As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 29, 2014
 1933 Act Registration Number – 333-176060
1940 Act Registration Number – 811-05617

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 /X/
Post-Effective Amendment No. _3_
and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 /X/
Amendment No. 4

Shelton Greater China Fund
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

44 Montgomery Street #2100
San Francisco, CA 94104
(Address of Principal Office)
 
Telephone Number: (415) 398-2727
Stephen C. Rogers
 44 Montgomery Street #2100
San Francisco, CA 94104
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

With copy to:
Timothy S. Johnson
Reed Smith LLP
225 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Telephone Number: (412) 288-1484

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

[ ]
immediately upon filing pursuant to Rule 485(b)
[X]
on May 1, 2014 pursuant to Rule 485(b)
[ ]
60 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485(a)(1)
[ ]
75 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485(a)(2)
[ ]
on _________ pursuant to Rule 485(a)
 
 
 

 
 
Prospectus
 
 
 
May 1, 2014
Shelton Greater China Fund
Ticker Symbol: SGCFX
 
(800) 955-9988
www.sheltoncap.com
Email us at info@sheltoncap.com
 
 
 
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate or accurate. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
 
The Fund’s shares are not a bank deposit and are not guaranteed, endorsed or insured by any financial institution or government entity such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).
 
 
 

 
 
 
Table O f Contents

The Fund (Summary)
1
Investment Objectives, Principal Strategies and Related Risks
4
Management and Organization
6
Additional Non-Principal Investment Related Risks
6
How to Buy Shares
8
How to Sell Shares
9
Other Policies
10
Dividends and Taxes
11
Privacy Statement
11
Financial Highlights
13

 
 

 
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
Ticker Symbol: SGCFX
 
The Fund (Summary)
 
Investment Objective
 
Shelton Greater China Fund’s (the “Fund”) investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
 
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
 
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay when you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
 
Shareholder Fees
 
(fees paid directly from your investment)
 
Redemption or exchange fees
(for shares of the Fund purchased that are held 90 days or less from the date of purchase.)
2.00%
Other Expenses
none
   
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
 
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management fees
1.25%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees
none
Other expenses
1.75%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expense*
3.00%
 
*
The Fund’s investment manager, Shelton Capital Management, voluntarily agreed to, effective May 1, 2013, reimburse expenses incurred by the Fund to the extent that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding extraordinary expenses) exceed 1.98% until June 1, 2015. For the reporting period, the Fund’s net operating expenses were 2.36% after expense reimbursement. Shelton Capital Management may be reimbursed for any foregone advisory fees or unreimbursed expenses within three fiscal years following a particular reduction or expense, but only to the extent the reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed applicable expense limits and the effect of the reimbursement is measured after all ordinary operating expenses are calculated. Any such reimbursement is subject to the review and approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
 
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. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
$239
$867
$1,521
$3,273
 
Portfolio Turnover
 
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions and transfer taxes on foreign securities, 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 shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio. This reflects a reduction in the turnover rate from the 2012 fiscal year which was 81%. This reduction was due to the portfolio management style differences between the former sub-advisor and Shelton Capital Management who assumed management of the Fund in October, 2012.
 
Principal Investment Strategies
 
The Fund’s objective is long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in companies that (i) are domiciled in, or traded on exchanges located in the Greater China region, specifically Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the People’s Republic of China or (ii) have derived or are expected to derive in the company’s current fiscal year (measured as of the time of original investment) a significant portion (at least 50%) of their revenues by exporting to or importing from, trading with or operating in mainland China. A company meeting the requirements of either items (i) or (ii) of the previous sentence is defined as a “Greater China Company.”
 
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in the common and preferred stocks of Greater China Companies. Net assets would typically include borrowings for investment purposes; however, the Fund has no present intent to borrow.
 
A company is considered to be domiciled in, or traded on exchanges located in a country if it (i) is organized under the laws of that country, or (ii) derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, services performed, or has at least 50% of its assets located within that country, or (iii) has the primary trading markets for its securities in that country, or (iv) is controlled by a governmental entity or agency, instrumentality or a political subdivision of that country.
 
Principal Risks
 
Emerging Markets Risk: The countries of the Greater China region are considered to be emerging market countries. Investment in these markets involves certain risks that are unlike investments in developed markets like the United States or Western Europe and include, but are not limited to: (i) fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; (ii) foreign financial, economic, political and social developments; (iii) different legal systems; (iv) the possible imposition of exchange controls and other foreign governmental laws and restrictions, including expropriation; (v) lower trading volume; (vi) different trading and settlement practices; (vii) much greater price volatility and illiquidity; (viii) less governmental supervision; (ix) changes in currency rates; (x) high and volatile inflation rates; (xi) fluctuating interest rates; (xii) less publicly available information; (xiii) different accounting, auditing and financial recordkeeping standards and requirements; (xiv) confiscatory taxation; and (xv) increased costs associated with and difficulty in obtaining or enforcing a court judgment.
 
Equity Risk: The Fund’s shares will be sensitive to the fluctuation of the stock prices for companies in which it invests. The value of equity investments tends to rise and fall more rapidly than other investments such as fixed income and money market instruments and the net result would be more volatility. Additionally, because the Fund’s strategy is to invest a significant portion of its net
 
 
1

 
 
assets in the common stocks of Greater China companies, there is a risk that an issuer that is treated as an eligible portfolio company because it is expected to derive a significant portion of its revenues from exports to or operations in mainland China may not actually derive a significant portion of its revenues from Chinese exports or operations. As a result, the Fund’s portfolio may not be as closely linked to the Chinese economy.
 
Market Risk: The securities markets of the Greater China region are not as large as the U.S. securities markets and have substantially less trading volume, which may result in a lack of liquidity and high price volatility relative to the U.S. securities markets. There also may be a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors (including investment funds and other institutional investors), particularly in the Chinese securities markets. As a consequence, the performance of a single company or a small group of companies could have a much greater impact on the securities markets of the Greater China region than they would have on the U.S. securities market, which can result in higher price volatility in such foreign securities markets.
 
In addition to their smaller size and lesser liquidity, the securities markets of the Greater China region are less developed than U.S. securities markets. Regulatory standards are, in many respects, less stringent than U.S. standards. There generally is less government supervision and regulation of exchanges, brokers and issuers in the securities markets of the Greater China region than there is in the United States. Furthermore, there is a lower level of monitoring and oversight of the markets and the activities of investors in such markets, and enforcement of existing regulations may be extremely limited. Consequently, the prices at which the Fund may acquire investments may be affected by other market participants’ anticipation of our investment decisions, by insider trading (trading by persons with material non-public information) and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of our transactions in particular securities. Some of these practices would generally be considered unlawful if conducted in the U.S. securities markets.
 
Reporting Standards Risk: Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements in the securities markets of the Greater China region differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a foreign issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had the financial statement been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Inflation accounting may indirectly generate losses or profits. Consequently, financial data may be materially affected by restatements for inflation and may not accurately reflect the real condition of those issuers and securities markets. Substantially less information is publicly available about certain non-U.S. issuers than is available about U.S. issuers.
 
Political, Social and Economic Risk: Investments in the Greater China region involve certain risks and special considerations not typically associated with investments in the United States, such as greater government control over the economy, political and legal uncertainty and the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets. The value of the Fund’s assets may be adversely affected by these political, economic, social and religious instabilities, as well as inadequate investor protection, changes in laws or regulations of countries within the Asian region (including countries in which the Fund invests, as well as the broader region), international relations with other nations, natural disasters, medical emergencies, corruption and military activity.
 
The Greater China region, and particularly China, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. In addition China’s border disputes with many of its neighbors and historically strained relations with Japan could adversely impact economies in the region. The economies of many countries in the Greater China region differ from the economies of more developed countries in many respects, such as rate of growth, inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, financial system stability, the national balance of payments position and sensitivity to changes in global trade. Certain countries in the Greater China region are highly dependent upon and may be affected by developments in the United States, Europe and other economies in the Greater China region.
 
Currency Risk: There is the risk that the value of one or more of the foreign currencies in which the Fund’s investments are denominated (these are anticipated to be: the US dollar, the Renminbi, the Hong Kong dollar, the New Taiwan dollar and the Singapore dollar) will increase or decrease against the value of the U.S. dollar, which will affect the value of the Fund’s share price. The value of a foreign investment may decline in U.S. dollar terms because of the changing value of a currency. This is referred to as that currency weakening against the U.S. dollar. While the Fund may hedge currency risks, the Advisor does not anticipate doing so at this time. Therefore, you should carefully consider the risk of currency devaluations and fluctuations and the effect these may have on the Fund in determining whether to invest in the Fund.
 
Additionally, countries in the Greater China region may utilize formal or informal currency-exchange controls or “capital controls.” Capital controls could impose restrictions on the Fund’s ability to repatriate investments or income. Such controls may also affect the value of the Fund’s holdings.
 
Recent Events Risk: Recent developments in the U.S. and foreign financial markets illustrate the current environment is one of extraordinary and possibly unprecedented uncertainty. Conditions in the debt and equity capital markets in the United States and abroad have caused firms in the financial services sector to take significant losses relating to, among other things, subprime mortgages and the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated loan market, which has generally made it costlier for investors to insure against defaults on such debt. The regulation of these markets and the participants therein may change as a result of such conditions. The recent instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government and certain foreign governments to take unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Federal, state and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the securities in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such securities in which the Fund invests, in unforeseeable ways that could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business and operations. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the Fund to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Fund.
 
Management: The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses if the Advisor’s judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the
 
 
2

 
 
Fund’s portfolio prove to be incorrect. There can be no guarantee that these techniques or the Advisor’s investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally legislative, regulatory or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Advisor in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal.
 
Investment Results
 
The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year. The table compares the performance of the Fund with a benchmark index. These figures assume that all distributions are reinvested. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Additionally, as of October 10, 2011, the Fund was converted from a closed-end fund to an open-end fund. Therefore, the Fund’s performance for periods prior to October 10, 2011 may not be representative of performance for future periods. Updated performance information may be obtained on our website www.sheltoncap.com or by calling 1-800-995-9988.
 

 
Best Quarter: 26.02 % (Q2, 2009)
Worst Quarter: -27.15% (Q4, 2008)
Year to date performance as of 3/31/14: -2.36%
Date of inception: May 12, 1989
 
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates plus the new Medicare surtax which went effective on January 1, 2013, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
 
Average Annual Return (for the period ended 12/31/13)
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
1 year
5 years
10 years
Return Before Taxes
4.34%
 14.29%
3.80%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
3.00%
13.99%
3.65%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
2.46%
11.36%
2.93%
MSCI Golden Dragon Index (net of foreign withholding taxes)
6.89%
14.92%
9.25%
 
Effective June 13, 2011, the Fund changed its investment focus from the Republic of China (“Taiwan”) to the Greater China region. Therefore, returns for periods prior to June 2011 may not be representative of returns for future periods. Also, effective July 31, 2011, the Fund began using the MSCI Golden Dragon Index (net of foreign withholding taxes) as its benchmark index. The Fund’s previous benchmark was the Taiwan Stock Exchange Index.
 
Management
 
Investment Advisor
 
On May 27, 2011, at the Fund’s 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Fund’s shareholders voted to convert the Fund from a closed-end investment company to an open-end investment company, and to approve CCM Partners, L.P., d/b/a Shelton Capital Management, a California limited partnership, to serve as the investment advisor to the Fund (the “Advisor”).
 
Portfolio Manager
 
Mr. William Mock is the portfolio manager of the Fund (the “Portfolio Manager”) and has served as Portfolio Manager since October 1, 2012. Shelton Capital Management assumed the advisory role of the Fund upon the termination of the Sub-Advisory arrangement with Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd (“Nikko Hong Kong”).
 
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
 
The Fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums are as follows:
 
 
Minimum
Initial
Investment
Minimum
Subsequent
Investment
All Other Accounts
$1,000
$100
Accounts with Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”)*
$500
$100
 
*
A minimum monthly contribution of $100 is required through AIP accounts. For additional information on our AIP program, see section titled “Automatic Investment Plan” in this prospectus.
 
You may redeem all or a portion of your shares on any business day that the Fund is open by mail, by check, by exchange, by wire, by electronic funds transfer, by access our website at www.sheltoncap.com or by telephone (800) 955-9988.
 
Tax Information
 
Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income taxes and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you invest through an IRA, 401(k) plan, or other tax-deferred account.
 
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 Advisor or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
 
 
3

 
 
Investment Objectives, Principal Strategies and Related Risks
 
The Fund’s investment objective is long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in companies that (i) are domiciled in, or traded on exchanges located in the Greater China region, specifically Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the People’s Republic of China or (ii) have derived or are expected to derive in the company’s current fiscal year (measured as of the time of the original investment) a significant portion (at least 50%) of their revenues by exporting to or importing from, trading with or operating in mainland China. Generally, the Advisor chooses securities for the Fund that it believes will appreciate over the long-term, and will use both quantitative screening and rely on fundamental research and analysis to identify a company’s potential for success. As part of its analysis, the Advisor looks at various factors and will conduct both internal and external research.
 
Principal Risks
 
Emerging Markets Risk: The countries of the Greater China region are considered to be emerging market countries. Investment in these markets involves certain risks that are unlike investments in developed markets like the United States or Western Europe and include, but are not limited to: (i) fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; (ii) foreign financial, economic, political and social developments; (iii) different legal systems; (iv) the possible imposition of exchange controls and other foreign governmental laws and restrictions, including expropriation; (v) lower trading volume; (vi) different trading and settlement practices; (vii) much greater price volatility and illiquidity; (viii) less governmental supervision; (ix) changes in currency rates; (x) high and volatile inflation rates; (xi) fluctuating interest rates; (xii) less publicly available information; (xiii) different accounting, auditing and financial recordkeeping standards and requirements; (xiv) confiscatory taxation; and (xv) increased costs associated with and difficulty in obtaining or enforcing a court judgment.
 
Equity Risk: The Fund’s shares will be sensitive to the fluctuation of the stock prices for companies in which it invests. The value of equity investments tends to rise and fall more rapidly than other investments such as fixed income and money market instruments and the net result would be more volatility. Additionally, because the Fund’s strategy is to invest a significant portion of its net assets in the common stocks of Greater China companies, there is a risk that an issuer that is treated as an eligible portfolio company because it is expected to derive a significant portion of its revenues from exports to or operations in mainland China may not actually derive a significant portion of its revenues from Chinese exports or operations. As a result, the Fund’s portfolio may not be as closely linked to the Chinese economy.
 
Market Risk: The securities markets of the Greater China region are not as large as the U.S. securities markets and have substantially less trading volume, which may result in a lack of liquidity and high price volatility relative to the U.S. securities markets. There also may be a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors (including investment funds and other institutional investors), particularly in the Chinese securities markets. As a consequence, the performance of a single company or a small group of companies could have a much greater impact on the securities markets of the Greater China region than they would have on the U.S. securities market, which can result in higher price volatility in such foreign securities markets.
 
In addition to their smaller size and lesser liquidity, the securities markets of the Greater China region are less developed than U.S. securities markets. Regulatory standards are, in many respects, less stringent than U.S. standards. There generally is less government supervision and regulation of exchanges, brokers and issuers in the securities markets of the Greater China region than there is in the United States. Furthermore, there is a lower level of monitoring and oversight of the markets and the activities of investors in such markets, and enforcement of existing regulations may be extremely limited. Consequently, the prices at which the Fund may acquire investments may be affected by other market participants’ anticipation of our investment decisions, by insider trading (trading by persons with material non-public information) and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of our transactions in particular securities. Some of these practices would generally be considered unlawful if conducted in the U.S. securities markets.
 
Reporting Standards Risk: Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements in the securities markets of the Greater China region differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a foreign issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had the financial statement been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Inflation accounting may indirectly generate losses or profits. Consequently, financial data may be materially affected by restatements for inflation and may not accurately reflect the real condition of those issuers and securities markets. Substantially less information is publicly available about certain non-U.S. issuers than is available about U.S. issuers.
 
Political, Social and Economic Risk: Investments in the Greater China region involve certain risks and special considerations not typically associated with investments in the United States, such as greater government control over the economy, political and legal uncertainty and the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets. The value of the Fund’s assets may be adversely affected by these political, economic, social and religious instabilities, as well as inadequate investor protection, changes in laws or regulations of countries within the Asian region (including countries in which the Fund invests, as well as the broader region), international relations with other nations, natural disasters, medical emergencies, corruption and military activity.
 
The Greater China region, and particularly China, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. In addition China’s border disputes with many of its neighbors and historically strained relations with Japan could adversely impact economies in the region. The economies of many countries in the Greater China region differ from the economies of more developed countries in many respects, such as rate of growth, inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, financial system stability, the national balance of payments position and sensitivity to changes in global trade. Certain countries in the Greater China region are highly dependent upon and may be affected by developments in the United States, Europe and other economies in the Greater China region.
 
Currency Risk: There is the risk that the value of one or more of the foreign currencies in which the Fund’s investments are denominated (these are anticipated to be: the US dollar, the
 
 
4

 
 
Renminbi, the Hong Kong dollar, the New Taiwan dollar and the Singapore dollar) will increase or decrease against the value of the U.S. dollar, which will affect the value of the Fund’s share price. The value of a foreign investment may decline in U.S. dollar terms because of the changing value of a currency. This is referred to as that currency weakening against the U.S. dollar. While the Fund may hedge currency risks, the Advisor does not anticipate doing so at this time. Therefore, you should carefully consider the risk of currency devaluations and fluctuations and the effect these may have on the Fund in determining whether to invest in the Fund.
 
Additionally, countries in the Greater China region may utilize formal or informal currency-exchange controls or “capital controls.” Capital controls could impose restrictions on the Fund’s ability to repatriate investments or income. Such controls may also affect the value of the Fund’s holdings.
 
Recent Events Risk: Recent developments in the U.S. and foreign financial markets illustrate the current environment is one of extraordinary and possibly unprecedented uncertainty. Conditions in the debt and equity capital markets in the United States and abroad have caused firms in the financial services sector to take significant losses relating to, among other things, subprime mortgages and the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated loan market, which has generally made it costlier for investors to insure against defaults on such debt. The regulation of these markets and the participants therein may change as a result of such conditions. The recent instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government and certain foreign governments to take unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Federal, state and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the securities in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such securities in which the Fund invests, in unforeseeable ways that could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business and operations. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the Fund to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Fund.
 
Management: The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses if the Advisor’s judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund’s portfolio prove to be incorrect. There can be no guarantee that these techniques or the Advisor’s investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally legislative, regulatory or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Advisor in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal.
 
Non-Principal Risks
 
There may be additional risks connected to investing in the Greater China region, as such investing may be done through non-U.S. trading markets and the use of depositary receipts. Such securities may trade in the form of depositary receipts, including American, European and global depositary receipts. Depositary receipts have risks similar to the securities that they represent but they may also involve higher expenses and sometimes can trade at a value that is different to the underlying security. In addition, depositary receipts may not pass through some shareholder rights (voting rights, for example) and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.
 
The Fund may invest in convertible preferred stocks, and convertible bonds and debentures. The risks of convertible bonds and debentures include, but are not limited to, repayment risk and interest rate risk. Repayment risk is the likelihood that the borrower of the loan or debt will not be able to make the payments. Interest rate risk is the chance that interest rates will decline and the Fund will produce less income. Many convertible securities issued by companies in the Greater China region are not rated by national securities rating agencies such as Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s Corporation or Fitch, Inc., or, if they are rated, they may be rated below investment grade (“junk bonds”), which may have a greater risk of default. Investing in convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the security into which it is convertible may expose the Fund to currency risk as well as risks associated with the level and volatility of the foreign exchange rate between the security’s currency and the underlying stock’s currency. Convertible securities may trade less frequently and in lower volumes, or have periods of less frequent trading. Lower trading volume may also make it more difficult for the Fund to value such securities.
 
The Fund may invest in futures and options in order to remain fully invested during periods where the Advisor feels it is more advantageous to enter into these contracts. The primary risk of investing in futures is the chance that futures contracts may not track a particular segment of the market, as designed. Futures usually involve substantial leverage which could result in a substantial gain or loss due to the amount of leverage involved. The Fund will hold liquid securities such as cash instruments or short-maturity debt securities at least equal to the value of the contract in order to minimize this risk. Lastly, markets on futures and options may become illiquid, reducing the Advisor’s ability to quickly sell a position.
 
The Fund may invest in dividend-paying equity securities. There can be no guarantee that companies that have historically paid dividends will continue to pay them or pay them at the current rates in the future. Dividend-paying equity securities, in particular those whose market price is closely related to their yield, may exhibit greater sensitivity to interest rate changes. The Fund’s investment in such securities may also limit its potential for appreciation during a broad market advance.
 
The prices of equity securities, particularly of those issued by companies in the Greater China region, can be highly volatile. Investors should not assume that the Fund’s investments in these securities will necessarily reduce the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value or provide “protection,” compared to other types of equity securities, when markets perform poorly.
 
The Fund may not invest (i) in securities of Taiwan issuers, the issuance of which has not been approved by or registered with the Taiwan SEC for offering to the public or (ii) in unregistered securities of U.S. issuers that must be registered before being publicly offered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and as such the supply for securities available for investment by the Fund may be more limited than it would be if such investment restrictions were not in place.
 
The Fund may not borrow money within Taiwan, however, subject to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Fund may borrow from financial institutions outside Taiwan for temporary purposes (that, is, the borrowing must be repaid within 60 days) in amounts not exceeding 5% (taken at the lower of cost or current value) of its total assets (excluding amount borrowed) and may also pledge assets to secure such borrowings). Lastly, there is a chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform other mutual funds with similar investment objectives.
 
 
5

 
 
Management and Organization
 
Fund Management
 
The investment advisor for the Fund is Shelton Capital Management, a California limited partnership, located at 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 94104. Shelton Capital Management has $1.033 billion of assets under management of which $926 million are mutual fund assets as of March 31, 2014. Shelton Capital Management has been managing mutual funds since 1985. Shelton Capital Management is responsible for managing the Fund and handling the administrative requirements of the Fund. As compensation for managing the Fund, Shelton Capital Management receives a management fee from the Fund of 1.25%. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, Shelton Capital Management received fees, net of reimbursement of $79,832. Prior to October 1, 2012 the Fund was sub-advised by Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd.
 
Mr. William Mock is the portfolio manager of the Fund (the “Portfolio Manager”) and has served as Portfolio Manager since October 1, 2012. He also serves as lead portfolio manager of the management team for fixed income funds, since 2010. He joined ETSpreads, LLC, an affiliated investment adviser of Shelton Capital Management, in 2007. He served as a portfolio manager and co-portfolio manager for Shelton Capital Management from 2001 to 2003, managing the fixed income funds. He left the firm in 2003 to work for TKI Capital Management, a convertible arbitrage hedge fund, where he served as head Trader until 2006. Prior to 2001, Mr. Mock gained investment and trading experience at Societe Generale and Citibank, N.A. Mr. Mock earned a BS in engineering from Kansas State University and received his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
 
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees approval of the investment advisory agreement is available in the Fund’s semi-annual report for the six months ended June 30, 2013.
 
The Fund’s statement of additional information (“SAI”) provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager and the Portfolio Manager’s ownership of securities of the Fund.
 
Additional Non-Principal Investment Related Risks
 
Portfolio Turnover
 
The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term investment rather than short-term gains. However, a security may be held for a shorter than expected period of time if, among other things, the Fund needs to raise cash or feels that it is appropriate to do so. Portfolio holdings may also be sold sooner than anticipated due to unexpected changes in the markets. Buying and selling securities may involve incurring some expense to the Fund, such as commissions paid to brokers and other transaction costs. By selling a security, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains that it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. Generally speaking, the higher the Fund’s annual portfolio turnover, the greater its brokerage costs and the greater likelihood that it will realize taxable capital gains. Increased brokerage costs may affect the Fund’s performance. Also, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or you purchase shares through a tax-deferred account, the distributions of capital gains may affect your after-tax return. For some mutual funds, an annual portfolio turnover of 100% or more is considered high.
 
Temporary Defensive Positions
 
In drastic market conditions, the Advisor may sell all or some of the Fund’s securities and temporarily invest the Fund’s money in U.S. government securities or money market instruments backed by U.S. government securities, if it believes it is in the best interest of shareholders to do so. If this were to occur, the investment goals of the Fund may not be achieved.
 
Valuation Risk
 
The securities held by the Fund will generally be valued using market quotations; however, when such quotations are not readily available or deemed unreliable, securities may be valued using “fair value” techniques as set forth in this prospectus under “How Fund Shares Are Priced.” Security values may differ depending on the methodology used to determine their values, and may differ from the last quoted sales or closing prices. No assurance can be given that use of these fair value procedures will always best represent the price at which the Fund could sell the affected portfolio security or result in a more accurate net asset value per share of the Fund.
 
Risks of Frequent Trading in Fund Shares
 
Frequent trading of significant portions of the Fund’s shares may adversely affect Fund performance and therefore, the interests of long-term investors. Volatility in portfolio cash balances resulting from excessive purchases or sales or exchanges of Fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management and make it difficult to implement long-term investment strategies. In particular, frequent trading of Fund shares may:
 
 
Cause the Fund to keep more assets in money market instruments or other very liquid holdings than it would otherwise like to, causing the Fund to miss out on gains in a rising market,
 
 
Force the Fund to sell some of its investments sooner than it would otherwise like to in order to honor redemptions, or
 
 
Increase brokerage commissions and other portfolio transaction expenses if securities are constantly being bought and sold by the Fund as assets move in and out.
 
To the extent the Fund significantly invests in illiquid or restricted securities, including equities traded on foreign equity exchanges, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities.
 
Procedures to Limit Short-Term Trading in Fund Shares
 
The Fund has adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage short-term trading. Although market-timing can take place in many forms, the Fund generally defines a market-timing account as an account that habitually redeems or exchanges Fund shares in an effort to profit from short-term movements in the price of securities held by the Fund. The Fund and RFS Partners (the “Fund’s Distributor”) do not accommodate such purchases and redemptions of the shares in the Fund by Fund shareholders and have taken steps that each deems to be reasonable to discourage such activity. The Fund’s frequent trading policies and procedures
 
 
6

 
 
seek to discourage frequent trading by monitoring purchase transactions into, and redemption or exchange transactions out of, the Fund, within certain periodic intervals and above certain dollar thresholds, requiring reporting of suspected transactions to the Board of Trustees, communication with relevant shareholders or financial intermediaries and, as permitted under applicable law, restrictions on Fund share transactions. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order. While the Fund makes efforts to identify and restrict frequent trading that could impact the management of the Fund, the Fund receives purchase and sales orders through financial intermediaries and cannot always know or detect frequent trading that may be facilitated by the use of intermediaries or by the use of combined or omnibus accounts by those intermediaries.
 
If a shareholder, in the opinion of the Fund, continues to attempt to use the Fund for market-timing strategies after being notified by the Fund or its agent, the account(s) of that shareholder will be closed to new purchases or exchanges of Fund shares.
 
Additionally, if any transaction is deemed to have the potential to adversely impact the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to, among other things:
 
 
Reject a purchase or exchange;
 
 
Delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days;
 
 
Revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Fund shares (including exchanges);
 
 
Limit the amount of any exchange; and
 
 
Charge a Fund redemption fee for shares held for 90 days or less.
 
The restrictions above may not apply to shares held in omnibus accounts for which the Fund does not receive sufficient transactional detail to enforce such restrictions.
 
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
 
The Fund will make its portfolio holdings publicly available within 60 days from the end of each fiscal quarter. Shareholders will receive portfolio holdings information via the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports, which will be mailed to shareholders and posted on the Fund’s web site. Additionally, a schedule of portfolio holdings will be filed with the SEC, which provides public viewing via EDGAR, in accordance with the then current rules governing Form N-Q filings.
 
Portfolio holdings will be made available by the Fund’s administrator as of the month end, calendar quarter end, and fiscal quarter end by releasing the information to ratings agencies. Shareholders may contact the Fund at (800) 955-9988 for a copy of this report.
 
A more complete description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the SAI.
 
Opening an Account
 
Shares of the Fund may be purchased through the Fund’s Distributor or through third party distributors, brokerage firms and retirement plans. The following information is specific to buying directly from the Fund’s Distributor. If you invest through a party other than the Fund’s Distributor, many of the policies, options and fees charged for the transaction may be different. You should contact them directly for information regarding how to invest or redeem through them.
 
You’ll find all the necessary application materials included in the packet accompanying this prospectus or you may download an investment kit by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com. Additional paperwork may be required for corporations, associations, and certain other fiduciaries. The minimum initial investments and subsequent investments for the Fund are as follows:
 
 
Minimum
Initial
Investment
Minimum
Subsequent
Investment
All Other Accounts
$1,000
$100
Accounts with Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”)*
$500
$100
 
*
A minimum monthly contribution of $100 is required through AIP accounts. For additional information on our AIP program, see section titled “Automatic Investment Plan” in this prospectus.
 
The Fund’s Distributor may change the minimum investment amounts at any time or waive them at its discretion. To protect against fraud, it is the policy of the Fund not to accept unknown third party checks for the purposes of opening new accounts or purchasing additional shares. If you have any questions concerning the investment policies, application materials, wire transfers, yields or net asset values, please call us, toll-free at (800) 955-9988.
 
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares
 
If you need an account application call us at (800) 955-9988 or download an investment kit from our website at www.sheltoncap.com. Keep in mind the following important policies:
 
 
The Fund may take up to seven days to pay redemption proceeds.
 
 
If your shares were recently purchased by check, the Fund will not release your redemption proceeds until payment of the check can be verified which may take up to 15 days; however, please note that such redemption proceeds would be determined by reference to the next NAV determination following your request for redemption.
 
 
Initial purchases and exchanges must meet the minimum investment amounts of the fund you are purchasing/exchanging shares for.
 
 
You must obtain and read the prospectus of the fund you are buying/exchanging shares for prior to making the initial purchase/exchange.
 
 
If you have not selected the convenient exchange privileges on your original account application, you must provide a medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the Fund, directing any changes in your account.
 
 
The Fund may refuse any purchase or exchange purchase transaction for any reason.
 
 
7

 
 
How to Buy Shares
 
Initial Purchase
 
Make your check payable to the name of the Fund and mail it with the application to the transfer agent of the Fund, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, at the address indicated below. Please note the minimum initial investments previously listed.
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street
Omaha, NE 68130
 
You may also forward your check (and application, for new accounts) to the Fund’s offices, which will in turn forward your check (and application, for new accounts) on your behalf to the Fund’s agent for processing. You will receive the share price next determined after your check has been received by the agent. Please note that this means that the shares will be purchased at the next calculated price after receipt by the agent, which is typically the next business day following receipt at the Fund’s offices. The Fund’s office is located at the following address:
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, CA 94104-0387
 
You also may buy shares of the Fund through selected securities brokers. Your broker is responsible for the transmission of your order to Gemini Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s transfer agent, and may charge you a fee. You will generally receive the share price next determined after your order is placed with your broker, in accordance with your broker’s agreed upon procedures with the Fund. Your broker can advise you of specific details.
 
Purchasing by Exchange
 
You may purchase shares in the Fund by exchanging shares from an account in one of the other funds offered by Shelton Capital Management. Such exchanges must meet the minimum amounts required for initial or subsequent investments. When opening an account by exchanging shares, your new account must be established with the same registration as your other account and an exchange authorization must be in effect. If you have an existing account with us, call (800) 955-9988 during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST) to exchange shares.
 
You may also exchange shares by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com. You must complete the online access agreement in order to access your account online.
 
Each exchange actually represents the sale of shares of one Fund and the purchase of shares in another, which may produce a gain or loss for tax purposes. We will confirm each exchange transaction with you by mail.
 
All transactions are processed at the share price next calculated after receiving the instructions in good form (as defined below), normally at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1:00 p.m. PST).
 
Wire Instructions:
 
Please call the Fund for instructions at (800) 955-9988.
 
In order to make your order effective, we must have your order in good form. “Good form” means that the Fund’s transfer agent, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, has all the information and documentation it deems necessary to affect your order. All purchases are subject to screens as required by applicable federal and state regulations. Please note the Fund and the Advisor reserve the right to reject any purchase. Your purchase will be processed at the net asset value next calculated after your order has been received by the Fund’s agent. You will begin to earn dividends as of the first business day following the day of your purchase.
 
All your purchases must be made in U.S. dollars and checks must be drawn on banks located in the United States. We reserve the right to limit the number of investment checks processed at one time. If the check does not clear, we will cancel your purchase, and you will be liable for any losses and fees incurred in connection with the check that does not clear (i.e., the non-sufficient funds (NSF) check).
 
When you purchase by check, redemption proceeds will not be sent until we are satisfied that the investment has been collected (confirmation of clearance may take up to 15 days). Payments by check or other negotiable bank deposit will normally be effective within two business days for checks drawn on a member of the Federal Reserve System and longer for most other checks. While you may always redeem or exchange your shares of the Fund in accordance with the times set forth in this prospectus, wiring your money to us will generally reduce the time it takes for you to receive the proceeds of a redemption. You can wire federal funds from your bank or broker, which may charge you a fee.
 
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery service to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such delivery services does not constitute receipt by the Fund’s transfer agent or the Fund.
 
Purchasing Additional Shares
 
Make your check payable to the name of the Fund, in which you are investing, write your account number on the check, and mail your check with your confirmation stub to the address printed on your account statement. There is a $100 minimum for subsequent investments, unless made through the AIP as detailed below.
 
After setting up your online account, you may obtain a history of transactions for your account(s) by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com.
 
Automatic Investment Plan
 
Using the Fund’s AIP, you may arrange to make additional purchases (minimum $100) automatically by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from your checking or savings account. Your bank must be a member of the Automated Clearing House. You can terminate the program with ten days written notice. There is no fee to participate in this program, however, a service fee of $25.00 will be deducted from your account for any AIP purchase that does not clear due to insufficient funds, or if prior to notifying the Fund in writing or by telephone to terminate the plan, you close your bank account or take other action in any manner that prevents withdrawal of the funds from the designated checking or savings account. Investors may obtain more information concerning this program, including the application form, from the Fund.
 
The share price of the Fund is subject to fluctuations. Before undertaking any plan for systematic investment, you should keep in mind that such a program does not assure a profit or protect against a loss.
 
We reserve the right to suspend the offering of shares of the Fund for a period of time and to reject any specific purchase order in whole or in part.
 
 
8

 
 
How Fund Shares are Priced
 
The Fund is open for business every day that the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open. The Fund will calculate its net asset value each day that it is open for processing of transactions, and may calculate its net asset value on certain other days as noted below. The net asset value of the Fund is computed by adding the value of all of its portfolio holdings and other assets, deducting its liabilities, and then dividing the result by its number of shares outstanding. Our Fund accounting service provider calculates this value as of market close, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1:00 p.m. Pacific time), on each day that the markets are open. However, the Fund may, but does not expect to, determine the net asset value on any other day the NYSE is closed for trading. Occasionally, the Pricing Committee, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, will make a good faith determination of a security’s “fair value” when market quotations are not readily available or deemed unreliable.
 
The number of shares your money buys is determined by the share price of the Fund on the day your transaction is processed. Orders that are received in good form by the Fund’s transfer agent are executed at the net asset value next calculated.
 
The share price of the Fund will vary over time as the value of its securities varies. Portfolio securities of the Fund that are listed on a securities exchange are valued at the last reported sale price. Securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued using the amortized cost method as reflecting fair value. All other securities are valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by the Pricing Committee, subject to the Board's oversight and review, using consistently applied procedures established by the Board of Trustees. The effect of valuing securities held by the Fund at fair value may be that the price so determined may be different than the price that would be determined if reliable market quotations were available or if another methodology were used.
 
Performance Information
 
All performance information published in advertisements, sales literature and communications to investors, including various expressions of current yield, effective yield, tax equivalent yield, total return and distribution rate, is calculated and presented in accordance with the rules prescribed by the SEC. In each case, performance information will be based on past performance and will reflect all recurring charges against Fund income. Performance information is based on historical data and does not indicate the future performance of the Fund.
 
How to Sell Shares
 
You may redeem all or a portion of your shares on any day that the Fund is open for business. Your shares will be redeemed at the net asset value next calculated, less any applicable redemption fee, after we have received your redemption request in good form. Good form requires that we have clear, actionable instructions that are properly executed by authorized signers on the account. In cases where the transaction requires a medallion signature guarantee, this will be required to meet the good form standard. Remember that the Fund may hold redemption proceeds until we are satisfied that we have collected the funds which were deposited by check. To avoid these possible delays, which could be up to 15 days, you should consider making your investment by wire, following the instructions as described in the section titled “Wire Instructions” in this prospectus.
 
By Mail
 
If you have not elected telephone redemption or transfer privileges, you must send a “medallion signature-guaranteed letter of instruction” specifying the name of the Fund, the number of shares to be sold, your name, and your account number to the Fund’s offices. If you have additional questions, please contact us at (800) 955-9988.
 
The Fund’s transfer agent requires that signature(s) be guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor such as a commercial bank, broker-dealer, credit union, securities exchange or association, clearing agency or savings association. This policy is designed to protect shareholders and their accounts.
 
By Exchange
 
You must meet the minimum investment requirement of the Fund into which you are exchanging. You can only exchange between accounts with identical registrations. Same day exchanges are accepted until market close, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1:00 p.m. PST).
 
By Wire
 
You must have applied for the wire feature on your account. We will notify you when this feature is active and you may then make wire redemptions by calling us before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1:00 p.m., PST). This means your money will be wired to your bank the next business day.
 
By Electronic Funds Transfer
 
You must have applied for the EFT withdrawal feature on your account. Typically, money sent by EFT will be sent to your bank within three days after the sales of your securities. There is no fee for this service.
 
Online
 
You can sell shares in a regular account by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com. You may not buy or sell shares in a retirement account using our online feature.
 
By Telephone
 
You must have this feature set up in advance on your account. Call the Fund at (800) 955-9988. Give the name of the Fund, the exact name in which your account is registered, your account number, the required identification information and the number of shares or dollar amount that you wish to redeem.
 
Unless you submit an account application that indicates that you have declined telephone and/or online exchange privileges, you agree, by signing your account application, to authorize and direct the Fund to accept and act upon telephone, on-line, telex, fax, or telegraph instructions for exchanges involving your account or any other account with the same registration. The Fund employs reasonable procedures in an effort to confirm the authenticity of your instructions, such as requiring a seller to give a special authorization number or password. Provided these procedures are followed, you further agree that neither the Fund nor the Fund’s agent will be responsible for any loss, damage, cost or expense arising out of any instructions received for an account.
 
You should realize that by electing the telephone exchange or the online access options, you may be giving up a measure of security that you might otherwise have if you were to exchange your shares in writing. For reasons involving the security of your account, telephone transactions may be tape recorded.
 
 
9

 
 
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
 
If you own shares of the Fund with a value of $10,000 or more, you may establish a Systematic Withdrawal Plan. You may receive monthly or quarterly payments in amounts of not less than $100 per payment. Details of this plan may be obtained by calling the Fund at (800) 955-9988.
 
Other Redemption Policies
 
The Fund applies a redemption fee of 2% to shares purchased and held 90 days or less from the date of purchase. The Fund has committed itself to pay in cash all requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited in amount, however, during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value of the Fund’s net assets at the beginning of such period. Such commitment is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of requests for redemption in excess of such amounts, the Advisor, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, reserves the right to make payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund from which the shareholder is redeeming in case of an emergency, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund. In such circumstances, the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute the Fund’s net asset value. Should the Fund do so, a shareholder would likely incur transaction fees in converting the securities to cash.
 
Retirement Plan shareholders should complete a Rollover Distribution Election Form in order to sell shares of the Fund so that the sale is treated properly for tax purposes.
 
Once your shares are redeemed, we will normally mail you the proceeds on the next business day, but no later than within seven days. When the markets are closed (or when trading is restricted) for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closing, or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC to merit such action, we may suspend redemption or postpone payment dates. If you want to keep your account(s) open, please be sure that the value of your account does not fall below $1,000 because of redemptions. The Advisor may elect to close an account and mail you the proceeds to the address of record. We will give you 30 days written notice that your account(s) will be closed unless you make an investment to increase your account balance(s) to the $1,000 minimum. If you close your account, any accrued dividends will be paid as part of your redemption proceeds.
 
The share prices of the Fund will fluctuate and you may receive more or less than your original investment when you redeem your shares.
 
THE FUND AND THE ADVISOR RESERVE CERTAIN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
 
 
To automatically redeem your shares if your account balance falls below the minimum balance due to the sale of shares.
 
 
To modify or terminate the exchange privilege on 60 days written notice.
 
 
To refuse any purchase or exchange purchase order.
 
 
To change or waive the Fund’s minimum investment amount.
 
 
To suspend the right to redeem shares, and delay sending proceeds, during times when trading on the principal markets for the Fund are restricted or halted, or otherwise as permitted by the SEC.
 
 
To withdraw or suspend any part of the offering made by this prospectus.
 
 
To automatically redeem your shares if you fail to provide all required enrollment information and documentation.
 
Other Policies
 
Tax-Saving Retirement Plans
 
We can set up your new account in the Fund under one of several tax-sheltered plans. The following plans let you save for your retirement and shelter your investment earnings from current income taxes:
 
IRAs/Roth IRAs: You can also make investments in the name of your spouse if your spouse has no earned income.
 
SIMPLE, SEP, 401(k)/Profit-Sharing and Money-Purchase Plans (Keogh): Open to corporations, self-employed people and partnerships, to benefit themselves and their employees.
 
403(b) Plans. Open to eligible employees of certain states and non-profit organizations.
 
Each IRA is subject to an annual custodial fee of $10.00 per social security number. The annual custodial fee will be waived for IRAs with a balance greater than $10,000. The Fund reserves the right to change, modify or eliminate this waiver at any time. This fee is normally assessed in the fall of each year.
 
We can provide you with complete information on any of these plans, including information that discusses benefits, provisions and fees.
 
Cash Distributions
 
Unless you otherwise indicate on the account application, we will reinvest all dividends and capital gains distributions back into your account. You may indicate on the application that you wish to receive either income dividends or capital gains distributions in cash. EFT is available to those investors who would like their dividends electronically transferred to their bank accounts. For those investors who do not request this feature, dividend checks will be mailed via regular mail.
 
If you elect to receive distributions by mail and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your checks or if the checks remain uncashed for six months or more, we will void such checks and reinvest your money in your account at the then current net asset value and reinvest your subsequent distributions.
 
Statements and Reports
 
Shareholders of the Fund will receive statements at least quarterly and after every transaction that affects their share balance and/or account registration. A statement with tax information will be mailed to you by January 31 of each year, a copy of which will be filed with the IRS if it reflects any taxable distributions. Twice a year you will receive our financial statements, at least one of which will be audited.
 
The account statements you receive will show the total number of shares you own and a current market value. You may rely on these statements in lieu of share certificates which are not necessary and are not issued. You should keep your statements to assist in record keeping and tax calculations.
 
 
10

 
 
We pay for regular reporting services, but not for special services, such as a request for an historical transcript of an account. You may be required to pay a separate fee for these special services. After setting up your online account, you may also obtain a transaction history for your account(s) by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com.
 
Consolidated Mailings & Householding
 
Consolidated statements offer convenience to investors by summarizing account information and reducing unnecessary mail. We send these statements to all shareholders, unless shareholders specifically request otherwise. These statements include a summary of all funds held by each shareholder as identified by the first line of registration, social security number and zip code. Householding refers to the practice of mailing one prospectus, annual report and semi-annual report to each home for all household investors. The Fund will use this practice for all future mailings. If you would like extra copies of these reports, please download a copy from www.sheltoncap.com or call the Fund at (800) 955-9988.
 
Dividends & Taxes
 
Any investment in the Fund typically involves several tax considerations. The information below is meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Because your situation may be different, it is important that you consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of your investment the Fund.
 
As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the dividends the Fund earns. The Fund distributes substantially all of its dividends quarterly. Shareholders of record on the second to last business day of the quarter will receive the dividends.
 
Capital gains are generally paid on the last day of November, to shareholders of record on the second to last business day of November of each year. At the beginning of each year, shareholders are provided with information detailing the tax status of any dividend the Fund has paid during the previous year.
 
After every distribution, the value of the Fund’s shares drops by the amount of the distribution. If you purchase shares of the Fund before the record date of a distribution and elect to have distributions paid to you in cash, you will pay the full price for the shares and then receive some portion of that price back in the form of a taxable distribution. This is sometimes referred to as buying a dividend.
 
Revenue Sharing
 
The Advisor, out of its own resources, and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, may provide additional cash payments or non-cash compensation to intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund. Such payments and compensation are in addition to any service fees paid by the Fund. These additional cash payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. Cash compensation may also be paid to intermediaries for inclusion of the Fund on sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs or as an expense reimbursement in cases where the intermediary provides shareholder services to Fund shareholders.
 
Identity Verification Procedures Notice
 
The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including mutual funds, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money-laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts. When completing the account application, you will be required to supply the Fund with information, such as your taxpayer identification number, that will assist the Fund in verifying your identity. Until such verification is made, the Fund may temporarily limit additional share purchases. In addition, the Fund may limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a customer’s identity. As required by law, the Fund may employ various procedures, such as comparing the information to fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you, to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct. Your information will be handled by us as discussed in our privacy statement below.
 
Privacy Statement
 
General Privacy Policy
 
When you become a shareholder of Shelton Greater China Fund, you entrust us not only with your hard-earned assets but also with your non-public personal and financial information (“Shareholder Information”). We consider your Shareholder Information to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards of trust and fiduciary duty in their safekeeping and use.
 
Our Privacy Principles:
 
 
We do not sell Shareholder Information.
 
 
We do not provide Shareholder Information to persons or organizations outside Shelton Greater China Fund who are doing business on our behalf (e.g., non-affiliated third parties), for their own marketing purposes.
 
 
We afford prospective and former shareholders the same protections as existing shareholders with respect to the use of Shareholder Information.
 
Information We May Collect:
 
We collect and use information we believe is necessary to administer our business, to advise you about our products and services, and to provide you with customer service. We may collect and maintain several types of Shareholder Information needed for these purposes, such as:
 
 
From you, (application and enrollment forms, transfer forms, distribution forms, checks, correspondence, or conversation), such as your address, telephone number, and social security number.
 
 
From your transactions with our transfer agent or custodian, your transaction history, and account balance.
 
 
From electronic sources, such as our website or e-mails.
 
How We Use Information About You:
 
The Fund will only use information about you and any other accounts to help us better serve your investment needs or to suggest services or educational materials that may be of interest to you.
 
 
11

 
 
Use of E-Mail Address:
 
If you have requested information regarding the Fund’s products and services and supplied your e-mail address to us, we may occasionally send you follow-up communications or information on additional products or services. Additionally, registered shareholders can subscribe to the following e-mail services:
 
 
Prospectus and Shareholder Reports – Receive prospectuses and shareholder reports on line instead of by U.S. Mail.
 
 
Paperless Statements – Receive an e-mail with a link to our Web site informing you that our client statements are available on line to view, print or download.
 
 
Tax Form Alerts – Receive an e-mail in early January informing you if you will receive tax forms for your taxable Shelton mutual funds, including the approximate date they will be mailed.
 
We also include instructions and links for unsubscribing from e-mails. We do not sell e-mail addresses to anyone, although we may disclose e-mail addresses to third parties that perform administrative services for us. We may track receipt of e-mails to gauge the effectiveness of our communications.
 
Information Disclosure:
 
We do not disclose any non-public personal information about our shareholders or former shareholders to non-affiliated third parties without the shareholder’s authorization. However, we may disclose Shareholder Information to persons or organizations inside or outside our family of funds, as permitted or required by law. For example, we will provide the information, as described above, to our transfer agent to process your requests or authorized transactions.
 
How We Protect Your Information:
 
We restrict access to your Shareholder Information to authorized persons who have a need for these records in order to provide products or services to you. We also maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to guard Shareholder Information. To further protect your privacy, our website uses the highest levels of internet security, including data encryption, Secure Sockets Layer protocol, user names and passwords, and other tools. As an added measure, we do not include personal or account information in non-secure e-mails that we send you via the Internet.
 
For shareholders with Internet access, Shelton Greater China Fund recommends that you do not provide your user name or password to anyone for any reason.
 
In the event that you hold shares of one or more of our funds through a financial intermediary, including, but not limited to, a broker-dealer, bank, or trust company, the privacy policy of that financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic personal information would be shared with non-affiliated third parties.
 
 
12

 
 
Financial Highlights
 
The financial highlights set forth in the table below are intended to help you understand the Fund’s performance for the past five fiscal years. The information reflects financial results of a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). On October 10, 2011, the Fund was converted from a closed-end to an open-end fund. Therefore, the Fund’s performance for periods prior to October 10, 2011 may not be representative of performance for future periods. The information for the period ending December 31, 2013 was audited by Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. The information for the prior years was audited by other independent registered public accounting firms whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements are included in the Fund’s annual report, which is incorporated by reference herein and is available upon request.
 
   
Year Ended December 31
 
   
2013
   
2012
   
2011
   
2010
   
2009
 
Net asset value, beginning of year
  $ 7.12     $ 6.06     $ 8.05     $ 7.18     $ 3.81  
Income from investment operations:
                                       
Net investment income (loss) (a)
    0.03       0.08       (0.14 )     (0.04 )     (0.03 )
Net gain (loss) on securities and translation of foreign currencies (both realized and unrealized)
    0.28       0.98       (1.88 )     0.90       3.39  
Total from investment operations
    0.31       1.06       (2.02 )     0.86       3.36  
                                         
Less distributions:
                                       
Dividends from net investment income
    (0.22 )                        
Distributions from capital gains
                             
Total distributions
    (0.22 )                        
                                         
Capital stock transactions:
                                       
Share Tender Offer/Repurchase (a)
                0.01       0.01 (a)     0.01 (a)
Paid in capital from redemption fee (a)
    (b)     (b)     0.02              
Total from capital stock transactions
                0.03       0.01       0.01  
                                         
Net asset value, end of year
  $ 7.21     $ 7.12     $ 6.06     $ 8.05     $ 7.18  
                                         
Total investment return (based on net asset value)
    4.34 %     17.49 % (c)     (24.72 %) (d)     12.12 %     88.45 %
Total investment return (based on market price)
    N/A       N/A       N/A       19.50 %     80.18 %
                                         
Ratios and supplemental data
                                       
Net assets, end of year (in 000's)
  $ 11,415     $ 17,370     $ 49,760     $ 85,630     $ 84,592  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets
                                       
Before expense reimbursement
    3.00 %     2.17 %     3.33 % (c)     3.15 %     2.80 %
After expense reimbursement
    2.36 %     1.72 %     3.33 % (c)     3.15 %     2.80 %
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
                                       
Before expense reimbursement
    (0.22 %)     0.71 %     (1.88 %)     (0.61 %)     (0.64 %)
After expense reimbursement
    0.42 %     1.16 %     (1.88 %)     (0.61 %)     (0.64 %)
Portfolio turnover
    10 %     81 %     206 % (e)     5 %     11 %
 
(a)
Calculated based upon average shares outstanding.
 
(b)
Less than $0.01 per share.
 
(c)
Ratio of extraordinary expenses to average net assets is 0.80%. Ratio of expenses to average net assets excluding impact of extraordinary fees is 2.53%.
 
(d)
2011 total investment return, calculated based upon the Fund’s operations as a closed-end fund for the period of January 1, 2011 to October 9, 2011 (investment return of (22.89%)) and upon the Fund’s operations as an open-end fund for the period of October 10, 2011 to December 31, 2011 (investment return of (2.10%)), would be close to (20.26%).
 
(e)
Effective June 13, 2011, the Fund expanded its primary geographic scope from the Republic of China (“Taiwan”) to the Greater China regions (this includes: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the People’s Republic of China) and has subsequently increased trading in the Greater China region. Porfolio turnover is high during the transition period and is not an indicator of future turnover rate.
 
 
13

 

 
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, CA 94104-0387
(800) 225-8778
www.sheltoncap.com
 
To Learn More
 
This prospectus contains important information on the Fund and should be read and kept for future reference. You can also get more information from the following sources:
 
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports
 
These are automatically mailed to all shareholders without charge. In the Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year. The financial statements included in the Fund’s annual report are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, making it a legal part of the prospectus.
 
Statement of Additional Information
 
This includes more details about the Fund, including a detailed discussion of the risks associated with the various investments. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, making it a legal part of the prospectus.
 
You may obtain a copy of these documents free of charge by calling the Fund at (800) 955-9988, by accessing the Fund’s website at www.sheltoncap.com , or by emailing the Fund at info@sheltoncap.com , or by contacting the SEC at the address noted below or via e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov. The SEC may charge you a duplication fee. You can also review these documents in person at the SEC’s public reference room, or by visiting the SEC’s internet site at www.sec.gov .
 
Securities and Exchange Commission
Public Reference Section
Washington, DC 20549-01520
1-202-551-8090
www.sec.gov
 
The Fund’s shares are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed, endorsed or insured by any financial institution or government entity such as the FDIC.
 
Investment Company Act File Number: 811-05617
 
 
 

 
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
Ticker Symbol: SGCFX

P.O. Box 387

San Francisco, California 94104-0387

(800) 955-9988

Statement of Additional Information –   May 1, 2014
  
This statement of additional information relates to the Shelton Greater China Fund (the "Fund") of the Shelton Greater China Fund (the "Trust").
  
The prospectus for the Fund dated May 1, 2014, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Prospectus"), provides the basic information you should know before investing in the Fund, and may be obtained without charge from the Fund at the above address. This statement of additional information is not a prospectus. It contains information in addition to, and in certain cases more detailed than, the information set forth in the Prospectus. This statement of additional information is intended to provide you with additional information regarding the activities and operations of the Fund, and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus.
 
 
 

 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES OF THE FUND
1
DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT SECURITIES AND PORTFOLIO TECHNIQUES
2
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
6
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
8
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
9
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
14
POLICIES REGARDING BROKER-DEALERS USED FOR PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
18
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES
19
TAXATION
21
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
25
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
26
 
 
 

 
 
ABOUT THE SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND
 
The Shelton Greater China Fund (the “Trust”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and currently consists of one fund, the Shelton Greater China Fund (the "Fund"), a diversified mutual fund. Shares of the Fund represent equal proportionate interests in the assets of the Fund, and have identical voting, dividend, redemption, liquidation and other rights. Shareholders have no preemptive or other right to subscribe to any additional shares. The Fund is organized as a Massachusetts business trust. The Fund was operated as a closed-end management investment company under the name Taiwan Greater China Fund until October 10, 2011, at which time it was, with shareholder approval, converted into an open-end management investment company.
 
The Trust is not required, nor does it intend, to hold annual shareholder meetings.  However, the Trust may hold special meetings for purposes such as electing trustees of the Trust (each a "Trustee" and collectively, the "Trustees"), changing fundamental policies, or approving a new investment management agreement.  If in the future the Trust adds funds, you will have equal rights as to voting and to vote separately by fund as to issues affecting only your fund (such as changes in fundamental investment policies and objectives). Your voting rights are not cumulative, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares of the Trust voting in any election of Trustees can, if they choose to do so, elect all of the Trustees. Meetings of shareholders may be called by the Trustees in their sole discretion or upon demand of the holders of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of the Trust for the purpose of electing or removing Trustees.
 
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES OF THE FUND
 
The following information supplements the Fund’s investment objective and basic policies as set forth in the Prospectus.
 
Shelton Capital Management (the "Advisor") is the investment advisor to the Fund and has the authority to manage the Fund in accordance with the investment objective, policies, and restrictions of the Fund and subject to general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the "Board of Trustees").
  
The Advisor researches the fundamental characteristics of individual companies to understand the foundation of a company’s long-term growth, and to assess whether it is generally consistent with  the Advisor’s expectations for the Greater China region’s economic evolution. The Advisor then evaluates potential portfolio holdings on the basis of their individual merits, and invests in those companies that it believes are positioned to help the Fund achieve its investment objectives. Portfolio holdings are adjusted in light of prevailing market conditions and other factors, including, among other things, economic, political or market events ( e.g. , changes in credit conditions or military action), changes in relative valuations (to both a company’s growth prospects and to other issuers), liquidity requirements and management malfeasance or other unethical conduct.
 
Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks, such as convertible bonds and debentures, and other equity-related instruments (including, for example, investment trusts and other financial instruments), convertible bonds and debentures, warrants and rights, equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises and depositary receipts of issuers, with at least 80% of such equity securities being common and preferred stocks of companies that (i) are located in the Greater China area or (ii) have derived or are expected to derive during the company's current fiscal year (measured as of the time of the original investment) a significant potion (at least 50%) of its revenues by exporting to our importing from, trading with or operating in mainland China.  A company meeting the requirements of either items (i) or (ii) of the previous sentence is defined as a "Greater China Company."
 
 
1

 

The Fund may also invest in exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), futures contracts, options and options on futures contracts as a substitute for purchasing securities to gain exposure to sectors of the market, depository receipts and participation notes.  To the extent that the security underlying such ETF, futures contract, option or option on futures contract is an equity security issued by a Greater China Company, the Fund will include such ETF, futures contract, option or option on futures contract for the purposes of determining compliance with the Fund's policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets in the common and preferred stocks of Greater China Companies.
 
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in convertible and non-convertible bonds and other debt securities, including securities issued by government entities and their political subdivisions. Provided, however, that the Fund may only invest in non-convertible bonds that are rated, at the time of investment, BBB or higher by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”) or Baa or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or rated of equivalent credit quality by an internationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if not rated, are of equivalent credit quality as determined by the Advisor.  There is no objective standard against which the  Advisor may evaluate the credit and other risks of unrated securities. The Advisor seeks to minimize the risks of investing in unrated securities through investment analysis and attention to current developments in interest rates and economic conditions.
 
Securities rated lower than BBB by S&P or Fitch or Baa by Moody’s or of an equivalent credit quality by the Advisor are considered to have speculative characteristics and may be characterized as "junk bonds."

DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT SECURITIES AND PORTFOLIO TECHNIQUES

The Fund may invest in securities of issuers of various sizes. Smaller companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and they may be dependent upon one or a few key people for management and may lack depth of management. Smaller companies may have less certain growth prospects, and be more sensitive to changing economic conditions than larger, more established companies. The Fund may have more difficulty obtaining information about smaller portfolio companies, or valuing or disposing of their securities, than it would if it focused on larger, more well-known companies. Transaction costs in stocks of smaller capitalization companies may be higher than those of larger capitalization companies. The securities of such companies generally are subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may be less liquid than securities of larger, more established companies or the markets in general, and can react differently to political, market and economic developments than more established companies.
 
The Fund may also invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”), which are also known as Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). Generally, ADRs in registered form are U.S. dollar-denominated securities designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, which may be converted into an underlying foreign security. ADRs represent the right to receive securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or correspondent bank.  ADRs do not eliminate all risk inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers. The Fund may also invest in European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), which are receipts evidencing an arrangement with a European bank similar to that for ADRs and are designed for use in the European securities markets.
 
IDRs and GDRs are similar to ADRs, with the exception that they are usually bearer securities (meaning they entitle the holder to rights under the security merely by holding the security) for investors or traders outside the U.S., and for companies wishing to raise equity capital in securities markets outside the United States.  Most IDRs have been used to represent shares although some represent bonds, commercial paper and certificates of deposit.  Additionally, some IDRs may be convertible to ADRs, making them particularly useful for arbitrage between markets.
 
 
2

 

Lending Portfolio Securities

From time to time, the Fund may lend securities (but not in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets) from its portfolio of investments to brokers, dealers and financial institutions and, in turn, receive collateral in cash or securities believed by the Fund to be equivalent to securities rated investment grade by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch. While the loan is outstanding, the Fund is required to maintain collateral at all times in an amount equal to at least 105% of the current market value of the securities loaned by the Fund, including any accrued interest or dividends receivable from these securities. Any cash collateral received by the Fund is to be invested in short-term, high quality debt securities, the income from which would increase the return to the Fund. The Fund retains all rights of beneficial ownership as to the loaned portfolio securities, including voting rights and rights to interest or other distributions, and has the right to regain record ownership of loaned securities to exercise such beneficial rights. Such loans are terminable at any time by either the Fund or the borrower. The Fund may be required to pay administrative, finders’ and custodial fees to persons unaffiliated with the Fund in connection with the arranging of such loans and, if permitted under the 1940 Act or pursuant to an exemptive order thereunder, such fees may be paid to persons affiliated with the Fund. In the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund may suffer time delays and incur costs or possible losses in connection with the Fund’s disposition of the collateral.  The Advisor will review and monitor the creditworthiness of such borrowers on an ongoing basis if it elects to lend securities of the Fund.
 
Futures Contracts

The Fund may enter into agreements to "buy" or "sell" a stock index at a fixed price at a specified date. No stock actually changes hands under these contracts; instead, changes in the underlying index's value are settled in cash. The cash settlement amounts are based on the difference between the index's current value and the value contemplated by the contract. An option on a stock index futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell an index futures contract; that is, exercise of the option results in ownership of a position in a futures contract. Most stock index futures are based on broad-based common stock indices.

Additionally, the Fund may take advantage of opportunities in the area of futures contracts and options on futures contracts and any other derivative investments which are not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and legally permissible for the Fund.

Because the value of index futures depends primarily on the value of their underlying indices, the performance of broad-based contracts will generally reflect broad changes in common stock prices. The Fund's investments may be more or less heavily weighted in securities of particular types of issuers, or securities of issuers in particular industries, than the indexes underlying its index futures positions. Therefore, while the Fund's index futures positions should provide exposure to changes in value of the underlying indexes (or protection against declines in their value in the case of hedging transactions), it is likely that, in the case of hedging transactions, the price changes of the Fund's index futures positions will not match the price changes of the Fund's other investments. Other factors that could affect the correlation of the Fund's index futures positions with its other investments are discussed below.
 
Futures Margin Payments. Both the purchaser and seller of a futures contract are required to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker (known as a "futures commission merchant," or "FCM"), when the contract is entered into.  Initial margin deposits are equal to a percentage of the contract's value, as set by the exchange where the contract is traded, and may be maintained in cash or high quality liquid securities. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to settle the change in value on a daily basis. The party that has a gain may be entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. Initial and variation margin payments are similar to good faith deposits or performance bonds, unlike margin extended by a securities broker, and initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing securities on margin for purposes of the Fund's investment limitations. In the event of the bankruptcy of a FCM that holds margin on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to a return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM's other customers. The Advisor will attempt to minimize this risk by monitoring the creditworthiness of the FCMs with which the Fund does business.
 
 
3

 

Limitations on Futures Transactions . The Fund has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" with the National Futures Association, which regulates trading in the futures markets. Pursuant to Rule 4.5 of the regulations promulgated under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, each Fund may use futures contracts for bona fide hedging purposes within the meaning of U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") regulations; provided, however, that, with respect to positions in futures contracts which are not used for bona fide hedging purposes within the meaning of CFTC regulations, the aggregate initial margin required to establish such position will not exceed five percent of the liquidation value of the Fund's portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts into which the Fund has entered.
 
The Advisor also intends to follow certain other limitations on the Fund's futures activities. Under normal conditions, the Fund will not enter into any futures contract if, as a result, the sum of (i) the current value of assets hedged in the case of strategies involving the sale of securities, and (ii) the current value of the indexes or other instruments underlying the Fund's other futures positions would exceed 20% of the Fund's total assets. In addition, the Fund does not intend to enter into futures contracts that are not traded on exchanges or boards of trade.

The above limitations on the Fund's investments in futures contracts, and the Fund’s policies regarding futures contracts discussed elsewhere in this statement of additional information, are not fundamental policies and may be changed as regulatory agencies permit.  Non-fundamental policies may be changed without shareholder approval.

Various exchanges and regulatory authorities have undertaken reviews of futures trading in light of market volatility. Among the possible actions that have been presented are proposals to adopt new or more stringent daily price fluctuation limits for futures transactions, and proposals to increase the margin requirements for various types of strategies. It is impossible to predict what actions, if any, will result from these reviews at this time.

The Fund may purchase futures contracts in order to attempt to remain fully invested in equities market. For example, if the Fund had cash and short-term securities on hand that it wished to invest in common stocks, but at the same time it wished to maintain a highly liquid position in order to be prepared to meet redemption requests or other obligations, it could purchase an index futures contract in order to approximate the activity of the index with that portion of its portfolio. The Fund may also purchase futures contracts as an alternative to purchasing actual securities. For example, if the Fund intended to purchase stocks but had not yet done so, it could purchase a futures contract in order to participate in the index's activity while deciding on particular investments. This strategy is sometimes known as an anticipatory hedge. In these strategies the Fund would use futures contracts to attempt to achieve an overall return -- whether positive or negative -- similar to the return from the stocks included in the underlying index, while taking advantage of potentially greater liquidity than futures contracts may offer. Although the Fund would hold cash and liquid debt securities in a segregated account with a value sufficient to cover its open future obligations, the segregated assets would be available to the Fund immediately upon closing out the futures position, while settlement of securities transactions can take several days.
 
When the Fund wishes to sell securities, it may sell index futures contracts to hedge against stock market declines until the sale can be completed. For example, if the Advisor anticipated a decline in common stock prices, at a time when the Fund anticipated selling common stocks, it could sell a futures contract in order to lock in current market prices. If stock prices subsequently fell, the futures contract's value would be expected to rise and offset all or a portion of the anticipated loss in the common stocks the Fund had hedged in anticipation of selling them. Of course, if prices subsequently rose, the futures contract's value could be expected to fall and offset all or a portion of any gains from those securities. The success of this type of strategy depends to a great extent on the degree of correlation between the index futures contract and the securities hedged.
 
 
4

 

Asset Coverage for Futures Positions . The Fund will comply with guidelines established by the Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC") with respect to coverage of futures strategies by mutual funds.

Correlation of Price Changes . As noted above, price changes of the Fund's futures positions may not be perfectly correlated with price changes of its other investments because of differences between the underlying indexes and the types of securities the Fund invests in. For example, if the Fund sold a broad-based index futures contract to hedge against a stock market decline while the Fund completed a sale of specific securities in its portfolio, it is possible that the price of the securities could move differently from the broad market average represented by the index futures contract, resulting in an imperfect hedge which could affect the correlation between the Fund's return and that of the respective benchmark index. In the case of an index futures contract purchased by the Fund either in anticipation of actual stock purchases or in an effort to be fully invested, failure of the contract to track its index accurately could hinder the Fund in the achievement of its objective.

Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying indexes. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying index, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way.  Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts. The Fund may sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge in order to attempt to compensate for differences in historical volatility between the futures contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases.

Liquidity of Futures Contracts . Because futures contracts are generally settled within a day from the date they are closed out, compared with a settlement period of up to five days for some types of securities, the futures markets can provide superior liquidity to the securities markets in many cases. Nevertheless, there is no assurance a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. In addition, futures exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts, and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached, it may be impossible for the Fund to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. Trading in futures can also be halted if trading in the underlying securities is halted. If the secondary market for a futures contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it would prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable futures positions, and potentially could require the Fund to continue to hold a futures position until the delivery date regardless of potential consequences. If the Fund must continue to hold a futures position, its access to other assets held to cover the position could also be impaired.

American Depository Receipts (ADRs), European Depository Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) (also known as International Depository Receipts ("IDRs"))
 
The Fund may invest in sponsored and unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. Such investments may subject the Fund to significant investment risks that are different than domestic markets. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may involve additional risks in that they are organized without the cooperation of the issuer of the underlying securities. As a result, available information concerning the issuer may not be as current as that for sponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs.
 
 
5

 

The value of securities denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies and of dividends and interest from such securities can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than the U.S. markets, and prices on some foreign securities can be highly volatile. In general ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designated for use in the U.S. securities markets, while EDRs and GDRs (also known as IDRs) in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in European markets and global markets, respectively.

Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, and it may seem more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding an issuer’s financial conditions and operations.

Settlement of transaction in some foreign markets may be delayed or may be less frequent than in the U.S., which could affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. In addition, the cost of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions and custodial costs are generally higher than for U.S. investments.

Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers, brokers, and securities markets may be subject to less government supervision. Foreign security trading practices, including those involving the release of assets in advance of payment, may involve increased risks in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of the broker-dealer, which may result in substantial delays in settlement. It may also be more difficult to enforce legal rights in foreign countries.

Investing abroad also involves different political and economic risks. Foreign investments may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restriction on U.S. investments or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign government sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve the risk of local political, economic, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments. There is no assurance that the Advisor will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects.

Options on Securities, Securities Indices and Currencies.

The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities in which it has invested, on foreign currencies represented in its portfolios and on any securities index based in whole or in part on securities in which the Fund may invest. In an effort to minimize risks, the Fund usually will not use options for speculative purposes or as leverage.
 
 
6

 

The Fund may purchase call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities of the type in which it may invest or a positive change in the currency in which such securities are denominated. The purchase of a call option would entitle the Fund, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities or a specified amount of a foreign currency at a specified price during the option period.

The Fund may purchase and sell options traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges. Although the Fund will generally purchase only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time. For some options, no secondary market on an exchange may exist. In such event, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise its options in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities.

Secondary markets on an exchange may not exist or may be illiquid for a variety of reasons including: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions on opening transactions or closing transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances which interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) inadequate facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation (the “OCC”) to handle current trading volume at all times; or (vi) discontinuance in the future by one or more exchanges for economic or other reasons, of trading of options (or of a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

There is no assurance that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not, at times, render certain of the facilities of the OCC inadequate, and result in the institution by an exchange of special procedures that may interfere with the timely execution of the Fund’s orders.

Securities of Other Investment Companies – Closed End Funds

The Fund may purchase closed-end funds that invest in foreign securities. Unlike open-end investment companies, closed-end funds issue a fixed number of shares that trade on major stock exchanges or over the counter. Additionally, closed-end funds do not stand ready to issue or redeem on a continuous basis. Closed-end funds often sell at a discount to net asset value.

Applicable provisions of the 1940 Act require that the Fund limit its investments so that, as determined immediately after a securities purchase is made: (a) not more than 10% of the value of that Fund’s total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of investment companies as a group; and (b) either (i) that Fund and affiliated persons of that Fund not own together more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of any one investment company at the time of purchase (and that all shares of the investment company held by that Fund in excess of 1% of the company’s total outstanding shares be deemed illiquid), or (ii) that Fund not invest more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company and the investment not represent more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company at the time of purchase. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund bears its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, including advisory and administration fees, resulting in an additional layer of management fees and expenses for shareholders. This duplication of expenses would occur regardless of the type of investment company, i.e., open-end (mutual fund) or closed-end.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

Additional Fundamental Investment Policies

The Fund has adopted the following restrictions as additional fundamental policies of the Fund, which means that they may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under the 1940 Act, a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (l) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, or (2) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund present at a meeting of shareholders if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy. The Fund may not:
 
 
7

 

 
a.
Hold 25% or more of its gross assets in any single industry.

 
b.
Purchase any security (other than obligations of the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities) if as a result of such purchase (i) as to 75% of the total assets (taken at their then current value), more than 5% of the total assets (taken at their then current value) would then be invested in the securities of a single issuer, (ii) as to the remaining 25% of the total assets (taken at their then current value), more than 10% of the total assets (taken at their then current value) would then be invested in the securities of a single issuer (except that the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in obligations of the Taiwan government or its agencies or instrumentalities), (iii) more than 10% of the outstanding equity securities of any issuer (at the time of purchase) would be beneficially held by the Fund or (iv) 25% or more of the Fund’s assets (taken at their then current value) would be invested in a single industry.

 
c.
Purchase any security on margin, except such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of purchases or sales of securities.

 
d.
Effect a short sale of any security, except in connection with an underwriting in which the Fund is a participant.

 
e.
Issue senior securities, except that the Fund may invest in currency forward contracts to hedge against currency fluctuations if Taiwan law is changed to so permit.

 
f.
Borrow money within Taiwan, however, subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Fund may borrow from financial institutions outside Taiwan for temporary purposes (that, is, the borrowing must be repaid within 60 days) in amounts not exceeding 5% (taken at the lower of cost or current value) of its total assets (excluding amount borrowed) and may also pledge assets to secure such borrowings).

 
g.
Make loans to other persons (other than bank deposits or by investment in debt securities or entry into repurchase agreements), except that the Fund may lend its securities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statutes, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 
h.
Invest (i) in securities of Taiwan issuers the issuance of which has not been approved by or registered with the Taiwan SEC for offering to the public or (ii) in unregistered securities of U.S. issuers that must be registered before being publicly offered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 
i.
Buy or sell real estate or real estate mortgage loans.

 
j.
Apply the assets of the Fund to purchase beneficial certificates issued by the former manager in other funds managed by the former manager.

 
k.
Underwrite the issue or sale of any securities.

 
l.
Invest in securities issued by any person (except the Taiwan government) who beneficially owns more than 5% of, or takes any significant active role in the management of, the Fund’s investment advisor.
 
 
8

 
 
Non-Fundamental Investment Policies

In addition, the Fund has adopted the following restrictions as operating policies, which are not fundamental policies, and may be changed without shareholder approval in accordance with applicable regulations. The Fund may not:
 
1.
Invest in warrants, valued at the lower of cost or market, in excess of 5% of the value of the Fund's net assets. Included in such amount, but not to exceed 2% of the value of the Fund's net assets, may be warrants that are not listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) or American Stock Exchange. Warrants acquired by the Fund in units or attached to securities may be deemed to be without value.

2.
Enter into any futures contract if, as a result, the sum of (i) the current value of assets hedged in the case of strategies involving the sale of securities, and (ii) the current value of the indexes or other instruments underlying the Fund's other futures positions would exceed 20% of the Fund's total assets. In addition, the Fund does not intend to enter into futures contracts that are not traded on exchanges or boards of trade.

3.
The Fund will not purchase securities from or sell to the Trustees, or any firm of which any officer or Trustee is a member, as principal, or retain securities of any issuer if, to the knowledge of the Fund, one or more of the Fund’s officers, the Trustees and the Advisor own beneficially more than 1/2 of 1% of the securities of such issuer and all such officers and the Trustees together own beneficially more than 5% of such securities.

If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a subsequent increase or decrease in a percentage resulting from a change in the values of assets will not constitute a violation of that restriction, except as otherwise noted.

Non-Fundamental Investment Policy

The Fund may not purchase any security if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the prices at which they are valued.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

In accordance with the Fund’s policies and procedures, the Fund’s transfer agent and fund accountant, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (the “Transfer Agent”) is responsible for dissemination of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Only an officer of the Fund may authorize the Transfer Agent to disclose portfolio holdings information. The Fund, together with the Transfer Agent and the Advisor (together, the “Service Providers”), may only disclose information concerning securities held in the Fund’s portfolios under the following circumstances:

1.
Approximately 60 days following the end of each month, calendar quarter and fiscal quarter, each Fund’s full portfolio holdings will be made publicly available by the following means:

 
a.
The Fund shall send shareholders portfolio holdings in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports, which are mailed to shareholders and posted on the Fund's website in accordance with the SEC guidelines. Additionally, quarterly reports are filed with the SEC.

 
b.
The Transfer Agent shall send portfolio holding to nationally-recognized rating agencies via electronic transmission at least annually.
 
 
9

 

2.
The Fund or a Service Provider may disclose the Fund’s portfolio securities holdings to selected third parties when the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. Examples of legitimate business purposes in which selective disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities may be appropriate include: disclosure for due diligence purposes to an investment advisor that is in merger or acquisition talks with the Advisor; disclosure to a newly hired investment advisor prior to its commencing its duties; disclosure to third party service providers of accounting, auditing, custody, proxy voting and other services to the Fund; or disclosure to a rating or ranking organization.

3.
As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Fund will disclose its portfolio holdings in its applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-Q, Form N-CSR or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

In accordance with the Fund’s policies and procedures, third parties are required to keep confidential any information disclosed to them and to not engage in trading based on such information in accordance with the foregoing and no compensation may be received by the Fund, a Service Provider or any affiliate in connection with disclosure of such information. The Board of Trustees will oversee disclosure under the foregoing policies and procedures by approval in advance of disclosures for legitimate business purposes and by regular review of reports on disclosures of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The Board of Trustees has the responsibility for the overall management of the Fund, including general supervision and review of the Fund’s investment activities.  The Board of Trustees appoints the officers of the Fund who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fund. The affiliations of the officers and Trustees and their principal occupations for the past five years are listed below.

Independent Trustees and their Qualifications

The Independent Trustees and their qualifications are noted in the table below. The Board of Trustees believes that each Trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that each Trustee should serve in such capacity.  Among other attributes common to all Trustees are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Advisor, other service providers, counsel and the independent registered public accounting firm, to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, and to represent the interests of all Fund shareholders.  A Trustee’s ability to perform his duties effectively may have been attained through his educational background or professional training; business, consulting or academic positions; experience from service as a Trustee, or in various roles at public companies, private entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences.  In addition to these shared characteristics, set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific qualifications, attributes or skills considered for each Trustee that support the conclusion that each person is qualified to serve as a Trustee.

 
10

 

Name (Age) and Address
Position(s)
Held with
the Fund
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
Other Business Experience, Other Positions with Affiliated Persons of the Fund and Other Directorships Held by Nominee
Non-Interested Trustees
       
James W. Miller, Jr.
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, California
94104
(5/28/66)
Trustee and Audit Committee Member
Trustee since
June 2011
Director, RREEF, 2006-present;
Experience in real estate in both law and business; J.D.; Executive Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc., 1999-2006; Associate, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP (law firm), 1996-1999; Associate, Gordon & Rees LLP (law firm), 1992-1993
Kevin T. Kogler
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, California
94104
(2/21/66)
 
Trustee and Audit Committee Member
Trustee since
June 2011
President & CEO, MicroBiz LLC, 2012-present; President, CAM Commerce Solutions LLC 2010-2012; Principal, Robertson Piper Software Group, 2006-2012
 
Experience in investment banking, and technology industry; M.B.A.; Senior Vice President, Investment Banking, Friedman, Billings Ramsey, 2003-2006; Director, Technology Investment Banking, Salomon Smith Barney, 2001-2003; Vice President, Technology Investment Banking, CS First Boston / Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, 1997-2001.
Stephen H. Sutro
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, California
94104
(4/9/69)
Trustee and Audit Committee Member
Trustee since
June 2011
Partner, Duane Morris LLP (law firm), 2003-present.
Experience in law and securities regulations; J.D; Associate, Duane Morris LLP (law firm), 2000-2002; Associate, Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft LLP (law firm), 1994-1999  

 
11

 
 
Interested Trustee and Officers and their Qualifications

The Interested Trustee and Officers and their qualifications are noted in the table below. The Board of Trustees believes that the Interested Trustee's and each Officer's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills lead to the conclusion that the Interested Trustee and each Officer should serve in their respective capacity.  Among other attributes common to the Independent Trustee and each of the Officers are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with service providers, counsel and the independent registered public accounting firm, to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, and to represent the interests of all Fund shareholders.  The Interested Trustee's and each of the Officer's ability to perform their respective duties effectively may have been attained through their educational background or professional training; business experience, or in various roles at public companies, private entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences.  In addition to these shared characteristics, set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific qualifications, attributes or skills considered for the Interested Trustee and Officers that support the conclusion that each person is qualified to serve in their respective capacity.
 
 
12

 

Name (Age) and Address
Position(s)
Held with
the Fund
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
Other Business Experience, Other Positions with Affiliated Persons of the Fund and Other Directorships Held by Nominee
Interested Trustee 1
       
Stephen C. Rogers
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, California
94104
(6/27/66)
 
Trustee, President
President, Chairman since June 2011
Chief Executive Officer, Shelton Capital Management since 1999; Portfolio Manager and President of the Shelton Funds, since 1999
 
Chief Executive Officer, ETSpreads since 2008; President, Chairman & Trustee, Shelton Funds, since 1999; President, Chairman & Trustee, Exchange Traded Spreads Trust, since 2013
Officers
       
William P. Mock
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, California
94104
(12/29/66)
Treasurer
Treasurer, since
June 2011
Portfolio Manager, Shelton Capital Management, since 2010
Head Trader, TKI Capital Management 2003-2006; Partner, ETSpreads since 2008; Treasurer, Shelton Funds, since 2010; Treasurer, Exchange Traded Spreads Trust, since 2013
Teresa K. Axelson
P.O. Box 387
San Francisco, California 94104
(12/4/47)
Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary
Chief Compliance Officer, since November 2011; Secretary since August 2012
Chief Compliance Officer, Shelton Capital Management, 2011 to present; Consultant, 2011; Vice President-Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer, Securities Management and Research, Inc.; SM&R Investments, Inc. (6 mutual funds) and American National Investment Accounts, Inc. (5 mutual funds), 1968-2010.
Chief Compliance Officer since November 2011, Shelton Capital Management & Shelton Funds; Chief Compliance Officer & Secretary, Exchange Traded Spreads Trust since October 2013
 

1
Basis of Interestedness .  Stephen C. Rogers is affiliated with Shelton Capital Management, which is the investment advisor of the Fund.  
 
The Board of Trustees held four meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.
 
 
13

 

Board Leadership Structure and Standing Board Committees

The Board of Trustees is currently comprised of four Trustees, three of whom are not “interested persons” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund.  The Board of Trustees has established the position of Chairman of the Board and has appointed Mr. Rogers the Chairman of the Board.  The Chairman of the Board, among other responsibilities, chairs meetings of the Board of Trustees and serves as spokesperson for the Board of Trustees.  The Board of Trustees has established three standing Committees: the Audit Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Pricing Committee, collectively, (the “Committees”).  The responsibilities of each Committee and its members are described below.

The Board of Trustees and the members of the Committees annually evaluate the performance of the Board of Trustees and the Committees, which evaluation includes considering the effectiveness of the Committee structure.  The Board of Trustees believes that its leadership structure is appropriate in light of the asset size of the Fund and the nature of its business, and is consistent with industry practices.

AUDIT COMMITTEE. The Board of Trustees has an Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 32a-4 under the 1940 Act. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Stephen H. Sutro, James H. Miller and Kevin T. Kogler (Chairman). The members of the Audit Committee are not interested persons of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act.

The responsibilities of the Audit Committee include, among other things, review and selection of the independent public accountants of the Fund, review of the Fund’s financial statements prior to their submission to the Board of Trustees and of other accounting matters of the Fund. The Audit Committee held four meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.
 
PRICING COMMITTEE. The Board has a Pricing Committee, comprised of the independent trustees of the Trust, certain officers of the Trust and of the Manager, which reviews and monitors the pricing policies adopted by the Board. The Pricing Committee is responsible for determining the fair value of the Fund’s securities as needed in accordance with the pricing policies and performs such other tasks as the Board deems necessary. The Pricing Committee meets on an ad hoc basis to discuss issues relating to the valuation of securities held by the Fund. Committee members are required to report actions taken at their meetings at the next scheduled Board meeting following the Pricing Committee's meeting. The Pricing Committee may take action if at least two members of the Pricing Committee meet in person or via telephone or be electronic exchange. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, there were eight meeting of the Pricing Committee.
 
Risk Oversight by the Board
 
As part of its responsibilities for oversight of the Fund, the Board of Trustees oversees risk management of the Fund’s investment program and business affairs.  Day-to-day risk management functions are subsumed within the responsibilities of the Service Providers (depending on the nature of the risk).  The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, valuation and operational risks.  The Board of Trustees interacts with and reviews reports from the investment advisor, the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and administrator regarding risks faced by the Fund and the Service Providers’ risk functions.  The Board of Trustees performs its oversight responsibilities as part of its Board and Committee activities.  The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Audit Committee oversight responsibility of the integrity of the Fund’s financial statements, the Fund’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements as they relate to the financial statements, the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence, the Fund’s internal controls over financial reporting, the Fund’s disclosure controls and procedures and the Fund’s code of business conduct and ethics pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  The Audit Committee reports areas of concern, if any, to the Board of Trustees for discussion and action.
 
As shown in the following table, the Fund pays the fees of the Trustees who are not affiliated with the Advisor, which are currently $137.50 per Trustee per quarter.  The table provides information regarding the Fund as of December 31, 2013.
 
 
14

 

Name/Position
Aggregate Fund
group
compensation
Pension or
estimated
retirement
benefits
accrued as
Fund expenses
Annual benefits
upon
retirement
Total compensation
respecting Registrant
and Fund complex (12 funds) paid
to Trustees
Stephen C. Rogers
President, Secretary & Trustee
None
None
None
None
James W. Miller, Jr.
Trustee
$550
None
None
$14,050
Kevin T. Kogler
Trustee
$800
None
None
$17,050
Stephen H. Sutro
Trustee
$550
None
None
$14,050
 
Dollar Range of holdings in the Fund as of December 31, 2013:
 
James W. Miller, Jr.
None
Kevin T. Kogler
None
Stephen H. Sutro
None
 
 
Aggregate Dollar Range of Securities in the Trust and Fund Complex as of December 31, 2013:

 
Shelton Funds
Stephen C. Rogers
Above $100,000
James W. Miller, Jr.
Above $100,000
Kevin T. Kogler
Above $100,000
Stephen H. Sutro
$50,001-$100,000
 
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
 
Investment Advisory Services

Shelton Capital Management, a California Limited Partnership, is the investment advisor to the Fund pursuant to the Management Agreement dated May 27, 2011 and effective as of June 12, 2011, between the Fund and the Advisor (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisor is controlled by its general partner, RFS Partners, L.P., which in turn is controlled by its general partner, RFS Incorporated (a subchapter S corporation), which in turn is controlled by a private family trust of which Mr. Stephen C. Rogers is a co-trustee.  Shelton Capital Management manages $1,033 million in assets as of March 31, 2014.  The assets under management are comprised of $926 million in mutual fund assets and $107 million in private client assets. Shelton Capital Management has been managing mutual funds since 1985.

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is required to provide investment research and portfolio management, including the selection of securities for the Fund to purchase, hold, or sell and the selection of brokers or dealers through whom the portfolio transactions of the Fund are executed. The Advisor’s activities are subject to review and supervision by the Board of Trustees to which the Advisor renders periodic reports of the Fund’s investment activities.
 
 
15

 

The Fund pays for its own operating expenses and for its share of the Fund expenses not assumed by the Advisor, including, but not limited to, legal fees and expenses of counsel to the Fund; auditing and accounting expenses; taxes and governmental fees; dues and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; fees and expenses of the Fund’s custodian, any sub-custodians, transfer agents and registrars; fees and expenses with respect to administration; expenses for portfolio pricing services by a pricing agent, if any; expenses of preparing share certificates and other expenses in connection with the issuance, offering and underwriting of shares issued by the Fund; expenses relating to investor and public relations; expenses of registering or qualifying securities of the Fund for public sale; freight, insurance and other charges in connection with the shipment of the Fund’s portfolio securities; brokerage commissions or other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio holding of the Fund; expenses of preparation and distribution of reports, notices and dividends to Fund shareholders; expenses of the Fund’s dividend reinvestment and cash purchase plan; costs of stationery; any litigation expenses; costs of Fund shareholder’s and other meetings.

The following table reflects the allocation of the investment advisory fees paid during the last two fiscal years:

Fiscal Year Ended
Total Advisory
Fee Paid for
Fiscal Year
Payment to
Sub-Advisor by
Shelton Capital Management
Reimbursement to Fund by Shelton Capital Management  under Expense Undertaking
Net Advisory
Fee Paid to
Shelton Capital Management
12/31/2013
$163,349
-
$83,517
$79,832
12/31/2012
$329,775
$108,347
$116,277
$105,151

Effective October 1, 2012 Nikko Asset Management resigned as sub-advisor and Shelton Capital Management began management of the Fund.

The Advisory Agreement is currently in effect until March 31, 2015, and will be in effect thereafter only if it is renewed for successive periods not exceeding one year by (i) the Board of Trustees or a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, and (ii) a vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or an interested person of any such party (other than as a Trustee), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Advisory Agreement.

The Advisory Agreement may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Fund (either by the Board of Trustees or by a majority vote of the Fund’s outstanding shares) with 60 day’s written notice. The Advisory Agreement may also be terminated by the Advisor on 60-days’ written notice and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment as defined in the 1940 Act.

Administrative Services

Pursuant to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement, Shelton Capital Management also serves as the Fund’s Administrator (in such capacity, the "Administrator"). The Administrator is responsible for handling the administrative requirements of the Fund and, as compensation for these duties, receives fees of 0.10% on the first $500 million in combined assets of the Fund, 0.08% on the next $500 million in combined assets of the Fund, and 0.06% on the Fund for assets over $1 billion.
 
 
16

 

Portfolio Manager

The table below includes details about the type, number, and assets under management for the various types of accounts, and total assets in the accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the accounts that Mr. William Mock, managed as of March 31, 2014:

William  P.  Mock
       
Type of Account
Number of
Accounts
Managed
Total Assets
Managed
Number of Accounts Managed for which Investment Advisory Fee
is Performance-Based
Assets Managed for
which Investment
Advisory Fee is Performance-Based
Registered Investment Companies
1
10,558,947
-
-
Other Registered Investment Companies
4
$252,630,111
-
-
Other Accounts
-
-
-
-
 
Potential Conflicts

Individual portfolio managers may manage multiple funds. The Advisor manages potential conflicts between fund through allocation policies and procedures, internal review processes, including, but not limited to reports and oversight by management. The Advisor has developed trade allocation systems and controls to help ensure that no one fund, regardless of type, is intentionally favored at the expense of another. Allocation policies are designed to address potential conflicts in situations where two or more funds participate in investment decisions involving the same securities.

Portfolio Manager Securities Ownership

As of April 15, 2014, Mr. Mock held no interests in the Fund.

Compensation of Portfolio Manager

The compensation of the Fund's portfolio manager, includes a base salary, cash bonus, and a package of employee benefits that are generally available to all salaried employees. Compensation is structured to emphasize the performance of each individual to increase corporate value in order to fulfill the expectations of stockholders of the Advisor. The Advisor does not have any “incentive compensation” or “deferred compensation” programs specifically designed for the Portfolio Manager. Compensation is not linked to the distribution of Fund shares or to the performance of any specific account or Fund. The Portfolio Manager may also participate in equity ownership of the Advisor. Each element of compensation is detailed below:

Base Salary . The Portfolio Manager is paid a fixed base salary that is intended to be competitive in light of the Portfolio Manager's experience and responsibilities.

Bonus . Bonus payments are based on a number of factors including the profitability of the firm and the employee’s long-term contributions, Bonuses are not linked to the volume of assets managed or to measurements of relative or absolute investment returns.

Employee Benefit Program. The Portfolio Manager participates in benefit plans and programs available generally to all employees, which includes various insurance coverage and retirement programs, including a defined contribution pension plan.
 
The above information regarding compensation of the Portfolio Manager is current as of March 31, 2014.
 
 
17

 

Code of Ethics

The Fund, the Advisor and the Distributor have adopted a joint code of ethics pursuant to Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act and Rule 17j-1 thereunder (and, in the case of the Advisor, Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended) (the "Codes of Ethics"). The Codes of Ethics establish policies and procedures for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Advisor the authority to vote proxies of companies held in the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor has entered into a proxy service agreement with Glass Lewis and intends to apply Glass Lewis’ pre-determined proxy voting guidelines when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund. The Advisor recognizes that an investment advisor is a fiduciary that owes its clients, including the Fund, a duty of utmost good faith and full and fair disclosure of all material facts. An investment advisor’s duty of loyalty requires an advisor to vote proxies in a manner consistent with the best interest of its clients and precludes the advisor from subrogating the clients’ interests to its own. In addition, an investment advisor voting proxies on behalf of the Fund must do so in a manner consistent with the best interests of the fund and its shareholders. The Board, in conjunction with the Advisor, seeks to balance the benefits of voting the proxies against the associated costs to the shareholders and have determined that entry into a third party proxy services agreement is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board will review its determination at least annually.

The Advisor seeks to avoid material conflicts of interest by voting in accordance with an independent third party’s pre-determined written proxy voting guidelines (the “Voting Guidelines”) in an objective and consistent manner across client accounts, based on internal and external research performed by Glass Lewis without consideration of any client relationship factors. Further, the Advisor may engage a third party as an independent fiduciary, as required, to vote all proxies of the Fund, and may engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies of other issuers at its discretion.

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, 2013 is available (1) by calling the Fund at (800) 955-9988, or (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

Principal Underwriter

RFS Partners, a California limited partnership, is the principal underwriter of the Fund's shares under an underwriting agreement with the Fund, pursuant to which RFS Partners agrees to act as the Fund's distribution agent. The Fund's shares are sold to the public on a best efforts basis in a continuous offering without a sales load or other commission or compensation. RFS Partners is the general partner of the Advisor. The general partner of RFS Partners is Richard F. Shelton, Inc., a corporation that is controlled by a family trust, of which Stephen C. Rogers serves as a co-trustee. While the shares of the Fund are offered directly to the public with no sales charge, RFS Partners may, out of its own monies, compensate brokers who assist in the sale of the Fund's shares. In addition, the Advisor may, out of its own monies, make cash contributions to tax-exempt charitable organizations that invest in the Fund.

Other Services

Gemini Fund Services, LLC acts as the shareholder servicing agent for the Fund and acts as the Fund’s transfer and dividend-paying agent. In such capacities it performs many services, including portfolio and net asset valuation, bookkeeping, and shareholder record-keeping.

US Bank (the “Custodian”) acts as custodian of the securities and other assets of the Fund.  US Bank assumed custodianship of the Fund effective July 17, 2013 upon resignation of Brown Brothers Harriman as custodian to the Fund.  The Custodian does not participate in decisions relating to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities. Under the custodian agreement, the Custodian (i) maintains a separate account for the Fund, (ii) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of the Fund, (iii) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Fund, (iv) collects and receives all income and other payments and distribution on account of the Fund’s securities and (v) makes periodic reports to the Board of Trustees concerning the Fund’s operations.
 
 
18

 

Effective as of June 15, 2011 KPMG LLP was dismissed as the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm and as of June 20, 2011 Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP (the "Auditor"), 1818 Market Street, Suite 2400, Philadelphia, PA 19103, is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. The Auditor will provide audit services and assistance and consultation with respect to regulatory filings with the SEC. The Auditor will also audit the books of the Fund once each year.

The validity of shares of beneficial interest offered hereby has been passed on by Reed Smith, 225 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

POLICIES REGARDING BROKER-DEALERS USED FOR PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund, assignment of its portfolio business, and negotiation of commission rates and prices are made by the Advisor, whose policy is to obtain the “best execution” available (i.e., prompt and reliable execution at the most favorable security price). If purchases made by the Fund are affected via principal transactions with one or more dealers (typically a market maker firm in the particular security or a selling group member in the case of an initial or secondary public offering) at net prices, the Fund will generally incur few or no brokerage costs. These dealers are compensated through the principal “spread,” and may also charge related transaction fees.  Purchases of portfolio securities from underwriters may include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers will include a spread between the bid and asked price.

The Advisor does not currently utilize soft dollar arrangements, but may do so in the future.  Iin order to obtain additional research and brokerage services on a “soft dollar” basis, and in order to obtain other qualitative execution services that the Advisor believes are important to best execution, the Advisor may place over-the-counter (“OTC”) equity transactions and/or place fixed-income transactions with specialized broker-dealers with which the Advisor has a “soft dollar” credit arrangement, and that execute such transactions on an agency basis (“Brokers”). If the Advisor uses Brokers to execute OTC equity transactions and/or fixed-income transactions on an agency basis, the Advisor takes steps to ensure that the prices obtained in such transactions are competitive with the prices that could have been obtained had the transactions been conducted on a principal basis, i.e., directly with the dealers. However, the total cost ( i.e., price plus/minus commission) of executing an OTC equity transaction and/or or a fixed income transaction through a Broker on an agency basis may be less favorable than that of executing that same transaction with a dealer because the Broker will receive a commission for its services, including for the provision of research products, services or credits. The Advisor will take steps to ensure that commissions paid are reasonable in relation to, among other things: (i) the value of all the brokerage and research products and services provided by that Broker and (ii) the quality of execution provided by that Broker. Accordingly, the Advisor uses Brokers to effect OTC equity transactions and/or fixed income transactions for the Fund where the total cost is, in the Advisor’s opinion, reasonable, but not necessarily the lowest total cost available.

In selecting broker-dealers and in negotiating commissions, the Advisor generally considers, among other things, the Broker's reliability, the quality of its execution services on a continuing basis, the financial condition of the Broker, and the research services provided, which include furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of purchasing or selling specific securities and furnishing analysis and reports concerning state and local governments, securities, and economic factors and trends, and portfolio strategy. The Advisor considers such information, which is in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Advisor under the Advisory Agreement, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable value.
 
 
19

 

The Fund may pay brokerage commissions in an amount higher than the lowest available rate for brokerage and research services as authorized, under certain circumstances, by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Where commissions paid reflect research services and information furnished in addition to execution, the Advisor believes that such services were bona fide and rendered for the benefit of its clients. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, commissions paid were $19,047; $204,191; $851,133; and $20,127, respectively.  The commissions paid during the fiscal years 2012 and 2011 were higher than prior years due to a number of factors.  These factors included (i) the change in portfolio management, (ii) the investment objective and investment focus of the Fund was changed from that of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Greater China region resulting in a significant restructuring of the portfolio to meet the investment objective causing a larger than normal repositioning of the securities held, and (iii) during the period of restructuring, the markets were extremely volatile causing the management team to continually adjust the portfolio securities held to meet the objective.   All of these factors taken in total resulted in higher than normal brokerage commissions being paid.

The Advisor does not currently use soft dollars but may do so in the future with respect to the Fund at its discretion, subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees.
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

Purchase Orders

The purchase price for shares of the Fund is the net asset value of such shares next determined after receipt and acceptance of a purchase order in proper form by the Transfer Agent. Once shares of the Fund are purchased, dividends, if any, will start being credited to the investor's account on the day following the effective date of purchase and continue through the day the shares in the account are redeemed. All checks are accepted subject to collection at full face value in U.S. funds and must be drawn in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank. Checks drawn in U.S. funds on foreign banks will not be credited to the shareholder's account and dividends will not begin accruing until the proceeds are collected, which can take a long period of time.

Payments transmitted by wire and received by the Transfer Agent prior to the close of the Fund, normally at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (1:00 p.m. PST) on any business day are effective on the same day as received. Wire payments received by the Transfer Agent after that time will normally be effective on the next business day and such purchases will be made at the net asset value next calculated after receipt of that payment.

Shareholder Accounting

All purchases of Fund shares will be credited to the shareholder in full and fractional shares of the Fund (rounded to the nearest 1/1000 of a share) in an account maintained for the shareholder by the Transfer Agent. Share certificates will not be issued for the Fund at any time. To open an account in the name of a corporation, a resolution of that corporation's board of directors will be required. Other evidence of corporate status or the authority of account signatories may be required.

The Fund reserves the right to reject any order for the purchase of shares of the Fund, in whole or in part. In addition, the offering of shares of the Fund may be suspended by the Fund at any time and resumed at any time thereafter.

Shareholder Redemptions

All requests for redemption and all share assignments should be sent to the Fund, c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC 17605 Wright Street Omaha, NE 68130, or, for telephone redemptions, by calling the Fund at (800) 955-9988. For online redemptions, visit the Fund's website at www.sheltoncap.com .
 
 
20

 

Redemptions will be made in cash at the net asset value per share next determined after receipt by the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in proper form, including all share certificates, if any, share assignments, signature guarantees, and other documentation as may be required by the transfer agent.  As described below, the Fund may elect to make certain redemptions in kind.  Any redemption for shares held 90 days or less from the date of purchase will be subject to a 2% redemption fee. The amount received upon redemption may be more or less than the shareholder's original investment.
 
The Trust will attempt to make payment for all redemptions within one business day, but in no event later than seven days after receipt of such redemption request in proper form. However, the Trust reserves the right to suspend redemptions or postpone the date of payment (1) for any periods during which the NYSE is closed (other than for the customary weekend and holiday closings), (2) when trading in the markets the Fund usually utilize is restricted or an emergency exists, as determined by the appropriate regulatory body, so that disposal of the Fund's investments or the determination of the Fund's net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (3) for such other periods as the SEC by order may permit for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. Also, the Trust will not mail redemption proceeds until checks used for the purchase of the shares have cleared, which can take up to 15 days.

As of the date of this statement of additional information, the Trust understands that the NYSE is closed for the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. On holidays in which the Custodian is closed, any transactions will be processed on the following business day.

Due to the relatively high cost of handling small investments, the Trust reserves the right to redeem, involuntarily, at net asset value, the shares of any shareholder whose accounts in the Fund have an aggregate value of less than $1,000, but only where the value of such accounts has been reduced by such shareholder's prior voluntary redemption of shares. In any event, before the Trust redeems such shares and sends the proceeds to the shareholder, it will notify the shareholder that the value of the shares in that shareholder's account is less than the minimum amount and allow that shareholder 30 days to make an additional investment in an amount which will increase the aggregate value of that shareholder's accounts to at least $1,000 before the redemption is processed.

In an effort to discourage market timing, the Trust has adopted certain controls and procedures, including policies regarding the use of the "exchange privilege" (as described in the Prospectus).   In the event that a substantial portion of the Fund's shareholders should, within a short period, elect to redeem their shares of the Fund pursuant to the exchange privilege, the Fund might have to liquidate portfolio securities it might otherwise hold and incur the additional costs related to such transactions. The exchange privilege may be terminated or suspended by the Fund upon 60-days’ prior notice to shareholders.

Redemptions In-Kind

The Trust has elected to rely on the provisions of Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, pursuant to which it is obligated to pay in cash all requests for redemptions by any Shareholder of record, limited in amount with respect to each Shareholder during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Trust at the beginning of such period.  Such commitment is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of requests for redemption in excess of such amounts, the Board of Trustees reserve the right to make payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund from which the shareholder is redeeming in case of an emergency, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund. In such circumstances, the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute the Fund's net asset value. Should the Fund do so, a shareholder would likely incur transaction fees in converting the securities to cash.
 
 
21

 

Determination of Net Asset Value Per Share (“NAV”)

The portfolio securities of the Fund are generally valued at the last reported sale price on the principal exchange on which they were traded. In the case of the futures contracts held by the Fund, the valuation is determined using the settle price provided by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. ("ICE") or other applicable exchange, depending on the exchange the contract trades on, typically as of 1:15 p.m., PST.  Securities held by the Fund that have no reported last sale for any day that the Fund's NAV is calculated and securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the latest available bid price.  All other securities and assets are valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees.  Regardless of the method by which a security's value would otherwise be determined, if significant events affecting the security occur after the close of the exchange on which such security is traded, the Board of Trustees may determine in good faith the fair value of such security.  Securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued on the amortized cost basis unless the Board of Trustees determines that such valuation does not reflect fair value.  The Fund may also utilize a pricing service, bank, or broker/dealer experienced in such matters to perform any of the pricing functions.

TAXATION

General

The Fund is treated as a separate entity and intends to continue to qualify in each year to be treated as a separate “regulated investment company” under the Code. The Fund has elected such treatment and has so qualified during its last fiscal period ended December 31, 2013. To continue to qualify for the tax treatment afforded a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund must distribute for each fiscal year at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (including net realized short-term capital gains) and tax-exempt net investment income and meet certain source of income, diversification of assets and other requirements of the Code. Provided the Fund continues to qualify for such tax treatment, it will not be subject to federal income tax on the part of its net investment company taxable income and its net realized capital gains which it distributes to shareholders, nor will it be subject to Massachusetts income or excise taxation. The Fund must also meet certain Code requirements relating to the timing of its distributions, which generally require the distribution of substantially all of its taxable income and capital gains each calendar year, in order to avoid a 4% federal excise tax on certain retained amounts.

The Fund's transactions in forward contracts, options and futures contracts and certain other transactions may be subject to special tax rules that, among other things, may affect the amount, timing and character of income recognized by the Fund and of distributions to shareholders and may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions. For example, unless the Fund is eligible to make and makes a special election, certain futures contracts that are "Section 1256 contracts" (such as a futures contract the margin requirements for which are based on a marked-to-market system and which is traded on a "qualified board or exchange") will be "marked to market" for federal income tax purposes at the end of each taxable year, i.e., each futures contract will be treated as sold for its fair market value on the last day of the taxable year. In general, unless the special election is made, gain or loss from transactions in such futures contracts will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss.

Dividends of net investment company taxable income (including net realized short-term capital gains) are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, whether such distributions are taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Distributions of net long-term capital gains (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains, whether such distributions are taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, and regardless of how long shares of the Fund have been held. The current maximum federal individual tax rate applicable to ordinary income is 43.4% and long-term capital gains is 23.8% (both rates include the new Medicare surtax which went effective January 1, 2013). Dividends declared by the Fund in October, November, or December of any calendar year to shareholders of record as of a record date in such a month will be treated for federal income tax purposes as having been received by shareholders on December 31 of that year if they are paid during January of the following year.
 
 
22

 
 
A portion of the Fund's ordinary income dividends may qualify for the dividends received deduction available to corporate shareholders under Code Section 243 to the extent that the Fund's income is derived from qualifying dividends. Availability of the deduction is subject to certain holding periods and debt-financing limitations. Because the Fund may also earn other types of income such as interest, income from securities loans, non-qualifying dividends, and short-term capital gains, the percentage of dividends from the Fund that qualify for the deduction generally will be less than 100%. The Fund will notify corporate shareholders annually of the percentage of Fund dividends that qualifies for the dividends received deduction.

For any fiscal year, the Fund may use the accounting practice called equalization in order to avoid the dilution of the dividends payable to existing shareholders. Under this procedure, that portion of the net asset value per share of the Fund which is attributable to undistributed income is allocated as a credit to undistributed income in connection with the purchase of shares or a debit to undistributed income in connection with the redemption of shares. Thus, after every distribution, the value of a share drops by the amount of the distribution. The use of equalization accounting by the Fund may affect the amount, timing and character of its distributions to shareholders.

Substantially, the Trust income is earned in New Taiwan dollars (“NT$”) and Hong Kong dollars (“HKD”) and its expenses are partially paid in USD, NT$ and HKD.  The cost and market value of securities, currency holdings and other assets and liabilities that are denominated in NT$ and HKD are reported in the accompanying financial statements after translation into USD at the end of the year.  At December 31, 2013, the exchange rates to USD 1.00 were NT$29.804 and HKD7.754.  Currency translation gains or losses are included in the net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions and are a separate component of changes in net assets resulting from operations.

The Fund is required to file information reports with the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") with respect to taxable distributions and other reportable payments made to shareholders. The Code requires backup withholding of tax at a rate of 28% on redemptions and other reportable payments made to non-exempt shareholders if they have not provided the Fund with their correct social security or other taxpayer identification number and made the certifications required by the IRS, or if the IRS or a broker has given notification that the number furnished is incorrect or that withholding applies as a result of previous underreporting. Therefore, investors should make certain that their correct taxpayer identification number and completed certifications are included in the application form when opening an account.

Upon the sale, exchange or redemption of its shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss depending upon the amount realized and its basis in the shares.  Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and will be long-term if the shareholder’s holding period for the shares is more than 12 months and otherwise will be short-term.  Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent that the shares disposed of are replaced (including replacement through the reinvesting of dividends and capital gains distributions in the Fund) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares.  In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.  Any loss realized by a shareholder on the sale of Fund shares held by the shareholder for six months or less will be treated for federal income tax purposes as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of long-term capital gains received by the shareholder with respect to such shares.
 
 
23

 

The information above is only a summary of some of the tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders. No attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences and this discussion should not be construed as applicable to all shareholders’ tax situations. Investors should consult their own tax advisors to determine the suitability of a particular Fund and the applicability of any federal, state, local, or foreign taxation. Reed Smith, LLP has expressed no opinion in respect thereof. Foreign shareholders should consider, in particular, the possible application of U.S. withholding taxes on certain taxable distributions from the Fund at rates up to 30% (subject to reduction under certain income tax treaties) and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance provisions of the recently-enacted Hiring Incentive to Restore Employment Act of 2010.

Capital Loss Carry forwards

Pursuant to recently enacted legislation, net capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 can be carried forward without expiration.  Net capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning on or before December 22, 2010 can be carried forward for eight taxable years.  Capital loss carry forwards as of December 31, 2013.

Capital Loss Carryforwards
Expiring 2017
Non-Expiring
Total
 
$10,930,578
$2,202,024
$13,132,602

Yield Disclosure and Performance Information

The Fund may from time to time quote various performance figures in advertisements and investor communications to illustrate the Fund's past performance. Performance information published by the Fund will be in compliance with rules adopted by the SEC. These rules require the use of standardized performance quotations or, alternatively, that every non-standardized performance quotation furnished by the Fund be accompanied by certain standardized performance information computed as required by the SEC. An explanation of the methods used by the Fund to compute or express performance is discussed below.
 
Average Annual Total Return

Total return for the Fund may be stated for any relevant period as specified in the advertisement or communication. Any statements of total return or other performance data for the Fund will be limited to or accompanied by standardized information on the Fund's average annual compounded rate of return over the most recent four calendar quarters, five years, 10 years (if applicable) or over the life of the Fund ( i.e. , the period from the Fund's inception of operations through the end of the most recent calendar quarter). The average annual compounded rate of return is determined by reference to a hypothetical $1,000 investment that includes capital appreciation and depreciation for the stated period and assumes reinvestment (on the reinvestment date) of all distributions at net asset value and redemption at the end of the stated period. It is calculated according to the following standardized formula:

P (1+T) n = ERV

where:

P
=
 a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000
T
=
 average annual total return
n
=
 number of years
ERV
=
 ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of a 1-, 5-, or 10-  year periods at the end of a 1-, 5- or 10-year periods (or fractional portion).
 
 
24

 
 
Average Annual Total Return (after taxes on distributions):

The Fund computes its average annual total return after taxes on distributions by determining the average annual compounded rates of return during specified periods that equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value of such investment after taxes on fund distributions:

P (1+T) n = ATV D

where:

P
=
 a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000.
T
=
 average annual total return (after taxes on distributions).
n
=
 number of years
ATV D
=
 ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the 1-, 5-, or 10-year periods at the end of such periods, after taxes on fund distributions but not after taxes on redemptions.

Average Annual Total Return (after taxes on distributions and redemptions)

The Fund computes its average annual total return after taxes on distributions and redemptions by determining the average annual compounded rates of return during specified periods that equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value of such investment after taxes on fund distributions and redemptions:

P (1+T) n = ATV DR

where:

P
=
 a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000.
T
=
 average annual total return (after taxes on distributions and redemptions).
n
=
 number of years
ATV DR
=
 ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the 1-, 5-, or 10-year periods at the end of such periods, after taxes on fund distributions and redemptions.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates plus the new Medicare surtax which began on January 1, 2013, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

Since performance will fluctuate, performance data for the Fund should not be used to compare an investment in the Fund’s shares with bank deposits, savings accounts and similar investment alternatives which often provide an agreed-upon or guaranteed fixed yield for a stated period of time. Shareholders should remember that performance is generally a function of the kind and quality of the instruments held in a portfolio, portfolio maturity, operating expenses and market conditions.

The average annual compounded rates of return, or total return, for the Fund for the following periods were:
 
 
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One Year Ended
Five Years Ended
Ten Years Ended
 
December 31, 2012
December 31, 2012
December 31, 2012
Return Before Taxes
4.34%
14.29%
3.80%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
3.00%
13.99%
3.65%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and sale of Fund Shares
2.46%
11.36%
2.93%
 
Effective June 12, 2011, the Fund changed its investment focus from the Republic of China ("Taiwan") to the Greater China region.  Therefore, returns for periods prior to June 12, 2011 may not be representative of returns for future periods.
 
Comparisons

From time to time, advertisements and investor communications may compare the Fund’s performance to the performance of other investments as reported in various indices or averages, in order to enable an investor better to evaluate how an investment in a particular Fund might satisfy his investment objectives. The Fund may also publish an indication of past performance as measured by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., Morningstar or other widely recognized independent services that monitor the performance of mutual funds. The performance analysis will include the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, but does not take any sales charges into consideration and is prepared without regard to tax consequences. Independent sources may include, among others, the American Association of Individual Investors, Weisenberger Investment Companies Services, Donoghue’s Money Fund Report, Barron's, Business Week, Financial World, Money Magazine, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

In assessing any comparisons of total return, an investor should keep in mind that the composition of the investments in a reported average is not identical to the Fund's portfolio, that such averages are generally unmanaged and that the items included in the calculations of such averages may not be identical to the formula used by the Fund to calculate its total return or yield. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Fund will continue its performance as compared to any such averages.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Shareholders of Fund, who so request, may have their dividends paid out in cash.  Dividends, if any will be paid out at least annually.

The Trust is currently structured as a single fund; however, under the Trust's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the "Declaration"), the Board of Trustees has the ability to establish multiple funds (commonly referred to as series) to be housed under the Trust.  In such a structure, the shares of each series would have access only to the securities held by such series and would be subject only to the liabilities of such series.

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders in certain circumstances could be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. However, the Declaration contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for debts or obligations of the Fund and requires that notice of such limited liability be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Fund or the trustees. The Declaration further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Fund for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund solely by reason of his or her being a shareholder. In addition, the Fund will assume the defense of any claim against a shareholder for personal liability at the request of the shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The Fund believes that the likelihood of such circumstances is remote.
 
 
26

 

As of April 8, 2014 the following shareholders, to the Fund’s knowledge, owned beneficially more than 5% of the Fund's outstanding shares, as noted:

Name and Address of
Beneficial Owner
Amount of Beneficial Ownership
Percent of Trust
Charles Schwab & Co, Inc.
Attn Mutual Funds
101 Montgomery St
San Francisco, CA
222,822
14.97%
State Street Bank and Trust Co.
225 Franklin St,  Mae Co
Boston, MA
121,804
8.18%
Ameritrade, Inc.
P. O. Box 2226
Omaha, NE
109,654
7.37%
National Financial Services, LLC
Attn Mutual Fund Dept
200 Liberty St
One World Financial Center
New York, NY
102,170
6.86%
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & SMI
101 Hudson Street, 9 th Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07302
96,650
6.49%
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank
Mutual Funds Department 13 th Floor
14201 Dallas Parkway
Dallas, TX 75254
82,596
5.55%

As of the calendar year ended December 31, 2013, the Trustees and officers of the Fund, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of the Fund.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Prior to June 13, 2011, the Fund was operated under the name Taiwan Greater China Fund, at which time it was renamed the Shelton Greater China Fund. The audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 for the Fund as contained in the Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 (the "Report") are incorporated herein by reference to the Report which has been filed with the SEC. Any person not receiving the Report with this statement of additional information should call or write the Fund to obtain a free copy.

 
27

 
 
Shelton Greater China Fund

FORM N-1A

PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
 
Item 28.  Exhibits
 
(a)
Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated September 21, 2011. is incorporated by reference Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement as filed on September 22, 2011.

(b)
Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant, dated June 12th, 2011 is incorporated by reference to the Fund's registration statement filed on Form N-1A on August 4, 2011.

(c)
Inapplicable.

(d)
(1) Management Agreement, dated May 27, 2011. is incorporated by reference to the Fund's registration statement filed on Form N-1A on August 4, 2011.

(e)
Underwriting Agreement, dated June 13, 2011. is incorporated by reference to the Fund's registration statement filed on Form N-1A on August 4, 2011.

(f)
Inapplicable.

(g)
Custodian Agreement between Shelton Greater China Fund and U.S Bank National Association is enclosed herewith.

(h)
Other Material Contracts

 
(1) 
Form of Administration Agreement. is incorporated by reference Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement as filed on September 22, 2011.

 
(2) 
Form of Expense Cap Agreement. is incorporated by reference Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement as filed on September 22, 2011.

 
(3) 
Fund Services Agreement between Shelton Funds Trust and Shelton Greater China Fund Trust and Gemini Fund Services, LLC is included herewith.
 
 
28

 
 
(i)
(1) Opinion and Consent of Counsel to the Registrant. is incorporated by reference Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement as filed on September 22, 2011.

(2) Opinion and Consent of Local Counsel to the Registrant. is incorporated by reference Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement as filed on September 22, 2011.
 
   
(j)
(1) Powers of Attorney. Previously filed as an exhibit to the Fund's registration statement filed on Form N-1A on August 4, 2011.

(2) Consent of Independent Public Accountants (KPMG LLP). is incorporated by reference Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement as filed on September 22, 2011.

(3) Inapplicable

(k)
Inapplicable.

(l)
Inapplicable.

(m)
Inapplicable.

(n)
Inapplicable.

(o)
Reserved.

(p)
(1)       Code of Ethics, dated February 2014, included herewith.
 
Item 29.  Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant.
 
Inapplicable.

Item 30.  Indemnification.
 
The Fund is permitted by Massachusetts law and required by its Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust to indemnify any Trustee or officer of the Fund against all liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which the Trustee or officer becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Trustee or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof unless, (i) by reason of a final adjudication, the Trustee or officer was found to have engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office, (ii) with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Fund; or (iii) in the event of a settlement involving payment by the Trustee or officer or other disposition not involving a final adjudication as described in (i) and (ii) above resulting in a payment by the Trustee or officer, unless there has been either a determination that such Trustee or officer did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office by the court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition or a reasonable determination, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry) that he did not engage in such conduct (a) by a vote of a majority of the disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in officer act on the matter), or (b) by written opinion of independent legal counsel. The Fund may pay the expenses described above in advance of the final disposition of any such legal action provided that the person receiving the payment undertakes to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification provided that either such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other appropriate security or the Fund shall be insured against losses arising out of any such advances; or a majority of the disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in officer act on the matter) or an independent legal counsel in written opinion, shall determine, based upon review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
 
 
29

 
 
The Management Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, CCM Partners, L.P. (the “Manager”) (dba Shelton Capital Management) is entitled to indemnification from the Fund for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, its rendering of services under the Management Agreement or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by the Fund.
  
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons, if any, of the Fund pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Fund has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Fund of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person, if any, of the Fund in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person, if any, in connection with the securities being registered, the Fund 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 31.  Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisor.

Shelton Capital Management a California limited partnership, is the Registrant's investment advisor. Shelton Capital Management has been engaged during the past two fiscal years as the investment advisor of the Shelton Funds (and its predecessors), a diversified, open-end management investment company, which comprises the following series: California Tax-Free Income Fund, Shelton Green Alpha Fund, U.S. Government Securities Fund, The United States Treasury Trust, S&P 500 Index Fund, S&P MidCap Index Fund, S&P SmallCap Index Fund, Shelton Core Value Fund, European Growth & Income Fund, Nasdaq-100 Index Fund, and Short-Term U.S. Government Bond Fund. The principal business address of Shelton Funds is 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2100, San Francisco, California 94104.

The officer of Shelton Capital Management is Stephen C. Rogers. Mr. Rogers has also served as an officer of the Registrant since June 2011. Mr. Rogers was elected to the Board of Shelton Capital Management as Secretary and Trustee in August 1998, and was elected as Chairman of the Board in October 1999.  For additional information, please see Part A of this Registration Statement.

Item 32.  Principal Underwriters

RFS Partners is the principal underwriter, and in that capacity distributes the shares of the Fund. Certain limited partners of RFS Partners also serve as officers and/or trustees of the Registrant.
 
 
30

 
 
Item 33.  Locations of Accounts and Records.

The accounts, books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules thereunder are kept by Registrant's Shareholder Servicing and Transfer Agent, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, NE 68130.
 
Item 34.  Management Services

All management-related service contracts are discussed in Part A or Part B of this Registration Statement.

Item 35.  Undertakings.

Inapplicable.
 
 
31

 
 
SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Francisco, the State of California, on April 29, 2014.
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
 (Registrant)
 
By /s/ Stephen C. Rogers
Stephen C. Rogers, President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
 
/s/ Stephen C. Rogers
 
President and Trustee
April 29, 2014
Stephen C. Rogers
     
       
/s/ Kevin T. Kogler*
 
Trustee
April  29, 2014
Kevin T. Kogler
     
       
/s/ James W. Miller, Jr.*
 
Trustee
April  29, 2014
James W. Miller, Jr.
     
       
/s/ Stephen H. Sutro*
 
Trustee
April  29, 2014
Stephen H. Sutro
     

*
Signed by Stephen C. Rogers pursuant to Powers of Attorney previously filed as an exhibit to the Fund's registration statement filed on Form N-1A on August 4, 2011.
 
 
32

 
 
Index to Exhibits

28(g)
Custodian Agreement between Shelton Greater China Fund and U.S. Bank National Association is enclosed herewith.
28(h)(3)
Fund Services Agreement between Shelton Funds and Shelton Greater China Fund and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, is enclosed herewith.
28(j)(3)
Consent of Independent Public Accountants (Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP).
28(p)(1)
Code of Ethics
 
 
33
 
CUSTODY AGREEMENT

THIS   AGREEMENT   is made and entered into as of this 17th day of May, 2013, by and between SHELTON   GREATER CHINA   FUND,   a Massachusetts business trust (the "Trust"), acting for and on behalf of each series as are currently authorized and issued by the Trust, if any, or may be authorized and issued by the Trust subsequent to the date of this Agreement, if any (each a "Fund" and collectively the "Funds") and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America (the "Custodian").

WHEREAS, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end management investment company, and is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest in separate series, with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;

WHEREAS, the Custodian is a bank meeting the requirements prescribed in Section 26(a)(l) of the 1940 Act; and

WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Custodian to act as custodian of the cash and securities of each series of the Trust (each a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"); and

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Trust has designated the Custodian as custodian of the Trust's assets and the foreign custody manager of the Trust pursuant to the provisions of Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act and has delegated to the Custodian the responsibilities set forth in Rule 17f-5(c) under the 1940 Act and the Custodian is willing to undertake the responsibilities and serve as the foreign custody manager for the Trust.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants herein contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I.
 
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
 
Whenever used in this Agreement, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings set forth below unless the context otherwise requires:

1.01            "Authorized Person"  means any Officer or person who has been designated as such by written notice and named in Exhibit A and delivered to the Custodian by the Trust, or if the Trust has notified the Custodian in writing that it has an authorized investment manager or other agent, delivered to the Custodian by the Trust's investment advisor or other agent. Such Officer or person shall continue to be an Authorized Person until such time as the Custodian receives Written Instructions from the Trust or the Trust's investment advisor or other agent that any such person is no longer an Authorized Person.
 
 
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1.02            "Board   of   Trustees"  shall mean the trustees from time to time serving under the Trust's declaration of trust, as amended from time to time.

1.03            "Book-Entry   System" shall mean a federal book-entry system as provided in Subpart 0   of Treasury Circular No. 300, 31 CFR 306, in Subpart B of 31 CFR Part 350, or in such book-entry regulations of federal agencies as are substantially in the form of such Subpart 0.

1.04            "Business   Day" shall mean any day recognized as a settlement day by The New York Stock Exchange, Inc. and any other day for which the Trust computes the net asset value of Shares of the Fund.

1.05            "Eligible Foreign Custodian" has the meaning-set forth in Rule 17f-5(a)l), including a majority-owned or indirect subsidiary of a U.S. Bank (as defined in Rule 17f-5), a bank holding company meeting the requirements of an Eligible Foreign Custodian (as set forth in Rule 17f-5 or by other appropriate action of the SEC), or a foreign branch of a Bank (as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act) meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act; the term does not include any Eligible Securities Depository.

1.06            "Eligible Securities Depository"  has the meaning set forth in Rule 17f-7(b)(1) under the 1940 Act.

1.07            "Foreign   Securities"  means any investments of a Fund (including foreign currencies) for which the primary market is outside the United States and such cash and cash equivalents as are reasonably necessary to effect such Fund's transactions in such investments.

1.08           "Fund   Custody   Account" shall mean any of the accounts in the name of the Trust, which is provided for in Section 3.2 below.

1.09            "IRS" shall mean the Internal Revenue Service.

1.10            "FJNRA"  shall mean the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

1.11            "Officer"  shall mean the Chairman, President, any Vice President, any Assistant Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer, or any Assistant Treasurer of the Trust.

1.12         "Proper   Instructions"  shall mean Written Instructions.

1.13            "SEC" shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

1.14 "Securities" shall include, without limitation, common and preferred stocks, bonds, call options, put options, debentures, notes, bank certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, mortgage-backed securities or other obligations, and any certificates, receipts, warrants or other instruments or documents representing rights to receive, purchase or subscribe for the same, or evidencing or representing any other rights or interests therein, or any similar property or assets that the Custodian or its agents have the facilities to clear and service.
 
 
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1.15            "Securities   Depository"  shall mean The Depository Trust Company and any other clearing agency registered with the SEC under Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), which acts as a system for the central handling of Securities where all Securities of any particular class or series of an issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of the Securities.

1.16            "Shares"  shall mean, with respect to a Fund, the units of beneficial interest issued by the Trust on account of the Fund.

1.17           "Sub-Custodian" shall mean and include (i) any branch of a "U.S. bank," as that term is defined in Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act, and (ii) any "Eligible Foreign Custodian" having a contract with the Custodian which the Custodian has determined will provide reasonable care of assets of the Fund based on the standards specified in Section 3.3 below. Such contract shall be in writing and shall include provisions that provide: (i) for indemnification or insurance arrangements (or any combination of the foregoing) such that the Fund will be adequately protected against the risk of loss of assets held in accordance with such contract; (ii) that the Foreign Securities will not be subject to any right, charge, security interest, lien or claim of any kind in favor of the Sub-Custodian or its creditors except a claim of payment for their safe custody or administration, in the case of cash deposits, liens or rights in favor of creditors of the Sub-Custodian arising under bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws; (iii) that beneficial ownership for the Foreign Securities will be freely transferable without the payment of money or value other than for safe custody or administration; (iv) that adequate records will be maintained identifying the assets as belonging to the Fund or as being held by a third party for the benefit of the Fund; (v) that the Fund's independent public accountants will be given access to those records or confirmation of the contents of those records; and (vi) that the Fund will receive periodic reports with respect to the safekeeping of the Fund's assets, including, but not limited to, notification of any transfer to or from a Fund's account or a third party account containing assets held for the benefit of the Fund. Such contract may contain, in lieu of any or all of the provisions specified in (i)-(vi) above, such other provisions that the Custodian determines will provide, in their entirety, the same or a greater level of care and protection for Fund assets as the specified provisions.

1.18            "Written   Instructions" shall mean (i) written communications actually received by the Custodian and signed by an Authorized Person, (ii) communications by facsimile or Internet electronic e-mail or any other such system from one or more persons reasonably believed by the Custodian to be an Authorized Person.
 
 
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ARTICLE II.
 
APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN
 
2.01            Appointment . The Trust hereby appoints the Custodian as custodian of all Securities and cash owned by or in the possession of the Fund at any time during the period of this Agreement, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and the Custodian hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties set forth in this Agreement. The Trust hereby delegates to the Custodian, subject to Rule 17f-5(b), the responsibilities with respect to the Fund's Foreign Securities, and the Custodian hereby accepts such delegation as foreign custody manager with respect to the Fund. The services and duties of the Custodian shall be confined to those matters expressly set forth herein, and no implied duties·are assumed by or may be asserted against the Custodian hereunder.

2.02            Documents   to   be   Furnished . The following documents, including any amendments thereto, will be provided contemporaneously with the execution of the Agreement to the Custodian by the Trust:

 
(a)
A copy of the Trust's declaration of trust, certified by the Secretary

 
(b)
A copy of the Trust's bylaws, certified by the Secretary

 
(c)
A copy of the resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Trust appointing the Custodian, certified by the Secretary

 
(d)
A copy of the current prospectus(es) of the Fund (the "Prospectus")

 
(e)
A certification of the Chairman or the President and the Secretary of the Trust setting forth the names and signatures of the current Officers of the Trust and other Authorized Personsand

 
(f)
An executed authorization required by the Shareholder Communications Act of 1985, attached hereto as Exhibit C.
 
2.03            Notice   of   Appointment   of   Transfer Agent . The Trust agrees to notify the Custodian in writing of the appointment, termination or change in appointment of any transfer agent of the Fund.

ARTICLE III.

CUSTODY OF CASH AND SECURITIES

3.01            Segregation . All Securities and non-cash property held by the Custodian for the account of the Fund (other than Securities maintained in a Securities Depository, Eligible Securities Depository or Book-Entry System) shall be physically segregated from other Securities and non-cash property in the possession of the Custodian (including the Securities and non-cash property of the other series of the Trust, if applicable) and shall be identified as subject to this Agreement.
 
 
4

 
 
3.02            Fund   Custody   Accounts . As to each Fund, the Custodian shall open and maintain in its trust department a custody account in the name of the Trust coupled with the name of the Fund, subject only to draft or order of the Custodian, in which the Custodian shall enter and carry all Securities, cash and other assets of such Fund which are delivered to it.

3.03           Appointment of Agents.

 
(a)
In its discretion, the Custodian may appoint one or more Sub-Custodians to establish and maintain arrangements with (i) Eligible Securities Depositories or (ii) Eligible Foreign Custodians .who are members of the Sub-Custodian's network to hold Securities and cash of the Fund and to carry out such other provisions of this Agreement as it may determine; provided, however, that the appointment of any such agents and maintenance of any Securities and cash of the Fund shall be at the Custodian's expense and shall not relieve the Custodian of any of its obligations or liabilities under this Agreement. The Custodian shall be liable for the actions of any Sub-Custodians (regardless of whether assets are maintained in the custody of a Sub­ Custodian, a member of its network or an Eligible Securities Depository) appointed by it as if such actions had been done by the Custodian.

 
(b)
If,   after the initial appointment of Sub-Custodians by the Board of Trustees in connection with this Agreement, the Custodian wishes to appoint other Sub­ Custodians to hold property of the Fund, it will so notify the Trust and make the necessary determinations as to any such new Sub-Custodian's eligibility under Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act.

 
(c)
In performing its delegated responsibilities as foreign custody manager to place or maintain the Fund's assets with a Sub-Custodian, the Custodian will determine that the Fund's assets will be subject to reasonable care, based on the standards applicable to custodians in the country in which the Fund's assets will be held by that Sub­ Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation the factors specified in Rule 17f-5(c)(1).

 
(d)
The agreement between the Custodian and each Sub-Custodian acting hereunder shall contain the required provisions set forth in Rule 17f-5(c)(2) under the 1940 Act.

 
(e)
At the end of each calendar quarter, the Custodian shall provide written reports notifying the Board of Trustees of the withdrawal or placement of the Securities and cash of the Fund with a Sub-Custodian, and/or Eligible Securities Depository, and of any material changes in the Fund's arrangements. Such reports shall include an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with any Eligible Securities Depositories. The Custodian shall promptly take such steps as may be required to withdraw assets of the Fund from any Sub-Custodian and/or Eligible Securities Depository arrangement that has ceased to meet the requirements of Rule 17f-5 or Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act, as applicable.
 
 
5

 
 
 
(f)
With respect to its responsibilities under this Section 3.03, the Custodian hereby warrants to the Trust that it shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence in performing such responsibilities such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of property of the Fund. The Custodian further warrants that the Fund's assets will be subject to reasonable care if maintained with a Sub-Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation: (i) the Sub-Custodian's practices, procedures, and internal controls for certificated securities (if applicable), its method of keeping custodial records, and its security and data protection practices; (ii) whether the Sub-Custodian has the requisite financial strength to provide reasonable· care for Fund assets; (iii) the Sub­Custodian's general reputation and standing and, in the case of a Securities Depository, the Securities Depository's operating history and number of participants; and (iv) whether the Fund will have jurisdiction over and be able to enforce judgments against the Sub-Custodian, such as by virtue of the existence of any offices of the Sub­ Custodian in the United States or the Sub-Custodian's consent to service of process in the United States.

 
(g)
The Custodian shall establish a system or ensure that its Sub-Custodian has established a system to monitor on a continuing basis (i) the appropriateness of maintaining the Fund's assets with a Sub-Custodian or Eligible Foreign Custodians who are members of a Sub-Custodian's network; (ii) the performance of the contract governing the Fund's arrangements with such Sub-Custodian or Eligible Foreign Custodian's members of a Sub-Custodian's network; and (iii) the custody risks of maintaining assets with an Eligible Securities Depository. The Custodian must promptly notify the Fund or its investment adviser of any material change in these risks.
 
 
(h)
The Custodian shall use commercially reasonable efforts to collect all income and other payments with respect to Foreign Securities to which the Fund shall be entitled and shall credit such income, as collected, to the Trust. In   the event that extraordinary measures are required to collect such income, the Trust and Custodian shall consult as to the measures and as to the compensation and expenses of the Custodian relating to such measures.

3.04            Delivery   of   Assets   to   Custodian . The Trust shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Custodian all of the Fund's Securities, cash and other investment assets, including (i) all payments of income, payments of principal and capital distributions received by the Fund with respect to such Securities, cash or other assets owned by the Fund at any time during the period of this Agreement, and (ii) all cash received by the Fund for the issuance of Shares. The Custodian shall not be responsible for such Securities, cash or other assets until actually received by it.
 
 
6

 
 
3.05            Securities   Depositories   and   Book-Entry   Systems .The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain Securities of the Fund in a Securities Depository or in a Book-Entry System, subject to the following provisions:

 
(a)
The Custodian, on an on-going basis, shall deposit in a Securities Depository or Book­ Entry System all Securities eligible for deposit therein and shall make use of such Securities Depository or Book-Entry System to the extent possible and practical in connection with its performance hereunder, including, without limitation, in connection with settlements of purchases and sales of Securities, loans of Securities, and deliveries and returns of collateral consisting of Securities.

 
(b)
Securities of the Fund kept in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository shall be kept in an account (!'Depository Account'') of the Custodian in such Book-Entry System or Securities Depository which includes only assets held by the Custodian as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise for customers.

 
(c)
The records of the Custodian with respect to Securities of the Fund maintained in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository shall, by book-entry, identify such Securities as belonging to the Fund.

 
(d)
If securities purchased by the Fund are to be held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, the Custodian shall pay for such Securities upon (i) receipt of advice from the Book-Entry System or Securities Depository that such Securities have been transferred to the Depository Account, and (ii)   the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Fund. If   Securities sold by the Fund are held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, the Custodian shall transfer such Securities upon (i) receipt of advice from the Book-Entry System or Securities Depository that payment for such Securities has been transferred to the Depository Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and payment for the account of the Fund.

 
(e)
The Custodian shall provide the Trust with copies of any report (obtained by the Custodian from a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository in which Securities of the Fund are kept) on the internal accounting controls and procedures for safeguarding Securities deposited in such Book-Entry System or Securities Depository.

 
(f)
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Custodian shall be liable to the Trust for any loss or damage to the Fund resulting from (i) the use of a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository by reason of any negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Custodian or any Sub-Custodian, or (ii) failure of the Custodian or any Sub-Custodian to enforce effectively such rights as it may have against a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository. At its election, the Trust shall be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claim against a Book­ Entry System or Securities Depository or any other person from any loss or damage to the Fund arising from the use of such Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, if and to the extent that the Fund has not been made whole for any such loss or damage.
 
 
7

 
 
 
(g)
With respect to its responsibilities under this Section 3.05 and pursuant to Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act, the Custodian hereby warrants to the Trust that it agrees to (i) exercise due care in accordance with reasonable commercial standards in discharging its duty as a securities intermediary to obtain and thereafter maintain such assets, (ii) provide, promptly upon request by the Trust, such reports as are available concerning the Custodian's internal accounting controls and financial strength, and (iii) require any Sub-Custodian to exercise due care in accordance with reasonable commercial standards in discharging its duty as a securities intermediary to obtain and thereafter maintain assets corresponding to the security entitlements of its entitlement holders.

3.06            Disbursement   of   Moneys   from   Fund   Custody   Account . Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall disburse moneys from the Fund Custody Account but only in   the following cases:
 
 
(a)
For the purchase of Securities for the Fund but only in accordance with Section 4.01 of this Agreement and only (i) in the case of Securities (other than options on Securities, futures contracts and options on futures contracts), against the delivery to the Custodian (or any Sub-Custodian) of such Securities registered as provided in Section 3.09 below or in proper form for transfer, or if the purchase of such Securities is effected through a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, in accordance with the conditions set forth in Section 3.05 above; (ii) in the case of options on Securities, against delivery to the Custodian (or any Sub-Custodian) of such receipts as are required by the customs prevailing among dealers in such options; (iii) in the case of futures contracts and options on futures contracts, against delivery to the Custodian (or any Sub-Custodian) of evidence of title thereto in favor of the Fund or any nominee referred to in Section 3.09 below; and (iv) in the case of repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements entered into between the Trust and a bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve System or between the Trust and a primary dealer in U.S. Government securities, against delivery of the purchased Securities either in certificate form or through an entry crediting the Custodian's account at a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository with such Securities;

 
(b)
In connection with the conversion, exchange or surrender, as set forth in Section 3.07(f) below, of Securities owned by the Fund;
 
 
(c)
For the payment of any dividends or capital gain distributions declared by the Fund;
 
 
(d)
In payment of the redemption price of Shares as provided in Section 5.01 below;
 
 
(e)
For the payment of any expense or liability incurred by the Fund, including, but not limited to, the following payments for the account of the Fund: interest; taxes; administration, investment advisory, accounting, auditing, transfer agent, custodian, trustee and legal fees; and other operating expenses of the Fund; in all cases, whether or not such expenses are to be in whole or in part capitalized or treated as deferred expenses;

 
8

 
 
 
(f)
For transfer in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Trust, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA, relating to compliance with rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or of any similar organization or organizations) regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund;

 
(g)
For transfer in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Trust, the Custodian and a futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any contract market (or any similar organization or organizations) regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund;

 
(h)
For the funding of any uncertificated time deposit or other interest-bearing account with any banking institution (including the Custodian), which deposit or account has a term of one year or less; and

 
(i)
For any other proper purpose, where such Proper Instructions specify the amount and purpose of such payment, declare such purpose to be a proper corporate purpose, and name the person or persons to whom such payment is to be made.

3.07            Delivery   of   Securities   from   Fund   Custody   Account . Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall release and deliver, or cause the Sub-Custodian to release and deliver, Securities from the Fund Custody Account but only in the following cases:

 
(a)
Upon the sale of Securities for the account of the Fund but only against receipt of payment therefor in cash, by certified or cashiers check or bank credit;

 
(b)
In the case of a sale effected through a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.05 above;

 
(c)
To an offeror's depository agent in   connection with tender or other similar offers for Securities of the Fund; provided that, in any such case, the cash or other consideration is to be delivered to the Custodian;

 
(d)
To the issuer thereof or its agent (i) for transfer into the name of the Fund, the Custodian or any Sub-Custodian, or any nominee or nominees of any of the foregoing, or (ii) for exchange for a different number of certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units; provided that, in any such case, the new Securities are to be delivered to the Custodian;

 
(e)
To the broker selling the Securities, for examination in accordance with the "street delivery" custom;
 
 
9

 
 
 
(f)
For exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the issuer of such Securities, or pursuant to provisions for conversion contained in such Securities, or pursuant to any deposit agreement, including surrender or receipt of underlying Securities in connection with the issuance or cancellation of depository receipts; provided that, in any such case, the new Securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian;

 
(g)
Upon receipt of payment therefor pursuant to any repurchase or reverse repurchase agreement entered into by the Fund;

 
(h)
In the case of warrants, rights or similar Securities, upon the exercise thereof, provided that, in any such case, the new Securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian;

 
(i)
For delivery in connection with any loans of Securities of the Fund, but only against receipt of such collateral as the Trust shall have specified to the Custodian in Proper Instructions;

 
(j)
For delivery as security in connection with any borrowings by the Fund requiring a pledge of assets by the Trust, but only against receipt by the Custodian of the amounts borrowed;

 
(k)
Pursuant to any authorized plan of liquidation, reorganization, merger, consolidation or recapitalization of the Trust;

 
(1)
For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Trust, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA, relating to compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or of any similar organization or organizations) regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund;

 
(m)
For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Trust, the Custodian and a futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any contract market (or any similar organization or organizations) regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund;

 
(n)
For any other proper corporate purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying the Securities to be delivered, setting forth the purpose for which such delivery is to be made, declaring such purpose to be a proper corporate purpose, and naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such Securities shall be made; or

 
(o) 
To brokers, clearing banks or other clearing agents for examination or trade execution in accordance with market custom; provided that in any such case the Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such securities prior to receiving payment for such securities except as may arise from the Custodian's own negligence or willful misconduct.

 
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3.08           Actions   Not   Requiring Proper Instructions . Unless otherwise instructed by the Trust, the Custodian shall with respect to all Securities held for the Fund:

 
(a)
Subject to Section 9.04 below, collect on a timely basis all income and other payments to which the Fund is entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the securities business;

 
(b)
Present for payment and, subject to Section 9.04 below, collect on a timely basis the amount payable upon all Securities which may mature or be called, redeemed, or retired; or otherwise- become payable;
·

 
(c)
Endorse for collection, in the name of the Fund, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments;

 
(d)
Surrender interim receipts or Securities in temporary form for Securities in definitive form;

 
(e)
Execute, as custodian, any necessary declarations or certificates of ownership under the federal income tax laws or the laws or regulations of any other taxing authority now or hereafter in effect, and prepare and submit reports to the IRS and the Trust at such time, in such manner and containing such information as is prescribed by the IRS;

 
(f)
Hold for the Fund, either directly or, with respect to Securities held therein, through a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, all rights and similar Securities issued with respect to Securities of the Fund; and

 
(g)
In general, and except as otherwise directed in Proper Instructions, attend to all non­ discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with Securities and other assets of the Fund.

3.09            Registration   and   Transfer   of   Securities . All Securities held for the Fund that are issued or issuable only in bearer form shall be held by the Custodian in that form, provided that any such Securities shall be held in a Book-Entry System if eligible therefor. All other Securities held for the Fund may be registered in the name of:

 
(a)
the Fund, or

 
(b)
subject to the other provisions hereof, (i) the Custodian, (ii) a Sub-Custodian or any nominee thereof, (iii) a Book-Entry System, Securities Depository or any nominee of either thereof.

The records of the Custodian with respect to Foreign Securities of the Fund that are maintained with a Sub-Custodian in an account that is identified as belonging to the Custodian for the benefit of its customers shall identify those securities as belonging to the Fund. The Trust shall furnish to the Custodian appropriate instruments to enable the Custodian to hold or deliver in proper form for transfer, or to register in the name of any of the nominees referred to above or in the name of a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, any Securities registered in the name of the Fund.

 
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3.10           Records.

 
(a)
The Custodian shall maintain complete and accurate records with respect to Securities, cash or other property held for the Fund, including (i) journals or other records of original entry containing an itemized daily record in detail of all receipts and deliveries of Securities and all receipts and disbursements of cash; (ii) ledgers (or other records) reflecting (A) Securities in transfer, (B) Securities in physical possession, (C) monies and Securities borrowed and monies and Securities loaned (together with a record of the collateral therefor and substitutions of such collateral), (D) dividends and interest received, and (E) dividends receivable and interest receivable; (iii) canceled checks and bank records related thereto; and (iv) all records relating to its activities and obligations under this Agreement. The Custodian shall keep such other books and records of the Fund as the Trust shall reasonably request, or as may be required by the 1940 Act, including, but not limited to, Section 31 of the 1940 Act and Rule 31a-2 promulgated thereunder.

 
(b)
All such books and records maintained by the Custodian shall (i) be maintained in a form acceptable to the Trust and in compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, (ii) be the property of the Trust and at all times during the regular business hours of the Custodian be made available upon request for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Trust and employees or agents of the SEC, and (iii) if required to be maintained by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, be preserved for the periods prescribed in Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 under the 1940 Act.

3.11            Fund   Reports   by   Custodian . The Custodian shall furnish the Trust with a daily activity statement and a summary of all transfers to or from each Fund Custody Account on the day following such transfers. At least monthly, the Custodian shall furnish the Trust with a detailed statement of the Securities and moneys held by the Custodian and the Sub­ Custodians for the Fund under this Agreement.

3.12            Other   Reports   by   Custodian . As the Trust may reasonably request from time to time, the Custodian shall provide the Trust with reports on the internal accounting controls and procedures for safeguarding Securities which are employed by the Custodian or any Sub­ Custodian.

3.13            Proxies   and   Other   Materials . The Custodian shall cause all proxies relating to Securities which are not registered in the name of the Fund to be promptly executed by the registered holder of such Securities, without indication of the manner in which such proxies are to be voted, and shall promptly deliver to the Trust such proxies, all proxy soliciting materials and all notices relating to such Securities. With respect to the foreign Securities, the Custodian will use reasonable commercial efforts to facilitate the exercise of voting and other shareholder rights, subject to the laws, regulations and practical constraints that may exist in the country where such securities are issued. The Trust acknowledges that local conditions, including lack of regulation, onerous procedural obligations, lack of notice and other factors may have the effect of severely limiting the ability of the Trust to exercise shareholder voting rights.

 
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3.14            Information   on   Corporate   Actions . The Custodian shall promptly deliver to the Trust all information received by the Custodian and pertaining to Securities being held by the Fund with respect to optional tender or exchange offers, calls for redemption or purchase, or expiration of rights. If the Trust desires to take action with respect to any tender offer, exchange offer or other similar transaction, the Trust shall notify the Custodian at least two Business Days prior to the date on which the Custodian is to take such action. The Trust will provide or cause to be provided to the Custodian all relevant information for any Security which has unique put/option provisions at least two Business Days prior to the beginning date of the tender period.

ARTICLE IV.
 
PURCHASE AND SALE OF INVESTMENTS OF THE FUND

4.01            Purchase   of   Securities . Promptly upon each purchase of Securities for the Fund, Written Instructions shall be delivered to the Custodian, specifying (i) the name of the issuer or writer of such Securities, and the title or other description thereof, (ii) the number of shares, principal amount (and accrued interest, if any) or other units purchased, (iii) the date of purchase and settlement, (iv) the purchase price per unit, (v) the total amount payable upon such purchase, and (vi) the name of the person to whom such amount is payable. The Custodian shall upon receipt of such Securities purchased by the Fund pay out of the moneys held for the account of the Fund the total amount specified in such Written Instructions to the person named therein. The Custodian shall not be under any obligation to pay out moneys to cover the cost of a purchase of Securities for the Fund, if in the Fund Custody Account there is insufficient cash available to the Fund for which such purchase was made.

4.02            Liability   for   Payment   in   Advance   of   Receipt   of   Securities   Purchased . In any and every case where payment for the purchase of Securities for the Fund is made by the Custodian in advance of receipt of the Securities purchased and in the absence of specified Written Instructions to so pay in advance, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund for such payment.

4.03            Sale   of   Securities . Promptly upon each sale of Securities by the Fund, Written Instructions shall be delivered to the Custodian, specifying (i) the name of the issuer or writer of such Securities, and the title or other description thereof, (ii) the number of shares, principal amount (and accrued interest, if any), or other units sold, (iii) the date of sale and settlement, (iv) the sale price per unit, (v) the total amount payable upon such sale, and (vi) the person to whom such Securities are to be delivered. Upon receipt of the total amount payable to the Fund as specified in such Written Instructions, the Custodian shall deliver such Securities to the person specified in such Written Instructions. Subject to the foregoing, the Custodian may accept payment in such form as shall be satisfactory to it, and may deliver Securities and arrange for payment in accordance with the customs prevailing among dealers in Securities.

 
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4.04           Delivery   of   Securities   Sold . Notwithstanding Section 4.03 above or any other provision of this Agreement, the Custodian, when instructed to deliver Securities against payment, shall be entitled, if in accordance with generally accepted market practice, to deliver such Securities prior to actual receipt of final payment therefor. In any such case, the Fund shall bear the risk that final payment for such Securities may not be made or that such Securities may be returned or otherwise held or disposed of by or through the person to whom they were delivered, and the Custodian shall have no liability for any for the foregoing.

4.05            Payment   for   Securities   Sold . In its sole discretion and from time to time, the Custodian may credit the Fund Custody Account, prior to actual receipt of final payment thereof, with (i) proceeds from the sale of Securities which it has been instructed to deliver against payment, (ii) proceeds from the redemption of Securities or other assets of the Fund, and (iii) income from cash, Securities or other assets of the Fund. Any such credit shall be conditional upon actual receipt by Custodian of final payment and may be reversed if final payment is not actually received in full. The Custodian may, in its sole discretion and from time to time, permit the Fund to use funds so credited to the Fund Custody Account in anticipation of actual receipt of final payment. Any such funds shall be repayable immediately upon demand made by the Custodian at any time prior to the actual receipt of all final payments in anticipation of which funds were credited to the Fund Custody Account.

4.06           Advances   by   Custodian   for   Settlement . The Custodian may, in its sole discretion and from time to time, advance funds to the Trust to facilitate the settlement of a Fund's transactions in the Fund Custody Account. Any such advance shall be repayable immediately upon demand made by Custodian.

ARTICLE V.
 
REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES
 
5.01            Transfer   of   Funds . From such funds as may be available for the purpose in the relevant Fund Custody Account, and upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying that the funds are required to redeem Shares of the Fund, the Custodian shall wire each amount specified in such Proper Instructions to or through such bank or broker-dealer as the Trust may designate.

5.02            No   Duty   Regarding   Paying   Banks . Once the Custodian has wired amounts to a bank or broker-dealer pursuant to Section 5.01 above, the Custodian shall not be under any obligation to effect any further payment or distribution by such bank or broker-dealer.
 
 
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ARTICLE VI.
 
SEGREGATED ACCOUNTS
 
Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall establish and maintain a segregated account or accounts for and on behalf of each Fund, into which account or accounts may be transferred cash and/or Securities, including Securities maintained in a Depository Account:

 
(a)
in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Trust, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA (or any futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act), relating to compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or any registered contract market), or of any similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund;

 
(b)
for purposes of segregating cash or Securities in connection with securities options purchased or written by the Fund or in connection with financial futures contracts (or options thereon) purchased or sold by the Fund;

 
(c)
which constitute collateral for loans of Securities made by the Fund;

 
(d)
for purposes of compliance by the Fund with requirements under the 1940 Act for the maintenance of segregated accounts by registered investment companies in connection with reverse repurchase agreements and when-issued, delayed delivery and firm commitment transactions; and

 
(e)
for other proper corporate purposes, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, setting forth the purpose or purposes of such segregated account and declaring such purposes to be proper corporate purposes.

Each segregated account established under this Article VI shall be established and maintained for the Fund only. All Proper Instructions relating to a segregated account shall specify the Fund.

ARTICLE VII.
 
COMPENSATION OF CUSTODIAN
 
7.01             Compensation . The   Custodian   shall   be   compensated   for providing the services set forth in this Agreement in accordance with the fee schedule set forth on Exhibit B hereto (as amended from time to time). The Custodian shall also be compensated for such out-of­ pocket expenses ( e . g., telecommunication charges, postage and delivery charges, and reproduction charges) as are reasonably incurred by the Custodian in performing its duties hereunder. The Trust shall pay all such fees and reimbursable expenses within 30 calendar days following receipt of the billing notice, except for any fee or expense subject to a good faith dispute. The Trust shall notify the Custodian in writing within 30 calendar days following receipt of each invoice if the Trust is disputing any amounts in good faith. The Trust shall pay such disputed amounts within 10 calendar days of the day on which the parties agree to the amount to be paid. With the exception of any fee or expense the Trust is disputing in good faith as set forth above, unpaid invoices shall accrue a finance charge of 1% per month after the due date. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, amounts owed by the Trust to the Custodian shall only be paid out of the assets and property of the particular Fund involved.

 
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7.02            Overdrafts . The Trust is responsible for maintaining an appropriate level of short term cash investments to accommodate cash outflows. The Trust may obtain a formal line of credit for potential overdrafts of its custody account. In   the event of an overdraft or in the event the line of credit is insufficient to cover an overdraft, the overdraft amount or the overdraft amount that exceeds the line of credit will be charged in accordance with the fee schedule set 'forth on Exhibit B   hereto (as amended from time to time)

ARTICLE VIII.
 
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
 
8.01            Representations   and   Warranties   of   the   Trust . The Trust hereby represents and warrants to the Custodian, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that:

 
(a)
It   is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder;

 
(b)
This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trust in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Trust, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and

 
(c)
It   is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement.

8.02            Representations and   Warranties   of   the   Custodian . The Custodian hereby represents and warrants to the Trust, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that:

 
(a)
It   is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder;
 
 
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(b)
It is a U.S. Bank as defined in section (a)(7) of Rule 17f-5.

 
(c)
This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Custodian in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Custodian, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and

 
(d)
It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any   contract binding it or   affecting its property   which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement.

ARTICLE   IX .

CONCERNING THE CUSTODIAN

9.01           Standard   of   Care . The Custodian shall exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Custodian shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with its duties under this Agreement, except a loss arising out of or relating to the Custodian's (or a Sub-Custodian's) refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement (or any sub­ custody agreement) or from its (or a Sub-Custodian's) bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement). The Custodian shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon advice of counsel on all matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice. The Custodian shall promptly notify the Trust of any action taken or omitted by the Custodian pursuant to advice of counsel.

9.02           Actual   Collection   Required . Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the Custodian shall not be liable for, or considered to be the custodian of, any cash belonging to the Fund or any money represented by a check, draft or other instrument for the payment of money, until the Custodian or its agents actually receive such cash or collect on such instrument.

9.03           No   Responsibility   for   Title.   etc. So long as and to the extent that it is in the exercise of reasonable care, the Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any property or evidence of title thereto received or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement.

9.04          Limitation on Duty to Collect. Custodian shall not be required to enforce collection, by legal means or otherwise, of any money or property due and payable with respect to Securities held for the Fund if such Securities are in default or payment is not made after due demand or presentation.
 
 
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9.05            Reliance   Upon   Documents   and   Instructions . The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon any certificate, notice or other instrument in writing received by it and reasonably believed by it to be genuine. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon any Written Instructions actually received by it pursuant to this Agreement.

9.06            Cooperation . The Custodian shall cooperate with and supply necessary information to the entity or entities appointed by the Trust to keep the books of account of the Fund and/or compute the value of the assets of the Fund. The Custodian shall take all such reasonable actions as the Trust may from time to time request to enable the Trust to obtain, from year to year, favorable opinions from the Trust's independent accountants with respect to the Custodian's activities hereunder in connection with (i) the preparation of the Trust's reports on Form N-1A and Form N-SAR and any other reports required by the SEC, and (ii) the fulfilfment by the Trust of any other requirements of the SEC.

ARTICLE X.
 
INDEMNIFICATION
 
10.01            Indemnification by   Trust . The Trust shall indemnify and hold harmless the Custodian, any Sub-Custodian and any nominee thereof (each, an "Indemnified Party" and collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys' fees) that an Indemnified Party may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against an Indemnified Party by any person arising directly or indirectly (i) from the fact that Securities are registered in the name of any such nominee, (ii) from any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Custodian or such Sub-Custodian (a) at the request or direction of or in reliance on the advice of the Trust, or (b) upon Proper Instructions, or (iii) from the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or any sub-custody agreement, provided that neither the Custodian nor any such Sub-Custodian shall be indemnified and held harmless from and against any such claim, demand, loss, expense or liability arising out of or relating to its refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement), or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement). This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of the Trust, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the terms "Custodian" and "Sub-Custodian" shall include their respective directors, officers and employees.

10.02           Indemnification by Custodian. The Custodian shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trust from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys' fees) that the Trust may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against the Trust by any person arising directly or indirectly out of any action taken or omitted to be taken by an Indemnified Party as a result of the Indemnified Party's refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement), or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement). This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of the Custodian, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the term "Trust" shall include the Trust's trustees, officers and employees.

 
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10.03 Security . If the Custodian advances cash or Securities to the Fund for any purpose, either at the Trust's request or as otherwise contemplated in this Agreement, or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee incurs, in connection with its performance under this Agreement, any claim, demand, loss, expense or liability (including reasonable attorneys' fees) (except such as may arise from its or its nominee's bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct), then, in any such event, any property at any time held for the account of the Fund shall be security therefor, and should the Fund fail promptly to repay or indemnify the Custodian, the Custodian shall be entitled to utilize available cash of such Fund and to dispose of other assets of such Fund to the extent necessary to obtain reimbursement or indemnification:.·

10.04           Miscellaneous.

 
(a)
Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party for consequential, special or punitive damages under any provision of this Agreement.

 
(b)
The indemnity provisions of this Article shall indefinitely survive the termination and/or assignment of this Agreement.

 
(c)
In   order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Article X shall apply, it is understood that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked to indemnify or hold the indemnitee harmless, the indemnitor shall be fully and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further understood that the indemnitee will use all reasonable care to notify the indemnitor promptly concerning any situation that presents or appears likely to present the probability of a claim for indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the option to defend the indemnitee against any claim that may be the subject of this indemnification. In the event that the indemnitor so elects, it will so notify the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take over complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee shall in such situation initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall seek indemnification under this Article X. The indemnitee shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the indemnitee except with the indemnitor's prior written consent.

ARTICLE XI.
 
FORCE MAJEURE
 
Neither the Custodian nor the Trust shall be liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; acts of terrorism; sabotage; strikes; epidemics; riots; power failures; computer failure and any such circumstances beyond its reasonable control as may cause interruption, loss or malfunction of utility, transportation, computer (hardware or software) or telephone communication service; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority; governmental actions; or inability to obtain labor, material, equipment or transportation; provided, however, that in the event of a failure or delay, the Custodian (i) shall not discriminate against the Fund in favor of any other customer of the Custodian in making computer time and personnel available to input or process the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and (ii) shall use its best efforts to ameliorate the effects of any such failure or delay.

 
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ARTICLE XII.
 
PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

12.01           The Custodian agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, officers, and employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Trust, all records and other information relative to the Trust and prior, present, or potential shareholders of the Trust (and clients of said shareholders), and not to use such records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, except (i) after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Trust, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where the Custodian may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, (ii) when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities although the Custodian will promptly report such disclosure to the Trust if disclosure is permitted by applicable law and regulation, or (iii) when so requested by the Trust. Records and other information which have become known to the public through no wrongful act of the Custodian or any of its employees, agents or representatives, and information that was already in the possession of the Custodian prior to receipt thereof from the Trust or its agent, shall not be subject to this paragraph.

12.02           Further, the Custodian will adhere to the privacy policies adopted by the Trust pursuant to Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as may be modified from time to time. I n   this regard, the Custodian shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Trust and its shareholders.

ARTICLE XIII.
 
EFFECTIVE PERIOD; TERMINATION
 
13.01            Effective   Period . This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above and will continue in effect until terminated in accordance with the terms hereof.

13.02            Termination . This Agreement may be terminated by either party upon ninety (90) days prior written notice to the other party or such shorter period as is mutually agreed upon by the parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by any party upon the breach of the other party of any material term of this Agreement if such breach is not cured within 15 days of notice of such breach to the breaching party. In addition, the Trust may, at any time, immediately terminate this Agreement in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the Custodian by regulatory authorities or upon the happening of a like event at the direction of an appropriate regulatory agency or court of competent jurisdiction.

 
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13.03        Appointment   of   Successor   Custodian . If   a successor custodian shall have been appointed by the Board of Trustees, the Custodian shall, upon receipt of a notice of acceptance by the successor custodian, on such specified date of termination (i) deliver directly to the successor custodian all Securities (other than Securities held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository) and cash then owned by the Fund and held by the Custodian as custodian, and (ii) transfer any Securities held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository to an account of or for the benefit of the Fund at the successor custodian, provided that the Trust shall have paid to the Custodian all fees, expenses and other amounts to the payment or reimbursement of which it shall then be entitled. In addition, the Custodian shall, at the expense of the Trust, transfer to such successor all relevant books, records, correspondence, and other data established or maintained by the Custodian under this Agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Trust (if such form differs from the form in which the Custodian has maintained the same, the Trust shall pay any expenses associated with transferring the data to such form), and will cooperate in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities, including provision for assistance from the Custodian's personnel in the establishment of books, records, and other data by such successor. Upon such delivery and transfer, the Custodian shall be relieved of all obligations under this Agreement.

13.04         Failure   to   Appoint   Successor   Custodian . If   a successor custodian is not designated by the Trust on or before the date of termination of this Agreement, then the Custodian shall have the right to deliver to a bank or trust company of its own selection, which bank or trust company (i) is a "bank" as defined in the 1940 Act, and (ii) has aggregate capital, surplus and undivided profits as shown on its most recent published report of not less than $25 million, all Securities, cash and other property held by Custodian under this Agreement and to transfer to an account of or for the Fund at such bank or trust company all Securities of the Fund held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository. Upon such delivery and transfer, such bank or trust company shall be the successor custodian under this Agreement and the Custodian shall be relieved of all obligations under this Agreement. In addition, under these circumstances, all books, records and other data of the Trust shall be returned to the Trust.

 
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ARTICLE XIV.
 
CLASS ACTIONS

The Custodian shall use its best efforts to identify and file claims for the Fund(s) involving any class action litigation that impacts any security the Fund(s) may have held during the class period. The Trust agrees that the Custodian may file such claims on its behalf and understands that it may be waiving and/or releasing certain rights to make claims or otherwise pursue class action defendants who settle their claims. Further, the Trust acknowledges that there is no guarantee these claims will result in any payment or partial payment of potential class action proceeds and that the timing of such payment, if any, is uncertain.

However, the Trust may instruct the Custodian to distribute class action notices and other relevant documentation to the Fund(s) or its designee and, if it so elects, will relieve the Custodian from any and all liability and responsibility for filing class action claims on behalf of the Fund(s).

In the event the Fund(s) are closed, the Custodian shall only file the class action claims upon written instructions by an authorized representative of the closed Fund(s). Any expenses associated with such filing will be assessed against the proceeds received of any class action settlement.

ARTICLE XV.
 
MISCELLANEOUS

15.01            Compliance   with   Laws . The Trust has and retains primary responsibility for all compliance matters relating to the Fund, including but not limited to compliance with the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and the policies and limitations of the Fund relating to its portfolio investments as set forth in its Prospectus and statement of additional information. The Custodian's services hereunder shall not relieve the Trust of its responsibilities for assuring such compliance or the Board of Trustee's oversight responsibility with respect thereto.

15.02           Amendment. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any manner except by written agreement executed by the Custodian and the Trust, and authorized or approved by the Board of Trustees.

15.03           Assignment. This Agreement shall extend to and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by the Trust without the written consent of the Custodian, or by the Custodian without the written consent of the Trust accompanied by the authorization or approval of the Board of Trustees.

15.04             Governing   Law . This   Agreement   shall   be   governed   by   and   construed   in   accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflicts of law principles. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Minnesota, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control, and nothing herein shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act or any rule or order of the SEC thereunder.

 
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15.05          No   Agency Relationship . Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower either party to act as agent for the other party to this Agreement, or to conduct business in the name, or for the account, of the other party to this Agreement.

15.06            Services Not   Exclusive . Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the Custodian from providing services to other parties that are similar or identical to some or all of the services provided hereunder.

15.07            Invalidity . Any provision of this Agreement which may be determined by competent authority to-.be prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. In such case, the parties shall in good faith modify or substitute such provision consistent with the original intent of the parties.

15.08            Notices . Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered personally or by courier service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or on the date sent and confirmed received by facsimile transmission to the other party's address set forth below:
 
Notice to the Custodian shall be sent to:
 
U.S Bank, N.A.
1555 N. Rivercenter Dr., MK-WI-S302
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Attn: Tom Fuller
Phone:414-905-6118
Fax: 866-350-5066
 
and notice to the Trust shall be sent to:
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
44   Montgomery St STE 2100
San Francisco, CA 94104
 
with a copy to:
 
Reed Smith LLP
225 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Attn: Timothy S. Johnson
 
 
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15.09           Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed on two or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

15.10            No   Waiver . No failure by either party hereto to exercise, and no delay by such party in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. The exercise by either party hereto of any right hereunder shall not preclude the exercise of any other right, and the remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided at law or in equity.

15.11            References   to   Custodian . The Trust hall not circulate any printed matter which contains any reference to Custodian without the prior written approval of Custodian, excepting printed matter contained in the Prospectus or statement of additional information for the Fund and such other printed matter as merely identifies Custodian as custodian for the Fund. The Trust shall submit printed matter requiring approval to Custodian in draft form, allowing sufficient time for review by Custodian and its counsel prior to any deadline for printing.

 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by a duly authorized officer on one or more counterparts as of the date first above written.

SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND
 
U.S.BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
         
By :
/s/Teresa Axelson
 
By:
/s/Michael R. McVoy
Name:
Teresa K. Axelson
 
Name:
Michael R.   McVoy
         
Title:
Chief Compliance Officer
 
Title:
Senior Vice President

 
24

 
 
EXHIBIT A
 
AUTHORIZED
 
PERSONS
 
Set forth below are the names and specimen signatures of the persons authorized by the Trust to administer the Fund Custody Accounts.
 
Name
Telephone/Fax Number
Signature
     
Stephen C. Rogers
Telephone: 415-398-2727
 
 
Fax: 415-421-2019
All Signatures on file
     
Teresa Axelson
Telephone: 415-625-4911
 
 
Fax: 415-421-2019
 
     
Dennis Clark
Telephone:415-398-2727
 
 
Fax: 415-421-2019
 
     
Barry Martin
Telephone:415-398-2727
 
 
Fax: 415-421-2019
 
     
Bill Mock
Telephone: 415-398-2727
 
 
Fax: 415-421-2019
 
     
Nicole Apodaca
Telephone: 415-625-4912
 
 
Fax: 415-421-2019
 
     
Michael Lee
Telephone: 415-625-4913
 
 
Fax: 415-421-2019
 

 
25

 

EXHIBIT C

SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS ACT AUTHORIZATION
 
SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND
 
The Shareholder Communications Act of 1985 requires banks and trust companies to make an effort to permit direct communication between a company which issues securities and the shareholder who votes those securities.

Unless you specifically require us to NOT release your name and address to requesting companies, we are required by law to disclose your name and address.

Your "yes" or "no" to disclosure will apply to  all   securities U.S. Bank holds for you now and in the future, unless you change your mind and notify us in writing.
 
[X]
YES
U.S. Bank is authorized to provide the Trust's name, address and security position to requesting companies whose stock is owned by the Trust.
     
[  ]
NO
U.S. Bank is NOT authorized to provide the Trust's name, address and security position to requesting companies whose stock is owned by the Trust.

SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND
 
Teresa Axelson
Title: Chief Compliance Officer

Date: May 17,2013
 
 
26
 

FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT
 

between

Shelton Funds Trust
 

and
 

Shelton Greater China Fund Trust
 

and
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
INDEX
 
1.
APPOINTMENT AND DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS
1
     
2.
DUTIES OF GFS
2
     
3.
FEES AND EXPENSES
3
     
4.
STANDARD OF CARE, INDEMNIFICATION AND RELIANCE
4
     
5.
LIMITATION OF SHAREHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY
6
     
6.
EXPENSES ASSUMED BY THE FUND FAMILY
7
     
7.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
7
     
8.
CONFIDENTIALITY
8
     
9.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
9
     
10.
ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND CLASSES
9
     
11.
ASSIGNMENT AND SUBCONTRACTING
9
     
12.
EFFECTIVE DATE, TERM AND TERMINATION
10
     
13.
LIAISON WITH ACCOUNTANTS/ADMINISTRATOR
11
     
14.
MISCELLANEOUS
11
 
Appendix I – Fund Accounting Services
 
Appendix II – Transfer Agency Services
 
Appendix III – List of Funds Services & Fees
 
 
 

 

SHELTON FUNDS TRUST
And
SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND TRUST
 
FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT
 
THIS FUND SERVICES AGREE M ENT   (this “Agreement”) is effective as of the 21 st day of March, 2014, by and between GEMINI FUND SERVICES, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company having its principal office and place of business at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (“GFS”), SHELTON FUNDS TRUST, a Delaware statutory trust having its principal office and place of business at 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2100, San Francisco, California 94104 (the “Shelton Funds Trust”) , and SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND TRUST, a Massachusetts business trust having its principal office and place of business at 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2100, San Francisco, California 94104 (the “China Fund Trust”; and together with the Shelton Funds Trust, the “Fund Family” and each a “Trust”). For convenience of drafting the term “Trust” when used herein shall refer to each of the Trusts in its separate legal capacity with the effect that any obligation of a “Trust” will be the separate legal obligation of both the Shelton Funds Trust and the Shelton Greater China Fund Trust, and not their joint obligation. This Agreement replaces and supersedes all prior understandings and agreements between the parties hereto for the services described below.
 
WHE R EA S , the Trust is an open‐end management investment company registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”); and
 
WHE R EA S , the Trust is authorized to issue shares (“Shares”) in separate series, with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets; and
 
WHE R EA S , the Trust offers shares in the series as set forth on App e ndix III attached hereto (each such series, together with all other series subseque n tly established by the Trust and m a de subject to this A g r e e ment in acc o rdance with Sec t ion 10 , being herein r eferred to as a “Fu n d,”   an d   coll e ctively as the F und s ”); and
 
WHE R EA S , the Trust desires that GFS perform the services selected on Appendix   III   (collectively the “Services”) for the Funds and GFS is willing to provide those services on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement;
 
NOW   THEREFORE , in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants contained herein, theTrust and GFS hereby agree as follows:
 
1.
APPOINTMENT AND DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS
 
 
(a)
The Trust, on behalf of each Fund listed in App endix III attached hereto, hereby appoints GFS to provide the Services to each Trust as selected in App e ndix III   attached hereto, for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. GFS accepts such appointment and agrees to furnish the services herein set forth in return for the compensation as provided in Sec t io n 3 and Ap pend i x III of this Agreement. A description of all the services offered by GFS is set forth on A pp e ndices   I and   I I .
 
 
(b)
In connection therewith the Fund Family has delivered to GFS copies of:
 
 
3

 

 
(i)
the Trusts’ Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Bylaws (collectively, the "Organizational Documents");

 
(ii)
the Trusts’ Registration Statement on Form N‐1A and all amendments thereto filed with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and the 1940 Act (the "Registration Statement");

 
(iii)
the Trusts’ notification of registration under the 1940 Act on Form N‐8A as filed with the SEC;

 
(iv)
the Trusts’ current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for each Fund (collectively, as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented, the "Prospectus");

 
(v)
each Fund’s current plan of distribution adopted by the Trust under Rule 12b‐1 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan");

 
(vi)
each Fund’s investment advisory agreement;

 
(vii)
each Fund’s underwriting agreement (or other distribution agreements);

 
(viii)
contact information for each Fund’s service providers, including but not limited to, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent, independent auditors, legal counsel, underwriter, and chief compliance officer; and

 
(ix)
a copy of all the compliance procedures adopted by the Trust, in respect of the Funds, in accordance with the rules and regulations under the 1940 Act, including, without limitation, Rule 38a‐1.
 
 
(c)
The Fund Family shall promptly furnish GFS with all amendments of or supplements to the items listed in Sec t ion   1(b)   above, and shall deliver to GFS a copy of the resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Fund Family (the "Board") appointing GFS and authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
 
2.
DUTIES OF GFS
 
GFS’s duties with respect to Fund Accounting and Transfer Agency services are detailed in App e ndices   I   and   II   to this Agreement.
 
 
(a)
In order for GFS to perform the Services, the Fund Family

 
(i)
shall instruct all service providers to the Funds of the Trust to furnish to GFS any and all information requested by GFS, and assist GFS as may be required, and
 
 
4

 
 
 
(ii)
shall provide to GFS, or instruct service providers to provide to GFS, access to all records and documents maintained by the Trust or any service provider to the Fund Family or a Fund of the Trust.

 
(b)
GFS shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust.
 

 
(c)
Whenever, in the course of performing its duties under this Agreement, GFS determines, on the basis of information supplied to GFS by the Fund Family, that a violation of applicable law has occurred, or that, to its knowledge, a possible violation of applicable law may have occurred, or with the passage of time could occur, GFS shall promptly notify the Fund Family and its administrator of such violation.
 
3.
FEES AND EXPENSES
 
 
(a)
Fees. As compensation for the Services provided by GFS to the Fund Family pursuant to this Agreement, the Fund Family, on behalf of each Fund, agrees to pay GFS the fees set forth in App e ndix   III   attached hereto. Fees will begin to accrue for each Fund on the latter of the date of this Agreement or the date GFS begins providing services to such Fund Family or a Fund. For the purpose of determining fees calculated as a function of a Fund’s assets, the value of the Fund’s assets and net assets shall be computed as required by its currently effective Prospectus, generally accepted accounting principles, and resolutions of the Board. GFS will render, after the close of each month in which services have been furnished, a statement reflecting all of the charges for such month. Services provided for partial months shall be subject to pro ration.
 
 
(b)
Ex p en s es. GFS will bear its own expenses, in connection with the performance of the Services under this Agreement, except as provided herein or as agreed to by the parties. In addition to the fees paid under Section 3(a), the Fund Family agrees to reimburse GFS for all reasonable out‐of‐pocket expenses or advances incurred by GFS to perform the Services or otherwise incurred by GFS at the request or with the consent of the Trust. For reports, analyses and services requested in writing by the Trust and provided by GFS, not in the ordinary course, GFS shall charge hourly fees as specified in A p pend i x III attached hereto.
 
 
(c)
Fee   Cha n ge s . On each anniversary date of this Agreement (determined from the ”Effective Date” as defined in Section 12 ), the base and/or minimum fees enumerated in A pp e ndix   III   attached hereto, may be increased by the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region (the “CPI”) for the twelve‐month period ending with the month preceding such annual anniversary date. Any CPI increases not charged in any given year may be included in prospective CPI fee increases in future years. GFS Agrees to provide the Fund Family administrator prior written notice of any CPI increase.
 
 
(d)
Due   Dat e . All fees contemplated under Sec t ion   3(a)   above and reimbursement for all expenses contemplated under Sec t ion   3(b)   above are due and payable within ten (10) days of receipt of an invoice provided by GFS. Any fees or reimbursements due hereunder not received by its due date may be assessed interest at the maximum amount permitted by law. GFS will use its best efforts to invoice for all fees owing under this Agreement promptly following the close of each month, and within sixty (60) days of the occurrence of any expense to which it is entitled to reimbursement under this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Fund Family shall have no obligation to reimburse GFS for expenses incurred by GFS, if GFS has not invoiced the Fund Family with respect to such expense reimbursement within sixty (60) days of the date on which GFS incurred such expense.
 
 
5

 
 
 
(e)
Books   a n d   Records. The accounts, books, records and other documents maintained by GFS in connection with its performance of the Services (the “Records”) shall be the property of the Funds, and shall be surrendered to the Funds, at the expense of the Funds, promptly upon request by the Funds in the form in which such Records have been maintained or preserved, provided that all service fees and expenses charged by GFS in the performance of its duties hereunder have been fully paid to the satisfaction of GFS. GFS agrees to maintain a backup set of Records of the Funds (which backup set shall be updated on at least a weekly basis) at a location other than that where the original Records are stored. GFS shall assist the Funds’ independent auditors, or, upon approval of the Funds, any regulatory body, in any requested review of the Funds’ Records. GFS shall preserve the Records, in accordance with the provisions of, and as they are required to be maintained and preserved under, Rule 31a‐1 under the 1940 Act.
 
 
(f)
D e‐Conversion   Fees. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason other than a material breach by GFS, GFS will charge a “De‐ Conversion” fee to compensate GFS for providing to the Fund’s new service providers, all material records, history and data maintained by GFS under this Agreement. The amount of the De‐Conversion fee is specified in App e ndix   III attached hereto. In addition, GFS reserves the right to charge for out‐of‐pocket expenses associated with the De‐Conversion, as specified in Section 12(d) of this Agreement.

 
(g)
Post‐E n ga g ement   Aud i t   Support   Fees. After a De‐Conversion, GFS is often called upon to provide support to a Fund’s service provider and assist with a Fund’s annual audit. Services provided by GFS to accommodate a Fund’s request following termination of this Agreement shall be subject to GFS’s standard hourly rates existing at the time of the request, not to exceed $15,000 in the aggregate.
 
4.
STANDARD OF CARE, INDEMNIFICATION AND RELIANCE
 
 
(a)
Inde m nificat i on   of   GFS . The Fund Family shall, on behalf of each applicable Fund, indemnify and hold GFS harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable attorney or consultant fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to the Fund Family’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement, breach of any representation or warranty made by the Fund Family contained in this Agreement, or which arise out of the Fund Family’s lack of good faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Fund Family’s performance under or in connection with this Agreement. GFS shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to this Agreement.
 
 
6

 
 
 
(b)
Inde m nificat i on   of the Fund Family and Funds . GFS shall indemnify and hold the Fund Family and each applicable Fund harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable attorney or consultant fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to GFS’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement, breach of any representation or warranty made by GFS contained in this Agreement or which arise out of GFS’s lack of good faith, gross negligence, or willful misconduct with respect to GFS’s performance under or in connection with this Agreement.

 
(c)
Reliance . Except to the extent that GFS may be liable pursuant to Sec t ions   4(a)   and 4(b) above, the Fund Family shall hold GFS harmless and GFS shall not be liable for any action taken or failure to act in reliance upon, and shall be entitled to rely upon:
 
 
(i)
advice of the Fund Family, its officers, independent auditors or counsel to the Fund Family;
 
 
(ii)
any oral instruction which it receives and which it reasonably believes in good faith was transmitted by the person or persons authorized by the Board to give such oral instruction pursuant to the parties standard operating practices;
 
 
(iii)
any written instruction or certified copy of any resolution of the Board, and GFS may rely upon the genuineness of any such document, copy or facsimile thereof reasonably believed by GFS to have been validly executed;
 
 
(iv)
any signature, instruction, request, letter of transmittal, certificate, opinion of counsel, statement, instrument, report, notice, consent, order, or other document reasonably believed by GFS to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the Fund Family or other proper party or parties;
 
 
(v)
any instruction, information, data, records or documents provided to GFS or its agents or subcontractors furnished (pursuant to procedures mutually agreed to by GFS and the Fund Family’s service providers) by machine readable input, data entry, email, facsimile or other similar means authorized by the Trust; and
 
 
(vi)
any authorization, instruction, approval, item or set of data, or information of any kind transmitted to GFS in person or by telephone, email, facsimile or other electronic means, furnished and reasonably believed by GFS to be genuine and to have been given by the proper person or persons. GFS shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of written notice thereof from the Fund Family.
 
GFS shall not be under any duty or obligation to inquire into the validity or invalidity or authority or lack of authority of any statement, oral or written instruction, resolution, signature, request, letter of transmittal, certificate, opinion of counsel, instrument, report, notice, consent, order, or any other document or instrument which GFS reasonably believes to be genuine.
 
 
7

 

   
At any time, GFS may apply to any officer of the Fund Family for instructions, and may consult with the administrator to the Fund Family with respect to any matter arising in connection with the routine services to be performed by GFS under this Agreement, and GFS and its agents or subcontractors shall not be liable and shall be indemnified by the Fund Family on behalf of the applicable Fund for any action taken or omitted by it in reasonable reliance upon such instructions or upon the advice of such counsel. GFS agrees to obtain written consent from the Fund’s administrator before engaging in any non-routine legal consultation that may result in additional legal costs to a Fund or the Fund Family.
 
 
(d)
Errors   of   O t h ers . GFS shall not be liable for the errors of other service providers to the Trust, except or unless any GFS action or inaction is a direct cause of the error.
 
 
(e)
Reliance   on   Ele c tronic   Instructi o ns. If the Fund Family has the ability to originate electronic instructions to GFS in order to (i) effect the transfer or movement of cash or Shares or (ii) transmit Shareholder information or other information, then in such event GFS shall be entitled to rely on the validity and authenticity of such instruction without undertaking any further inquiry as long as such instruction is undertaken in conformity with security procedures established and agreed upon by GFS and the Fund’s administrator.
 
 
(f)
Notific a tion   of   Claims. In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Section shall apply, upon the assertion of a claim for which either party may be required to indemnify the other, the party seeking indemnification shall promptly notify the other party of such assertion, and shall keep the other party advised with respect to all developments concerning such claim. The party who may be required to indemnify shall have the option to participate with the party seeking indemnification in the defense of such claim or to defend against said claim in its own name or in the name of the other party. The party seeking indemnification shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the other party may be required to indemnify it except with the other party’s prior written consent.
 
 
(g)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, GFS’s maximum liability to the Fund Family or any applicable Fund arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby, whether arising in contract, tort (including, without limitation, negligence) or otherwise, shall not exceed the direct loss to the Trust or such Fund (as applicable). IN NO EVENT SHALL GFS BE LIABLE FOR TRADING LOSSES, LOST REVENUES, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES OR LOST PROFITS, WHETHER OR NOT SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE OR GFS WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS AGREEMENT ARE PREMISED UPON THE LIMITATION STATED IN THIS SECTION.
 
 
8

 
 
5.
LIMITATION OF TRUST,   SHAREHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY
 
The Shelton Funds Trust shall not be liable for any obligations of the China Fund Trust hereunder and the China Fund Trust shall not be liable for any obligations of the Shelton Funds Trust hereunder. The Board and the shareholders of each Fund shall not be liable for any obligations of the Fund Family or of the Funds under this Agreement, and GFS agrees that, in asserting any rights or claims under this Agreement, it shall look only to the assets and property of the Fund (or Funds) to which GFS’s rights or claims relate in settlement of such rights or claims, and not to the Board or the shareholders of the Funds. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Fund Family hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the Trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Fund Family personally, but bind only the Fund Family property of the Fund Family, as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Fund Family. The execution and delivery of this Agreement has been authorized by the Board of the Fund Family and signed by the officers of the Fund Family, acting as such, and neither such authorization by the Board and shareholders nor such execution and delivery by such officers shall be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the property of each Trust as provided in their Agreement and Declaration of Trusts. A copy of each Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Fund Family is on file with the Secretary of State in the state in which the Trusts are organized.
 
6.
EXPENSES ASSUMED BY THE FUND FAMILY
 
Except as otherwise specifically stated in this Agreement, GFS shall pay all expenses incurred by it in performing the Services under this Agreement. Each Fund of the Fund Family will bear out‐of‐pocket expenses incurred by GFS under this Agreement, including, but not limited to:
 
 
(a)
taxes;
 
(b)
interest;
 
(c)
brokerage fees and commissions, if any;
 
(d)
fees for trustees;
 
(e)
SEC fees (including EDGAR filing fees);
 
(f)
state blue sky registration or qualification fees;
 
(g)
advisory fees;
 
(h)
charges of custodians;
 
(i)
transfer and dividend disbursing agents' fees
 
(j)
insurance premiums;
 
(k)
outside auditing and legal expenses;
 
(l)
costs of maintaining Trusts existence;
 
(m)
costs of preparing and printing prospectuses for regulatory purposes;
 
(n)
costs of shareholders' reports, Trust meetings and related expenses;
 
 
and
 
(o)
any extraordinary expenses.
 
7.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
 
 
(a)
Rep r e s en t at i ons   of   GF S .   GFS represents and warrants to the Fund Family that:
 
 
(i)
it is a limited liability company duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nebraska;
 
 
9

 

 
(ii)
it is empowered under applicable laws and by its organizational documents to enter into this Agreement and perform its duties under this Agreement;
 
 
(iii)
it has access to the necessary facilities, equipment, and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement; and
 
 
(iv)
it is registered as a transfer agent under Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and shall continue to be registered throughout the remainder of this Agreement.
 
 
(b)
Rep r e s en t at i ons   of   t h e   Fund Family.   The Fund Family represents and warrants to GFS that:

 
(i)
each Trust is duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of its organization;

 
(ii)
each Trust is empowered under applicable laws and by its Organizational Documents to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 
(iii)
all proceedings required by said Organizational Documents have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 
(iv)
each Trust is an open‐end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act and will operate in conformance with the 1940 Act and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder during the term of this Agreement;

 
(v)
a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 is currently effective and will remain effective, and appropriate state securities law filings as required, have been or will be made and will continue to be made, with respect to all Shares of the Fund(s) being offered for sale; and

 
(vi)
each Trust’s Organizational Documents, Registration Statement and Prospectus will comply with applicable federal and state securities laws at all times during the term of this Agreement.
 
8.
CONFIDENTIALITY
 
GFS and the Trusts agree that all books, records, information, and data pertaining to the business of the other party which are exchanged or received pursuant to the negotiation or the carrying out of this Agreement shall remain confidential, and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to any other person, except that GFS may:
 
 
(a)
prepare or assist in the preparation of periodic reports to shareholders and regulatory bodies such as the SEC;

 
(b)
provide information typically supplied in the investment company industry to companies that track or report price, performance or other information regarding investment companies; and
 
 
10

 
 
 
(c)
release such information as permitted or required by law or approved in writing by the Trusts, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where GFS may be exposed to civil or criminal liability or proceedings for failure to release the information, when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities or when so requested by the administrator and the Advisers.
 
Except as provided above, in accordance with Title 17, Chapter II, part 248 of the Code of Federal Regulations (17 CFR 248.1 – 248.30) (“Reg S‐P”), GFS will not directly, or indirectly through an affiliate, disclose any non‐public personal information as defined in Reg S‐P, received from a Fund to any person that is not affiliated with the Fund or with GFS and provided that any such information disclosed to an affiliate of GFS shall be under the same limitations on non‐disclosure.
 
Both parties agree to communicate sensitive information via secured communication channels (i.e., encrypted format).
 
9.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
 
 
(a)
Proprietary   Information   o f   GFS . The Fund Family acknowledges that the databases, computer programs, screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, and documentation manuals maintained by GFS on databases under the control and ownership of GFS or a third party constitute copyrighted, trade secret, or other proprietary information (collectively, “GFS Proprietary Information”) of substantial value to GFS or the third party. The Fund Family agrees to treat all GFS Proprietary Information as proprietary to GFS and further agrees that it shall not divulge any GFS Proprietary Information to any person or organization except as may be provided under this Agreement.
 
 
(b)
Proprietary   Information   o f   the   Fund Family . GFS acknowledges that the Shareholder list and all information related to shareholders furnished to GFS by the Fund Family or by a shareholder in connection with this Agreement (collectively, “Customer Data”) all information regarding the Fund Family portfolios, including the holdings of such portfolios until such time as they are made publicly available at the direction of the Fund Family, arrangements with brokerage firms, compensation paid to or by the Fund Family, trading strategies and all such related information (collectively, Fund Family Proprietary Information”) constitute proprietary information of substantial value to the Fund Family.In no event shall GFS Proprietary Information be deemed Fund Family Proprietary Information or Customer Data. GFS agrees to treat all Fund Family Proprietary Information and Customer Data as proprietary to the Fund Family and further agrees that it shall not divulge any Fund Family Proprietary Information or Customer Data to any person or organization except as may be provided under this Agreement or as may be directed by the Fund Family or as may be duly requested by regulatory authorities.
 
 
(c)
Each party shall advise its employees of their obligations pursuant to this Section 9. The obligations of this section shall survive any earlier termination of this Agreement.
 
 
11

 

10.
ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND CLASSES
 
In the event that the Fund Family establishes one or more series of Shares or one or more classes of Shares after the effectiveness of this Agreement, such series of Shares or classes of Shares, as the case may be, shall become Funds and classes under this Agreement with necessary changes made to App e ndix   III ; however, either GFS or the Fund Family may elect not to make any such series or classes subject to this Agreement. To the extent any changes are made to Appendix III , the same shall be made by mutual consent of the parties.
 
11.
ASSIGNMENT AND SUBCONTRACTING
 
This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement shall not be assigned without the prior written consent of all parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund Family hereby consents to GFS’s subcontracting of any or all of its responsibilities under this Agreement to one or more companies, trusts, firms, individuals or associations, which may or may not be affiliated persons of GFS and which agree to comply with the terms of this Agreement; provided ,   h o wever,   that any such subcontracting shall not relieve GFS of its responsibilities hereunder and GFS shall be as fully liable for the performance or non-performance by its subcontractors as if it had undertaken such duties or obligations itself. GFS may pay such persons for their services, but no such payment will increase fees due from the Fund Family hereunder.
 
12.
EFFECTIVE DATE, TERM AND TERMINATION
 
 
(a)
Effective   Dat e . This Agreement shall become effective on March 21, 2014 or on the date that GFS assumes responsibility for services in the event GFS assumes responsibility for the services prior to that date (such date, the “Effective Date”).
 
 
(b)
Term. This Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of three (3) years from the Effective Date (the “Initial Term”) and shall continue in effect for successive twelve‐ month periods (each such period, a “Renewal Period”) provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board.
 
 
(c)
Termination . This Agreement can be terminated at the end of the Initial Term or subsequent Renewal Period upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice by either party. Upon termination of this Agreement, GFS shall, except as expressly set forth herein to the contrary, have no further obligation to provide Services to the terminating Fund(s) and all outstanding payments due from such Fund(s) under this Agreement shall become immediately due and payable to GFS, including any unpaid fees earned through the date of termination and the balance of all future minimum fees due under the remaining term of this Agreement. In the event of termination, GFS agrees that it will cooperate to facilitate the smooth transition of services and to minimize disruption to a Fund and its shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may terminate this agreement at any time, without any penalty or the payment of any fee in respect thereof, upon thirty (30) days’ written notice in the event of a breach by the other party. The breaching party shall have a right to attempt to cure any such breach within the thirty‐day notice period. If the breach is not cured within said period, then the termination hereof will, at the election of the non-breaching party, proceed in accordance with the notice and the parties hereto will submit any outstanding disagreements hereunder to arbitration, in accordance with S ecti o n   14(g) , below. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof to the contrary this Agreement can be terminated with respect to a particular Fund or Funds at any time upon thirty (30) days’ prior written notice if the Board makes a determination to liquidate, close, merge or sell such Fund(s).
 
 
12

 

 
(d)
Reimburse m ent   of   GFS’s   Expenses . If this Agreement is terminated with respect to a Trust, other than due to a termination by the Trust due to a breach by GFS, GFS shall be entitled to collect from such Trust: (i) the fees and expenses described in Section 3 of this Agreement and (ii) an amount, not to exceed $20,000, sufficient to reimburse GFS for all of GFS’s reasonable labor charges and cash disbursements for services rendered in connection with GFS’s activities in effecting such termination, including, without limitation, the labor costs and expenses associated with the de‐conversion of the Trust’s records from GFS’s computer systems, and the delivery to the Trust or its designees of the Trust’s property, records, instruments and documents, or any copies thereof. Upon payment of such amounts, if applicable, and if not applicable, upon termination of this Agreement, GFS shall turn over all books and records of the Trust that are created and maintained under the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof.
 
 
(e)
Survival   of   Certain   Obl i gations . The obligations of Sections 3, 4, 8, 9, 12 and 13 shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

13.
LIAISON WITH ACCOUNTANTS/ADMINISTRATOR
 
 
(a)
GFS shall act as liaison with each Fund’s independent public accountants and shall provide account analyses, fiscal year summaries, and other audit‐related schedules with respect to each Fund. GFS shall take reasonable actions in the performance of its duties under this Agreement to ensure that the necessary information is made available to such accountants for the expression of their opinion, as required by the Fund Family.
 
 
(b)
GFS shall act as liaison with each Fund’s administrator and shall take reasonable actions to ensure that necessary Fund information is made available to the Fund’s administrator.
 
14.
MISCELLANEOUS
 
 
(a)
Amend m ents . This Agreement may not be amended, or any provision hereof waived, except in writing signed by the party against which the enforcement of such amendment or waiver is sought.
 
 
(b)
Governing   L aw . This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Nebraska.
 
 
(c)
Enti r e Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or written.
 
 
13

 

 
(d)
C ounter p art s . The parties may execute this Agreement on any number of counterparts, and all of the counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
 
 
(e)
Severabil i t y . If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, unenforceable, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or portions shall be considered severable and not be affected by such determination, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the Agreement did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to be illegal, unenforceable or invalid.
 
 
(f)
Force   Ma j eu r e. Neither party shall be liable for failure to perform if the failure results from a cause beyond its control, including, without limitation, fire, electrical, mechanical, or equipment breakdowns, delays by third party vendors and/or communications carriers, civil disturbances or disorders, terrorist acts, strikes, acts of governmental authority or new governmental restrictions, or acts of God. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is expressly understood and agreed that GFS shall maintain a reasonably designed disaster recovery plan at all times during the term hereof, and shall implement the provisions thereof in any appropriate instance in an effort to mitigate or eliminate the impact of any such force majeure event.
 
 
(g)
Arbitrati o n . The parties understand and agree that, to the extent permitted by law, all claims arising out of this Agreement will be resolved through final and binding arbitration pursuant to the terms hereof. In this regard, the parties acknowledge and agree that: (i) such arbitration will be final and binding on the parties; (ii) the parties are hereby waiving their rights to seek remedies in court, including the right to a jury trial; (iii) pre‐arbitration discovery is generally more limited than and different from discovery conducted in connection with litigation; (iv) the arbitrator's award is not required to include factual findings or legal reasoning; and (v) a party's right to appeal or seek modification of rulings by the arbitrator will be strictly limited.
 
Such arbitration will be conducted in Nebraska according to the securities arbitration rules then in effect of the American Arbitration Association. Such arbitration will be conducted by a single arbitrator, if the parties can agree upon one, otherwise by three arbitrators, one to be appointed by each of GFS and the Fund Family, and the third to be chosen by the first two named arbitrators. Each party understands that another party may initiate arbitration by serving or mailing a written notice to the other parties hereto by certified mail, return receipt requested. Any award the arbitration panel makes will be final, and judgment on it may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

This arbitration provision shall be enforced and interpreted exclusively in accordance with applicable federal law, including the Federal Arbitration Act. Any costs, fees, or taxes involved in enforcing the award shall be fully assessed against and paid by the party resisting enforcement of said award. The prevailing party shall also be entitled to an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in connection with the enforcement of this Agreement. No person shall bring a putative or certified class action to arbitration, nor seek to enforce any pre‐dispute arbitration agreement against any person who has initiated in court a putative class action who is a member of a putative class action until:
 
 
14

 
 
 
·
The class certification is denied;
 
·
The class is decertified; or
 
·
The person is excluded from the class by the court.
 
Such forbearance to enforce an agreement to arbitrate shall not constitute a waiver of any rights under this Agreement except to the extent stated herein.
 
 
(h)
Head i ngs . Section and paragraph headings in this Agreement are included for convenience only and are not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.
 
 
(i)
Notices . All notices, requests, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or by overnight, registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or by facsimile to each party at the address set forth below or at such new address designated by such party by notice given pursuant to this Section.
 
 
To the Shelton Funds Trust:
To GFS:
     
 
Stephen C. Rogers
Kevin Wolf
 
Chief Executive Officer
President
 
Shelton Funds
Gemini Fund Services, LLC
 
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2100
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2
 
San Francisco, CA 94104
Omaha, NE 68130
 
Telephone: (405) 398‐2727
Telephone: (402) 895‐1600
 
srogers@sheltoncap.com
KevinW@geminifund.com
     
 
With a copy to:
With a copy to:
 
Timothy Johnson, Esq.
Brian Nielsen, Esq.
 
Reed Smith LLP
Gemini Fund Services, LLC
 
225 Fifth Avenue
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2
 
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Omaha, NE 68130
     
 
To the Shelton Greater China Fund Trust:
 
     
 
Stephen C. Rogers
 
 
Chief Executive Officer
 
 
Shelton Greater China Fund
 
 
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2100
 
 
San Francisco, CA 94104
 
 
Telephone: (405) 398‐2727
 
 
srogers@sheltoncap.com
 
     
 
With a copy to:
 
 
Timothy Johnson, Esq.
 
 
Reed Smith LLP
 
 
225 Fifth Avenue
 
 
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
 
 
 
15

 
 
 
(j)
Safe k eep i ng . GFS shall establish and maintain facilities and procedures reasonably acceptable to the Fund Family for the safekeeping and control of records maintained by GFS under this Agreement including the preparation and use of check forms, facsimile, email or other electronic signature imprinting devices.
 
 
(k)
Distinction o f Funds . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the parties agree that the assets and liabilities of each Fund of the Fund Family are separate and distinct from the assets and liabilities of each other Fund and that no Fund shall be liable or shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any other Fund, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise.
 
 
(l)
Rep r e s en t at i on of Sign a torie s . Each of the undersigned expressly warrants and represents that the individual or individuals signing this instrument on their behalf have full power and authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of the party indicated and that their signature will bind the party indicated to the terms hereof.

[Signature Page Follows]

 
16

 
 
IN   WITNESS   WHE R EOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized persons, effective as of the day and year first above written.
 
SHELTON FUNDS TRUST
 
GEMINI FUND SERVICES, LLC
         
By:
/s/Stephen C. Rogers
 
By:
/s/Kevin Wolf
 
Stephen C. Rogers
   
Kevin Wolf
 
Chief Executive Officer
   
President
 
SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND TRUST
 
     
By:
/s/Stephen C. Rogers
 
 
Stephen C. Rogers
 
 
Chief Executive Officer
 

 
17

 
 
APPENDIX I
 
Fund Accounting Services
 
With respect to each Fund electing Fund Accounting Services, GFS shall provide the following services subject to, and in compliance with, the objectives, policies and limitations set forth in each Trust’s Registration Statement, each Trusts’ Organizational Documents, applicable laws and regulations, and resolutions and policies established by each Trust’s Board:
 
1)
Timely calculate the net asset value per share with the frequency prescribed in each Fund's then‐current Prospectus, transmit the Fund's net asset value to NASDAQ, and communicate such net asset value to the Fund Family and its transfer agent;
 
2)
Calculate each item of income, expense, deduction, credit, gain and loss, if any, as required by the Fund Family and in conformance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), SEC Regulation S‐X (or any successor regulation) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or any successor laws)(the "Code");
 
3)
Prepare and maintain on behalf of the Fund Family, books and records of each Fund, as required by Rule 31a‐1 under the 1940 Act, and as such rule or any successor rule, may be amended from time to time, that are applicable to the fulfillment of GFS’s Fund Accounting Services, as well as any other documents necessary or advisable for compliance with applicable regulations as may be mutually agreed to between the Fund Family and GFS. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, GFS will prepare and maintain the following records upon receipt of information in proper form from the Fund or its authorized agents:
 
 
a.
Cash receipts journal
 
b.
Cash disbursements journal
 
c.
Dividend record
 
d.
Purchase and sales ‐ portfolio securities journals
 
e.
Subscription and redemption journals
 
f.
Security ledgers
 
g.
Broker ledger
 
h.
General ledger
 
i.
Daily expense accruals
 
j.
Daily income accruals
 
k.
Securities and monies borrowed or loaned and collateral therefore
 
l.
Foreign currency journals
 
m.
Trial balances
 
4)
Make such adjustments over such periods as the Trusts’ administrator deems necessary, and communicates to GFS in writing, to reflect over‐accruals or under‐accruals of estimated expenses or income;
 
5)
Provide the Fund Family and, each investment adviser including the sub-adviser serving as an investment adviser or sub-adviser for a Fund with daily portfolio valuation, net asset value calculation and other requested and standard operational reports as requested, at time of conversion and from time to time;
 
 
Appendix I Page | 1

 
 
6)
Provide all raw data available from its mutual fund accounting system for the Fund’s investment adviser or the administrator to assist in preparation of the following:
 
 
a.
Semi‐annual financial statements;
 
b.
Semi‐annual form N‐SAR and annual tax returns;
 
c.
Financial data necessary to update form N‐1A; and
 
 
d.
Annual proxy statement.
 
7)
Provide facilities to accommodate an annual audit by each Fund’s independent accountants and, upon approval of the Fund Family, any audits or examinations conducted by the SEC or any other governmental or quasi‐governmental entities with jurisdiction;
 
8)
Transmit to and receive from each Fund's transfer agent appropriate data on a daily basis and daily reconcile Shares outstanding and other data with the transfer agent;
 
9) 
Periodically reconcile all appropriate data with each Fund's custodian; and
 
10)
Perform such other record keeping, reporting and other tasks as may be specified from time to time in the procedures adopted by the Board pursuant to mutually acceptable timelines and compensation agreements.
 
Fund Accounting Records.
 
Mai n tenan c e of   and   A ccess   to   Record s . GFS shall maintain records relating to its services, such as journals, ledger accounts and other records, as are required to be maintained under the 1940 Act and, specifically, Rule 31a‐1 thereunder. The books and records pertaining to the Fund Family that are in possession of GFS shall be the property of the Fund Family. The Fund Family, or the Fund Family's authorized representatives, shall have access to such books and records at all times during GFS’s normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Fund Family, copies of any such books and records shall be provided promptly by GFS to the Fund Family or the Fund Family's authorized representatives. In the event the Fund Family designates a successor that assumes any of GFS’s obligations hereunder, GFS shall, at the expense and direction of the Fund Family, transfer to such successor all relevant books, records and other data established or maintained by GFS under this Agreement.
 
Ins p ecti o n   of   Reco r ds. In case of any requests or demands for the inspection of the records of the Fund Family maintained by GFS, GFS will endeavor to notify the Fund Family and to secure instructions from an authorized officer of the Fund Family as to such inspection. GFS shall abide by the Fund Family’s instructions for granting or denying the inspection; provided, however, that GFS may grant the inspection without instructions from each Fund Family if GFS is subject to court order or regulatory demand, with required notice to Fund Family.

All out‐of‐pocket expenses will be billed as set forth on Appendix III. GFS may from time to time adopt new procedures, or modify existing procedures, in order to carry out its Fund Accounting Services. Any modification of the Fund Accounting Services provided by GFS as set forth in this Appendix I must be mutually agreed to in writing by both GFS and the Fund Family, Trust or a Fund.
 
 
Appendix I Page | 2

 
 
APPENDIX II
 Transfer Agency Services
 
With respect to each Fund electing Transfer Agency Services, GFS shall provide the following services subject to, and in compliance with the objectives, policies and limitations set forth in each Trust’s Registration Statement, each Trust’s Organizational Documents, applicable laws and regulations, and resolutions and policies established by each Trust’s Board:
 
1)
Provide the services of a transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and, as relevant, agent in connection with accumulation, open‐account or similar plans (including without limitation any periodic investment plan or periodic withdrawal program) that are customary for open‐end management investment companies including:
 
 
a.
maintaining all shareholder accounts;
 
b.
preparing shareholder meeting lists;
 
c.
preparing and certifying direct shareholder lists in conjunction with proxy solicitations;
 
d.
preparing periodic mailing of year‐end tax and statement information;
 
e.
mailing shareholder reports and prospectuses to current shareholders;
 
f.
withholding taxes on U.S. resident and non‐resident alien accounts;
 
g.
preparing and filing U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099 and other appropriate forms required by federal authorities with respect to distributions for shareholders;
 
h.
preparing and mailing confirmation forms and statements of account to shareholders for all purchases and redemptions of Shares and other confirmable transactions in shareholder accounts; and
 
i.
providing account information in response to inquiries from shareholders.
 
2)
Receiving for acceptance, orders for the purchase of Shares, and promptly delivering payment and appropriate documentation therefore to the Custodian of the Fund authorized by the Board (the “Custodian”); or, in the case of a Fund operating in a master‐feeder or fund of funds structure, to the transfer agent or interest‐holder record keeper for the master portfolios in which the Fund invests;
 
3)
Pursuant to purchase orders, issue the appropriate number of Shares and hold such Shares in the appropriate shareholder account;
 
4)
Receiving for acceptance, redemption requests and redemption directions and delivering the appropriate documentation therefore to the Custodian or, in the case of Fund operating in a master‐feeder or fund of funds structure, to the transfer agent or interest‐holder record keeper for the master portfolios in which the Fund invests;
 
5)
As and when the Fund receives monies paid to it by the Custodian with respect to any redemption, paying over or cause to be paid over the redemption proceeds as required by the Prospectus pursuant to which the redeemed Shares were offered and as instructed by the redeeming shareholders;
 
6)
Effecting transfers of Shares upon receipt of appropriate instructions from shareholders;

 
Appendix II Page | 1

 
 
7)
Monitoring and making appropriate filings with respect to the escheatment laws of the various states and territories of the United States;
 
8)
Preparing and transmitting to shareholders (or crediting the appropriate shareholder accounts) payments for all distributions and dividends declared by the Fund Family with respect to Shares of each Fund;
 
9)
Receiving from shareholders and/or debiting shareholder accounts for sales commissions, including contingent deferred, deferred and other sales charges, and service fees ( i .e.,   wire redemption charges) and prepare and transmit payments to underwriters, selected dealers and others for commissions and service fees received and provide necessary tracking reports to the Fund Family’s and/or the Fund’s principal underwriter;
 
10)
Recording the issuance of shares of a Fund and maintaining pursuant to SEC Rule 17Ad‐10(e) a record of the total number of shares of the Fund which are authorized, based upon data provided to it by the Fund, issued and outstanding; and
 
11)
Providing the Fund Family on a regular basis with each Fund’s total number of shares that are authorized and issued and outstanding.
 
Issuance   of   Sha r es .
 
GFS, in its capacity as transfer agent, shall make original issues of Shares of each Fund in accordance with the Fund’s Prospectus, only upon receipt of:
 
 
a.
instructions requesting the issuance,
 
b.
a copy of a resolution of the Board authorizing the issuance,
 
c.
necessary funds for the payment of any original issue tax applicable to such Shares, and
 
d.
an opinion of the Fund Family’s legal counsel as to the legality and validity of the issuance, which opinion may provide that it is contingent upon the filing by the Fund Family of an appropriate notice with the SEC, as required by Section 24 of the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder. If such opinion is contingent upon a filing under Section 24 of the 1940 Act, the Fund Family shall indemnify GFS for any liability arising from the failure of the Fund Family to comply with such section or the rules thereunder.
 
The responsibility of GFS for each Fund’s state registration status is solely limited to the reporting of transactions to the Fund Family, and GFS shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares or to take cognizance of any laws relating to the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Fund, its distributor or other agent.
 
Transfer   of   Sha r es .
 
Transfers of Shares of each Fund shall be registered on the shareholder records maintained by GFS. In registering transfers of Shares, GFS may rely upon the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of Nebraska or any other statutes that, in the opinion of GFS’s legal counsel, protect GFS and the Trust from liability arising from:
 
 
a.
not requiring complete documentation;
 
b.
registering a transfer without an adverse claim inquiry;
 
 
Appendix II Page | 2

 
 
 
c.
delaying registration for purposes of such inquiry; or
 
d.
refusing registration whenever an adverse claim requires such refusal.
 
As transfer agent, GFS will be responsible for delivery to the transferor and transferee of such documentation as is required by the Uniform Commercial Code.
 
Purchase   O r de r s.
 
Shares shall be issued in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus after GFS or its agent receives either:
 
 
a.
an instruction directing investment in a Fund, a check (other than a third‐party check) or a wire or other electronic payment in the amount designated in the instruction and in the case of an initial purchase, a completed account application; or
 
b.
the information required for purchases pursuant to a selected dealer agreement, processing organization agreement, or a similar contract with a financial intermediary.
 
Distribution   Eligibility.
 
Shares issued in a Fund after receipt of a completed purchase order shall be eligible to receive distributions of the Fund at the time specified in the prospectus pursuant to which the Shares are offered.
 
Det e rminati o n   of   Federal   Funds .
 
Shareholder payments shall be considered “Federal Funds” no later than on the day indicated below unless other times are noted in the Prospectus:
 
 
a.
for a wire received, at the time of the receipt of the wire;
 
b.
for a check drawn on a member bank of the Federal Reserve System, on the second Fund Business Day following receipt of the check; and
 
c.
for a check drawn on an institution that is not a member of the Federal Reserve System, at such time as GFS is credited with Federal Funds with respect to that check.
 
Lost   Shareholder s .
 
GFS shall perform such services as are required in order to comply with Rules 17a‐24 and 17Ad‐17 (the “Lost Shareholder Rules”) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, but not limited to, those set forth below. GFS may, in its sole discretion, use the services of a third party to perform some of or all such services.
 
 
a.
documentation of search policies and procedures;
 
b.
execution of required searches;
 
c.
tracking results and maintaining data sufficient to comply with the Lost Shareholder Rules; and
 
d.
preparation and submission of data and reports required under the Lost Shareholder Rules and, as the agent of the Trust(s), under applicable state escheatment statutes.

 
Appendix II Page | 3

 
 
Anti‐Mone y   Laundering   (“AML”)   Delega t ion.
 
The Fund Family and underwriter hereby delegates to GFS certain AML duties under this Agreement, as permitted by law and in accordance with the Fund Family’s Anti‐Money Laundering Policies and Procedures as may be amended from time to time. Such duties delegated to GFS include procedures reasonably designed to prevent and detect money laundering activities and to ensure that each Fund can have a reasonable belief that it knows the identity of each person or entity opening an account with the Fund. GFS’s procedures will include, as appropriate, procedures to assist the Fund(s) to:
 
 
·
detect and report suspicious activities;
 
 
·
comply with “know your customer” requirements;
 
 
·
monitor high‐risk accounts; and
 
 
·
maintain required records.
 
 
·
Board reporting of activities and results quarterly

GFS shall provide for proper supervision and training of its personnel. With respect to assisting the Fund Family with its Customer Identification Program (“CIP”) designed to ensure the identity of any person opening a new account with a Fund (a “Customer”), GFS will assist the Fund(s) through the use of the following:
 
 
·
risk‐based procedures to verify the identity of each Customer to the extent reasonable and practicable, such that the Fund may have a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of each Customer;

 
·
before opening an account, obtain a Customer’s name, date of birth (for an individual), address, and identification number 1 ;

 
·
procedures to verify the identity of a Customer within a reasonable time after the account is opened;

 
·
procedures for maintenance of records relating to Customer identification and supporting the verification; and

 
·
procedures to determine whether the Customer’s name appears on any list of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations issued by any federal government agency and designated as such by the Department of the Treasury in consultation with the federal functional regulators, within a reasonable period of time after the account is opened.

 
·
Provide board reporting of activities and results quarterly

For purposes of verifying the identity of a Customer, GFS may rely on documents, so long as, based on that information, GFS can form a reasonable belief that it knows the identity of the Customer, including:

 
·
an individual’s unexpired government‐issued identification evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard, (such as a driver’s license or passport); or
 

1
An identification number may be, a taxpayer identification number, passport number and country of issuance, alien identification card number, or number and country of issuance of any other government‐issued document evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard.
 
 
Appendix II Page | 4

 
 
 
·
documents showing the existence of an entity, such as articles of incorporation, a government‐issued business license, a partnership agreement, or Fund Family instrument.
 
To the extent that the Customer’s identity cannot be verified by relying on documents, other methods may be used by GFS, including, (i) contacting a Customer; (ii) independently verifying the Customer’s identity through the comparison of information provided by the Customer with information obtained from a consumer reporting agency, public database, or other source; (iii) checking references with other financial institutions; and (iv) obtaining a financial statement.
 
In the event that GFS is not able to verify the identity of a Customer sufficiently that it can form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of a Customer, then GFS may, as appropriate:

 
·
not open an account for the Customer;
 
 
·
apply limited terms under which a Customer may use an account until the Customer’s identity is verified;
 
 
·
close an account, after attempts to verify a Customer’s identity have failed; or
 
 
·
File all Suspicious Activity Reports in accordance with applicable law and regulation, regarding the Customer
 
Each Fund represents and agrees that it will provide Customers with adequate notice that the Fund is requesting information to verify their identities. The notice will be included in the application or the prospectus, or a document accompanying the application or prospectus provided it is reasonably designed to ensure that the customer views or otherwise receives the notice before opening the account.
 
In consideration of the performance of the duties by GFS pursuant to this Section, the Fund Family agrees to pay GFS in accordance with Appendix III.
 
Anti‐Ide n tity   Theft   Delega t ion
 
To the extent that a Fund has covered accounts that allow redemption proceeds to go to third parties, GFS will assume Anti‐Identity Theft monitoring duties for the Fund under this Agreement, pursuant to legal requirements.
 
Rule   22 c ‐2   C o mpliance.
 
Rule 22c‐2 under the 1940 Act requires that a fund’s principal underwriter or transfer agent enter into a shareholder information agreement with any financial intermediary or its agent where it, through itself or its agent, purchases or redeems shares directly from a fund, its principal underwriter or transfer agent, or through a registered clearing agency. Each Fund shall ensure that its principal underwriter enters into such agreements, which permits GFS as transfer agent to request information from such financial intermediaries to insure that the Fund Family’s procedures are being followed with respect to market timing and, where applicable, early redemption fees. The Fund Family’s procedures in this regard would trigger the information requests, under certain conditions, with respect to said financial intermediaries’ omnibus accounts in the respective Fund. Gemini to provide account totals by intermediary to Fund Family administrator.
 
 
Appendix II Page | 5

 

Processing   t h rough   t h e   Na t i onal   Secur i ties   Clearing   Co r p o r a t i o n   (the   “NSCC”).
 
GFS will: (i) process accounts through Networking and the purchase, redemption, transfer and exchange of shares in such accounts through Fund/SERV (Networking and Fund/SERV being programs operated by the NSCC on behalf of NSCC’s participants, including the Fund Family), in accordance with, instructions transmitted to and received by GFS by transmission from NSCC on behalf of broker‐dealers and banks which have been established by, or in accordance with the instructions of authorized persons, as hereinafter defined on the dealer file maintained by GFS; (ii) issue instructions to each Fund’s Custodian for the settlement of transactions between the Fund and NSCC (acting on behalf of its broker‐dealer and bank participants); (iii) provide account and transaction information from the affected Fund Family’s records on an appropriate computer system in accordance with NSCC’s Networking and Fund/SERV rules for those broker‐dealers; and (iv) maintain Shareholder accounts through Networking.
 
Transfer   Ag en cy   R e cords.
 
GFS shall maintain the following shareholder account information:
 
 
·
name, address and United States Tax Identification or Social Security number;
 
·
number of Shares held and number of Shares for which certificates, if any, have been issued, including certificate numbers and denominations;
 
·
historical information regarding the account of each shareholder, including dividends and distributions paid and the date and price for all transactions on a shareholder’s account;
 
·
any stop or restraining order placed against a shareholder’s account;
 
·
any correspondence relating to the current maintenance of a shareholder’s account;
 
·
information with respect to withholdings; and
 
·
any information required in order for GFS to perform any calculations by this Agreement
 
All out‐of‐pocket expenses will be billed as set forth on Appendix III. GFS may from time to time adopt new procedures, or modify existing procedures, in order to carry out its Transfer Agency Services. Any modification of the Transfer Agency Services provided by GFS as set forth in this Appendix II must be mutually agreed to, in writing, by both GFS and the Fund Family, Trust or a Fund.
 
 
Appendix II Page | 6

 
 
The parties hereto agree to the Services and associated fees for the Fund(s), effective as set forth in this Appendix III to the Fund Services Agreement.
 
SHELTON FUNDS TRUST
 
GEMINI FUND SERVICES, LLC
         
By:
/s/Stephen C. Rogers
 
By:
/s/Kevin Wolf
 
Stephen C. Rogers
   
Kevin Wolf
 
Chief Executive Officer
   
President
 
SHELTON GREATER CHINA FUND TRUST
 
     
By:
/s/Stephen C. Rogers
 
 
Stephen C. Rogers
 
 
Chief Executive Officer
 
 

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 Shelton Greater China Fund and to the use of our report dated February 19, 2014 on the financial statements and financial highlights of Shelton Greater China Fund. Such financial statements and financial highlights appear in the 2013 Annual Report to Shareholders which are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus.

 
/s/ Tait, Weller & Baker LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 28, 2014

 
CODE OF ETHICS
As Amended February 13, 2014
 
I.
Introduction
 
This Code of Ethics (the “Code”) is adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”)by the board of trustees of the Shelton Funds, a Delaware statutory trust, Shelton Greater China Fund, a Massachusetts business trust,  (collectively the “Trusts”), partners of RFS Partners (the “Distributor”) and pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) by the partners of Shelton Capital Management (the “Advisor”).
 
Section 17(j) under the 1940 Act makes it unlawful for persons affiliated with investment companies, their principal underwriters, or their investment advisers to engage in fraudulent personal securities transactions.   Rule 17j-1 and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act (the “Rules”) require each fund, investment adviser and principal underwriter to adopt a code of ethics that contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent an employee from engaging in conduct prohibited by the principles of the Rules.  The Rules also require that reasonable diligence be used and procedures be instituted that are reasonably necessary to prevent violations of the code of ethics.

Among other things, Rule 17j-1 requires Board oversight of personal trading practices, reporting of employee securities trading and preclearance of employee purchases of initial public offerings and private placements.  Under Rule 17j-1, the Advisor and the Trusts each provide to the Board annually a written report that:

(1)           describes issues that arose during the previous year under the Code, including information about material Code violations and sanctions imposed, and
(2)           certifies to the Board that it has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent access persons from violating the Code.

Rule 204A-1 requires that an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act must establish, maintain and enforce a written code of ethics that at a minimum includes:

 
A.
A standard (or standards) of business conduct that the advisor requires of its supervised persons, which standard must reflect the advisor’s fiduciary obligations and those of its supervised persons;

 
B.
Provisions requiring the advisor’s supervised persons to comply with applicable federal securities laws;

 
C.
Provisions that require the advisor’s access persons to report, and the advisor to review, their personal securities transactions and holdings periodically as provided under Rule 204A-1;

 
D.
Provisions requiring the advisor’s supervised persons to report any violations of the advisor’s code of ethics promptly to the chief compliance officer or, provided the chief compliance officer also receives reports of all violations, to other persons who the advisor designates in its code of ethics; and
 
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E.
Provisions requiring the advisor to provide each of its supervised persons with a copy of the advisor’s code of ethics and any amendments, and requiring its supervised persons to provide the advisor with a written acknowledgement of their receipt of the code and any amendments.

The Code of Ethics is designed to provide a program for detecting and preventing insider trading and other violations of fiduciary duties by requiring Access Persons, as defined herein, to report personal holdings and securities transactions of securities of the types, which the Funds may purchase.  The reason underlying this reporting requirement is the potential for insiders who have knowledge of what a Fund is doing to take advantage of this information to trade in advance of a Fund.  If the security involved is thinly traded or if the Fund buys or sells in big enough blocks to move the market, this type of insider trading could disadvantage the Fund or unfairly benefit the insider.  The Code of Ethics is also aimed at minimizing conflicts of interest and the appearance of such conflicts.
 
II.
Statement of General Fiduciary Principles
 
 
A.
Fiduciary Standards.  The Code is based on the fundamental principle that the Trust and the Advisor must put clients’ interest first.  As an investment adviser, the Advisor has fiduciary responsibilities to clients, including the Trust and each series of the Trust (each a “Fund”); together the “Funds”)) for which it serves as investment adviser.  Among the Advisor’s fiduciary responsibilities is the responsibility to ensure that its employees conduct their personal securities transactions in a manner that does not interfere, or appear to interfere, with any Fund transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of their relationship to the Funds.  All Advisor employees must adhere to this fundamental principle as well as comply with the specific provisions set forth herein.  It bears emphasis that technical compliance with such provisions will not insulate from scrutiny transactions that show a pattern of compromise or abuse of an employee’s fiduciary responsibilities to the Funds.  Accordingly, all Advisor employees must seek to avoid any actual or potential conflicts between their personal interests and the interest of the Funds.  In sum, all Advisor employees shall place the interest of the Funds before personal interests.
 
 
B.
Compliance with Applicable Federal Securities Laws.  In particular, Rule 204A-1 requires that all Advisor employees must comply with all applicable federal securities laws (“Federal Securities Laws”).
 
Under Rule 17j-1, no Access Person shall:
 
 
1.
employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Trusts or any Fund of the Trusts.
 
 
2.
make to the Trusts any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to the Trusts a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
 
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3.
engage in any act, practice or course of business that would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any Fund of the Trusts; or
 
 
4.
engage in any manipulative act or practice with respect to the Trusts or any Fund of the Trusts, including, but not limited to, intentionally inducing or causing the Trusts to take action or to fail to take action, for the purpose of achieving a personal benefit rather than to benefit the Fund, shall be a violation of this Code.
 
Examples of this violation include:
 
 
a.
causing any Fund of the Trusts to purchase a Covered Security owned by the individual for the purpose of supporting or increasing the price of the Security; and
 
 
b.
causing any Fund of the Trusts to refrain from selling a Covered Security in an attempt to protect the value of the individual’s investment, such as an outstanding option.
 
 
5.
using actual knowledge of transactions for any Fund of the Trusts to profit by the market effect of such transactions shall be a violation of this Code.
 
Under the Code of Ethics, all Access Persons are required to file reports of their personal holdings and securities transactions (excluding securities issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, its agencies or instrumentalities; bankers’ acceptances; bank certificates of deposit; commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, repurchase agreements, other money market instruments, and non-Reportable Funds) at least quarterly within 30 days after the close of the applicable quarter.  These reports are then compared against the activities of the Funds.  If a pattern emerges that indicates abusive trading of Access Persons of the Trust, the matter will be referred to the Board of Trustees  for further review, inquiry and further  action, if determined necessary.  With respect to Access Persons of the Advisor, the Advisor will review the matter and will make a report to the Board of Trustees.  Additionally, Access Persons are required to obtain prior written approval before making any investment in an Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) or Limited Offering.  Before approval of any such investment, the transaction will be carefully reviewed for any immediate or future potential conflicts of interest.
 
Independent Trustees who do not have day-to-day contact with the Funds and who do not have specific knowledge of the Funds’ intended investments are not required to file any reports, and there is no restriction on their personal securities trading activities (excepted as provided for in Section VIII).
 
This Code of Ethics is not intended to cover all possible areas of potential liability under the 1940 Act or under the federal securities laws in general.  For example, other provisions of Section 17 of the 1940 Act prohibit various transactions between a registered investment company and affiliated persons, including the knowing sale or purchase of property to or from a registered investment company on a principal basis, and joint transactions ( e.g. , combining to achieve a substantial position in a security or commingling of funds) between an investment company and an affiliated person.  Persons covered by this Code of Ethics are advised to seek advice before engaging in any transactions involving securities held or under consideration for purchase or sale by a Fund of the Trust.
 
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In addition, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) may impose fiduciary obligations and trading restrictions on Access Persons in certain situations.  It is expected that Access Persons will be sensitive to these areas of potential conflict, even though this Code of Ethics does not address specifically these other areas of fiduciary responsibility.
 
III.             Implementation
 
In order to implement this Code of Ethics, a compliance officer and an alternate should be designated.  For the purpose of this Code of Ethics, these individuals are:
 
 
Teresa Axelson, Compliance Officer
 
Steve Rogers, Alternate
 
The compliance officer shall create a list of advisory persons and other Access Persons and update the list with reasonable frequency.  The compliance officer shall circulate a copy of this Code of Ethics to each Access Person, together with an acknowledgment of receipt, which shall be signed and returned to the compliance officer by each Access Person, except Independent Trustees. The compliance officer is charged with responsibility for insuring that the reporting requirements of this Code of Ethics (as set forth in Section VII) are adhered to by all Access Persons.  The compliance officer shall be responsible for ensuring that the review requirements of this Code of Ethics (as set forth in Section IX) are performed in a prompt manner.  The compliance officer shall also be responsible for giving special prior approval to transactions that would otherwise be prohibited pursuant to Section V of this Code of Ethics.
 
IV.
Definitions
 
(a) “Access persons” means any trustee, director or general partner, officer or advisory person of a Fund, Trust or the Advisor.  Spouses, children and “immediate family members” sharing the household of such persons may also be considered an “Access Person” under this Code to the extent provided in the definition of “Beneficial ownership” below.
 
(b)  “Advisory person” means (i) any employee of (A) the Trusts, (B) the Advisor or (C) any company in control relationship to the Trusts, who, in connection with his regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding, the purchase or sale of a security by a Fund of the Trust, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and (ii) any natural person in a control relationship to the Trusts or an investment advisor to the Trusts who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Trusts with regard to the purchase or sale of a security.
 
(c) A security is “being considered for purchase or sale” when a recommendation to purchase or sell a security has been made and communicated and, with respect to the person making the recommendation, when such person seriously considers making such a recommendation.
 
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(d)  “Beneficial ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be in determining whether a person is subject to the provisions of Section 16 of the 1934 Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, with the exception that the determination of direct or indirect beneficial ownership shall apply to all securities which an Access Person has or acquires.  The rules promulgated under Section 16 of the 1934 Act provide that persons are presumed to have an indirect pecuniary interest, and therefore “Beneficial ownership” of, securities that are held by members of a person’s “immediate family” sharing the same household, and that “immediate family” includes any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, and includes adoptive relationships.
 
(e)  “Control” has the same meaning as in Section 2(a) (9) of the 1940 Act, which states that “control” means “the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company.”  Ownership of 25% or more of a company’s outstanding voting securities is presumed to give the holder thereof control over the company.  Such presumption may be countered by the facts and circumstances of a given situation.
 
(f)  “Federal Securities Laws” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the Commission or the Department of Treasury.
 
(g) A Security “Held or to be Acquired” by any Fund means (i) any Security which, within the most recent 15 days from the date of determination (A) is or has been held by any Fund; or (B) is being or has been considered by any Fund or its investment advisor for purchase by the Fund; and (ii) any option to purchase or sell, and any security convertible into or exchangeable for, a Security in sub-clause (i) of this definition.
 
(h) “Independent Trustee” means a member of the Board of Trustees of the Trusts who is not an “interested person” of the Trusts within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
 
(i) “IPO” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer or which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act.
 
(j)  “Investment Personnel” of the Trusts or of the Advisor means (i) any employee of the Trusts or the Advisor (or of any company in a control relationship to the Trusts or the Advisor) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities by a Fund; or (ii) any natural person who controls the Trusts or the Advisor and who obtains information concerning recommendations made to a Fund regarding the purchase or sale of securities by a Fund.
 
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(k) “Limited Offering” means an offering exempt from the registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to Section 4(2), 4(6) or Rule 504, 505 or 506 under the Securities Act of 1933.
 
(l)  “Purchase or sale of a security” includes the writing of an option to purchase or sell a security.
 
(m)  “Reportable Fund” means, for a particular Access Person, any mutual fund for which the investment advisor with whom the Access Person is associated, if any (the “Associated Advisor”), serves as investment advisor (including any sub-advisor) or any mutual fund whose investment advisor or principal underwriter controls the Associated Advisor, is controlled by the Associated Advisor, or is under common control with the Associated Advisor.
 
(n)  “Security” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a) (36) of the 1940 Act, except that it shall include derivative instruments that may not otherwise be defined as securities, and that it shall not include shares of mutual funds that are not Reportable Funds, securities issued by the Government of the United States (including Government agencies or instrumentalities), short term debt securities which are “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a) (16) of the 1940 Act, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, repurchase agreements and other money market instruments.
 
V.
Prohibited Purchases and Sales
 
No Access Person (except for any independent Trustees, who are presumed to have no actual knowledge of the following matters described in sub-clauses (a) and (b) below) shall purchase or sell directly or indirectly, any Security in which he or she has, or by reason of such transactions acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership, which Security to his or her actual knowledge at the time of such purchase or sale:
 
 
(a)
is being considered for purchase or sale by a Reportable Fund (with the exception of Index Funds which are defined as funds that seek to match or track the components of a market index);
 
 
(b)
has been purchased or sold by a Reportable Fund within the most recent 7 days if such person participated in the recommendation to, or the decision by, the Reportable Fund to purchase or sell such security (with the exception of Index Funds).
 
These restrictions shall continue to apply until the recommendation has been rejected or any trade instruction to buy or sell has been completed or canceled.
 
Investment Personnel must obtain prior written approval from the Advisor’s compliance officer before making an investment in an IPO or  Limited Offering.
 
Confidentiality.  No Access Person shall reveal to any other person (except in the normal course of his or her duties) any information regarding securities transactions by the Trusts or consideration by the Trusts or the Advisor of any such securities transaction.
 
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All information obtained from any Access Person hereunder shall be kept in strict confidence, except that reports of securities transactions hereunder will be made available to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) or any other regulatory or self-regulatory organization to the extent required by law or regulation.
 
Exceptions .  These restrictions and the requirement for prior approval shall not apply to purchases or sales which receive the prior approval of the compliance officer.  Such prior approval may be granted, based on the business judgment of the compliance officer, if the purchase or sale is deemed to pose only a remote potential harm to a Fund, or because the purchase or sale would be unlikely to affect a highly institutional market, or because the purchase or sale are not related economically to the securities to be purchased, sold or held by a Fund.
 
General Anti-Fraud Obligations .  It is unlawful and prohibited for any affiliated person of a Fund, or any affiliated person of the Advisor, in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by such person of a Security Held or to be acquired by a Fund:
 
A.           To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any Fund;
 
B.           To make any untrue statement of a material fact to the any Fund or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to any Fund, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
 
C.           To engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on any Fund; or
 
D.           To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to any Fund.
 
VI.
Exempted Transactions/Securities
 
The prohibitions of Section V of this Code of Ethics (except for the General Anti-Fraud Obligations, to which no exception applies) shall not apply to:
 
 
(a)
Purchases or sales effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control.
 
 
(b)
Purchases or sales, which fall below either 1,000 shares or $50,000, whichever is greater (except IPOs and Limited Offerings).
 
 
(c)
Purchases or sales of securities, which are not eligible for purchase, or sale by any Fund (except IPOs and Limited Offerings).
 
 
(d)
Purchases or sales, which are non-volitional on the part of either the Access Person or the Trusts (except IPOs and Limited Offerings) ( e.g. , receipt of gifts).
 
 
(e)
Purchases, which are part of an automatic dividend reinvestment, plan.
 
 
(f)
Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer made pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired.
 
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(g)
Purchases and sales, which have received the prior approval of the compliance officer.
 
 
(h)
Purchases and sales or securities, which are not, included in the definition of “Security” in Part III.g – i.e. , non-Reportable Fund shares, government securities and money market instruments.
 
 
(i)
Purchases and sales of securities, which are in an Index Fund.
 
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VII.
Reporting
 
(a)           Subject to the exceptions set forth below, all Access Persons, with the exception of the Independent Trustees who meet the requirements of Section VIII(a), shall report to the Trusts or the Advisor the information described in this Section VII(b) with respect to transactions in any security in which such Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security.
 
(b)           Every report shall be made not later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter and shall contain the following information:
 
 
(1)
The date of the transaction, the title and the number of shares, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), and the principal amount of each security involved;

 
(2)
The nature of the transaction ( i.e. , purchase, sale, or any other type of acquisition of disposition);

 
(3)
The price at which the transaction was effected;

 
(4)
The name of the broker, dealer, or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 
(5)
The date that the report is being submitted.

(c)           For periods in which no reportable transactions were effected, the report shall contain a representation that no transactions subject to the reporting requirements were effected during the relevant time period.
 
(d)           Any such report may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.
 
(e)           Copies of statements or confirmations containing the information specified in paragraph (b) above may be submitted in lieu of listing the transactions.
 
(f)           Each Access Person (with the exception of the Independent Trustees) must make an Initial Holdings Report within 10 days of becoming an Access Person and an Annual Holdings Report, which must contain information, current within 30 days before the report is submitted.   Each of these reports must contain the following information:
 
 
(1)
the title, number of shares and principal amount of each security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;
 
 
(2)
the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintained an account where such security was held; and
 
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(3)
the date that the report is being submitted.
 
VIII.
Exceptions to Reporting Requirements
 
(a)           An independent Trustee, i.e. , a Trustee of the Trusts who is not an “interested person” (as defined in Section 2(a) (19) of the 1940 Act) of theTrusts, is not required to file a report on a transaction in a security; provided , however , that such Trustee neither knew nor, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a trustee of the Trusts, should have known that, during the 15-day period immediately preceding or after the date of the transaction by the Trustee, such security is or was purchased or sold by the Trusts or is or was being considered for purchase by its investment advisor.
 
(b)           An independent Trustee is not required to furnish the Initial Holdings Report or the Annual Holdings Report specified in Section VII(f).
 
(c)           Access Persons also need not make a report with respect to an exempted transaction security as described in Section VI of this Code ( e.g. , non-Reportable Fund shares).
 
IX.
Review
 
The compliance officer (or the alternate, as appropriate) shall compare all reports of personal securities transactions with completed and contemplated portfolio transactions of each Fund to determine whether a violation of the Code of Ethics may have occurred (except the Exempted Transactions/Securities described in Section VI).  No person shall review his or her own report.  Before making any determination that a violation has been committed by any person, the compliance officer shall give such person an opportunity to supply additional explanatory material.  If a securities transaction of the compliance officer is under consideration, the Chairman shall act in all respects in the manner prescribed herein for the compliance officer.
 
If the compliance officer determines that a violation of the Code of Ethics has or may have occurred, he or she shall, following consultation with counsel to the Trust, submit his or her written determination, together with the transaction report, if any, and any additional explanatory material provided by the individual, to the President or, if the President shall be the compliance officer, the Treasurer, who shall make an independent determination of whether a violation has occurred.
 
The compliance officer shall be responsible for maintaining a current list of all Access Persons (including all Trustees) and for identifying all reporting Access Persons on such list, and shall take steps to ensure that all reporting Access Persons, except Independent Trustees, have submitted reports in a timely manner.  Failure to submit timely reports will be communicated to the Board of Trustees.
 
X.
Board Oversight
 
The Board of Trustees must initially approve the Code of Ethics for the Trust and the Advisor, and the Board of Trustees must approve any material changes to the Code of Ethics within six (6) months of such change.  The compliance officer shall (i) promptly notify the Board of any material violation of the Code; (ii) provide to the Board a written report summarizing any and all material issues that arose during the previous year, and (iii) annually certify that the Advisor has adopted procedures in compliance with the Code of Ethics and Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act.
 
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XI.
Records.
 
The Trusts and the Advisor shall maintain records in the manner and to the extent set forth below, which may be maintained on microfilm or by such other means permissible under the conditions described in Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act, Rule 204-2(g) under the Advisers Act, or under no-action letters or interpretations under that rule ,and shall be available for examination by representatives of the Commission. 1
 
 
a.
A copy of the applicable code of ethics and any amendments thereto shall be preserved in an easily accessible place (including for six (6) years after the code or the amendment, as applicable, is no longer in effect).
 
 
b.
A record of any violation of the code and of any action taken as a result of such violation shall be preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than  six (6) years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs.
 
 
c.
A record of all written acknowledgements from all Access Persons, as required by Section V of this Code, shall be preserved for not less than six (6) years.
 
 
d.
A copy of each report, including any information provided in lieu of the report, made by an Access Person pursuant to the code shall be preserved for a period of not less than six (6) years from the end of the fiscal year in which it was made, the first two years in an easily accessible place.
 
 
e.
A list of all Access Persons who are, or within the past six (6) years have been, required to make reports pursuant to the code and all persons who are, or within the past six (6) years have been, responsible for reviewing the reports, shall be maintained in an easily accessible place.
 
 
f.
A copy of each report of the Trusts or the Advisor detailing any violations of its code of ethics, or certifying that it has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating such code of ethics shall be maintained for at least six (6) years after the end of the fiscal year in which it was made, the first two (2) years in an easily accessible place.
 

1
The Advisor is generally required to retain records for a minimum of five (5) years under Federal Securities Laws.  However, the Funds, as registered investment companies, are generally required to retain records for a minimum of six (6) years.  Accordingly, the Advisor has adopted a six(6) year records retention policy with respect to all of its records.
 
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g.
A copy of any decisions, and reasons supporting the decisions, to approve the purchase of private placement securities or public offerings by investment personnel shall be maintained for at least six (6) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.
 
XII.
Sanctions
 
If a material violation of this Code occurs or a preliminary determination is made that a violation may have occurred, a report of the alleged violation shall be made to the Board of Trustees.  The Board of Trustees or the Advisor may impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate, including, a letter of censure, suspension, or termination of the employment of the violator, and/or a disgorging of any profits made by the violator.
 
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CODE OF ETHICS
Amended February 13, 2014

I hereby acknowledge receipt of, and certify that I have read, understand, and will subscribe to this “Code of Ethics” for Shelton Funds, Shelton Greater China Fund, Shelton Capital Management and RFS Partners, LP.
 
 
 
 
Signature
 
Date
     
     
Printed Name
   

 
Amended February 13, 2014
 
 
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