of pre-approved sales contests.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN . Pursuant to a Shareholder Servicing Plan, the Fund may pay an institution (a Service Organization) for shareholder support services, which may not exceed the annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Funds outstanding Founders Shares, which are owned of record or beneficially by that institutions customers for whom the institution is the dealer of record or shareholder of record or with whom it has a servicing relationship. Shareholder servicing fees are paid to Service Organizations for providing one or more of the following services to such customers: (i) aggregating and processing purchase and redemption requests and placing net purchase and redemption orders with the Distributor; (ii) processing dividend payments from the Fund; (iii) providing sub-accounting or the information necessary for sub-accounting; (iv) providing periodic mailings to customers; (v) providing customers with information as to their positions in the Fund; (vi) responding to customer inquiries; and (vii) providing a service to invest the assets of customers in Founders Shares.
The Trust understands that Service Organizations may charge fees to their customers who are the beneficial owners of Founders Shares, in connection with their accounts with such Service Organizations. Any such fees are not within and would be in addition to any amounts which may be received by an institution under the applicable 12b-1 Plan. Under the terms of each servicing agreement entered into with the Trust, Service Organizations are required to provide to their customers a schedule of any fees that they may charge in connection with customer investments in Founders Shares.
34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES AND SALES
PURCHASING SHARES . You may purchase Fund shares directly from the Distributor. You may also buy shares through accounts with brokers and other institutions that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. If you invest through an authorized institution, you will have to follow its procedures. Your institution may charge a fee for its services, in addition to the fees charged by the Fund. You will also generally have to address your correspondence or questions regarding the Fund to your authorized institution. The offering price per share is equal to the NAV next determined after the Fund or authorized institution receives your purchase order. Your authorized institution is responsible for transmitting all subscription and redemption requests, investment information, documentation and money to the Fund on time. Certain authorized institutions have agreements with the Fund that allow them to enter confirmed purchase or redemption orders on behalf of clients and customers. Under this arrangement, the authorized institution must send your payment by the time the Fund prices its shares on the following day. If your authorized institution fails to do so, it may be responsible for any resulting fees or losses. Authorized institutions may charge their customers a processing or service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of shares of the Fund. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to its customers by each individual authorized institution. Processing or service fees typically are fixed, nominal dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and other charges described in the prospectuses and this SAI. Your authorized institution will provide you with specific information about any processing or service fees you will be charged.
The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to suspend the offering of shares. Under certain circumstances the Trust or the Adviser may waive the minimum initial investment for purchases by officers, trustees, and employees of the Trust and its affiliated entities and for certain related advisory accounts and retirement accounts (such as IRAs). The Fund may also change or waive policies concerning minimum investment amounts at any time.
EXCHANGING SHARES . Shareholders may exchange their shares for the same class of shares of any other series of the Trust managed by the Adviser, provided the shares of the fund the shareholder is exchanging into are registered for sale in the shareholders state of residence. Each account must meet the minimum investment requirements. Also, to make an exchange, an exchange order must comply with the requirements for a redemption or repurchase order and must specify the value or the number of shares to be exchanged. Your exchange will take effect as of the next determination of the Funds NAV per share (usually at the close of business on the same day). The Transfer Agent will charge your account a $10 service fee each time you make such an exchange. The Trust reserves the right to limit the number of exchanges or to otherwise prohibit or restrict shareholders from making exchanges at any time, without notice, should the Trust determine that it would be in the best interest of its shareholders to do so. For tax purposes, an exchange constitutes the sale of the shares of the fund from which you are exchanging and the purchase of shares of the fund into which you are exchanging. Consequently, the sale may involve either a capital gain or loss to the shareholder for federal income tax purposes. The exchange privilege is available only in states where it is legally permissible to do so.
If you request the exchange of the total value of your account from one fund to another, we will reinvest any declared but unpaid income dividends and capital gain distributions in the new fund at its net asset value. Backup withholding and information reporting may apply. Information regarding the possible tax consequences of an exchange appears in the tax section in this SAI.
If a substantial number of shareholders sell their shares of the Fund under the exchange privilege, within a short period, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise have held, thus incurring additional transactional costs. Increased use of the exchange privilege may also result in
35
periodic large inflows of money. If this occurs, it is the Funds general policy to initially invest in short-term, interest-bearing money market instruments.
However, if the Adviser believes that attractive investment opportunities (consistent with the Funds investment objective and policies) exist immediately, then it will invest such money in portfolio securities in as orderly a manner as is possible.
The proceeds from the sale of shares of the Fund may not be available until the third business day following the sale. The Fund you are seeking to exchange into may also delay issuing shares until the third business day. The sale of Fund shares to complete an exchange will be effected at the net asset value of the Fund next computed after your request for exchange is received in proper form.
ELIGIBLE BENEFIT PLANS . An eligible benefit plan is an arrangement available to the employees of an employer (or two or more affiliated employers) having not less than 10 employees at the plans inception, or such an employer on behalf of employees of a trust or plan for such employees, their spouses and their children under the age of 21 or a trust or plan for such employees, which provides for purchases through periodic payroll deductions or otherwise. There must be at least 5 initial participants with accounts investing or invested in shares of the Fund and/or certain other funds of the Trust.
The initial purchase by the eligible benefit plan and prior purchases by or for the benefit of the initial participants of the plan must aggregate not less than $5,000 and subsequent purchases must be at least $50 per account and must aggregate at least $250. Purchases by the eligible benefit plan must be made pursuant to a single order paid for by a single check or federal funds wire and may not be made more often than monthly. A separate account will be established for each employee, spouse or child for which purchases are made. The requirements for initiating or continuing purchases pursuant to an eligible benefit plan may be modified and the offering to such plans may be terminated at any time without prior notice.
SELLING SHARES . You may sell your shares by giving instructions to the Transfer Agent in writing. The Board may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment during any period when (a) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC or such exchange is closed for other than weekends and holidays, (b) the SEC has by order permitted such suspension, or (c) an emergency, as defined by the rules of the SEC, exists during which time the sale of Fund shares or valuation of securities held by the Fund are not reasonably practicable.
SPECIAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
As described briefly in the prospectuses, the Fund offers the following shareholder services:
REGULAR ACCOUNT . The regular account allows for voluntary investments to be made at any time. Available to individuals, custodians, corporations, trusts, estates, corporate retirement plans and others, investors are free to make additions and withdrawals to or from their account as often as they wish. Simply use the Account Application provided with the prospectus to open your account.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS . You may redeem shares or transfer into another fund by telephone if you request this service on your initial account application. If you do not elect this service at that time, you may do so at a later date by sending a written request and signature guarantee to the Transfer Agent.
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The Trust employs reasonable procedures designed to confirm the authenticity of your telephone instructions and, if it does not, it may be liable for any losses caused by unauthorized or fraudulent transactions. As a result of this policy, a shareholder that authorizes telephone redemption bears the risk of losses, which may result from unauthorized or fraudulent transactions which the Trust believes to be genuine. When you request a telephone redemption or transfer, you will be asked to respond to certain questions. The Trust has designed these questions to confirm your identity as a shareholder of record. Your cooperation with these procedures will protect your account and the Fund from unauthorized transactions.
AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN . Any shareholder may utilize this feature, which provides for automatic monthly investments into your account. Upon your request, the Transfer Agent will withdraw a fixed amount each month from a checking or savings account for investment into the Fund. This does not require a commitment for a fixed period of time. A shareholder may change the monthly investment, skip a month or discontinue the Automatic Investment Plan as desired by notifying the Transfer Agent at (800) 628-4077.
RETIREMENT PLANS . Shares of the Fund are available for purchase in connection with the following tax-deferred prototype retirement plans:
1. |
Individual
Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). IRAs are available for use by individuals with compensation
for services rendered who wish to use shares of the Fund as a funding medium for
individual retirement savings. IRAs include traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Rollover
IRAs.
|
|
2. |
Simplified
Employee Pension Plans (SEPs). SEPs are a form of retirement plan for sole proprietors,
partnerships and corporations.
|
For information about eligibility requirements and other matters concerning these plans and to obtain the necessary forms to participate in these plans, please call the Trust at (800) 673-0550. Each plans custodian charges nominal fees in connection with plan establishment and maintenance. These fees are detailed in the plan documents. You may wish to consult with your attorney or other tax adviser for specific advice concerning your tax status and plans.
TAX STATUS
The following discussion is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The discussion reflects applicable federal income tax laws of the U.S. as of the date of this SAI, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. income, estate or gift tax, or foreign, state or local tax concerns affecting a Fund and its shareholders (including shareholders owning large positions in the Fund). The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors to determine the tax consequences to them of investing in a Fund.
In addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor with a special tax status such as a financial institution, real estate investment trust, insurance company, regulated investment company (RIC), individual retirement account, other tax-exempt entity, dealer in securities or non-U.S. investor. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax (AMT). Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes shares of the Fund are held by U.S. shareholders and that such shares are held as capital assets.
37
A U.S. shareholder is a beneficial owner of shares of the Fund that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
|
a citizen
or individual resident of the United States (including certain former citizens and
former long-term residents);
|
|
|
a corporation
or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created
or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the
District of Columbia;
|
|
|
an estate,
the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its
source; or
|
|
|
a trust with
respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision
over its administration and one or more U.S. shareholders have the authority to
control all of its substantial decisions or the trust has made a valid election
in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
|
A Non-U.S. shareholder is a beneficial owner of shares of the Fund that is an individual, corporation, trust or estate and is not a U.S. shareholder. If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of the Fund, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective shareholder who is a partner of a partnership holding the Fund shares should consult its tax advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of its Fund shares.
TAXATION AS A RIC The Fund intends to qualify and remain qualified as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Internal Revenue Code). The Fund will qualify as a RIC if, among other things, it meets the source-of-income and the asset-diversification requirements. With respect to the source-of-income requirement, the Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income (including tax-exempt interest) from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such shares, securities or currencies and (ii) net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. A qualified publicly traded partnership is generally defined as a publicly traded partnership under Internal Revenue Code section 7704. However, for these purposes, a qualified publicly traded partnership does not include a publicly traded partnership if 90% or more of its income is described in (i) above. Income derived from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is qualifying income to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership or trust which would be qualifying income if realized by the Fund in the same manner as realized by the partnership or trust.
If a RIC fails this 90% income test it is no longer subject to a 35% penalty as long as such failure is inadvertent. Instead, such RIC is only required to pay the tax the amount of shortfall to the amount that would have satisfied the 90% income test.
With respect to the asset-diversification requirement, the fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year (i) at least 50% of the value of the Funds total assets is
38
represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of the Funds total assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Funds total assets is invested in the securities other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs of (a) one issuer, (b) two or more issuers that are controlled by the Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (c) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
If a RIC fails this asset-diversification test, such RIC, in addition to other cure provisions previously permitted, has a 6-month period to correct any failure without incurring a penalty if such failure is de minimis. Such cure right is similar to that previously and currently permitted for a REIT.
Similarly, if a RIC fails this asset-diversification test and the failure is not de minimis, a RIC can cure failure if: (a) the RIC files with the Treasury Department a description of each asset that causes the RIC to fail the diversification tests; (b) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect; and (c) the failure is cured within six months (or such other period specified by the Treasury). In such cases, a tax is imposed on the RIC equal to the greater of: (a) $50,000 or (b) an amount determined by multiplying the highest rate of tax (currently 35%) by the amount of net income generated during the period of diversification test failure by the assets that caused the RIC to fail the diversification test.
If the Fund qualifies as a RIC and distributes to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the sum of (i) its investment company taxable income as that term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code (which includes, among other things, dividends, taxable interest, the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses and certain net foreign exchange gains as reduced by certain deductible expenses) without regard to the deduction for dividends paid, and (ii) the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest, if any, over certain deductions attributable to such interest that are otherwise disallowed, the Fund will be relieved of U.S. federal income tax on any income of the Fund, including long-term capital gains, distributed to shareholders. However, any ordinary income or capital gain retained by the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate federal income tax rates (currently at a maximum rate of 35%). The Fund intends to distribute at least annually substantially all of its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt interest, and net capital gain. The Fund will generally be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on the portion of its undistributed ordinary income with respect to each calendar year and undistributed capital gains if it fails to meet certain distribution requirements with respect to the one-year period ending on October 31 in that calendar year. To avoid the 4% federal excise tax, the required minimum distribution is generally equal to the sum of (i) 98% of the Funds ordinary income (computed on a calendar year basis), (ii) 98.2% of the Funds capital gain net income (generally computed for the one-year period ending on October 31) and (iii) any income realized, but not distributed, and on which we paid no federal income tax in preceding years. The Fund generally intends to make distributions in a timely manner in an amount at least equal to the required minimum distribution and therefore, under normal market conditions, do not expect to be subject to this excise tax.
The Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which it does not receive cash. For example, if the Fund holds debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as debt instruments with payment in kind interest or, in certain cases, with increasing interest rates or that are issued with warrants), the Fund must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by the Fund in the same taxable year. Because any
39
original issue discount accrued will be included in the Funds investment company taxable income (discussed below) for the year of accrual, the Fund may be required to make a distribution to its shareholders to satisfy the distribution requirement, even though it will not have received an amount of cash that corresponds with the income earned.
A RIC is permitted to carry forward net capital losses indefinitely and may allow losses to retain their original character (as short or as long-term). For net capital losses recognized prior to 2011, such losses are permitted to be carried forward up to 8 years and are characterized as short-term. These capital loss carryforwards may be utilized in future years to offset net realized capital gains of the Fund, if any, prior to distributing such gains to shareholders.
Gain or loss realized by the Fund from the sale or exchange of warrants acquired by the Fund as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of such warrants generally will be treated as capital gain or loss. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term or short-term, depending on how long the Fund held a particular warrant. Upon the exercise of a warrant acquired by the Fund, the Funds tax basis in the stock purchased under the warrant will equal the sum of the amount paid for the warrant plus the strike price paid on the exercise of the warrant.
Except as set forth in Failure to Qualify as a RIC, the remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund will qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.
FAILURE TO QUALIFY AS A RIC If the Fund is unable to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement or otherwise fails to qualify as a RIC in any year, it will be subject to corporate level income tax on all of its income and gain, regardless of whether or not such income was distributed. Distributions to the Funds shareholders of such income and gain will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In such event, the Funds distributions, to the extent derived from the Funds current or accumulated earnings and profits, would constitute ordinary dividends, which would generally be eligible for the dividends received deduction available to corporate shareholders, and non-corporate shareholders would generally be able to treat such distributions as qualified dividend income eligible for reduced rates of U.S. federal income taxation, provided in each case that certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied.
Distributions in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholders tax basis in their Fund shares, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. To qualify as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the source-of-income, the asset diversification, and the annual distribution requirements for that year and dispose of any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. Subject to a limited exception applicable to RICs that qualified as such under the Internal Revenue Code for at least one year prior to disqualification and that requalify as a RIC no later than the second year following the nonqualifying year, the Fund would be subject to tax on any unrealized built-in gains in the assets held by it during the period in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC that are recognized within the subsequent 10 years, unless the Fund made a special election to pay corporate-level tax on such built-in gain at the time of its requalification as a RIC.
The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualifications of the Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
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TAXATION FOR U.S. SHAREHOLDERS Distributions paid to U.S. shareholders by the Fund from its investment company taxable income (which is, generally, the Funds ordinary income plus net realized short-term capital gains in excess of net realized long-term capital losses) are generally taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Funds earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Such distributions (if designated by the Fund) may qualify (i) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders under Section 243 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent that the Funds income consists of dividend income from U.S. corporations, excluding distributions from tax-exempt organizations, exempt farmers cooperatives or real estate investment trusts or (ii) in the case of individual shareholders, as qualified dividend income eligible to be taxed at reduced rates under Section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code (which provides for a maximum 20% rate) to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income, and provided in each case certain holding period and other requirements are met. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and qualified foreign corporations (e.g., generally, foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a qualified comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States, or the stock with respect to which such dividend is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A qualified foreign corporation generally excludes any foreign corporation, which for the taxable year of the corporation in which the dividend was paid, or the preceding taxable year, is a passive foreign investment company. Dividends received by the Fund from an exchange traded fund (ETF) or other investment company taxable as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such ETF. If you lend your Fund shares pursuant to a securities lending or similar arrangement, you may lose the ability to treat dividends (paid while the Fund shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Distributions made to a U.S. shareholder from an excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses (capital gain dividends), including capital gain dividends credited to such shareholder but retained by the Fund, are taxable to such shareholder as long-term capital gain if they have been properly designated by the Fund, regardless of the length of time such shareholder owned the shares of the Fund. The maximum tax rate on capital gain dividends received by individuals is generally 20%. Distributions in excess of the Funds earnings and profits will be treated by the U.S. shareholder, first, as a tax-free return of capital, which is applied against and will reduce the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. shareholders shares and, after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain to the U.S. shareholder (assuming the shares are held as a capital asset). The Fund is not required to provide written notice designating the amount of any qualified dividend income or capital gain dividends and other distributions.
As a RIC, the Fund will be subject to the AMT, but any items that are treated differently for AMT purposes must be apportioned between the Fund and the shareholders and this may affect the shareholders AMT liabilities. The Fund intends in general to apportion these items in the same proportion that dividends paid to each shareholder bear to the Funds taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction.
For purpose of determining (i) whether the annual distribution requirement is satisfied for any year and (ii) the amount of capital gain dividends paid for that year, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If the Fund makes such an election, the U.S. shareholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will
41
be treated as if it had been received by the U.S. shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
The Fund intends to distribute all realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If, however, the Fund were to retain any net capital gain, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income as long-term capital gain, its proportionate shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit its proportionate shares of the federal income tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against its U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. If such an event occurs, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally be increased by the difference between the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in the shareholders gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholders.
Sales and other dispositions of the shares of the Fund generally are taxable events. U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisor with reference to their individual circumstances to determine whether any particular transaction in the shares of the Fund is properly treated as a sale or exchange for federal income tax purposes, as the following discussion assumes, and the tax treatment of any gains or losses recognized in such transactions. The sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund will generally result in capital gain or loss to the shareholder equal to the difference between the amount realized and his adjusted tax basis in the shares sold or exchanged, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year at the time of sale. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain dividend) by such shareholder with respect to such shares. A loss realized on a sale or exchange of shares of the Fund generally will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares are acquired within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the shares are disposed. In such case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Present law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gain of corporations at the rates applicable to ordinary income of corporations. For non-corporate taxpayers, short-term capital gain will currently be taxed at the rate applicable to ordinary income, currently a maximum of 35%, while long-term capital gain generally will be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. Capital losses are subject to certain limitations.
Federal law requires that mutual fund companies report their shareholders cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the Internal Revenue Service on the Funds shareholders Consolidated Form 1099s when covered securities are sold. Covered securities are any regulated investment company and/or dividend reinvestment plan shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012.
The Fund has chosen average cost as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. A tax lot identification method is the way the Fund will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing net asset values, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Funds standing tax lot identification method is the method covered shares will be reported on your Consolidated Form 1099 if you do not select a specific tax lot identification method. You may choose a method different than the Funds standing method and will be able to do so at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of covered shares. Please refer to the appropriate Internal Revenue Service regulations or consult your tax advisor with regard to your personal circumstances.
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For those securities defined as covered under current Internal Revenue Service cost basis tax reporting regulations, the fund is responsible for maintaining accurate cost basis and tax lot information for tax reporting purposes. The Fund is not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the information for those securities that are not covered. The Fund and its service providers do not provide tax advice. You should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions you may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method.
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their net investment income, which should include dividends from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Fund. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Fund.
The Fund is required in certain circumstances to backup withhold at a current rate of 28% on taxable distributions and certain other payments paid to non-corporate holders of the Funds shares who do not furnish the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (in the case of individuals, their social security number) and certain certifications, or who are otherwise subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from payments made to you may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.
TAX SHELTER REPORTING REGULATIONS Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Funds shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
SHAREHOLDER REPORTING OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO FOREIGN FINANCIAL ASSETS Certain individuals (and, if provided in future guidance, certain domestic entities) must disclose annually their interests in specified foreign financial assets on IRS Form 8938, which must be attached to their U.S. federal income tax returns for taxable years beginning after March 18, 2010. The IRS has not yet released a copy of the Form 8938 and has suspended the requirement to attach Form 8938 for any taxable year for which an income tax return is filed before the release of Form 8938. Following Form 8938s release, individuals will be required to attach to their next income tax return required to be filed with the IRS a Form 8938 for each taxable year for which the filing of Form 8938 was suspended. Until the IRS provides more details regarding this reporting requirement, including in Form 8938 itself and related Treasury regulations, it remains unclear under what circumstances, if any, a shareholders (indirect) interest in the Funds specified foreign financial assets, if any, will be required to be reported on this Form 8938.
OTHER REPORTING AND WITHHOLDING REQUIREMENTS Rules enacted in March 2010 require the reporting to the IRS of direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts and foreign entities by U.S. persons. Failure to provide this required information can result in a 30% withholding tax on certain
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payments (withholdable payments) made after December 31, 2012. Specifically, withholdable payments subject to this 30% withholding tax include payments of U.S.-source dividends and interest made on or after January 1, 2014, and payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposal of property that can produce U.S.-source dividends or interest made on or after January 1, 2015.
The IRS has issued only very preliminary guidance with respect to these new rules; there scope remains unclear and potentially subject to material change. Very generally, it is possible that distributions made by the Fund after the dates noted above (or such later dates as may be provided in future guidance) to a shareholder, including a distribution in redemption of shares and a distribution of income or gains otherwise exempt from withholding under the rules applicable to non-U.S. shareholders described above (e.g., Capital Gain Dividends, Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends and interest-related dividends, as described above) will be subject to the new 30% withholding requirement. Payments to a foreign shareholder that is a foreign financial institution will generally be subject to withholding, unless such shareholder enters into a timely agreement with the IRS. Payments to shareholders that are U.S. persons or foreign individuals will generally not be subject to withholding, so long as such shareholders provide the Fund with such certifications or other documentation, including, to the extent required, with regard to such shareholders direct and indirect owners, as the Fund requires to comply with the new rules. Persons investing in the Fund through an intermediary should contact their intermediary regarding the application of the new reporting and withholding regime to their investments in the Fund. Shareholders are urged to consult a tax advisor regarding this new reporting and withholding regime, in light of their particular circumstances.
SHARES PURCHASED THROUGH TAX-QUALIFIED PLANS Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans, and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.
U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to shareholders from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment requirements that must be met by the Fund. This preferential treatment may not be available to the extent the Fund receives such interest indirectly through an investment in an ETF. Investments in Government National Mortgage Association or Federal National Mortgage Association securities, bankers acceptances, commercial paper and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities do not generally qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.
ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT, PAY-IN-KIND SECURITIES, MARKET DISCOUNT AND COMMODITY-LINKED NOTES Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance (and zero-coupon debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount (OID) is treated as interest income and is included in the Funds taxable income (and required to be distributed by the Fund) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security.
Some debt obligations (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having market discount. Very generally, market discount is the excess of the stated redemption price of a debt obligation (or in the
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case of an obligations issued with OID, its revised issue price) over the purchase price of such obligation. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt obligation having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the accrued market discount on such debt obligation. Alternatively, the Fund may elect to accrue market discount currently, in which case the Fund will be required to include the accrued market discount in the Funds income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The rate at which the market discount accrues, and thus is included in the Funds income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects. In the case of higher-risk securities, the amount of market discount may be unclear. See Higher-Risk Securities.
Some debt obligations (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount (very generally, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase price), or OID in the case of certain types of debt obligations. The Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income (as ordinary income) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.
In addition, payment-in-kind securities will, and commodity-linked notes may, give rise to income that is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.
If the Fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.
HIGHER-RISK SECURITIES To the extent such investments are permissible for the Fund, the Fund may invest in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. In limited circumstances, it may also not be clear whether the Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, and if so, what amount of market discount the Fund should recognize. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
ISSUER DEDUCTIBILITY OF INTEREST A portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations owned by the Fund may not be deductible to (and thus, may affect the cash flow of)
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the issuer. If a portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations is not deductible, that portion will be treated as a dividend for purposes of the corporate dividends-received deduction. In such cases, if the issuer of the high yield discount obligations is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by the Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction to the extent of the deemed dividend portion of such accrued interest.
Interest paid on debt obligations owned by the Fund, if any, that are considered for U.S. tax purposes to be payable in the equity of the issuer or a related party will not be deductible to the issuer, possibly affecting the cash flow of the issuer.
SECTION 1256 CONTRACTS Certain listed
options, regulated futures contracts, and forward foreign currency contracts are
considered section 1256 contracts for federal income tax purposes. Section
1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year will be marked-to-market and treated for federal income tax purposes as though sold for fair market
value on the last business day of such taxable year. Gain or loss realized by the
Fund on section 1256 contracts (other than certain foreign currency contracts) generally
will be considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss.
Tax-Exempt
Shareholders A tax-exempt shareholder could recognize unrelated business
taxable income (UBTI) by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund
constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within
the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 514(b). Furthermore, a tax-exempt shareholder
may recognize UBTI if the Fund recognizes excess inclusion income derived
from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests
in TMPs if the amount of such income recognized by the Fund exceeds the Funds
investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends
paid by the Fund).
In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) that invest in regulated investment companies that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. Under legislation enacted in December 2006, a CRT (as defined in section 664 of the Internal Revenue Code) that realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely as a result of investing in the Fund that recognizes excess inclusion income. Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in the Fund that recognizes excess inclusion income, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax on that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders, at the highest federal corporate income tax rate. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the Fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholders distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholders interest in the Fund. The Fund has not yet determined whether such an election will be made. CRTs and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their tax advisers concerning the consequences of investing in the Fund.
PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES A passive foreign investment company (PFIC) is any foreign corporation: (i) 75% or more of the gross income of which for the taxable year is passive income, or (ii) the average percentage of the assets of which (generally by value, but by adjusted tax basis in certain cases) that produce or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50%. Generally,
46
passive income for this purpose means dividends, interest (including income equivalent to interest), royalties, rents, annuities, the excess of gains over losses from certain property transactions and commodities transactions, and foreign currency gains. Passive income for this purpose does not include rents and royalties received by the foreign corporation from active business and certain income received from related persons.
Equity investments by the Fund in certain PFICs could potentially subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax or other charge (including interest charges) on the distributions received from the PFIC or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the PFIC. This tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to avoid the imposition of that tax. For example, if the Fund is in a position to and elects to treat a PFIC as a qualified electing fund (i.e., make a QEF election), the Fund will be required to include its share of the PFIC s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the PFIC. Alternatively, the Fund may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in its PFIC holdings to the market as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Funds taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed by the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Funds total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.
Because it is not always possible to identify a foreign corporation as a PFIC, the Fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances.
FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS The Funds transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. Any such net gains could require a larger dividend toward the end of the calendar year. Any such net losses will generally reduce and potentially require the recharacterization of prior ordinary income distributions. Such ordinary income treatment may accelerate Fund distributions to shareholders and increase the distributions taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. Any net ordinary losses so created cannot be carried forward by the Fund to offset income or gains earned in subsequent taxable years.
FOREIGN TAXATION Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. The Fund does not expect to be eligible to pass through to shareholders a credit or deduction for such taxes.
The ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund invests may invest in foreign securities. Dividends and interest received by an ETFs or investment companys holding of foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. As noted above, tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If the ETF or investment company in which the Fund invests is taxable as a RIC and meets certain other requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of such ETFs or investment companys total assets at the close of its respective taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign
47
corporations, then the ETF or investment company should be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable its shareholders, including the Fund in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid the Fund, subject to certain limitations. The Fund, however, is not expected to be able to pass these benefits along to its shareholders.
FOREIGN SHAREHOLDERS Capital Gain Dividends are generally not subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax. Absent a specific statutory exemption, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by the Fund to a shareholder that is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code (such shareholder, a foreign shareholder) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding.
In general, a regulated investment company is not required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that does not provide a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within a foreign country that has inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly reported as such by the Fund in a written notice to shareholders (interest-related dividends), and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than (a) distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (b) distributions subject to special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests as described below) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the regulated investment company (short-term capital gain dividends). If the Fund invests in an underlying fund that pays such distributions to the Fund, such distributions retain their character as not subject to withholding if properly reported when paid by the Fund to foreign persons.
The Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so. These exemptions from withholding will not be available to foreign shareholders of the Fund that do not currently report their dividends as interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends.
In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund reports all or a portion of a payment as an interest-related or short-term capital gain dividend to shareholders. Foreign persons should contact their intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.
Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign shareholder generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States, (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods
48
aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met, or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of U.S. real property interests (USRPIs) apply to the foreign shareholders sale of shares of the Fund or to the Capital Gain Dividend the foreign shareholder received (as described below).
Special rules would apply if the Fund were either a U.S. real property holding corporation (USRPHC) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition thereof. Very generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporations USPRIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other assets. USRPIs are generally defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or former USRPHC.
If the Fund were a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the exceptions referred to above, any distributions by the Fund to a foreign shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the Fund in redemption of its shares) attributable to gains realized by the Fund on the disposition of USRPIs or to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier regulated investment company or REIT that the Fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands generally would be subject to U.S. tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in the foreign shareholder being required to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a foreign shareholder, including the rate of such withholding and character of such distributions (e.g., as ordinary income or USRPI gain), would vary depending upon the extent of the foreign shareholders current and past ownership of the Fund. On and after January 1, 2012, this look-through USRPI treatment for distributions by a Fund, if it were either a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of the exceptions referred to above, to foreign shareholders applies only to those distributions that, in turn, are attributable to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier REIT, unless Congress enacts legislation providing otherwise.
In addition, if the Fund were a USRPHC or former USRPHC, it could be required to withhold U.S. tax on the proceeds of a share redemption by a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder, in which case such foreign shareholder generally would also be required to file U.S. tax returns and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.
Whether or not the Fund is characterized as a USRPHC will depend upon the nature and mix of the Funds assets. The Fund does not expect to be USRPHCs. Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisors concerning the application of these rules to their investment in the Fund.
If a beneficial holder of Fund shares who is a foreign shareholder has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the beneficial holders conduct of that trade or business, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.
If a beneficial holder of Fund shares who is a foreign shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by that beneficial holder in the United States.
To qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, a foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements relating to its non-US status (including, in
49
general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute form). Foreign shareholders in the Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard.
A beneficial holder of Fund shares who is a foreign shareholder may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal tax on income referred to above.
FATCA. Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (FFI) or a non-financial foreign entity (NFFE) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after June 30, 2014 and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the Treasury regulations in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Fund and its shareholders. These provisions are subject to change by legislative and administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to U.S. federal income, estate or gift taxes, or foreign, state, local taxes or other taxes.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
You can receive free copies of reports, request other information and discuss your questions about the Fund by contacting the Trust directly at:
WORLD FUNDS TRUST
8730
Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205
Richmond, Virginia 23235
Telephone: (800) 673-0550
Website: www.theworldfundstrust.com
e-mail: mail@ccofva.com
50
EXHIBIT A
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES
REMS Group, LLC
In accordance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, it is the policy of REMS Group, LLC (the Company) to vote all proxies in respect of securities in the Fund over which the Company has voting discretion in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Funds clients.
The CCO is responsible for ensuring adherence to the Companys Proxy Voting Policy (the Policy).
General Intent
The Company generally will monitor proposed corporate actions and proxy matters in
respect of Client Securities, and may take any of the following actions based on
the best interests of the Fund: (i) determine how to vote the proxies, (ii) abstain,
or (iii) follow the recommendations of an independent proxy voting service in voting
the proxies.
In general, the Company will determine how to vote proxies based on reasonable judgment of that vote most likely to produce favorable financial results for its clients. Proxy votes generally will be cast in favor of proposals that maintain or strengthen the shared interests of shareholders and management, increase shareholder value, maintain or increase shareholder influence over the issuers board of directors and management, and maintain or increase the rights of shareholders; proxy votes generally will be cast against proposals having the opposite effect. However, the Company will consider both sides of each proxy issue.
Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest between the Company or a principal of the Company and the
Fund in respect of a proxy issue conceivably may arise, for example, from personal
or professional relationships with a company or with the directors, candidates for
director, or senior executives of a company that is the issuer of Fund securities.
If the Compliance Officer determines that a material conflict of interest exists, the following procedures shall be followed:
1. |
Provide the
Fund with sufficient information regarding the shareholder vote and the Firms
potential conflict to the Fund and obtain the Funds consent before voting;
|
|
2. |
Vote securities
based on a pre-determined voting policy set forth in the Proxy Voting Policy Section;
|
|
3. |
Vote Fund
securities based upon the recommendations of an independent third party; or
|
|
4. |
Request the
Fund to engage another party to determine how the proxies should be voted.
|
Recordkeeping requirements the Company shall maintain the following records relating to this Policy:
1. |
A copy of
the Policy as it may be amended from time to time.
|
|
2. |
A copy of
each proxy statement received by the Company in respect of Fund securities. This
requirement may be satisfied by relying on a third party to make and retain, on
the Companys behalf, a copy of a proxy statement (provided that the Company
has obtained an agreement
|
51
from the third
party to provide a copy of the proxy statement promptly upon request), or the Company
may rely on obtaining a copy of a proxy statement from the SECs EDGAR system.
|
||
3. |
A record of
each vote cast by the Company on behalf of the Fund. This requirement may be satisfied
by relying on a third party to make and retain, on the Companys behalf, a
record of the vote cast (if the Company has obtained an agreement from the third
party to provide a copy of the record promptly upon request).
|
|
4. |
A copy of
any document created by the Company that was material to making a decision about
how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorializes the basis for that
decision.
|
|
5. |
A copy of
each written Fund request for information about how the Company voted proxies on
behalf of the Fund, and a copy of any written response by the Company to any such
(written or oral) Fund request.
|
All of the foregoing records shall be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in the offices of the Company.
52
E XHIBIT B
W ORLD F UNDS T RUST
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The World Funds Trust (the Trust) is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act). The Trust offers multiple series (each a Fund and, collectively, the Funds). Consistent with its fiduciary duties and pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act (the Proxy Rule), the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board) has adopted this proxy voting policy on behalf of the Trust (the Policy) to reflect its commitment to ensure that proxies are voted in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Funds shareholders.
Delegation of Proxy Voting Authority to Fund Advisers
The Board believes that the investment advisor of each Fund (each an Adviser and, collectively, the Advisers), as the entity that selects the individual securities that comprise its Funds portfolio, is the most knowledgeable and best-suited to make decisions on how to vote proxies of portfolio companies held by that Fund. The Trust shall therefore defer to, and rely on, the Adviser of each Fund to make decisions on how to cast proxy votes on behalf of such Fund.
The Trust hereby designates the Adviser of each Fund as the entity responsible for exercising proxy voting authority with regard to securities held in the Funds investment portfolio. Consistent with its duties under this Policy, each Adviser shall monitor and review corporate transactions of corporations in which the Fund has invested, obtain all information sufficient to allow an informed vote on all proxy solicitations, ensure that all proxy votes are cast in a timely fashion, and maintain all records required to be maintained by the Fund under the Proxy Rule and the 1940 Act. Each Adviser shall perform these duties in accordance with the Advisers proxy voting policy, a copy of which shall be presented to this Board for its review. Each Adviser shall promptly provide to the Board updates to its proxy voting policy as they are adopted and implemented.
Conflict of Interest Transactions
In some instances, an Adviser may be asked to cast a proxy vote that presents a conflict between the interests of a Funds shareholders, and those of the Adviser or an affiliated person of the Adviser. In such case, the Adviser is instructed to abstain from making a voting decision and to forward all necessary proxy voting materials to the Trust to enable the Board to make a voting decision. When the Board is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Trustees without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how the Funds vote will be cast. In the event that the Board is required to vote a proxy because an Adviser has a conflict of interest with respect to the proxy, the Board will vote such proxy in accordance with the Advisers proxy voting policy, to the extent consistent with the shareholders best interests, as determined by the Board in its discretion. The Board shall notify the Adviser of its final decision on the matter and the Adviser shall vote in accordance with the Boards decision.
53
Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders
If a Fund has a website, the Fund may post a copy of its Advisers proxy voting policy and this Policy on such website. A copy of such policies and of each Funds proxy voting record shall also be made available, without charge, upon request of any shareholder of the Fund, by calling the applicable Funds toll-free telephone number as printed in the Funds prospectus. The Trusts administrator shall reply to any Fund shareholder request within three business days of receipt of the request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
Each Adviser shall provide a complete voting record, as required by the Proxy Rule, for each series of the Trust for which it acts as adviser, to the Trusts administrator within 30 days following the end of each 12-month period ending June 30. The Trusts administrator will file a report based on such record on Form N-PX on an annual basis with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than August 31 st of each year.
54
EXHIBIT C
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter
World Funds Trust
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Membership
1. | The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of World Funds Trust (the Trust) shall be composed entirely of Independent Trustees. |
Board Nominations and Functions
1. |
The Committee
shall make nominations for Trustee membership on the Board of Trustees, including
the Independent Trustees. The Committee shall evaluate candidates qualifications
for Board membership and their independence from the investment advisers to the
Trusts series portfolios and the Trusts other principal service providers.
Persons selected as Independent Trustees must not be interested person
as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, nor shall Independent
Trustee have and affiliations or associations that shall preclude them from voting
as an Independent Trustee on matters involving approvals and continuations of Rule
12b-1 Plans, Investment Advisory Agreements and such other standards as the Committee
shall deem appropriate. The Committee shall also consider the effect of any relationships
beyond those delineated in the 1940 Act that might impair independence,
e.g.
, business, financial or family relationships with managers or service providers.
See Appendix A for Procedures with Respect to Nominees to the Board.
|
|
2. |
The Committee
shall periodically review Board governance procedures and shall recommend any appropriate
changes to the full Board of Trustees.
|
|
3. |
The Committee
shall periodically review the composition of the Board of Trustees to determine
whether it may be appropriate to add individuals with different backgrounds or skill
sets from those already on the Board.
|
|
4. |
The Committee
shall periodically review trustee compensation and shall recommend any appropriate
changes to the Independent Trustees as a group.
|
Committee Nominations and Functions
1. |
The Committee
shall make nominations for membership on all committees and shall review committee
assignments at least annually.
|
|
2. |
The Committee
shall review, as necessary, the responsibilities of any committees of the Board,
whether there is a continuing need for each committee, whether there is a need for
additional committees of the Board, and whether committees should be combined or
|
55
reorganized.
The Committee shall make recommendations for any such action to the full Board.
|
Other Powers and Responsibilities
1. |
The Committee
shall have the resources and authority appropriate to discharge its responsibilities,
including authority to retain special counsel and other experts or consultants at
the expense of the Trust.
|
|
2. |
The Committee
shall review this Charter at least annually and recommend any changes to the full
Board of Trustees.
|
Adopted: August 2, 2013
56
APPENDIX A TO THE NOMINATING
AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
COMMITTEE CHARTER
WORLD FUNDS TRUST
PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO NOMINEES TO THE BOARD
I. |
Identification
of Candidates
. When a vacancy on the Board of Trustees exists or is anticipated,
and such vacancy is to be filled by an Independent Trustee, the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee shall identify candidates by obtaining referrals from such
sources as it may deem appropriate, which may include current Trustees, management
of the Trust, counsel and other advisors to the Trustees, and shareholders of the
Trust who submit recommendations in accordance with these procedures. In no event
shall the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider as a candidate
to fill any such vacancy an individual recommended by any investment adviser of
any series portfolio of the Trust, unless the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee has invited management to make such a recommendation.
|
|
II. |
Shareholder
Candidates.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall, when identifying
candidates for the position of Independent Trustee, consider any such candidate
recommended by a shareholder if such recommendation contains: (i) sufficient background
information concerning the candidate, including evidence the candidate is willing
to serve as an Independent Trustee if selected for the position; and (ii) is received
in a sufficiently timely manner as determined by the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee in its discretion. Shareholders shall be directed to address any such
recommendations in writing to the attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee, c/o the Secretary of the Trust. The Secretary shall retain copies of
any shareholder recommendations which meet the foregoing requirements for a period
of not more than 12 months following receipt. The Secretary shall have no obligation
to acknowledge receipt of any shareholder recommendations.
|
|
III. |
Evaluation
of Candidates
. In evaluating a candidate for a position on the Board of Trustees,
including any candidate recommended by shareholders of the Trust, the Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee shall consider the following: (i) the candidates knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) any experience
possessed by the candidate as a director or senior officer of public companies;
(iii) the candidates educational background; (iv) the candidates reputation
for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) any specific financial,
technical or other expertise possessed by the candidate, and the extent to which
such expertise would complement the Boards existing mix of skills, core competencies
and qualifications; (vi) the candidates perceived ability to contribute to
the ongoing functions of the Board, including the candidates ability and commitment
to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the
Board; (vii) the candidates ability to qualify as an Independent Trustee and
any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the candidate and
the Trust; and (viii) such other factors as the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board
and any anticipated vacancies. Prior to making a final recommendation to the Board,
the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall conduct personal interviews
with those candidates it concludes are the most qualified candidates.
|
57
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
(a)(1) |
Certificate
of Trust of World Funds Trust (formerly, Abacus World Funds Trust) (the Registrant) dated April 9, 2007.
1
|
|
(a)(2) |
Certificate
of Amendment dated January 7, 2008 to the Registrants Certificate of Trust
dated April 9, 2007.
1
|
|
(a)(3) |
Registrants Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 9, 2007, as revised June 23,
2008.
2
|
|
(b) |
Registrants By-Laws dated April 9, 2007.
1
|
|
(c) |
Not applicable.
|
|
(d)(1) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Union Street Partners, LLC with respect
to the Union Street Partners Value Fund.
5, 7
|
|
(d)(2) |
Investment
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Union Street Partners, LLC and McGinn Investment
Management, Inc. with respect to the Union Street Partners Value Fund.
7
|
|
(d)(3) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Perkins Capital Management,
Inc.
18
|
|
(d)(4) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Dalton, Greiner, Hartman, Maher &
Co., LLC with respect to the DGHM All-Cap Value Fund.
12
|
|
(d)(5) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Dalton, Greiner, Hartman, Maher &
Co., LLC with respect to the DGHM V2000 SmallCap Value Fund.
12
|
|
(d)(6) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Real Estate Management Services Group,
LLC with respect to the REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity
Fund.
14
|
|
(d)(7) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and B. Riley Asset Management, LLC with
respect to the B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
15
|
|
(d)(8) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Toreador Research & Trading,
LLC with respect to the Toreador International Fund.
20
|
|
(d)(9) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Toreador Research & Trading,
LLC with respect to the Toreador Core Fund.
40
|
|
(d)(10) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Toreador Research & Trading,
LLC with respect to the Toreador Explorer Fund.
40
|
|
(d)(11) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Capital Management, LLC
with respect to the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European
Equity Fund)).
21
|
|
(d)(12) |
Investment
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Commonwealth Capital Management, LLC and Shikiar
Asset Management, Inc. with respect to the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly
known as the European Equity Fund).
42
|
|
(d)(13) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Real Estate Management Services, LLC
with respect to the REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(d)(14) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Real Estate Management Services, LLC
with respect to the REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
23
|
(d)(15) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Chicago Partners Investment Group,
LLC with respect to the Big 4 OneFund.
25
|
|
(d)(16) |
Investment
Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Strategic Asset Management, Ltd. with
respect to the Strategic Latin America Fund.
26
|
|
(e)(1) |
Principal
Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between the Registrant and First Dominion
Capital Corp.
2
|
|
(e)(2) |
Amended and
Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between the Registrant
and First Dominion Capital Corp.
3
|
|
(e)(3) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated August 2, 2013.
12
|
|
(e)(4) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated October 11, 2013.
14
|
|
(e)(5) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated November
26, 2013.
15
|
|
(e)(6) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated August 15, 2014.
20
|
|
(e)(7) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated August 15, 2014.
21
|
|
(e)(8) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated August 15, 2014.
22
|
|
(e)(9) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated August 15, 2014.
23
|
|
(e)(10) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated September
19, 2014.
25
|
|
(e)(11) |
Schedule B
to Amended and Restated Principal Underwriter Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between
the Registrant and First Dominion Capital Corp, updated October 31, 2014.
40
|
|
(f) |
Not applicable.
|
|
(g)(1) |
Custody Agreement
dated July 30, 2008 between the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A.
2
|
|
(g)(2) |
Amended Appendix
B and revised Appendix C to the Custody Agreement, dated June 15, 2008, between
the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A., to include the Union Street Partners
Value Fund.
8
|
|
(g)(3) |
Amended Appendix
B and revised Appendix C to the Custody Agreement, dated June 15, 2008, between
the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A., to include the Perkins Discovery Fund.
15
|
(g)(4) |
Amended Appendix B and revised Appendix C to the Custody Agreement, dated June 15, 2008, between the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A., to include the B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
15
|
|
(g)(5) |
Custodian Agreement dated July 25, 2005 between the Funds prior Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman with respect to Toreador International Fund and the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity Fund).
29
|
|
(g)(6) |
Novation Agreement dated August 15, 2014 for Custodian Services between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman with respect to Toreador International Fund and the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European
Equity Fund).
29
|
|
(g)(7) |
Amended Appendix B and revised Appendix C to the Custody Agreement, dated August 15, 2014 between the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A., to include the REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(g)(8) |
Amended Appendix B and revised Appendix C to the Custody Agreement, dated August 15, 2014 between the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A., to include the REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
23
|
|
(g)(9) |
Amended Appendix B and revised Appendix C to the Custody Agreement, dated September 19, 2014 between the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A., to include the Big 4 OneFund.
25
|
|
(g)(10) |
Amended Appendix B and revised Appendix C to the Custody Agreement, dated October 31, 2014 between the Registrant and UMB Bank, N.A., to include the Strategic Latin America Fund.
26
|
|
(g)(11) |
Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Fifth Third Bank on behalf of certain portfolio series.
40
|
|
(h)(1) |
Administrative Services Agreement dated July 30, 2008 between the Registrant and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc.
3
|
|
(h)(2) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement.
4
|
|
(h)(3) |
Amended and
Restated Administrative Services Agreement dated July 30, 2008, as amended and restated
between the Registrant and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc.
4
|
|
(h)(4) |
Amended and
Restated Administrative Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth
Shareholder Services, Inc.
5
|
|
(h)(5) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Union Street Partners
Value Fund.
5
|
|
(h)(6) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Perkins Discovery
Fund.
8
|
|
(h)(7) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the
DGHM Funds.
12
|
|
(h)(8) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the REMS International
Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
14
|
(h)(9) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the B. Riley Diversified
Equity Fund.
15
|
|
(h)(10) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Toreador International
Fund.
20
|
|
(h)(11) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Toreador
Core Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(12) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Toreador Explorer
Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(13) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity Fund).
21
|
|
(h)(14) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the REMS Real Estate
Income 50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(h)(15) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the REMS Real Estate
Value-Opportunity Fund.
23
|
|
(h)(16) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Big 4
OneFund.
25
|
|
(h)(17) |
Schedule A
to the Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Shareholder Services, Inc., with respect to the Strategic Latin
America Fund.
26
|
|
(h)(18) |
Transfer Agency
and Services Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between the Registrant and Commonwealth
Fund Services, Inc.
3
|
|
(h)(19) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc.
4
|
|
(h)(20) |
Amended and
Restated Transfer Agency and Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth
Fund Services.
5
|
|
(h)(21) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the Union Street
Partners Value Fund.
5
|
|
(h)(22) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the Perkins Discovery
Fund.
8
|
|
(h)(23) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the
DGHM Funds.
12
|
|
(h)(24) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the REMS International
Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
14
|
(h)(25) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the B. Riley Diversified
Equity Fund.
15
|
|
(h)(26) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the Toreador International
Fund.
20
|
|
(h)(27) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the Toreador Core
Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(28) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the Toreador Explorer
Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(29) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity Fund).
21
|
|
(h)(30) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the REMS Real Estate
Income 50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(h)(31) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the REMS Real Estate
Value-Opportunity Fund.
23
|
|
(h)(32) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the
Big 4 OneFund.
25
|
|
(h)(33) |
Schedule C
to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, between the
Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., with respect to the Strategic Latin
America Fund.
26
|
|
(h)(34) |
Accounting
Services Agreement dated July 30, 2008 between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund
Accounting, Inc.
3
|
|
(h)(35) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement dated July 30, 2008 between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc.
4
|
|
(h)(36) |
Amended and
Restated Accounting Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund
Accounting, Inc.
5
|
|
(h)(37) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the Union Street Partners
Value Fund.
5
|
|
(h)(38) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the Perkins
Discovery Fund.
8
|
|
(h)(39) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the DGHM Funds.
12
|
|
(h)(40) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the B. Riley Diversified
Equity Fund.
15
|
|
(h)(41) |
Accounting
Services Agreement dated August 23, 2006 between the prior Funds Registrant
and Brown Brothers Harriman with respect to Toreador International Fund and the
Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European
Equity Fund).
29
|
(h)(42) |
Novation Agreement
dated August 15, 2014 for Accounting Services between the Registrant and Brown Brothers
Harriman with respect to Toreador International Fund and the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity Fund).
29
|
|
(h)(43) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the Toreador
Core Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(44) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the Toreador
Explorer Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(45) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the REMS Real Estate Income
50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(h)(46) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity
Fund.
23
|
|
(h)(47) |
Schedule A
to the Accounting Services Agreement, dated August 30, 2008, between the Registrant
and Commonwealth Fund Accounting, Inc., with respect to the Big 4
OneFund.
25
|
|
(h)(48) |
Accounting
Services Agreement dated October 31, 2014 between the Registrant and UMB Fund Services,
Inc. with respect to Strategic Latin America Fund.
26
|
|
(h)(49) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Union Street Partners, LLC with respect to
the Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Union Street Partners
Value Fund.
7
|
|
(h)(50) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and McGinn Investment Management, Inc. with respect
to the Class A Shares of the Union Street Partners Value Fund.
6
|
|
(h)(51) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Perkins Capital Management, Inc. with respect
to shares of the Perkins Discovery Fund.
18
|
|
(h)(52) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Dalton, Greiner, Hartman, Maher & Co.,
LLC with respect to the DGHM Funds.
42
|
|
(h)(53) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Real Estate Management Services Group, LLC
with respect to the REMS International Real Estate
Value-Opportunity Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(54) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and B. Riley Asset Management, LLC with respect
to the B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
15
|
|
(h)(55) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Toreador Research & Trading, LLC with
respect to the Toreador International Fund and Toreador Explorer Fund.
40
|
|
(h)(56) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Toreador Research & Trading, LLC with
respect to the Toreador Core Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(57) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Capital Management, LLC with respect
to the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity
Fund).
21
|
|
(h)(58) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Real Estate Management Services, LLC with respect
to the REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
42
|
(h)(59) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Real Estate Management Services, LLC with respect
to the REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
42
|
|
(h)(60) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Chicago Partners Investment Group, LLC with
respect to the Big 4 OneFund.
25
|
|
(h)(61) |
Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Registrant and Strategic Asset Management, Ltd. with respect
to the Strategic Latin America Fund.
26
|
|
(h)(62) |
Shareholder
Services Plan dated October 1, 2008.
3
|
|
(h)(63) |
Revised Schedule
A to the Shareholder Services Plan dated October 1, 2008.
4
|
|
(h)(64) |
Amended Schedule
A to the Shareholder Services Plan.
5
|
|
(h)(65) |
Shareholder
Services Plan, dated August 2, 2013, with respect to DGHM V2000 SmallCap Value Fund
Investor Class Shares.
12
|
|
(h)(66) |
Amended Schedule
A to the Shareholder Services Plan with respect to the REMS International Real Estate
Value-Opportunity Fund.
14
|
|
(h)(67) |
Administrative
Services Plan with respect to the Retail Class Shares of the Toreador
Core Fund.
40
|
|
(i)(1) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for Union Street Partners Value Fund.
5
|
|
(i)(2) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for Union Street Partners Value Fund.
28
|
|
(i)(3) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for Perkins Discovery Fund.
9
|
|
(i)(4) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for Perkins Discovery Fund.
37
|
|
(i)(5) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for DGHM Funds.
13
|
|
(i)(6) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for DGHM Funds.
36
|
|
(i)(7) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
29
|
|
(i)(8) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for Toreador International Fund and Toreador Core Fund.
40
|
|
(i)(9) |
Opinion of
Legal Counsel for Toreador International Fund.
28
|
|
(i)(10) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for Toreador Core Fund.
32
|
|
(i)(11) |
Opinion of
Legal Counsel for Toreador Core Fund.
32
|
|
(i)(12) |
Opinion and
Consent of Counsel regarding tax matters for the Toreador Core Fund.
39
|
|
(i)(13) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for Toreador Explorer Fund.
30
|
|
(i)(14) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European
Equity Fund).
33
|
|
(i)(15) |
Opinion of
Legal Counsel for the European Equity Fund.
28
|
|
(i)(16) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity
Fund.
14
|
|
(i)(17) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
41
|
(i)(18) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(i)(19) |
Opinion of
Legal Counsel for REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
28
|
|
(i)(20) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
23
|
|
(i)(21) |
Opinion of
Legal Counsel for REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
28
|
|
(i)(22) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, REMS Real
Estate Income 50/50 Fund and REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
31
|
|
(i)(23) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for Big 4 OneFund.
25
|
|
(i)(24) |
Opinion and
Consent of Legal Counsel for Strategic Latin America Fund.
26
|
|
(i)(25) |
Consent of
Legal Counsel for Strategic Latin America Fund.
38
|
|
(j)(1) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for Union Street Partners Value Fund.
28
|
|
(j)(2) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for Perkins Discovery Fund.
37
|
|
(j)(3) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for DGHM Funds.
36
|
|
(j)(4) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity
Fund, REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund, and REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity
Fund.
32
|
|
(j)(5) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity
Fund.
41
|
|
(j)(6) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
29
|
|
(j)(7) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for Toreador International Fund.
40
|
|
(j)(8) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for Toreador Core Fund.
32
|
|
(j)(9) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known
as the European Equity Fund).
35
|
|
(j)(10) |
Consent of
independent public accountants for Strategic Latin America Fund.
38
|
|
(k) |
Not applicable.
|
|
(l) |
Not applicable.
|
|
(m)(1) |
Plans of Distribution
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1dated October 1, 2008, with respect to Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class P (Platform) Shares.
3
|
|
(m)(2) |
Revised Schedule
A to the Plans of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 dated October 1, 2008, with
respect to Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class P (Platform) Shares.
4
|
|
(m)(3) |
Amended Schedule
A to the Distribution Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1.
26
|
|
(m)(4) |
Fixed Compensation
Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Perkins Discovery Fund.
18
|
|
(m)(5) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated August 2, 2013, for the Investor Class Shares
and Class C Shares of the DGHM Funds.
12
|
(m)(6) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated November 26, 2013, for the Investor Class Shares
of the B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
19
|
|
(m)(7) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated August 15, 2014, for the Investor Class Shares
and Class C Shares of the Toreador International Fund.
20
|
|
(m)(8) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated October 31, 2014, for the Investor Class Shares
of the Toreador Explorer Fund.
40
|
|
(m)(9) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated August 15, 2014, for the Class A Shares and Class
C Shares of the Global Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity
Fund).
21
|
|
(m)(10) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated August 15, 2014, for the Platform Class Shares
of the REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(m)(11) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated August 15, 2014, for the Platform Class Shares
of the REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
23
|
|
(m)(12) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated May 16, 2014, for the Class A Shares, of the
B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
19
|
|
(m)(13) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated September 19, 2014, for the Investor Class Shares
of the Big 4 OneFund.
25
|
|
(m)(14) |
Distribution
Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated October 31, 2014, for the Class A Shares of the
Strategic Latin America Fund.
26
|
|
(n)(1) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Union
Street Partners Value Fund.
5
|
|
(n)(2) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Institutional Class Shares, Investor Class Shares
and Class C Shares of the DGHM Funds.
12
|
|
(n)(3) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Class A Shares, Institutional Class Shares and
Investor Class Shares of the B. Riley Diversified Equity Fund.
19
|
|
(n)(4) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Institutional Class Shares, Class C Shares and
Investor Class Shares of the Toreador International Fund.
20
|
|
(n)(5) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Institutional Class Shares, and Retail Class
Shares of the Toreador Core Fund.
42
|
|
(n)(6) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Institutional Class Shares, and Investor Class
Shares of the Toreador Explorer Fund.
40
|
|
(n)(7) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Global
Strategic Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity Fund).
21
|
|
(n)(8) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Institutional Class and Platform Class Shares
of the REMS Real Estate Income 50/50 Fund.
22
|
|
(n)(9) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Institutional Class Shares and Platform Class
Shares of the REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund.
23
|
|
(n)(10) |
Rule 18f-3
Multiple Class Plan with respect to Investor Class Shares and Institutional Class
Shares of the Big 4 OneFund.
25
|
|
(o) |
Reserved.
|
|
(p)(1) |
Combined Code
of Ethics for the Registrant, Commonwealth Capital Management, LLC and First Dominion Capital Corp. (the distributor for the Registrant).
4
|
(p)(2) |
Code of Ethics
for Union Street Partners, LLC.
5
|
|
(p)(3) |
Code of Ethics
for McGinn Investment Management, Inc.
20
|
|
(p)(4) |
Code of Ethics
for Perkins Capital Management, Inc.
8
|
|
(p)(5) |
Code of Ethics
for Real Estate Management Services Group, LLC.
22
|
|
(p)(6) |
Code of Ethics
for B. Riley Asset Management, LLC.
15
|
|
(p)(7) |
Code of Ethics
for Toreador Research & Trading, LLC.
27
|
|
(p)(8) |
Code of Ethics
for Commonwealth Capital Management, LLC.
21
|
|
(p)(9) |
Code of Ethics
for Shikiar Asset Management, Inc.
42
|
|
(p)(10) |
Code of Ethics
for Dalton, Greiner, Hartman, Maher & Co., LLC.
17
|
|
(p)(11) |
Code of Ethics
for Chicago Partners Investment Group, LLC.
25
|
|
(p)(12) |
Code of Ethics
for Strategic Asset Management, Ltd.
26
|
|
(q) |
Powers of
Attorney.
36
|
|
1.
|
Incorporated
herein by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 8, 2008 (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
2.
|
Incorporated
herein by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 28, 2008 (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
3.
|
Incorporated
herein by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 2, 2008 (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
4.
|
Incorporated
by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 25, 2008 (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
5.
|
Incorporated
by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 13, 2010 (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
6.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 24, 2011 (file Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
7.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on April 7, 2011 (file Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
8.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 17, 2012 (file Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172)
|
|
9.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 29, 2012 (file Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172)
|
|
10.
|
Omitted.
|
|
11.
|
Omitted.
|
|
12.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 9, 2013. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
13.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 23, 2013. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
14.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 26, 2013. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
15.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on February 10, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
16.
|
Omitted.
|
|
17.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 30, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
18.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
19.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 1, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
20.
|
Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 15, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172).
|
|
21. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 15, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
22. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 15, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
23. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 15, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
24. | Omitted. | |
25. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 19, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
26. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 31, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
27. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2014. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
28. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 28, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
29. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on March 31, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
30. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on April 29, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
31. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on April 30, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
32. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 8, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
33. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 21, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
34. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 8, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
35. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 23, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
36. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 29, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
37. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
38. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
39. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 6, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
40. | Incorporated by reference to Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 28, 2015. (File Nos. 333-148723 and 811-22172). | |
41. | Filed herewith. | |
42. | Filed by amendment. |
Item 29. Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control With Registrant
None. |
Item 30. Indemnification
See Article VIII, Section 2 of the Registrants Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the section titled Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, Employees and Other Agents in the Registrants By-Laws.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by trustees, officers or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustees, officers or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.
Item 31. Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser
The list required by this Item 31 as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each of the investment advisers and sub-advisers, and each director, officer or partner of such investment advisers or sub-advisers, is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is incorporated herein by reference to Schedules A and D of each investment advisers or sub-advisers Form ADV listed opposite such investment advisers or sub-advisers name below, which is currently on file with the SEC as required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
Item 32. Principal Underwriters
a) | First Dominion Capital Corp. also acts as underwriter to The World Funds, Inc. | |
b) |
First Dominion
Capital Corp. The information required by this Item 32(b) with respect to each director,
officer or partner of FDCC is incorporated herein by reference to Schedule A of
Form BD, filed by FDCC with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (File No. 8-33719).
|
|
c) | Not applicable. |
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
The accounts, books or other documents of the Registrant required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are kept in several locations:
a)
|
Commonwealth
Fund Services, Inc., 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235
(records relating to its function as transfer agent to the Funds).
|
|
b)
|
Commonwealth
Shareholder Services, Inc., 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia
23235 (records relating to its function as administrator to the Funds).
|
|
c)
|
First Dominion
Capital Corporation, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235
(records relating to its function as distributor to the Funds).
|
|
d)
|
Commonwealth
Fund Accounting, Inc., 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235
(records relating to its function as fund accounting agent to the Funds).
|
|
e)
|
Union Street
Partners LLC, 1421 Prince Street, Suite 400 Alexandria, VA 22314. (records relating
to its function as investment adviser to the Union Street Partners Value Fund).
|
|
f)
|
McGinn Investment
Management, Inc., 201 North Union Street, Suite 101, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(records relating to its function as sub-adviser to the Union Street Partners Value
Fund).
|
|
g)
|
Perkins Capital
Management, Inc., 730 East Lake Street, Wayzata, MN 55391-1769 (records relating
to its function as investment adviser to the Perkins Discovery Fund).
|
|
h)
|
Dalton, Greiner,
Hartman, Maher & Co., LLC, 565 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2101, New York, NY 10017
(records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the DGHM Funds).
|
|
i)
|
Real Estate
Management Services Group, LLC, 1100 Fifth Avenue, South, Suite 301, Naples, FL
34102-6407 (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the REMS
International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund; REMS Real Estate Income 50/50
Fund and REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund).
|
|
j)
|
B. Riley Asset
Management, LLC, 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, California 90025
(records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the B. Riley Diversified
Equity Fund).
|
|
k)
|
Toreador Research
& Trading, LLC, 7493 N. Ingram Avenue, Suite 104, Fresno, California 93711
(records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Toreador International
Fund).
|
|
l)
|
Commonwealth
Capital Management, LLC, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, VA 23235
(records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Global Strategic
Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity Fund)).
|
|
m)
|
Shikiar Asset
Management, Inc., 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 18
th
Floor, New York,
New York 10036 (records relating to its function as sub-adviser to the Global Strategic
Income Fund (formerly known as the European Equity Fund)).
|
|
n)
|
Chicago Partners
Investment Group, LLC, One North Wacker Drive, Suite 4110, Chicago, Illinois 60606
(records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Big 4 OneFund).
|
|
o)
|
Strategic
Asset Management, Ltd., Calle Ayacucho No. 277, La Paz, Bolivia (records relating
to its function as the investment adviser to the Strategic Latin America Fund).
|
Item 34. Management Services
There are no management-related service contracts not discussed in Parts A or B of this Form. |
Item 35. Undertakings
Not applicable. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under Rule 485(b) of the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to the Registrants Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Richmond, Commonwealth of Virginia on the 16th day of September, 2015.
WORLD FUNDS TRUST
By: /s/ John Pasco, III | ||
John Pasco, III | ||
Trustee and Chairman |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | Title | Date |
/s/ John Pasco, III | Trustee and Chairman | September 16, 2015 |
*David J. Urban | Trustee | September 16, 2015 |
*Mary Lou H. Ivey | Trustee | September 16, 2015 |
*Theo H. Pitt | Trustee | September 16, 2015 |
/s/ Karen Shupe | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer | September 16, 2015 |
*By: Karen M. Shupe | ||
*Attorney-in-fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney
EXHIBITS
(i)(17) | Consent of Legal Counsel for REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund. | |
(j)(5) | Consent of independent public accountants for REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund. |
|
John H. Lively | ||
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc. | |||
A Member Firm of The 1940 Act Law Group
TM
|
|||
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310 | |||
Leawood, KS 66211 | |||
Phone: 913.660.0778 Fax: 913.660.9157 | |||
john.lively@1940actlawgroup.com |
September 16, 2015
World Funds Trust
8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205
Richmond, VA 23235
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We hereby consent to the use of our name and to the reference to our firm under the caption Management-Related Services in the Statement of Additional Information for the REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, a series portfolio of the World Funds Trust (the Trust), which is included in Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to the Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (No. 333-148723), and Amendment No. 138 to Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (No. 811-22172), on Form N-1A of the Trust.
Sincerely, | ||
/s/ John H. Lively | ||
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc. |
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the references to our firm in the Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of The World Funds Trust, and to the use of our report dated March 2, 2015 on the financial statements and financial highlights of REMS International Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, a series of shares of World Funds Trust. Such financial statements and financial highlights appear in the 2014 Annual Report to Shareholders which is incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information.
TAIT, WELLER & BAKER LLP |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September
15, 2015