STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Arin Large Cap Theta Fund
Institutional Class Shares – Ticker Symbol AVOLX
Advisor Class Shares – Ticker Symbol AVOAX
July 1, 20 20
A series of the
Starboard Investment Trust
116 South Franklin Street
Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
Telephone 1-800-773-3863
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
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GENERAL INFORMATION
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2
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT POLICIES
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2
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INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
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13
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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
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15
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DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
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16
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MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
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18
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ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
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27
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SPECIAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
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28
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DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
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30
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NET ASSET VALUE
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31
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ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
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32
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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35
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APPENDIX A – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
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36
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APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES
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39
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This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is meant to be read in conjunction with the prospectus for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund, dated July 1, 20 20, as amended or supplemented
from time to time (the “Prospectus”) , and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Prospectus. Because this SAI is not itself a prospectus, no investment in shares of the Fund should be made solely upon the information
contained herein. The Fund’s financial statements and accompanying notes that appear in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports are incorporated by reference into this SAI. Copies of the Prospectus, annual report, and/or semi-annual
report may be obtained at no charge by writing or calling the Fund at the address or phone number shown above or online at https//:www.nottinghamco.com/fundpages/Arin . Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the same meanings as in
the Prospectus.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Starboard Investment Trust (“Trust”) was organized on May 13, 2009, as a Delaware statutory trust and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is registered with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) . The Trust currently consists of 15 separate series. This SAI relates to the
Arin Large Cap Theta Fund (the “Fund”) . which is a separate, diversified series of the Trust. The Fund’s investment advisor is Arin Risk Advisors, LLC (the “Advisor”). The Prospectus describes the Fund’s investment objective and principal
investment strategies, as well as the principal investment risks of the Fund.
This SAI describes the financial history, management and operation of the Fund, as well as the Fund’s investment objective and policies. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus.
Investments in the Fund are not:
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Deposits or obligations of any bank;
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Guaranteed or endorsed by any bank; or
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Federally insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other federal agency.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT POLICIES
The Prospectus describes the Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies, as well as the principal investment risks of the Fund. All investments in securities and other
financial instruments involve a risk of financial loss. No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment program will be successful. Investors should carefully review the descriptions of the Fund’s investments and their risks described in the
Prospectus and this SAI.
The following descriptions and policies supplement the descriptions in the Prospectus, and also include descriptions of certain types of investments that may be made by the Fund but are not
principal investment strategies of the Fund. Attached to this SAI is Appendix A, which contains descriptions of the rating symbols used by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for securities in which the Fund may invest. Appendix B
contains a copy of the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures.
General Investment Risks. All investments in securities and other financial instruments involve a risk of financial loss. No assurance can be given that
the Fund’s investment program will be successful. Investors should carefully review the descriptions of the Fund’s principal investments and their risks described in the Prospectus and this SAI.
Equity Securities. The equity portion of the Fund’s portfolio may be comprised of common stocks traded on domestic securities exchanges or on the
over-the-counter market. In addition to common stocks, the equity portion of the Fund’s portfolio may also include preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, and convertible bonds and warrants. Prices of equity securities in which the Fund
invests (either directly or indirectly through the Fund’s investment in shares of other investment companies) may fluctuate in response to many factors, including, but not limited to, the activities of the individual companies whose securities the
Fund owns, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes. Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses. In addition, regardless of any one company’s prospects, a declining stock market may
produce a decline in prices for all equity securities, which could also result in losses for the Fund. Market declines may continue for an indefinite period, and investors should understand that during temporary or extended bear markets, the value of
equity securities will decline.
Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest payments or a dividend preference until the security matures or is redeemed, or the conversion privilege is exercised. As a result of
the conversion feature, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in non-convertible form. Warrants entitle the holder to purchase equity securities at
specific prices for a certain period of time. The prices do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities and the warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the
issuer.
Investment Companies. The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies, including, without limitation, money market funds, closed-end funds,
and exchange traded funds. The Fund expects to rely on Rule 12d1-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), when purchasing shares of a money market fund. Under Rule 12d1-1, the Fund may generally invest without
limitation in money market funds as long as the Fund pay no sales charge, as defined in rule 2830(b)(8) of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), or service fee, as defined in Rule 2830(b)(9) of the Conduct Rules
of FINRA, charged in connection with the purchase, sale, or redemption of securities issued by the money market fund; or the Advisor waives its management fee in an amount necessary to offset any sales charge or service fee. The Fund will also
purchase shares of other investment companies that are not money market funds. The Fund’s investments in such securities involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results, which would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying
fund. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, the Fund will be prevented from: (i) purchasing more than 3% of an investment company's outstanding shares; (ii) investing more than 5% of the Fund's assets in any single such investment company,
and (iii) investing more than 10% of the Fund's assets in investment companies overall; unless: (a) the underlying investment company and/or the applicable Fund has received an order for exemptive relief from such limitations from the SEC; and (b)
the underlying investment company and the Fund take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order. In addition, the Fund is subject to Section 12(d)(1)(C), which provides that the Fund may not acquire shares of a closed-end fund if,
immediately after such acquisition, the Fund and other investment companies having the same adviser as the Fund would hold more than 10% of the closed-end fund’s total outstanding voting stock. However, Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act provides
that the limitations of paragraph 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the Fund if immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of such investment company is
owned by the Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund. Investments by the Fund in other investment companies entail a number of risks unique to a fund of funds structure. These risks include the following:
Multiple Layers of Fees. By investing in other investment companies indirectly through the Fund, prospective investors will directly bear the fees and expenses of the
Fund’s Advisor and indirectly bear the fees and expenses of other investment companies and other investment companies’ managers as well. As such, this multiple or duplicative layer of fees will increase the cost of investments in the Fund.
Lack of Transparency. The Advisor will not be able to monitor the investment activities of the other investment companies on a continuous basis and the other investment
companies may use investment strategies that differ from its past practices and are not fully disclosed to the Advisor and that involve risks that are not anticipated by the Advisor. The Fund has no control over the risks taken by the underlying
investment companies in which they invest.
Valuation of Investment Companies. Although the Advisor will attempt to review the valuation procedures used by other investment companies’ managers, the Advisor will
have little or no means of independently verifying valuations of the Fund’s investments in investment companies and valuations of the underlying securities held by other investment companies. As such, the Advisor will rely significantly on valuations
of other investment companies and the securities underlying other investment companies that are reported by other investment companies’ managers. In the event that such valuations prove to be inaccurate, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund could
be adversely impacted and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
Illiquidity of Investments by and in Other Investment Companies. Other investment companies may invest in securities that are not registered, are subject to legal or
other restrictions on transfer, or for which no liquid market exists. The market prices, if any, for such securities tend to be volatile and restricted securities may sell at prices that are lower than similar securities that are not subject to
legal restrictions on resale. Further, the Fund may not be able to redeem their interests in other investment companies’ securities that it has purchased in a timely manner. If adverse market conditions were to develop during any period in which the
Fund is unable to redeem interests in other investment companies, the Fund may suffer losses as a result of this illiquidity. As such, the lack of liquidity and volatility of restricted securities held by other investment companies could adversely
affect the value of the other investment companies. Any such losses could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
Lack of Control. Although the Fund and the Advisor will evaluate regularly other investment companies to determine whether their investment programs are consistent with
the Fund’s investment objective, the Advisor will not have any control over the investments made by other investment companies. Even though other investment companies are subject to certain constraints, the investment advisor to each such investment
company may change aspects of their investment strategies at any time. The Advisor will not have the ability to control or influence the composition of the investment portfolio of other investment companies.
Lack of Diversification. There is no requirement that the underlying investments held by other investment companies be diversified. As such, other investment companies’
managers may target or concentrate other investment companies’ investments in specific markets, sectors, or types of securities. As a result, investments made by other investment companies are subject to greater volatility as a result of this
concentration than if the other investment companies had non-concentrated and diversified portfolios of investments. Thus, the Fund’s portfolio (and by extension the value of an investment in the Fund) may therefore be subject to greater risk than
the portfolio of a similar fund with investments in diversified investment companies.
Use of Leverage. The other investment companies may utilize leverage (i.e., borrowing) to acquire their underlying portfolio investments. When other investment companies
borrow money or otherwise leverage their portfolio of investments, doing so may exaggerate changes in the net asset value (“NAV”) of the shares of the other investment companies and in the return on the other investment companies’ investments.
Borrowing will also cost other investment companies interest expense and other fees. As such, the value of the Fund’s investments in other investment companies may be more volatile and all other risks (including the risk of loss of an investment in
other investment companies) tend to be compounded or magnified. As a result, any losses suffered by other investment companies as a result of their use of leverage could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and an investor could incur
a loss of investment in the Fund.
Exchange Traded Funds. The Fund may invest in ETFs. An ETF is an investment company that is traded on a securities exchange based on its market value. An
investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional registered investment company (i.e., one that is not exchange traded). In addition, all ETFs will have costs and expenses that will be passed on to the
Fund and these costs and expenses will in turn increase the Fund’s expenses. ETFs are also subject to the following risks that often do not apply to conventional investment companies: (i) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount
to the ETF’s NAV, and as a result, ETFs may experience more price volatility than other types of portfolio investments and such volatility could negatively impact the Fund’s NAVs; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or
be maintained at a sufficient volume; (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange deems such action appropriate; and (iv) ETF shares may be delisted from the exchange on which they trade, or “circuit breakers” (which are
tied to large decreases in stock prices used by the exchange) may temporarily halt trading in the ETF’s stock. ETFs are also subject to the risks of the underlying securities or sectors that the ETF holds. Finally, there may be legal limitations
and other conditions imposed by rules of the SEC on the amount of the ETF shares that the Fund may acquire.
Fixed-Income Securities. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities directly or indirectly through its investments in shares of ETFs, including
government and corporate bonds, money market instruments, high yield securities or “junk bonds” and zero-coupon bonds. Zero-coupon bonds are purchased at a discount from their face values and accrue interest at the applicable coupon rate over a
period of time. Fixed-income securities purchased by the Fund may consist of obligations of any rating. Fixed-income securities in the lowest investment grade categories have speculative characteristics, with changes in the economy or other
circumstances more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the bonds to make principal and interest payments than would occur with bonds rated in higher categories. High yield bonds are typically rated below “Baa” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
(“Moody’s”) or below “BBB” by S&P Global Rating (“S&P”) or below investment grade by other recognized rating agencies. The Fund may invest in unrated securities, but only if, at the time of purchase, the Advisor believes that they are of
comparable quality to rated securities that the Fund may purchase. The Fund may also invest indirectly in unrated securities through ETFs and other investment companies that invest in unrated securities under certain circumstances. Such bonds are
subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss of income and principal than higher rated bonds for a variety of reasons, including:
Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Change. The economy and interest rates affect high yield securities differently than other securities. For example, the prices
of high yield bonds have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial
period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest obligations, to meet projected business goals, and to obtain additional
financing. If the issuer of a bond defaults, an underlying mutual fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility or market prices of
high yield bonds and the Fund’s asset values.
Payment Expectations. High yield bonds present certain risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield bonds may contain redemption and call provisions. If
an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in a decreased return for
investors. Conversely, a high yield bond’s value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the Fund’s or other investment company’s assets. If the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests
experiences unexpected net redemptions, it may be forced to sell its high yield bonds without regard to their investment merits, thereby decreasing the asset base upon which the Fund’s or other investment company in which expenses can be
spread and possibly reducing the Fund’s or other investment company’s rate of return.
Liquidity and Valuation. To the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield bonds, and this may impact a fund’s
ability to accurately value high yield bonds and may hinder a fund’s ability to dispose of the bonds. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield
bonds, especially in a thinly traded market.
Credit Ratings. Credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield bonds. Also, because credit rating agencies
may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests must monitor the issuers of high yield bonds in their portfolios to determine if the issuers will have
sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the bonds’ liquidity so the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests can meet redemption requests.
High-yield securities are deemed speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal over a long period of time. Special tax considerations are associated with
investing in high-yield securities structured as zero coupon or “pay-in-kind” securities. The Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests will report the interest on these securities as income even though it receives no cash
interest until the security’s maturity or payment date. The payment of principal and interest on most fixed-income securities purchased by a fund will depend upon the ability of the issuers to meet their obligations. An issuer’s obligations under its
fixed-income securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by federal or state
legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. The power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on, and
principal of, its fixed-income securities may be materially adversely affected by litigation or other conditions.
The ratings of S&P, Moody’s, and other nationally recognized rating agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of fixed-income securities. It should be emphasized, however, that
ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and fixed-income securities with the same maturity, interest rate, and rating may have different yields while fixed-income securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different
ratings may have the same yield. For a more detailed description of ratings, please see Appendix A.
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest in money market instruments including U.S. Government obligations or corporate debt obligations (including
those subject to repurchase agreements) provided that they are eligible for purchase by the Fund. Money market instruments also may include banker’s acceptances and certificates of deposit of domestic branches of U.S. banks, commercial paper, and
variable amount demand master notes (“Master Notes”). Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on and “accepted” by a bank. When a bank “accepts” such a time draft, it assumes liability for its payment. When the Fund acquires a banker’s
acceptance, the bank that “accepted” the time draft is liable for payment of interest and principal when due. The banker’s acceptance carries the full faith and credit of such bank. A certificate of deposit (“CD”) is an unsecured, interest bearing
debt obligation of a bank. Commercial paper is an unsecured, short-term debt obligation of a bank, corporation, or other borrower. Commercial paper maturity generally ranges from two to 270 days and is usually sold on a discounted basis rather than
as an interest-bearing instrument. The Fund will invest in commercial paper only if it is rated in one of the top two rating categories by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, or Fitch Investors Service, Inc., or
if not rated, of equivalent quality in the Advisor’s opinion. Commercial paper may include Master Notes of the same quality. Master Notes are unsecured obligations that are redeemable upon demand of the holder and that permit the investment of
fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest. Master Notes will be acquired by the Fund only through the Master Note program of the Fund’s custodian bank, acting as administrator thereof. The Advisor will monitor, on a continuous basis, the
earnings power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of the issuer of a Master Note held by the Fund.
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. Government securities, defined to be (i) U.S. Treasury notes, U.S. Treasury bonds, U.S. Treasury
bills, and other U.S. Government obligations; (ii) obligations of the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) and other U.S. Government sponsored entities that are guaranteed by the U.S. Government; and (iii) obligations of the Federal
National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Federal Farm Credit Bank (FFCB), Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB), Student Loan Marketing Association (SLMA), The Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA) and other U.S. Government authorities, agencies, and instrumentalities. While obligations of some U.S. Government sponsored entities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (e.g. GNMA), others are
not. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities in the future since it is not obligated to do so by law. The guarantee of the U.S. Government does not extend to
the yield or value of the Fund’s shares.
Debentures. A debenture is long-term, unsecured, debt instrument backed only by the integrity of the borrower, not by collateral, and documented by an
indenture. Governments often issue debentures, in part because they generally cannot guarantee debt with assets (government assets are public property). The primary risk with this type of investment is that the issuer will default or go into
bankruptcy. As an unsecured creditor, in the event of default or bankruptcy, the holder of a debenture does not have a claim against any specific assets of the issuing firm, so the investor will only be paid from the issuer’s assets after the
secured creditors have been paid. The Fund may invest in all types of debentures, including corporate and government debentures.
Derivative Instruments Risk. When the Fund enters into options, futures, and other forms of financial derivatives, such as foreign exchange contracts, the
investments involve risks different from direct investments in the underlying securities. While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks. For example, unanticipated changes in
expected future volatility, interest rates, securities prices, or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of the Fund than if they had not entered into any derivatives transactions. Derivatives may magnify the Fund’s gains
or losses, causing it to make or lose substantially more than it invested. When the Fund invests in options, futures, and other forms of financial derivatives, the Fund will comply with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and the guidance of
no-action letters issued by the SEC, including Investment Company Act Release No. 10666 (Apr. 18, 1979), which requires a fund to segregate assets or otherwise “cover” its positions in a manner that limits a fund’s risk of loss. The Fund has no
specific limit on the amount it invests in derivatives, directly or indirectly, although practical limits are created by the requirement to segregate assets and hold offsetting positions in connection with such investments.
When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities the Fund holds or intends to acquire may offset any losses incurred with a derivative. Purchasing derivatives for purposes
other than hedging could expose the Fund to greater risks.
The Fund’s ability to hedge securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant
securities. In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities the Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument. The Fund will try to minimize this risk by investing only in those
contracts whose behavior it expects to resemble with the portfolio securities it is trying to hedge. However, if the Fund’s prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, expected future volatility, or other economic factors is incorrect,
the Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.
Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative. Listed below are some
of the factors that may cause such a divergence:
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current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in expected future volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract;
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a difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading of an instrument
stops; and
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differences between the derivatives, such as different margin requirements, different liquidity of such markets, and the participation of speculators in such markets.
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Derivatives based upon a narrow index of securities may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they may
be more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.
While currency futures and options values are expected to correlate with exchange rates, they may not reflect other factors that affect the value of the investments of the Fund. A currency hedge,
for example, should protect a yen-denominated security from a decline in the yen, but will not protect the Fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer’s creditworthiness. Because the value of the Fund’s
foreign-denominated investments, if any, changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the Fund’s investments precisely over time.
Before a futures contract or option is exercised or expires, the Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. Moreover, in some cases, the Fund may close out
a futures contract only on the exchange the contract was initially traded. Although the Fund intends to purchase options and futures only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist. If there
is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to close out a position. In an illiquid market, the Fund may:
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have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so;
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have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract;
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not be able to hedge its investments; and
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not be able to realize profits or limit its losses.
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Derivatives may become illiquid (i.e., difficult to sell at a desired time and price) under a variety of market conditions. For example:
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an exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category of derivatives, or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility;
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unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange;
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the facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume;
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equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house, or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or
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investors may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives.
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If the Fund incorrectly predicts securities market, expected future volatility or interest rate trends, the Fund may lose money by investing in derivatives. For example, if the Fund were to write
a call option based on the expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if
the Fund were to write a put option based on the expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the
current market price.
Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions may involve an extremely high degree of leverage. Consequently, a relatively small price
movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the Fund and they may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.
If the price of a futures contract changes adversely, the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so to meet its minimum daily margin requirement. The Fund may
lose margin deposits if a broker with whom they have an open futures contract or related option becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy.
The prices of derivatives are volatile (i.e., they may change rapidly, substantially, and unpredictably) and are influenced by a variety of factors, including:
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actual and anticipated changes in interest rates;
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fiscal and monetary policies; and
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national and international political events.
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Most exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a derivative can change during a single trading day. Daily trading limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a derivative may vary
from the settlement price of that derivative at the end of trading on the previous day. Once the price of a derivative reaches this value, the Fund may not trade that derivative at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price
movements during a given day and does not limit potential gains or losses. Derivative prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, preventing prompt liquidation of the derivative.
Government Regulation of Derivatives. It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures and swap agreements, may limit
or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as a part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is impossible to predict fully the effects of legislation and
regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse.
The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. The SEC, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and the exchanges are authorized to take
extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the
suspension of trading.
The regulation of swaps and futures transactions in the U.S., the European Union and other jurisdictions is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial
action. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies.
Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps (including interest rate swaps and credit default swaps on North American and European indices) are required to be
centrally cleared, and additional types of swaps may be required to be centrally cleared in the future. In a transaction involving those swaps (“cleared derivatives”), the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house, rather than a bank or broker. Since
the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only clearing members can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives transactions, the Fund will make
payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients’ obligations to the clearing house.
In addition, U.S. regulators, the European Union and certain other jurisdictions have adopted minimum margin and capital requirements for uncleared over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives transactions.
It is expected that these regulations will have a material impact on the Fund’s use of uncleared derivatives. These rules will impose minimum margin requirements on derivatives transactions between the Fund and its swap counterparties and may
increase the amount of margin the Fund is required to provide. They will impose regulatory requirements on the timing of transferring margin, which may accelerate the Fund’s current margin process. They will also effectively require changes to
typical derivatives margin documentation. Such requirements could increase the amount of margin the Fund needs to provide in connection with uncleared derivatives transactions and, therefore, make such transactions more expensive.
The SEC has also issued a proposed rule under the 1940 Act providing for the regulation of registered investment companies’ use of derivatives and certain related instruments. The ultimate impact,
if any, of possible regulation remains unclear, but the proposed rule, if adopted, could, among other things, restrict the Fund’s ability to engage in derivatives transactions and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions such that the
Fund may be unable to implement its investment strategy. These and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, further restrict the Fund’s ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for
example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. The implementation of the clearing requirement has increased the
costs of derivatives transactions for the Fund, since the Fund has to pay fees to its clearing members and is typically required to post more margin for cleared derivatives than it has historically posted for bilateral derivatives. The costs of
derivatives transactions are expected to increase further as clearing members raise their fees to cover the costs of additional capital requirements and other regulatory changes applicable to the clearing members. These regulations are new and
evolving, so their potential impact on a Fund and the financial system are not yet known. While the new regulations and central clearing of some derivatives transactions are designed to reduce systemic risk (i.e., the risk that the interdependence of
large derivatives dealers could cause them to suffer liquidity, solvency or other challenges simultaneously), there is no assurance that the new mechanisms will achieve that result.
Options. The Fund will purchase and sell/write call and put options on securities. The purchase and writing of options involves certain risks. During the
option period, a call writer that holds the underlying security has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying securities above the exercise price, but, as long as its
obligation as a writer continues, has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option.
Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying securities at the exercise price. If a put or call option
purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security, in the case of a put, remains equal to or greater than the exercise price or, in the case of a call, remains less than or equal to the
exercise price, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the option. Also, where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price of the put or call option may move more
or less than the price of the related security. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when the Fund seeks to close out an option position. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on the options market, the
Fund may be unable to close out a position.
The Fund may write a call or put option only if the option is “covered” by holding a position in the underlying securities or by other means which would permit immediate satisfaction of the Fund’s
obligation as writer of the option. A written call option creates a potential obligation to sell the underlying security. In order to make sure that this obligation can be met, the Fund could (i) hold the security underlying the written option; (ii)
hold an offsetting call option (one with a strike price that is the same or lower than the strike price of the written option); or (iii) segregate cash and liquid securities (which can be cash, U.S. Government securities, and other liquid debt or
equity securities) that when added to collateral on deposit equals the market value of the underlying security. A written put option creates a potential obligation to buy the underlying security. In order to make sure that this obligation can be
met, the Fund could (i) sell short the underlying security at the same or higher price than the strike price of the written put option; (ii) hold an offsetting put option (one with a strike price that is the same or higher than the strike price of
the written option); or (iii) segregate cash and liquid securities that when added to collateral on deposit equals the strike price of the option.
Options offer large amounts of leverage, which will result in a Fund’s NAV being more sensitive to changes in the value of the related instrument. A Fund may purchase or write both exchange-traded
and over-the-counter (“OTC”) options. Exchange-traded options in the United States are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option
transaction. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between a Fund and its counterparty (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund purchases an OTC option, it relies on the counterparty from
whom it purchased the option to make or take delivery of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any premium paid by a Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of
the transaction.
A Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-listed options depends on the existence of a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any
particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists. There can be no assurance that a Fund will in fact be able to
close out an OTC option position at a favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, a Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration, if at all.
If a Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, due to the absence of a counterparty or secondary market, the imposition of price limits or otherwise, it would
have to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing purchase transaction for a covered call option written by a Fund could cause material losses because the Fund would be unable to sell the investment used as
cover for the written option until the option expires or is exercised.
Options have varying expiration dates. The exercise price of the options may be below, equal to or above the current market value of the underlying security or instrument. Options purchased by a
Fund that expire unexercised have no value, and the Fund will realize a loss in the amount of the premium paid and any transaction costs. If an option written by a Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a gain equal to the premium received at
the time the option was written. Transaction costs must be included in these calculations.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into futures contracts. A futures contract is a bilateral agreement to buy or
sell a security (or deliver a cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contracts) for a set price in the future. Futures contracts are
designated by boards of trade that have been designated “contracts markets” by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). No purchase price is paid or received when the contract is entered into. Instead, the Fund, upon entering into a futures
contract (and to maintain the Fund’s open positions in futures contracts), would be required to deposit with its custodian in a segregated account in the name of the futures broker an amount of cash, U.S. Government securities, suitable money market
instruments, or liquid, high-grade debt securities, known as “initial margin.” The margin required for a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and may be significantly modified from time to time by the
exchange during the term of the contract. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded. By using futures contracts as a risk management technique,
given the greater liquidity in the futures market than in the cash market, it may be possible to accomplish certain results more quickly and with lower transaction costs.
If the price of an open futures contract changes (by increase in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) such that the loss on the futures contract reaches a point at which the
margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, the broker will require an increase in the margin. However, if the value of a position increases because of favorable price changes in the futures contract such that the margin deposit exceeds
the required margin, the broker will pay the excess to the Fund. These subsequent payments, called “variation margin,” to and from the futures broker, are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying assets fluctuates, making the long and
short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” The Fund is expected to earn interest income on initial and variation margin deposits.
The Fund will incur brokerage fees when it purchases and sells futures contracts. Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held until delivery or cash settlement is required, but are
instead liquidated through offsetting transactions that may result in a gain or a loss. While futures positions taken by the Fund will usually be liquidated in this manner, the Fund may instead make or take delivery of underlying securities whenever
it appears economically advantageous for the Fund to do so. A clearing organization associated with the exchange on which futures are traded assumes responsibility for closing out transactions and guarantees that as between the clearing members of an
exchange, the sale and purchase obligations will be performed with regard to all positions that remain open at the termination of the contract.
In addition to the margin restrictions discussed above, transactions in futures contracts may involve the segregation of funds pursuant to requirements imposed by the SEC. Under those requirements,
where the Fund has a long position in a futures contract, it may be required to establish a segregated account (not with a futures commission merchant or broker) containing cash or certain liquid assets equal to the purchase price of the contract
(less any margin on deposit). However, segregation of assets is not required if the Fund “covers” a long position. For a short position in futures or forward contracts held by the Fund, those requirements may mandate the establishment of a
segregated account (not with a futures commission merchant or broker) with cash or certain liquid assets that, when added to the amounts deposited as margin, equal the market value of the instruments underlying the futures contracts (but are not less
than the price at which the short positions were established).
Short Sales. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own or have the right to acquire (or that it owns but does not wish
to deliver) in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. When the Fund makes a short sale, the broker-dealer through which the short sale is made must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the party purchasing the
security. The Fund is required to make a margin deposit in connection with such short sales; the Fund may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and will often be obligated to pay over any dividends and accrued interest on borrowed
securities.
If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund covers the short position, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines,
the Fund will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs described above. The successful use of short selling may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price
of the security sold short and the securities being hedged.
If the Fund does sell “short”, the Fund will comply with current guidance from the staff of the SEC regarding asset coverage requirements, including Investment Company Act Release No. 10666 (Apr.
18, 1979). In particular, the Fund will take measures to ensure its obligation to purchase the security in the future will be met, including (i) holding the security sold short; (ii) holding an offsetting call option (one with a strike price that is
the same or lower than the price at which the security was sold short); or (iii) segregating liquid assets (which can be cash, U.S. Government securities, and other liquid debt or equity securities) on the Fund’s books or in a segregated account at
the Fund’s custodian in an amount sufficient to cover the current value of the securities to be replaced as well as any dividends, interest, and transaction costs due to the broker-dealer lender. In determining the amount to be segregated, any
securities that have been sold short by the Fund will be marked to market daily. To the extent the market price of the securities sold short increases and more assets are required to meet the Fund’s short sale obligations, additional assets will be
segregated to ensure adequate coverage of the Fund’s short position obligations. If the Fund does not have the assets to cover a short sale, then the Fund’s potential losses on the short will be unlimited because the security’s price may appreciate
indefinitely.
Liquidity Impact of Margin and Segregation Requirements. Although the Fund will segregate cash and liquid assets in an amount sufficient to cover its open
obligations with respect to written options, futures contracts, and short sales, as well as other instruments as applicable, the segregated assets will be available to the Fund immediately upon closing out the positions, while settlement of
securities transactions could take several days. However, because the Fund’s cash that may otherwise be invested would be held uninvested or invested in other liquid assets so long as the position remains open, the Fund’s return could be diminished
due to the opportunity losses of foregoing other potential investments.
Swaps. The Fund may invest in currency, equity, interest rate, index, and other swaps, which involve the exchange by an investor with another party of their
respective commitments, in an attempt to obtain a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at a lower cost than if the Fund had invested directly in the asset that yielded the desired return. In the case of interest rate
swaps, an investor may exchange with another party their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments. Use of swaps subjects the investor to risk of default by the
counterparties. If there is a default by the counterparty to such a transaction, there may be contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction although contractual remedies may not be sufficient in the event that the
counterparty to the transaction is insolvent. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a
result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments which are traded in the interbank market. An investor may also enter into currency swaps or other swaps which are similar to interest
rate swaps but may be surrogates for other instruments such as currency forwards or options.
Forward Commitment and When-Issued Securities. The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis or for settlement at a future date if the Fund holds
sufficient assets to meet the purchase price. In such purchase transactions, the Fund will not accrue interest on the purchased security until the actual settlement. Similarly, if a security is sold for a forward date, the Fund will accrue the
interest until the settlement of the sale. When-issued security purchases and forward commitments have a higher degree of risk of price movement before settlement due to the extended time period between the execution and settlement of the purchase or
sale. As a result, the exposure to the counterparty of the purchase or sale is increased. Although the Fund would generally purchase securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis with the intention of taking delivery, the Fund may sell
such a security prior to the settlement date if the Advisor feels such action is appropriate. In such a case, the Fund could incur a short-term gain or loss.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may acquire U.S. Government securities or corporate debt securities subject to repurchase agreements. A repurchase transaction
occurs when an investor purchases a security (normally a U.S. Treasury obligation), and it then resells it to the vendor (normally a member bank of the Federal Reserve or a registered government securities dealer) and is required to deliver the
security (and/or securities substituted for them under the repurchase agreement) to the vendor on an agreed upon date in the future. The repurchase price exceeds the purchase price by an amount which reflects an agreed upon market interest rate
effective for the period of time during which the repurchase agreement is in effect. Delivery pursuant to the resale normally will occur within one to seven days of the purchase. Repurchase agreements are considered “loans” under the 1940 Act,
collateralized by the underlying security. The Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”) has implemented procedures to monitor on a continuous basis the value of the collateral serving as security for repurchase obligations. The
Fund’s Advisor will consider the creditworthiness of the vendor. If the vendor fails to pay the agreed upon resale price on the delivery date, the Fund will retain or attempt to dispose of the collateral. The Fund’s risk is that such default may
include any decline in value of the collateral to an amount which is less than 100% of the repurchase price, any costs of disposing of such collateral, and any loss resulting from any delay in foreclosing on the collateral. Repurchase agreements that
do not provide for payment within seven days will be treated as illiquid securities.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest up to 15% of net assets in illiquid securities, which are investments that cannot be sold or disposed of in the
ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued. This restriction is not limited to the time of purchase. Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board” or the
“Trustees”), the Advisor determines the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, and through reports from the Advisor, the Trustees monitor investments in illiquid instruments. In determining the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Advisor may
consider various factors including (i) the frequency of trades and quotations; (ii) the number of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace; (iii) dealer undertakings to make a market; (iv) the nature of the security (including any demand
or tender features); and (v) the nature of the marketplace for trades (including the ability to assign or offset the Fund’s rights and obligations relating to the investment). If through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the
Fund was in a position where more than 15% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, it would seek to take appropriate steps to protect liquidity. Investment in illiquid securities poses risks of potential delays in resale and
uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund may be unable to dispose of illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
Restricted Securities. Within its limitation on investment in illiquid securities, the Fund may purchase restricted securities that generally can be sold in
privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the federal securities laws, or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration
expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If during such a period adverse market conditions were
to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. Restricted securities that can be offered and sold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act
of 1933 and are determined to be liquid under guidelines adopted by and subject to the supervision of the Trustees are not subject to the limitations on illiquid securities.
Portfolio Turnover. Portfolio turnover is a ratio that indicates how often the securities in a mutual fund’s portfolio change during a year’s time. Higher
numbers indicate a greater number of changes, and lower numbers indicate a smaller number of changes. The Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held in order to take advantage of new investment
opportunities or changing market conditions. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, there could be additional expenses for the Fund. High rates of portfolio turnover could lower performance of
the Fund due to increased costs and may also result in the realization of capital gains. If the Fund realizes capital gains when they sell portfolio investments, they must generally distribute those gains to shareholders, increasing their taxable
distributions.
Lending of Portfolio Securities. In order to generate additional income, the Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to 33% of total Fund assets
to broker-dealers, major banks, or other recognized domestic institutional borrowers of securities which the Advisor has determined are creditworthy under guidelines established by the Board. In determining whether the Fund will lend securities, the
Advisor will consider all relevant facts and circumstances. The Fund may not lend securities to any company affiliated with the Advisor. Each loan of securities will be collateralized by cash, U.S. government securities, or standby letters of credit
not issued by the Fund’s bank lending agent. The Fund might experience a loss if the borrower defaults on the loan.
The borrower at all times during the loan must maintain with the Fund cash or cash equivalent collateral. While the loan is outstanding, the borrower will pay the Fund any interest paid on the
loaned securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral to earn additional income. Alternatively, the Fund may receive an agreed-upon amount of interest income from the borrower who has delivered equivalent collateral. It is anticipated that
the Fund may share with the borrower some of the income received on the collateral for the loan or the Fund will be paid a premium for the loan. Voting rights for loaned securities will typically pass to the borrower, but the Fund will retain the
right to call any security in anticipation of a vote that the Advisor deems material to the security on loan. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower at any time. The Fund may pay reasonable administrative and
custodial fees in connection with a loan and may pay a negotiated portion of the income earned on the cash to the borrower or placing broker. As with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the
collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that the loaned securities may not be returned or returned in a timely manner and/or a loss of rights in the collateral if the
borrower or the lending agent defaults or fails financially. This risk will be increased if a continuation of the current downturn in the economic conditions in the United States and around the world, particularly the recent failures of several major
financial services firms, causes further declines in the securities markets and/or causes further financial instability in the borrowers or lending agents. This risk is increased when the Fund’s loans are concentrated with a single or limited number
of borrowers. There are no limits on the number of borrowers the Fund may use, and the Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers. Mutual funds participating in securities lending bear the risk of loss in connection with
investments of the cash collateral received from the borrowers, which do not trigger additional collateral requirements from the borrower.
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes, which is a form of leveraging. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed
money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk while increasing investment opportunity. Such borrowing may make the Fund's NAV more volatile than funds that do not borrow for investment purposes because leverage magnifies changes in
the Fund’s NAV and on the Fund’s investments. Although the principal of borrowings will be fixed, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Leverage also creates interest expenses for the Fund. To the extent
the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay, the Fund’s net income will be greater than it would be if leverage were not used. Conversely, if the income from the assets obtained with
borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of the Fund will be less than it would be if leverage were not used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to shareholders as dividends will be reduced.
The use of derivatives in connection with leverage creates the potential for significant loss. Any leveraging will comply with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and the guidance of no-action letters issued by the SEC, including Investment
Company Act Release No. 10666 (Apr. 18, 1979), intended to minimize the use of leverage and the possibility that the Fund’s liabilities will exceed the value of its assets.
The Fund may also borrow money to meet redemptions or for other emergency purposes. Such borrowings may be on a secured or unsecured basis at fixed or variable rates of interest. The 1940 Act
requires the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage of not less than 300% with respect to all borrowings. If such asset coverage should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund will be required to reduce the
amount of its borrowings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), and may be required to dispose of some of its portfolio holdings in order to reduce the Fund’s debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be
disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to dispose of assets at that time.
The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit. Either of these requirements
would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Temporary Defensive Positions. The Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment
strategies in an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. During such an unusual set of circumstances, the Fund may hold up to 100% of its portfolios in cash or cash equivalent positions (e.g., money market
securities, U.S. Government securities, and/or similar securities). When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
Fundamental Investment Restrictions. The following investment restrictions have been adopted by the Board with respect to the Fund. Except as
otherwise stated, these investment restrictions are fundamental policies , which cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. A vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund is defined in the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a shareholder meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy ; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund .
As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:
(1)
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Issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act;
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(2)
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Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act (including, without limitation, borrowing to meet redemptions). For purposes of this investment restriction, the entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts,
including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices shall not constitute borrowing;
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(3)
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Pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate its assets, except to the extent necessary to secure permitted borrowings and to the extent related to the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with writing covered put and call options and the
purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and collateral and initial or variation margin arrangements with respect to options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and
options on futures contracts or indices;
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(4)
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Act as an underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws;
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(5)
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Purchase or sell real estate or direct interests in real estate; provided, however, that the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies that invest or deal in real estate
(including, without limitation, investments in REITs, mortgage-backed securities, and privately-held real estate funds);
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(6)
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Invest in commodities, except that the Fund may purchase and sell securities of companies that invest in commodities, options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices and currencies, and options on
futures contracts, indices or currencies;
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(7)
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Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management over a portfolio company;
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(8)
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Make loans, provided that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount up to 33% of total Fund assets, and provided further that, for purposes of this restriction, investment in U.S. Government obligations, short-term
commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and bankers’ acceptances;
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(9)
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Concentrate its investments. The Fund’s concentration policy limits the aggregate value of holdings of a single industry or group of industries (except U.S. Government and cash items) to less than 25% of the Fund’s total assets; or
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(10)
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With respect to 75% of its total assets: (i) purchase 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer; or (ii) purchase securities of any issuer if, as a result, 5% or more of the Fund’s total assets would be
invested in that issuer’s securities. This limitation does not apply to investments in (i) cash and cash items; (ii) securities of other registered investment companies; and (iii) obligations of the United States Government, its
agencies, or instrumentalities.
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Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat
certain transactions as senior securities (“Permitted Senior Securities”), such as certain borrowings, short sales, firm commitment agreements, and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligations.
The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of
5% of its total assets).
For purposes of the Fund’s concentration policy, if the Fund invests in one or more investment companies, the Fund will examine the holdings of such investment companies to ensure that the Fund is not indirectly
concentrating its investments in a particular industry. In determining the exposure of the Fund to a particular industry for purposes of the fundamental investment restriction on concentration, the Fund currently uses Standard & Poor’s Global
Industry Classification Standard (GICS) in order to classify industries.
With respect to the fundamental investment restrictions above (other than those involving Permitted Senior Securities and borrowings), if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage
resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction (i.e., percentage limitations are determined at the time of purchase).
Non-Fundamental Policies. The following investment policies are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its
net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of securities whose value or notional value is based on companies with market capitalizations that qualify them as “large-cap” companies. If, subsequent to an
investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, a Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of net assets in illiquid securities, which are investments that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days
at approximately the prices at which they are valued. This restriction is not limited to the time of purchase.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Subject to the policies established by the Board, the Advisor makes decisions with respect to, and places orders for all purchases and sales of portfolio securities for the Fund. The Advisor
shall manage the Fund’s portfolios in accordance with the terms of the investment advisory agreement by and between the Advisor and the Trust on behalf of the Fund (“Advisory Agreement”), which is described in detail under “Management and Other
Service Providers – Investment Advisor.” The Advisor serves as investment advisor for a number of client accounts, including the Fund. Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those for any other series of the Trust, if any, and
for any other investment companies and accounts advised or managed by the Advisor.
Brokerage Selection. The Board has adopted, and the Trustees have approved, policies and procedures relating to the direction of mutual fund
portfolio securities transactions to broker-dealers. The Advisor may not give consideration to sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in selecting broker-dealers to execute portfolio securities transactions. The Advisor may, however, place
portfolio transactions with broker-dealers that promote or sell the Fund’s shares so long as such transactions are done in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Trustees that are designed to ensure that the selection is based
on the quality of the broker’s execution and not on its sales efforts. In selecting brokers to be used in portfolio transactions, the Advisor’s general guiding principle is to obtain the best overall execution for each trade, which is a combination
of price and execution. With respect to execution, the Advisor considers a number of discretionary factors, including, without limitation, the actual handling of the order, the ability of the broker to settle the trade promptly and accurately, the
financial standing of the broker, the ability of the broker to position stock to facilitate execution, the Advisor’s past experience with similar trades, and other factors that may be unique to a particular order. Recognizing the value of these
discretionary factors, the Advisor may select brokers who charge a brokerage commission that is higher than the lowest commission that might otherwise be available for any given trade.
Under Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is authorized to pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might have
charged for effecting the same transaction, in recognition of the value of brokerage and/or research services provided by the broker. The research received by the Advisor may include, without limitation: information on the United States and other
world economies; information on specific industries, groups of securities, individual companies, and political and other relevant news developments affecting markets and specific securities; technical and quantitative information about markets;
analysis of proxy proposals affecting specific companies; accounting and performance systems that allow the Advisor to determine and track investment results; and trading systems that allow the Advisor to interface electronically with brokerage
firms, custodians, and other providers. Research is received in the form of written reports, telephone contacts, personal meetings, research seminars, software programs, and access to computer databases. In some instances, research products or
services received by the Advisor may also be used by the Advisor for functions that are not research related (i.e. not related to the making of investment decisions). Where a research product or service has a mixed use, the Advisor will make a
reasonable allocation according to the use and will pay for the non-research function in cash using its own funds.
The research and investment information services described above make available to the Advisor for its analysis and consideration the views and information of individuals and research staffs of
other securities firms. These services may be useful to the Advisor in connection with advisory clients other than the Fund and not all such services may be useful to the Advisor in connection with the Fund. Although such information may be a useful
supplement to the Advisor’s own investment information in rendering services to the Fund, the value of such research and services is not expected to reduce materially the expenses of the Advisor in the performance of its services under the Advisory
Agreement and will not reduce the management fees payable to the Advisor by the Fund.
The Fund may invest in securities traded in the OTC market. In these cases, the Fund may initiate trades through brokers on an agency basis and pay a commission in connection with the transaction.
The Fund may also effect these transactions by dealing directly with the dealers who make a market in the securities involved, in which case the costs of such transactions would involve dealer spreads rather than brokerage commissions. With respect
to securities traded only in the over-the-counter market, orders will be executed on a principal basis with primary market makers in such securities except where better prices or executions may be obtained on an agency basis or by dealing with those
other than a primary market maker.
The Fund’s fixed income portfolio transactions may be executed through broker-dealers on an agency basis or be principal transactions executed in over the counter markets on a “net” basis, which
may include a dealer mark up. Where possible, the Advisor will deal directly with the broker-dealers who make a market in the securities involved except in those circumstances where better prices and execution are available elsewhere. Such
broker-dealers usually act as principal for their own account.
The Fund may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding for the purchase of Fund securities directly from an issuer in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members
of a bidding group. The Fund will engage in this practice, however, only when the Advisor, in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in the Fund’s interest.
For the fiscal years ended February 29, 2020, February 28, 2019, and February 28, 2018 the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $107,310, $281,536, and $38,265,
respectively. The brokerage commission decreased from the prior year due a decrease in commission rates charged by the broker.
Aggregated Trades. While investment decisions for the Fund are made independently of the Advisor’s other client accounts, the Advisor’s other client
accounts may invest in the same securities as the Fund. To the extent permitted by law, the Advisor may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other investment companies or accounts in
executing transactions. When a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of the Fund and another investment company or account, the transaction will be averaged as to price and available investments
allocated as to amount in a manner which the Advisor believes to be equitable to the Fund and such other investment company or account. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by the Fund or the
size of the position obtained or sold by the Fund.
Portfolio Turnover. The annualized portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities
for the fiscal year by the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year . The calculation excludes all securities whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition are one year or less.
Portfolio turnover of the Fund may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year and may be affected by cash requirements for redemption of shares and by requirements that enable the Fund to receive favorable tax treatment.
Portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor in making Fund decisions, and the Fund may engage in short-term trading to achieve its investment objectives. High rates of portfolio turnover could lower performance of the Fund due to increased
transaction costs and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal s year ended February 29, 2020 , February 28, 2019, and February 28, 2018
were 456.80%, 325.85 %, and 94.85% , respectively . The increase in the portfolio turnover rate from the previous year was primarily due to an increase in trading activity resulting from increased market volatility.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Trust, which is a statutory trust organized under Delaware law on May 13, 2009, is an open-end management investment company. The Trust’s Declaration of Trust (“Trust Instrument”) authorizes the
Trustees to divide shares into series, each series relating to a separate portfolio of investments, and to classify and reclassify any unissued shares into one or more classes of shares of each such series. The Trust currently consists of 1 5
series, including the Fund. The shares of the Fund are divided into two classes, which are described in the Prospectus: Institutional Class Shares and Advisor Class Shares. Additional series and/or classes may be created from time to time. The
number of shares in each series of the Trust shall be unlimited. When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus and this SAI, shares of the Fund will be fully paid and non-assessable and shall have no preemptive or conversion rights. The
Trust does not issue share certificates.
In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual series, such as the Fund, shareholders of a particular series would be entitled to receive the assets available for
distribution belonging to such series. Shareholders of a series are entitled to participate equally in the net distributable assets of the particular series involved on liquidation, based on the number of shares of the series that are held by each
shareholder. If there are any assets, income, earnings, proceeds, funds, or payments that are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular series, the Trustees shall allocate them among any one or more of the series as they, in their sole
discretion, deem fair and equitable.
Shareholders of all of the series of the Trust, including the Fund, will vote together and not separately on a series-by-series or class-by-class basis, except as otherwise required by law or when
the Trustees determine that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular series or class . The Trust has adopted a Rule 18f-3 Multi-class Plan for certain series that contain the general
characteristics of and conditions under which such series may offer multiple classes of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment
company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series or class affected by the matter. A series or class is affected by a matter unless
it is clear that the interests of each series or class in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the series or class. Under Rule 18f-2, the approval of an investment advisory agreement or any change
in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a series only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such series. However, the rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of
independent accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts, and the election of Trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting together, without regard to a particular series or class. Rights of
shareholders can only be modified by a majority vote.
When used in the Prospectus or this SAI, a “majority” of shareholders means the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of the Trust or the applicable series or class present at a meeting if the
holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present in person or by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or the applicable series or class.
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share and a fractional vote for each fractional share held. Shares have non-cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than
50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees, and in this event, the holders of the remaining shares voting will not be able to elect any Trustees.
The Trustees will hold office indefinitely, except that: (i) any Trustee may resign or retire, and (ii) any Trustee may be removed: (a) any time by written instrument signed by at least two-thirds
of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (b) at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust by a vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust; or (c) by a written declaration signed by shareholders holding not less than two-thirds
of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In case a vacancy on the Board shall for any reason exist, the vacancy shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Trustees, subject to certain restrictions under the 1940 Act.
Otherwise, there will normally be no meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees, and the Trust does not expect to have an annual meeting of shareholders.
The Trust Instrument provides that the Trustees will not be liable in any event in connection with the affairs of the Trust, except as such liability may arise from a Trustee’s bad faith, willful
misfeasance, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties. It also provides that all third parties shall look solely to the Trust’s property for satisfaction of claims arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust. With the exceptions
stated, the Trust Instrument provides that a Trustee or officer is entitled to be indemnified against all liability in connection with the affairs of the Trust.
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
The Trust is governed by the Board, which is responsible for the management and supervision of the Fund. The Trustees meet periodically throughout the year to review contractual
arrangements with companies that furnish services to the Fund; review performance of the Advisor and the Fund; and oversee activities of the Fund. This section of the SAI provides information about the persons who serve as Trustees and
officers to the Trust as well as the entities that provide services to the Fund.
Trustees and Officers. Following are the Trustees and officers of the Trust, their age and address, their present position with the Trust or the Fund, and
their principal occupation during the past five years. The Trustees in the following table who are not “interested” persons of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”) are indicated as such. The address of each Trustee
and officer of the Trust, unless otherwise indicated, is 116 South Franklin Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804.
Name and
Date of Birth
|
Position
held with
Funds or Trust
|
Length
of Time
Served
|
Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years
|
Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
|
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years
|
Independent Trustees
|
James H. Speed, Jr.
(06/1953)
|
Independent Trustee, Chairman
|
Trustee since 7/09, Chair since 5/12
|
Previously President and CEO of NC Mutual Insurance Company (insurance company) from 2003 to 2015.
|
16
|
Independent Trustee of the Brown Capital Management Mutual Funds for all its series from 2011 to present, Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust for all its series from 2009 to
present, Centaur Mutual Funds Trust for all its series from 2013 to present, Chesapeake Investment Trust for all its series from 2016 to present, Leeward Investment Trust for all its series from 2018 to present, and WST Investment Trust
for all its series (all registered investment companies) from 2013 to present. Member of Board of Directors of Communities in Schools of N.C. from 2001 to present. Member of Board of Directors of Mechanics & Farmers Bank from 2009 to
present. Member of Board of Directors of Investors Title Company from 2010 to present. Member of Board of Directors of AAA Carolinas from 2011 to present. Previously, member of Board of Directors of M&F Bancorp from 2009 to 2019.
Previously, member of Board of Visitors of North Carolina Central University School of Business from 1990 to 2016. Previously, Board of Directors of NC Mutual Life Insurance Company from 2004 to 2016. Previously, President and CEO of
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company from 2003 to 2015.
|
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
(04/1936)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Since 9/10
|
Senior Partner, Community Financial Institutions Consulting (financial consulting) since 1999.
|
16
|
Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for all its series from 2013 to present, Chesapeake Investment Trust for all its series from 2002 to present, Leeward Investment Trust for all its
series from 2011 to present, and Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust for all its series from 2000 to present (all registered investment companies). Senior Partner of Community Financial Institutions Consulting from 1997 to
present. Previously, Partner at Pikar Properties from 2001 to 2017.
|
Name and
Date of Birth
|
held with
Funds or Trust
|
Length of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years
|
Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
|
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years
|
Michael G. Mosley
(01/1953)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Since 7/10
|
Owner of Commercial Realty Services (real estate) since 2004.
|
16
|
None.
|
J. Buckley Strandberg
(03/1960)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Since 7/09
|
President of Standard Insurance and Realty since 1982.
|
16
|
None.
|
Name and
Date of Birth
|
Position held with
Funds or Trust
|
Length
of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years
|
Officers
|
Katherine M. Honey
(09/1973)
|
President and Principal Executive Officer
|
Since 05/15
|
EVP of The Nottingham Company since 2008.
|
Ashley H. Lanham
(03/1984)
|
Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Principal Financial Officer
|
Since 05/15
|
Head of Fund Administration, The Nottingham Company since 2008.
|
Tracie A. Coop
(12/1976)
|
Secretary
|
Since 12/19
|
General Counsel, The Nottingham Company since 2019. Formerly, Vice President and Managing Counsel, State Street Bank and Trust Company from 2015 to 2019. Formerly, General Counsel for
Santander Asset Management USA, LLC from 2013 to 2015.
|
Matthew Baskir
(07/1979)
|
Chief Compliance Officer
|
Since 04/20
|
Compliance Director, The Nottingham Company, Inc., since 2020. Formerly, Consultant at National Regulatory Services from 2019 to 2020. Formerly, Counsel at Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority (FINRA), Member Supervision from 2016-2019. Formerly Counsel at FINRA, Market Regulation Enforcement from 2014 – 2016.
|
Board Structure. The Board currently consists of four Trustees , all of whom are Independent . Mr. Speed serves as the Independent Chairman of
the Board. The Board has established several standing committees: Audit Committee, Nominating Committee, Fair Valuation Committee, Governance Committee, and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. These standing committees are comprised entirely of
the Independent Trustees. Other information about these standing committees is set forth below. The Board has determined that the Board’s structure is appropriate given the characteristics, size, and operations of the Trust. The Board also believes
that its leadership structure, including its committees, helps facilitate effective oversight of Trust management. The Board reviews its structure annually.
With respect to risk oversight, the Board considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities throughout the year. The Board holds four regular board meetings each
year during which the Board receives risk management reports and/or assessments from Trust management, the Fund’s advisor, administrator, transfer agent, and distributor, and receives an annual report from the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer
(“CCO”). The Audit Committee also meets with the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm on an annual basis, to discuss among other things, the internal control structure of the Trust’s financial reporting function. When appropriate,
the Board may hold special meeting or communicate directly with Trust management, the CCO, the Trust’s third-party service providers, legal counsel, or independent public accountants to address matters arising between regular board meeting or needing
special attention. In addition, the Board has adopted policies and procedures for the Trust to help detect and prevent and, if necessary, correct violations of federal securities laws .
The Board met nine times during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020.
Trustee Standing Committees. The Trustees have established the following standing committees:
Audit Committee. All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee oversees the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices,
reviews the results of the annual audits of the Fund’s financial statements, and interacts with the Fund’s independent auditors on behalf of all the Trustees. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter and meets periodically
as necessary. The Audit Committee met eight times during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020 .
Fair Valuation Committee. An Independent Trustee and a representative of the advisor are members of the Fair Valuation Committee. The Fair Valuation Committee has
the authority to determine the fair value of specific securities under the methods established by the adopted Guidelines for Valuing Portfolio Securities. The Fair Valuation Committee meets only as necessary. The Fair Valuation
Committee met 6 times during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020.
Governance Committee. All of the Independent Trustees are the current members of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee assists the Board in adopting fund governance
practices and meeting certain fund governance standards. The Governance Committee operates pursuant to a Governance Committee Charter and normally meets annually but may also meet as often as necessary to carry out its purpose. The Governance
Committee met once during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020 .
Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee receives,
investigates, and makes recommendations as to appropriate remedial action in connection with any report of evidence of a material violation of securities laws or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Trust, its officers, Trustees, or
agents. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee meets only as necessary and did not meet during the twelve-month period ended February 2 9, 2020 .
Beneficial Equity Ownership Information. The table below sets forth, as of December 31, 2019, the dollar range of equity securities beneficially
owned by each Trustee in the Fund , and the aggregate dollar range of equity securities in the Fund complex .
A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000.
Name of
Trustee
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in the
Fund
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in All Registered
Investment Companies Overseen by
Trustee in Family of
Investment Companies*
|
Michael G. Mosley
|
A
|
A
|
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
|
A
|
A
|
James H. Speed, Jr.
|
A
|
A
|
J. Buckley Strandberg
|
A
|
A
|
Ownership of Securities of Advisor, Distributor, or Related Entities. As of December 31, 201 9 , none of the Independent Trustees and/or their immediate family members own securities of the Advisor,
Capital Investment Group, Inc. (the “Distributor”), or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor or Distributor.
Compensation. Officers of the Trust and Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust or the Advisor will receive no salary or fees from the Trust.
Independent Trustees receive $2,000 per series of the Trust each year and may receive up to an additional $500 per series of the Trust per special meeting in the event that special meetings are held. This amount may be paid pro rata in the event that
a fund closes during the fiscal year. The Trust reimburses each Trustee and officers of the Trust for his or her travel and other expenses relating to attendance at such meetings. Each of the Trustees serves as a Trustee to all series of the
Trust, including the Fund. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, the Trustees received the amounts set forth in the following table for services to the Fund and the Fund Complex.
Name of Trustee
|
Aggregate
Compensation from
the Fund
|
Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of
Fund Expenses
|
Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
|
Total Compensation
from Fund and
Fund Complex Paid
to Trustees
|
Michael G. Mosley
|
$3,000
|
None
|
None
|
$42,500
|
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
|
$3,000
|
None
|
None
|
$42,500
|
James H. Speed, Jr.
|
$3,000
|
None
|
None
|
$42,500
|
J. Buckley Strandberg
|
$3,000
|
None
|
None
|
$42,500
|
Codes of Ethics. The Trust, Advisor, and Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics, as required under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act, which is designed to
prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, Advisor, and Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which securities may also be held by persons
subject to each such code of ethics). There can be no assurance that the codes will be effective in preventing such activities. The codes permit employees and officers of the Trust, Advisor, and Distributor to invest in securities held by the Fund,
subject to certain restrictions and pre-approval requirements. In addition, the Advisor’s code requires that portfolio managers and other investment personnel of the Advisor report their personal securities transactions and holdings, which are
reviewed for compliance with the respective codes of ethics.
Anti-Money Laundering Program. The Trust has adopted an anti-money laundering program, as required by applicable law, which is designed to prevent the Fund
from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. The Trust’s CCO is responsible for implementing and monitoring the operations and internal controls of the program. Compliance officers at certain of the Fund’s service
providers are also responsible for monitoring the program. The anti-money laundering program is subject to the continuing oversight of the Trustees.
Proxy Voting Policies. The Trust has adopted a proxy voting and disclosure policy that delegates to the Advisor the authority to vote proxies for the Fund,
subject to oversight by the Board . A copy of the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures is included as Appendix B to this SAI. No later than August 31st of each year, the Fund will file Form N-PX stating how the Fund voted proxies
relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (i)
without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863; and (ii) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Principal Holders of Voting Securities. As of May 31, 20 20 , the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned beneficially (i.e., had direct or
indirect voting and/or investment power) none of the then outstanding shares of each class of shares of the Fund. As of May 31, 20 20 , to the Trust’s knowledge, the following shareholders owned of record or beneficially 5% or
more of the outstanding shares of each class of shares of the Fund. Shareholders owning 25% or more of outstanding shares may be in control and may be able to affect the outcome of certain matters presented for a vote of Shareholders.
Institutional Class Shares
Name and Address of
Owner
|
Percentage of
Ownership
|
Type of Ownership
|
TD Ameritrade FBO
Jack L Wyszomierski & Kathy D
Wyszomierski JT
6635 Armitage Road
New Hope, PA 18938
|
6.50%
|
Beneficial
|
dvisor Class Shares
Name and Address of
Owner
|
Percentage of
Ownership
|
Type of Ownership
|
TD Ameritrade FBO
Mark K West
4 Thayer Avenue
Holbrook, MA 02343
|
40.09%
|
Benefical1
|
TD Ameritrade FBO
Edward Hogan &
Amy J Costello-Hogan JT
269 Murray Avenue
Larchmont, NY 10538
|
35.25%
|
Benefical1
|
Charles Schwab & Co, Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
|
17.66%
|
Record2
|
Charles Schwab & Co, Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
7.01%
|
Record2
|
1 Deemed a “control person” of the Fund as defined by applicable regulations of the SEC. Such control may affect the voting rights of other shareholders. For example, person
exercising control will have more ability to influence the outcome of matters submitted to shareholders to be voted upon.
2 The Fund believes that such entity does not have a beneficial ownership interest in such shares.
Investment Advisor. Arin Risk Advisors, LLC, located at 1100 East Hector Street, Suite 125, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428 , serves as
the investment advisor to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Arin Risk Advisors, LLC . The Advisor is controlled by Joseph DeSipio, Managing Member, and Lawrence Lempert, Chief
Compliance Officer. The Advisor supervises the Fund’s investments pursuant to the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement is effective for an initial two- year period and will be renewed thereafter only so long as such renewal and
continuance is specifically approved at least annually : (i) by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees ,
cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval . The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust by a vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities upon 60
calendar days’ written notice or by the Advisor upon 60 calendar days’ written notice . The Advisory Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment,” as such term is defined in the 1940 Act.
The Advisor manages the Fund’s investments in accordance with the stated policies of the Fund, subject to oversight by the Board . The Advisor is responsible for investment decisions and
provides the Fund with portfolio managers who are authorized to execute purchases and sales of securities.
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is not liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of such agreement, except
a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services; or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties; or
from its reckless disregard of its duties and obligations under the Advisory Agreement.
For its investment advisory services to the Fund, the Advisor is paid a management fee by the Fund, based on a percentage of the Fund’s daily net assets, at an annual
rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s net assets. For the last three fiscal years, the Fund paid fees for the services of the Advisor in the amounts show below.
Fiscal Year Ended
|
Advisory Fees Incurred
|
Advisory Fees Waived
|
February 29, 2020
|
$397,856
|
$0
|
February 28, 2019
|
$453,560
|
$0
|
February 28, 2018
|
$97,297
|
$55,873
|
Portfolio Managers. The Fund’s portfolios are managed on a day-to-day basis by Joseph DeSipio and Lawrence Lempert.
Compensation. The portfolio managers’ compensation varies with the general success of the Advisor as a firm. Each portfolio manager’s compensation is based on net revenue after all firm
expenses and profit sharing. The portfolio managers’ compensation is not directly linked to the Fund’s performance, although positive performance and growth in managed assets are factors that may contribute to the Advisor’s distributable profits and
assets under management.
Ownership of Fund Shares. The table below shows the amount of the Fund’s equity securities beneficially owned by each portfolio manager as of February 29, 2020 and stated as one of
the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; E = $100,001-$500,000; F = $500,001-$1,000,000; and G = over $1,000,000.
Name of
Portfolio Manager
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in the Fund
|
Joseph DeSipio
|
E
|
Name of
Portfolio Manager
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in the Fund
|
Lawrence Lempert
|
A
|
Other Accounts. In addition to the Fund, the portfolio manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other
accounts. The table below shows the number of, and total assets in, such other accounts as of February 29, 2020 .
|
Registered Investment
Companies
|
Other Pooled Investment
Vehicles
|
Other Accounts
|
Portfolio Manager
|
Number
of
Accounts
|
|
Number
of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
|
Number
of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
|
All Accounts
|
Joseph DeSipio
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
70
|
$383,000,000
|
Lawrence Lempert
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
70
|
$383,000,000
|
Accounts with Performance-Based Advisory Fee
|
Joseph DeSipio
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
Lawrence Lempert
|
0
|
$0
|
1
|
$ 2 ,000,000
|
0
|
$0
|
Conflicts of Interests. Each portfolio manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of the
Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts consist of separately managed private clients (“Other Accounts”). The Other Accounts might have similar investment objectives as the
Fund, be compared to the same index as the Fund, or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to be held, purchased, or sold by the Fund.
Knowledge of the Timing and Size of Fund Trades: A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio manager’s day-to-day management of the Fund. The
portfolio manager knows the size and timing of trades for the Fund and the Other Accounts, and may be able to predict the market impact of Fund trades. It is theoretically possible that the portfolio manager could use this information to the
advantage of Other Accounts it manages and to the possible detriment of the Fund, or vice versa.
Investment Opportunities: The Advisor provides investment supervisory services for a number of investment products that have varying investment guidelines. The portfolio
manager works across different investment products. Differences in the compensation structures of the Advisor’s investment products may give rise to a conflict of interest by creating an incentive for the Advisor to allocate the investment
opportunities it believes might be the most profitable to the client accounts where it might benefit the most from the investment gains.
Administrator. The Trust has entered into the Fund Accounting and Administration Agreement with The Nottingham Company (“Administrator”),
located at 116 South Franklin Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804. The Administrator assists the Trust in the performance of its administrative responsibilities to the Fund, coordinates and pays for the services of each vendor and the operating
expense to the Fund, and provides the Fund with certain administrative, fund accounting, and compliance services. As part of its services and consolidated fee arrangement, the Administrator receives compensation based on the Fund’s average daily net
assets. The annual rate is 0.280% if the average daily net assets are under $250 million and gradually decreases to an annual rate of 0.192% if the average daily net assets are $2.07 billion or more. The fee paid to the Administrator is calculated
by multiplying the average daily net assets of the Fund by the highest applicable annual rate.
In addition, the Advisor has entered into an Operating Plan with the Fund’s administrator, through June 30, 202 1 , under which it has agreed to make payments to the
Administrator when the Fund is at lower asset levels and assume certain expenses of the Fund in order to help limit the Fund’s operating expenses. The Operating Plan may be terminated by either party at the conclusion of the then current term upon
(i) written notice of non-renewal to the other party not less than sixty days prior to the end of the term, or (ii) mutual written agreement of the parties. The Operating Plan can only be terminated prior to the conclusion of the current term with
the approval of the Fund’s Board. The Advisor cannot recoup from the Fund any amounts paid by the Advisor to the Administrator under the Operating Plan. In part because of the Advisor’s obligations under the Operating Plan, the Trustees review the
financial condition of the Advisor, including its stability and profitability, when considering the approval of the Operating Plan.
The Administrator pays all expenses not assumed by the Advisor, including, without limitation: the fees and expenses of its independent accountants and of its legal counsel; the
costs of printing and mailing to shareholders annual and semi-annual reports, proxy statements, prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto; the costs of printing registration statements; bank transaction charges and
custodian’s fees; any proxy solicitors’ fees and expenses; ongoing filing fees; any federal, state or local income or other taxes; any interest; any membership fees of the Investment Company Institute and similar organizations; fidelity bond and
Trustees’ liability insurance premiums. All of the Fund’s service providers, other than the Advisor, are paid by the Administrator.
The Administrator’s responsibilities include the following services for the Fund: (i) procures on behalf of the Trust, and coordinates with, the custodian and monitors the
services it provides to the Fund; (ii) coordinates with and monitors any other third parties furnishing services to the Fund; (iii) provides the Fund with necessary office space, telephones, and other communications facilities and personnel competent
to perform administrative and clerical functions for the Fund; (iv) assists or supervises the maintenance by third parties of such books and records of the Fund as may be required by applicable federal or state law; (v) assists or supervises the
preparation by third parties of all federal, state, and local tax returns and reports of the Fund required by applicable law; (vi) assists in the preparation and, after approval by the Trust, files and arranges for the distribution of proxy materials
and periodic reports to shareholders of the Fund as required by applicable law; (vii) assists in the preparation of and, after approval by the Trust, arranges for the filing of such registration statements and other documents with the SEC and other
federal and state regulatory authorities as may be required by applicable law; (viii) reviews and submits to the officers of the Trust for their approval invoices or other requests for payment of Fund expenses and instructs the custodian to issue
checks in payment thereof; and (ix) takes such other action with respect to the Fund as may be necessary in the opinion of the Administrator to perform its duties under the agreement. The Administrator will also provide certain accounting and
pricing services for the Fund.
For the fiscal years ended February 29, 2020, February 28, 2019, and February 28, 2018, the Fund incurred $278,499, $317,492 , and $68,180, respectively, in
administration fees.
Transfer Agent. The Trust has entered into a Dividend Disbursing and Transfer Agent Agreement with Nottingham Shareholder Services, LLC (“Transfer Agent”),
a North Carolina limited liability company, to serve as transfer, dividend paying, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund. For its services, the Transfer Agent is entitled to receive compensation from the Administrator pursuant to the
Administrator’s fee arrangements with the Fund. The address of the Transfer Agent is 116 South Franklin Street, Post Office Box 4365, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803-0365.
Distributor. The Fund will conduct a continuous offering of its securities. Capital Investment Group, Inc., located at 100 E Six Forks Road, Suite
200, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609, acts as the underwriter and distributor of the Fund’s shares for the purpose of facilitating the registration of shares of the Fund under state securities laws and assisting in sales of Fund shares pursuant to a
distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement ”) between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Distributor . In this regard, the Distributor has agreed at its own expense to qualify as a broker-dealer under all applicable federal
or state laws in those states that the Fund shall from time to time identify to the Distributor as states in which the Fund wishes to offer its shares for sale, in order that state registrations may be maintained for the Fund. The Distributor is a
broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member in good standing of the FINRA. The Distributor is entitled to receive an annual fee of $5,000 per Fund for performing certain recordkeeping, communication, and other administrative services for the
Fund. Such administrative services shall include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) maintaining records with respect to submissions to FINRA, dealer discounts and brokerage fees and commissions, and selling agreements; (ii) maintaining an
account with the National Securities Clearing Corporation’s Fund/SERV System for the purpose of processing account registrations, maintaining accounts, and communicating transaction data; (iii) preparing reports for the Board as shall be reasonably
requested from time to time; and (iv) performing other services for the Trust as agreed to by the Distributor and the Trust from time to time. The Distributor and Trust agree that the services described above are of an administrative nature and such
services, as well as the fee provided in connection therewith, are not, nor are they intended to be, payment for marketing and/or distribution services related to, or the promotion of, the sale of the Fund’s shares. The Distribution Agreement may be
terminated by either party upon 60-days’ prior written notice to the other party and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The Distributor serves as exclusive agent for the distribution of the shares of the Fund.
The Distributor for the Fund received the following commissions and other compensation during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020 .
Net Underwriting
Discounts and
Commissions
|
Compensation
on Redemptions
and Repurchases
|
Brokerage
Commissions
|
Other
Compensation
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$5,000
|
Rule 12b-1 Plan. The Fund has adopted a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Plan”) with respect to the Advisor Class Shares. Pursuant to the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay the Distributor a fee at an
annual rate of up to 0.40% of the average daily net assets attributable to its Advisor Class Shares. The 0.40% fee for the Advisor Class Shares is comprised of a 0.25% service fee and a 0.15% distribution fee. Such fees are to be paid by the Fund
monthly, or at such other intervals, as the Board shall determine. Such fees shall be based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to the Advisor Class Shares during the preceding month and shall be calculated and accrued daily.
The Fund may pay fees to the Distributor at a lesser rate, as agreed upon by the Board and the Distributor.
Pursuant to the Plan, the Fund may (i) incur certain expenses, including reimbursing the Distributor and others for items such as advertising expenses, selling expenses, commissions, travel or
other expenses reasonably intended to result in sales of Advisor Class shares of the Fund, and/or (ii) pay compensation for providing account maintenance services to the Advisor Class shares of the Fund, including arranging for certain dealers or
brokers, administrators, and others to provide them services.
The services to be provided by recipients may include, but are not limited to, the following: assistance in the offering and sale of Advisor Class Shares and in other aspects of the marketing of
the shares to clients or prospective clients of the respective recipients; answering routine inquiries concerning the Fund; assisting in the establishment and maintenance of accounts or sub-accounts in the Fund and in processing purchase and
redemption transactions; making the Fund’s investment plan and shareholder services available; and providing such other information and services to investors in Advisor Class Shares of the Fund as the Distributor or the Trust, on behalf of the Fund,
may reasonably request. The distribution services shall also include any advertising and marketing services provided by or arranged by the Distributor with respect to the Fund.
The Distributor is required to provide a written report, at least quarterly to the Board, specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended pursuant to the Plan and the purposes for which such
expenditures were made. Further, the Distributor will inform the Board of any Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Distributor to recipients.
The initial term of the Plan was one year and will continue in effect from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board
and a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and do not have a direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan (“Rule 12b-1 Trustees”) by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the
Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Trust or the Fund by vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund’s Advisor Class Shares.
The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of the fee to be paid by a class of shares, unless such amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund’s Advisor Class Shares. All material amendments must be approved by a majority of the Board of the Trust and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on the Plan. During the term of the Plan, the selection and nomination of non-interested Trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of current non-interested Trustees. The Distributor will preserve copies of the
Plan, any related agreements, and all reports, for a period of not less than six years from the date of such document and for at least the first two years in an easily accessible place.
Any agreement related to the Plan will be in writing and provide that: (a) it may be terminated by the Trust or the Fund at any time upon sixty days’ written notice, without the payment of any
penalty, by vote of a majority of the respective Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund’s Advisor Class Shares; (b) it will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in
the 1940 Act); and (c) it will continue in effect for a period of more than one year from the date of its execution or adoption only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of
the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement.
Payment under the Plan for the fiscal years ended February 29, 2020, February 28, 2019, and February 28, 2018, totaled $54, $55, and $61, respectively, for the
Advisor Class Shares.
The following chart describes the dollar amount and the manner in which amounts accrued by the Fund under the Plan were spent during the past fiscal year ended February 29, 2020.
|
|
Advertising
|
$0
|
Printing and Mailing of Prospectuses to Other than Current Shareholders
|
$0
|
Compensation to Underwriters
|
$0
|
Compensation to Broker-Dealers
|
$54
|
Compensation to Sales Personnel
|
$0
|
Interest, Carrying, or Other Financing Charges
|
$0
|
Other
|
$0
|
Custodian. UMB Bank, n.a., with its principal place of business located at 1010 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, serves as custodian for the
Fund’s assets (the “Custodian”). The Custodian acts as the depository for the Fund, safekeeps its portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect to portfolio securities, disburses monies at the Fund’s request, and
maintains records in connection with its duties as custodian. For its services, the Custodian is entitled to receive a monthly fee from the Administrator based on the average net assets of the Fund plus additional out-of-pocket and transaction
expenses as incurred by the Fund.
Compliance Services Administrator. The Trust has entered into a compliance services arrangement with The Nottingham Company, located at 116 S. Franklin
Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27802 . The Trust’s CCO will prepare and update the Trust’s compliance manual and monitor and test compliance with the policies and procedures under the Trust’s compliance manual.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. BBD, LLP, located at 1835 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serve s
as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund . The independent registered public accounting firm conducts an annual audit of the Fund’s financial statements, and prepare s the Fund’s federal, state, and excise tax
returns. Shareholders will receive annual audited and semi-annual (unaudited) reports when published and written confirmation of all transactions in their account. A copy of the most recent annual report will accompany the SAI whenever a shareholder
or a prospective investor requests it.
Legal Counsel. Greenberg Traurig LLP serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Fund.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
Reference is made to “Purchasing Shares” and “Redeeming Shares” in the Prospectus for more information concerning how to purchase and redeem shares. The following information supplements the
information regarding share purchases and share redemptions in the Prospectus:
Purchases. Shares of the Fund are offered and sold on a continuous basis and may be purchased through authorized investment dealers or directly by
contacting the Distributor, or the Fund directly. Selling dealers have the responsibility of transmitting orders promptly to the Fund. The purchase price of shares of the Fund is based on the NAV next determined after the order is received, subject
to the order being received by the Fund in good form. NAV is normally determined at the close of regular trading on the NYSE on days the NYSE is open for trading, as described under “Net Asset Value.” The NAV per share of the Fund is
not calculated on days on which the NYSE is closed for holidays . An order received prior to the close of the NYSE will be executed at the price calculated on the date of receipt and an order received after the time regular
trading closes on the NYSE will be executed at the price calculated as of that time on the next business day.
The Fund reserves the right in its sole discretion to (i) suspend the offering of its shares; (ii) reject purchase orders when in the judgment of management such rejection is in the best interest
of the Fund and its shareholders; and (iii) reduce or waive the minimum for initial and subsequent investments under circumstances where certain economies can be achieved in sales of Fund shares.
Redemptions. The Fund may suspend redemption privileges or postpone the date of payment (i) during any period that the NYSE is closed for other than
customary weekend and holiday closings, or that trading on the NYSE is restricted as determined by the SEC; (ii) during any period when an emergency exists as defined by the rules of the SEC as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for
the Fund to dispose of securities owned by it, or to determine fairly the value of its assets; and (iii) for such other periods as the SEC may permit. The Fund may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of shares upon the
occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions. Any redemption may be more or less than the shareholder’s cost depending on the market value of the securities held by the Fund. No charge is made by the Fund for redemptions other than the possible
charge for wiring redemption proceeds.
Involuntary Redemptions. In addition to the situations described in the Prospectus under “Redeeming Fund Shares,” the Fund may redeem shares involuntarily
to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder which is
applicable to Fund shares as provided in the Prospectus from time to time or to close a shareholder’s account if the Fund is unable to verify the shareholder’s identity.
Other Information. If an investor realizes a gain on the redemption, the reinvestment will not affect the amount of any federal capital gains tax payable on
the gain. If an investor realizes a loss on the redemption, the reinvestment may cause some or all of the loss to be disallowed as a tax deduction, depending on the number of shares purchased by reinvestment and the period of time that has elapsed
after the redemption, although for tax purposes, the amount disallowed is added to the cost of the shares acquired upon the reinvestment.
SPECIAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
The Fund offers the following special shareholder services:
Regular Account. The regular account allows for voluntary investments to be made at any time. Available to individuals, custodians, corporations, trusts,
estates, corporate retirement plans, and others, investors are free to make additions to or withdrawals from their account. When an investor makes an initial investment in the Fund, a shareholder account is opened in accordance with the investor’s
registration instructions. Each time there is a transaction in a shareholder account, such as an additional investment or the reinvestment of a dividend or distribution, the shareholder will receive a confirm-ation statement showing the current
transaction and all prior transactions in the shareholder account during the calendar year to date, along with a summary of the status of the account as of the transaction date. As stated in the Prospectus, share certificates are normally not
issued.
Automatic Investment Plan. The automatic investment plan enables shareholders to make regular monthly or quarterly investments in shares through automatic
charges to their checking account. With shareholder authorization and bank approval, the Administrator will automatically charge the checking account for the amount specified ($100 minimum) which will be automatically invested in shares at the NAV
on or about the 21st day of the month. The shareholder may change the amount of the investment or discontinue the plan at any time by writing to the Fund.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. Shareholders owning Fund shares of a particular class with a value of $25,000 or more may establish a systematic withdrawal plan
(“Systematic Withdrawal Plan”). A shareholder may receive monthly or quarterly payments, in amounts of not less than $100 per payment, by authorizing the Fund to redeem the necessary number of shares periodically (each month, or quarterly) in order
to make the payments requested. The Fund has the capability of electronically depositing the proceeds of the systematic withdrawal directly to the shareholders personal bank account ($5,000 minimum per bank wire). Instructions for establishing this
service are included in the Fund Shares Application or are available by calling the Fund. If the shareholder prefers to receive his or her systematic withdrawal proceeds in cash, or if such proceeds are less than the $5,000 minimum for a bank
wire, checks will be made payable to the designated recipient and mailed with-in seven days of the valuation date. If the designated recipient is other than the registered shareholder, the signature of each shareholder must be guaranteed on the
application (see “Redeeming Shares – Signature Guarantees” in the Prospectus). A corporation (or partnership) must also submit a “Corporate Resolution” (or “Certification of Partnership”) indi-cat-ing the names, titles, and required number of
signatures auth-orized to act on its behalf. The application must be signed by a duly authori-zed officer and the corporate seal affixed. Costs in conjunction with the administration of the plan are borne by the Fund. Shareholders should be aware
that such systematic withdrawals may deplete or use up entirely their initial investment and may result in real-ized long-term or short-term capital gains or losses. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the Fund upon
60-days’ written notice or by a shareholder upon written notice to the Fund. Applications and further details may be obtained by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863 or by writing to:
Arin Large Cap Theta Fund
|
c/o Nottingham Shareholder Services
|
116 South Franklin Street
|
Post Office Box 4365
|
Rocky Mount, NC 27803-0365
|
Purchases In Kind. The Fund may accept securities in lieu of payment for the purchase of shares in the Fund. The acceptance of such securities is at the
sole discretion of the Advisor based upon the suitability of the securities accepted for inclusion as a long-term investment of the Fund, the marketability of such securities, and other factors that the Advisor may deem appropriate. If accepted, the
securities will be valued using the same criteria and methods as described in “Purchase and Redemption Price – Determining the Fund’s Net Asset Value” in the Prospectus.
Redemptions In-Kind. The Fund does not intend, under normal circumstances, to redeem its securities by payment in kind. It is possible, however, that
conditions may arise in the future which would, in the opinion of the Trustees, make it undesirable for the Fund to pay for all redemptions in cash. In such case the Trustees may authorize payment to be made in readily marketable portfolio securities
of the Fund. The securities will be chosen by the Fund, may be either a pro rata payment of each of the securities held by the Fund or a representative sample of securities, and will be valued at the same value assigned to them in computing the NAV
per share. Shareholders receiving them would incur brokerage costs when these securities are sold. An irrevocable election has been filed under Rule 18f‑1 of the 1940 Act, wherein the Fund committed to pay redemptions in cash, rather than in kind,
to any shareholder of record of the Fund who redeems during any 90 day period, the lesser of (a) $250,000 or (b) one percent (1%) of the Fund’s NAV at the beginning of such period.
Transfer of Registration. To transfer shares to another owner, send a written request to the Fund at the address shown above. Your request should include
the following: (i) the Fund name and existing account registration; (ii) signatures of the registered owners exactly as the signature appear on the account registration; (iii) the new account registration, address, social security or taxpayer
identification number, and how dividends and capital gains are to be distributed; (iv) signature guarantees (See the Prospectus under the heading “Signature Guarantees”); and (v) any additional documents which are required for transfer by
corporations, administrators, executors, trustees, guardians, etc. If you have any questions about transferring shares, call or write the Fund.
Employees and Affiliates of the Fund. The Fund has adopted initial investment minimums for the purpose of reducing the cost to the Fund (and consequently to
the shareholders) of communicating with and servicing its shareholders. At the discretion of the Advisor, the Fund may allow investments in the Fund with a reduced minimum initial investment from its Trustees, officers, and employees; the Advisor and
certain parties related thereto; including clients of the Advisor or any sponsor, officer, committee member thereof, or the immediate family of any of them. In addition, accounts having the same mailing address may be aggregated for purposes of the
minimum investment if they consent in writing to sharing a single mailing of shareholder reports, proxy statements (but each such shareholder would receive his/her own proxy), and other Fund literature.
Dealers. The Distributor, at its expense, may provide additional compensation in addition to dealer discounts and brokerage commissions to dealers in
connection with sales of shares of the Fund. Compensation may include financial assistance to dealers in connection with conferences, sales or training programs for their employees, seminars for the public, advertising campaigns regarding the Fund,
and/or other dealer-sponsored special events. In some instances, this compensation may be made available only to certain dealers whose representatives have sold or are expected to sell a significant amount of such shares. Compensation may include
payment for travel expenses, including lodging, incurred in connection with trips taken by invited registered representatives and members of their families to locations within or outside of the United States for meetings or seminars of a business
nature. Dealers may not use sales of the Fund shares to qualify for this compensation to the extent such may be prohibited by the laws of any state or the Financial Industries Regulatory Authority or any other self-regulatory agency. None of the
aforementioned compensation is paid directly by the Fund or its shareholders although the Distributor may use a portion of the payment it receives under the Plan to pay these expenses.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Board has adopted a policy that governs the disclosure of portfolio holdings. This policy is intended to ensure that such disclosure is in the best interests of the shareholders of the
Fund and to address possible conflicts of interest. Under the Fund’s policy, the Fund generally will not disclose portfolio holdings to a third party unless such information is made available to the public. The policy provides that the Fund may
disclose non-public portfolio holdings information as required by law and under other limited circumstances that are set forth in more detail below.
The Fund will generally make portfolio holdings information available to the public http://www.ncfunds.com/holdings/current-332.htm, including the complete portfolio holdings from the
previous business day as reported on a quarterly basis. This information is generally available within 60 days of the quarter end and will remain available until the next quarter’s portfolio holdings become available. You may obtain a copy of these
quarterly portfolio holdings reports by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863. The Fund will also file these quarterly portfolio holdings reports with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N- PORT , as applicable. The Fund’s Form N-CSR and Form N- PORT
are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The first and third quarter portfolio holdings reports will be filed with the SEC on Form N- PORT and the second and fourth fiscal quarter portfolio holdings reports will be included
with the semi-annual and annual financial statements, respectively, which are sent to shareholders and filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR.
To the extent that the Fund’s portfolio holdings have previously been disclosed publicly either through a filing made with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N- PORT , or by being posted to the
Fund’s website, such holdings may also be disclosed to any third party that requests them.
Consistent with policies approved by the Board, the officers of the Fund will share non-public portfolio holdings information with the Fund’s service providers that require such information for
legitimate business and Fund oversight purposes. Recipients of non-public portfolio holdings information have a duty not to trade on that confidential information. The Fund has not (and does not intend to) enter into any arrangement providing for the
receipt of compensation or other consideration in exchange for the disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information, other than the benefits that result to the Fund and its shareholders from providing such information, which include the
publication of Fund ratings and rankings.
The Advisor, as well as the Custodian, fund accountant and administrator, and CCO, have full daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings. These service providers are subject to obligations
requiring them to keep non-public portfolio holdings information confidential. In some, but not all, cases these confidentiality obligations are established by written agreements. The Board has concluded that the confidentiality obligations in place
for these parties are adequate to safeguard the Fund from unauthorized disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information. In addition, the Advisor has a code of ethics that prohibits covered persons from disclosing or trading based on
non-public portfolio holdings information.
The Fund’s Distributor, Transfer Agent, independent public accountants, and legal counsel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings on an ad hoc, as needed basis. The Distributor and Transfer
Agent are subject to written agreements that establish confidentiality obligations with respect to the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The independent public accountants and legal counsel are subject to professional obligations that require them to keep
non-public portfolio holdings information confidential. The Board has concluded that the confidentiality obligations in place for these parties are adequate to safeguard the Fund from unauthorized disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings
information.
Broadridge ICS, Allegra Design Marketing Print Mail, V.G. Reed & Sons, PrintGrafix (a division of Sunbelt Graphics Systems, Inc.), Riverside Printing, Inc., and PrinterLink
Communications Group, Inc., are financial printers the Fund may engage for, among other things, the printing and/or distribution of regulatory and compliance documents. These service providers are subject to written agreements that establish
confidentiality obligations with respect to the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The Fund and its service providers may also provide non-public portfolio holdings information to appropriate regulatory agencies as required by applicable laws and
regulations.
The Fund currently does not provide non-public portfolio holdings information to any other third parties. In the future, the Advisor may establish ongoing arrangements with other third parties if
the Advisor determines that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so, determines that the disclosure is in the shareholders' best interest, and the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality. These parties could include, by way
of example, financial data processing companies that provide automated data scanning and monitoring services for the Fund, research companies that allow the Advisor to perform attribution analysis for the Fund; and the Advisor’s proxy voting agent to
assess and vote proxies on behalf of the Fund. The Advisor is responsible for determining which other third parties have a legitimate business purpose for receiving the Fund’s portfolio holdings information.
The Fund’s policy regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings is subject to the continuing oversight and direction of the Board . Oversight includes: (i) review and approval of the policy on
disclosure of portfolio holdings as necessary, including review of the parties receiving non-public portfolio holdings information; (ii) periodic assessment of compliance in connection with a report from the Trust’s CCO, (iii) receipt of reports on
any conflicts of interest where disclosure of information about portfolio holdings may conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of the Fund’s investment advisor, any principal underwriter for the Trust or an affiliated person of the Trust,
and (iv) receipt of reports on any known disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to unauthorized third parties. The Fund and Advisor are obligated to report issues that arise under the policy on disclosure of portfolio holdings to the CCO.
Material compliance matters are then reported to the Board.
NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV of the Fund is determined at the close of regular trading on the NYSE ( normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). The Fund’s NAV is not calculated on the days on which the
NYSE is closed. The NYSE generally recognizes 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. The days on which
these holidays are observed and any other holiday recognized by the NYSE will be deemed a business holiday on which the NAV of the Fund will not be calculated.
The NAV per share of the Fund is calculated separately by adding the value of the Fund’s securities and other assets belonging to the Fund, subtracting the liabilities charged to the Fund, and
dividing the result by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund . “Assets belonging to” the Fund consist of the consideration received upon the issuance of shares of the Fund together with all net investment income, realized gains/losses
and proceeds derived from the investment thereof, including any proceeds from the sale of such investments, any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, and a portion of any general assets of the Trust not belonging to a
particular series of shares. Assets belonging to the Fund are charged with the direct liabilities of the Fund and with a share of the general liabilities of the Trust, which are normally allocated in proportion to the number of or the relative NAVs
of all of the Trust’s series at the time of allocation or in accordance with other allocation methods approved by the Trustees. Subject to the provisions of the Trust Instrument, determinations by the Trustees as to the direct and allocable
liabilities, and the allocable portion of any general assets, with respect to the Fund are conclusive.
The pricing and valuation of portfolio securities is determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by, and under the direction of, the Trustees. Values are determined according
to generally accepted accounting practices and all laws and regulations that apply. Using methods approved by the Trustees, the assets of each Fund are valued as follows:
•
|
Securities that are listed on a securities exchange are valued at the last quoted sales price provided by a third-party pricing service at the time the valuation is made. Price information on listed
securities is taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded by the Fund.
|
•
|
Options are valued at the mean of the last quoted bid and ask prices provided by a third-party pricing service from the primary exchange or the board of trade on which such options are
traded . Options will be valued on the basis of prices provided by pricing services when such prices are reasonably believed to reflect the market value of such options and may include the use composite or National Best Bid and Offer
(“NBBO”) pricing information provided by the pricing services. An option may be fair valued when: (i) the option does not trade on the valuation date and a reliable last quoted bid and ask price at the valuation time are not readily
available or (ii) the Fund’s investment advisor or Fund management does not believe the prices provided by the pricing services reflect the market value of such option.
|
•
|
Securities that are listed on an exchange and which are not traded on the valuation date are valued at the bid price.
|
•
|
Unlisted securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the latest quoted sales price, if available, at the time of valuation, otherwise, at the latest quoted bid price.
|
•
|
Foreign securities listed on foreign exchanges are valued with quotations from the primary market in which they trade and are translated from the local currency into U.S. dollars.
|
•
|
Temporary cash investments with maturities of 60 days or less will be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Instruments with maturities in excess of 60 days are valued at prices provided
by a third-party pricing source.
|
•
|
Securities for which no current quotations are readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Trustees. Securities may be valued on the basis of prices
provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed to reflect the fair market value of such securities.
|
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed
explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders or any particular category of shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning and are based on United States federal
income tax laws that are in effect on the date hereof and which may be changed by legislative, judicial, or administrative action. In addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor with a special tax status such as a
financial institution, REIT, insurance company, regulated investment company, individual retirement account, other tax-exempt entity, dealer in securities or non-U.S. investor. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of
the alternative minimum tax. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes the common shares are held by U.S. persons and that such shares are held as capital assets. Investors are advised to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to
their own tax situations.
The Fund, and any other series of the Trust, will be treated as a separate corporate entity under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”), and intends to qualify or remain qualified
as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to so qualify, the Fund must elect to be a regulated investment company or have made such an election for a previous year and must satisfy certain requirements relating to
the amount of distributions and source of its income for a taxable year. At least 90% of the gross income of the Fund must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of
stocks, securities, or foreign currencies, and other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. Any
income derived by the Fund from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is treated as derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, or currencies only to the extent that such income
is attributable to items of income that would have been qualifying income if realized by the Fund in the same manner as by the partnership or trust.
An investment company may not qualify as a regulated investment company for any taxable year unless it satisfies certain requirements with respect to the diversification of its investments at the
close of each quarter of the taxable year. In general, at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash, cash items, government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities which, with
respect to any one issuer, do not represent more than 5% of the total assets of the Fund or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. In addition, not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in
(i) the securities (other than government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer; (ii) the securities of two or more issuers (other than securities of another regulated investment company) if the
issuers are controlled by the Fund and they are, pursuant to Internal Revenue Service Regulations, engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses; or (iii) the securities of one or more publicly traded partnerships. The Fund intends
to satisfy all requirements on an ongoing basis for continued qualification as a regulated investment company.
Some, but not all, of the dividends paid by the Fund may be taxable at the reduced long-term capital gains tax rate for individual shareholders. If the Fund designates a dividend as qualified
dividend income, it generally will be taxable to individual shareholders at the long-term capital gains tax rate, provided certain holding period requirements are met.
Taxable dividends paid by the Fund to corporate shareholders will be taxed at corporate income tax rates. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction (“DRD”) for a
portion of the dividends paid and designated by the Fund as qualifying for the DRD.
If the Fund designates a dividend as a capital gains distribution, it generally will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholders have held their
Fund shares or whether they received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. All taxable dividends paid by the Fund other than those designated as qualified dividend income or capital gains distributions will be taxable as ordinary income to
shareholders, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. To the extent the Fund engages in increased portfolio turnover, short-term capital gains may be realized, and any distribution resulting from such gains will be considered
ordinary income for federal tax purposes. The Fund’s net realized capital gains from securities transactions will be distributed only after reducing such gains by the amount of any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital losses may be carried
forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. Capital loss carryforwards are available to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent that these carryforwards are used to offset future capital gains it is probable that
the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders. As of February 28, 2020 , the Fund has $ 9,436,209 in capital loss carryforwards, of which $ 3,499,034 is short-term in nature and $ 5,937,175 is long-term in nature
and has no expiration.
Certain individuals, estates, and trusts may pay a 3.8% Medicare surtax on “net investment income” including, among other things, dividends, and proceeds of sale in respect of securities like the
shares, subject to certain exceptions. Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of this surtax on their ownership and disposition of the shares.
Certain futures, foreign currency contracts and listed nonequity options (such as those on a securities index) in which the Fund may invest may be subject to section 1256 of the Code (“section 1256
contracts”). Any section 1256 contracts the Fund holds at the end of each taxable year generally must be “marked-to-market” (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for their fair market value) for federal income tax purposes, with the
result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of section 1256 contracts,
will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss.
Shareholders who hold Fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as a retirement plan, generally will not have to pay tax on Fund distributions until they receive distributions from their account.
The Fund, and any other series of the Trust, will designate (i) any dividend of qualified dividend income as qualified dividend income; (ii) any distribution of long-term capital gains as a capital
gain dividend; and (iii) any dividend eligible for the corporate DRD as such in a written notice mailed to shareholders within 60 days after the close of the Fund’s taxable year. Shareholders should note that, upon the sale or exchange of Fund
shares, if such shares have not been held for at least six months, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividends received with respect to the shares.
To the extent that a distribution from the Fund is taxable, it is generally included in a shareholder’s gross income for the taxable year in which the shareholder receives the distribution.
However, if the Fund declares a dividend in October, November, or December but pays it in January, it will be taxable to shareholders as if the dividend was received in the year it was declared. Every year, each shareholder will receive a statement
detailing the tax status of any Fund distributions for that year.
Certain individuals, estates and trusts must pay a 3.8% Medicare surtax on “net investment income” including, among other things, dividends and proceeds of sale in respect of securities like the
shares, subject to certain exceptions. Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of this surtax on their ownership and disposition of the shares.
A 4% nondeductible excise tax is imposed on regulated investment companies that fail to currently distribute an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital
gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its ordinary taxable income and any capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid
liability for this excise tax.
If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal income
tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders) at the Fund level. In such event, dividend distributions (whether or not derived from interest on tax-exempt securities) would be taxable as qualified
dividends to individual shareholders, to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the DRD for corporations, provided in each case that certain holding period and other requirements are met.
In general, a shareholder who sells or redeems shares will realize a capital gain or loss, which will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder’s holding period for the Fund
shares. An exchange of shares may be treated as a sale and any gain may be subject to tax.
The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage equal to the fourth lowest tax rate for unmarried individuals of taxable dividends or of gross
proceeds realized upon sale paid to shareholders who (i) have failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number in the manner required; (ii) are subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to include properly
on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends; or (iii) have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so. Back-up withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from
payments to you may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
Depending upon the extent of the Fund’s activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located, or in which it is
otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities. In addition, in those states and localities that have income tax laws, the treatment of the Fund and its shareholders under such laws
may differ from their treatment under federal income tax laws.
Dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax unless reduced by treaty (and the shareholder files a valid Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, or other
applicable form, with the Fund certifying foreign status and treaty eligibility) or the non-U.S. shareholder files an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI, or other applicable form, with the Fund certifying that the investment to which the
distribution relates is effectively connected to a United States trade or business of such non-U.S. shareholder (and, if certain tax treaties apply, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment maintained by such non-U.S. shareholder).
The Fund may elect not to withhold the applicable withholding tax on any distribution representing a capital gain dividend to a non-U.S. shareholder. Special rules may apply to non-U.S. shareholders with respect to the information reporting
requirements and withholding taxes and non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the application of such reporting requirements and withholding taxes.
The Fund will send shareholders information each year on the tax status of dividends and distributions. A dividend or capital gains distribu-tion paid shortly after shares have been purchased,
although in effect a return of investment, is subject to federal income taxa-tion. Dividends from net investment income, along with capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders, whether received in cash or Fund shares and no matter how long the
shareholder has held Fund shares, even if they reduce the NAV of shares below the shareholder’s cost and thus, in effect, result in a return of a part of the shareholder’s investment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020 , including the financial highlights appearing in the Annual Report to shareholders, are incorporated
by reference and made a part of this document. You may request a copy of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports at no charge by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863 or on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
APPENDIX A –DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
The Fund may acquire from time to time certain securities that meet the following minimum rating criteria (“Investment-Grade Debt Securities”) (or if not rated, of equivalent quality as determined
by the Advisor). The various ratings used by the nationally recognized securities rating services are described below.
A rating by a rating service represents the service’s opinion as to the credit quality of the security being rated. However, the ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality or
guarantees as to the creditworthiness of an issuer. Consequently, the Advisor believes that the quality of Investment-Grade Debt Securities in which the Fund may invest should be continuously reviewed and that individual analysts give different
weightings to the various factors involved in credit analysis. A rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a security, because it does not take into account market value or suitability for a particular investor. When a security has
received a rating from more than one service, each rating is evaluated independently. Ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by the rating services from other sources that they consider reliable. Ratings may be
changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information, or for other reasons.
S&P Global Ratings. The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by S&P Global Ratings, a division of McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., for
bonds which are deemed to be Investment‑Grade Debt Securities by the Advisor:
AAA – An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
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AA – An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
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A – An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity
to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
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BBB – An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation.
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To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the AA, A, and BBB ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within these major rating
categories.
Bonds rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are not considered by the Advisor to be Investment‑Grade Debt Securities and are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least
degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
Commercial paper rated A‑1 by S&P Global Ratings indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety
characteristics are denoted A‑1+. Capacity for timely payment on commercial paper rated A‑2 is satisfactory, but the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A‑1.
The rating SP‑1 is the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings to short term notes and indicates strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very
strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation. The rating SP‑2 indicates a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes. The
rating SP-3 indicates a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) for fixed-income
obligations with an original maturity of one year or more, which are deemed to be Investment-Grade Securities by the Advisor:
Aaa – Bond obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
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Aa – Bond obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
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A – Bond obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
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Baa – Bond obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
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Obligations that are rated Ba, B, Caa, Ca, or C by Moody’s are not considered “Investment-Grade Debt Securities” by the Advisor. Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are
subject to substantial credit risk. Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic
rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
Short-Term Ratings.
Moody’s short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs, or individual short-term debt
instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.
Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
P-1 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
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P-2 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
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P-3 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
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NP – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
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Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor, or support-provider.
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US Municipal Short-Term Debt And Demand Obligation Ratings.
Short-Term Debt Ratings. There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are
designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels – MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the
maturity of the obligation.
MIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for
refinancing.
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MIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
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MIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
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SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
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Demand Obligation Ratings. In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term debt rating and
a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the
ability to receive purchase price upon demand ("demand feature"), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating.
When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1.
VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features.
VMIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that
ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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VMIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the
timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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VMIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that
ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or
legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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Fitch Ratings. The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”):
Long-Term Ratings.
AAA – Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This
capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
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AA – Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly
vulnerable to foreseeable events.
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A – High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to
adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
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BBB – Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more
likely to impair this capacity.
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Long-term securities rated below BBB by Fitch are not considered by the Advisor to be investment-grade securities. Securities rated BB and B are regarded as speculative with regard to a possible
credit risk developing. BB is considered speculative and B is considered highly speculative. Securities rated CCC, CC, and C are regarded as a high default risk. A rating CC indicates that default of some kind appears probable, while a rating C
signals imminent default. Securities rated DDD, D, and D indicate a default has occurred.
Short-Term Ratings.
F1 – Highest short-term credit quality. The rating F1 indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit
feature.
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F2 – Good short-term credit quality. The rating F2 indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
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F3 – Fair short-term credit quality. The rating F3 indicates the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
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B – Speculative short-term credit quality. The rating B indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
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Short-term rates B, C, and D by Fitch are considered by the Advisor to be below investment-grade securities. Short-term securities rated B are considered speculative, securities rated C have a high
default risk, and securities rated D denote actual or imminent payment default.
(+) or (-) suffixes may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to long-term ratings “AAA” category, categories below “CCC”, or short-term ratings
other than “F1”. The suffix “NR” indicates that Fitch does not publicly rate the issuer or issue in question.
APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The following proxy voting policies are provided:
(1)
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The Advisor’s Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy, including a detailed description of the Advisor’s specific proxy voting guidelines.
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Arin Risk Advisors, LLC
Proxy Voting/Class Action Lawsuits
Policy
Arin does not vote proxies for separately managed account clients and has no obligation to determine if securities held by the client are subject to a pending or resolved class action lawsuit. It
also has no duty to evaluate a client’s eligibility or to submit a claim to participate in the proceeds of a securities class action settlement or verdict. Furthermore, Arin has no obligation or responsibility to initiate litigation to recover
damages on behalf of clients who may have been injured because of actions, misconduct, or negligence by corporate management of issuers whose securities are held by clients.
Arin will vote proxies/participate in class actions for securities held by the Fund in accordance with the policy below. Arin will determine how to vote proxies based on Arin's reasonable judgment
of that vote or act most likely to produce favorable financial results for its clients. Proxy votes generally will be cast in favor of proposals that maintain or strengthen the shared interests of shareholders and management, increase shareholder
value, maintain or increase shareholder influence over the issuer's board of directors and management, and maintain or increase the rights of shareholders; proxy votes generally will be cast against proposals having the opposite effect. However, we
will consider both sides of each proxy issue. Consistent with the Company’s paramount commitment to the financial investment goals of our clients, social considerations will not be considered absent contrary instructions by a client.
Background
Proxy voting and Participation in Class Action Lawsuits is an important right of shareholders and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights
are properly and timely exercised.
Investment Advisors registered with the SEC, and which exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, are required by Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisors Act to (a) adopt and implement
written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that client securities are voted in the best interests of clients, which must include how an Advisor addresses material conflicts that may arise between an Advisor's interests and
those of its clients; (b) to disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the Advisor with respect to the voting of proxies for their securities; (c) to describe to clients a summary of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon
request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) maintain certain records relating to the Advisor's proxy voting activities when the Advisor does have proxy voting authority.
Responsibility
The CCO has the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our proxy/class action policy and to ensure that the firm does accept and/or exercise any proxy voting/class action authority
on behalf of separately managed clients.
Procedure
The firm’s procedure is:
•
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Arin generally does not receive proxies or notifications of class action lawsuits on behalf of its separately managed account clients. To the extent such materials are received directly by Arin, Arin shall
forward such materials to the client. For the Fund, Arin has been given authority to vote proxies, or join class action lawsuits. Arin believes that each proxy proposal should be individually reviewed to determine whether the proposal is
in the best interests of the Fund. As a result, similar proposals for different companies may receive different votes because of different corporate circumstances. Upon receipt of a corporate proxy by the Company, the special or annual
report and the proxy are submitted to the Manager (“the Proxy Manager”). The Proxy Manager will then vote the proxy in accordance with this policy. Arin may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third-party provider, such as a proxy
voting service.
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•
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The Proxy Manager shall be responsible for reviewing the special or annual report, proxy proposals, and proxy proposal summaries. The reviewer shall take into consideration what vote is in the best interests of the client and the
provisions of the Company’s Voting Guidelines in Section 2 below. The Proxy Manager will then vote the proxies. Arin may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third-party provider, such as a proxy voting service.
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•
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The Proxy Manager shall be responsible for maintaining copies of each annual report, proposal, proposal summary, actual vote, and any other information required to be maintained for a proxy vote under Rule 204-2 of the Advisers Act (see
discussion in Section 3 below). With respect to proxy votes on topics deemed, in the opinion of the Proxy Manager, to be controversial or particularly sensitive, the Proxy Manager will provide a written explanation for the proxy vote,
which will be maintained with the record of the actual vote in the Company’s files.
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•
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While Arin's policy is to review each proxy proposal on its individual merits, Arin has adopted guidelines for certain types of matters to assist the Proxy Manager in the review and voting of proxies. Arin may satisfy this requirement
by relying on a third-party provider, such as a proxy voting service
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These guidelines are set forth below:
Corporate Governance
Election of Directors and Similar Matters
In an uncontested election, Arin will generally vote in favor of management’s proposed directors. In a contested election, Arin will evaluate proposed directors on a
case-by-case basis. With respect to proposals regarding the structure of a company’s Board of Directors, Arin will review any contested proposal on its merits.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Arin expects to support proposals to:
Expand directors’ liability and limit directors’ indemnification rights
Generally vote against proposals to Adopt or continue the use of a classified Board structure; and
Add special interest directors to the board of directors (e.g., efforts to expand the board of directors to control the outcome of a particular issue)
Audit Committee Approvals
Arin generally supports proposals that help ensure that a company’s auditors are independent and capable of delivering a fair and accurate opinion of a company’s finances. Arin
will generally vote to ratify management’s recommendation and selection of auditors.
Shareholder Rights
Arin may consider all proposals that will have a material effect on shareholder rights on a case by case basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Arin expects to generally support proposals to:
Adopt confidential voting and independent tabulation of voting results; and
Require shareholder approval of “poison pills;”
And expects to generally vote against proposals to:
a.
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Adopt super-majority voting requirements; and
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Restrict the rights of shareholders to call special meetings, to amend the bylaws, or to act by written consent.
Anti-Takeover Measures, Corporate Restructurings and Similar Matters
Arin may review any proposal to adopt an anti-takeover measure, to undergo a corporate restructuring (e.g., change of entity form or state of incorporation, mergers, or
acquisitions) or to take similar action by reviewing the potential short and long-term effects of the proposal on Arin . These effects may include, without limitation, the economic and financial impact the proposal may have on the company,
and the market impact that the proposal may have on the company’s stock.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Arin expects to generally support proposals to:
Prohibit the payment of greenmail (i.e., the purchase by the company of its own shares to prevent a hostile takeover);
Adopt fair price requirements (i.e., requirements that all shareholders be paid the same price in a tender offer or takeover context), unless the Proxy
Manager deems them sufficiently limited in scope; and
Require shareholder approval of “poison pills.”
And expects to generally vote against proposals to:
b.
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Adopt classified boards of directors;
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Reincorporate a company where the primary purpose appears to the Proxy Manager to be the creation of takeover defenses; and
Require a company to consider the non-financial effects of mergers or acquisitions.
Capital Structure Proposals
Arin will seek to evaluate capital structure proposals on their own merits on a case-by-case basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Arin expects to generally support proposals to:
Eliminate preemptive rights.
Compensation
General
Arin generally supports proposals that encourage the disclosure of a company’s compensation policies. In addition, Arin generally supports proposals that fairly compensate
executives, particularly those proposals that link executive compensation to performance. Arin may consider any contested proposal related to a company’s compensation policies on a case-by-case basis.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Arin expects to generally support proposals to:
Require shareholders’ approval of “golden parachutes;” and
And expects to generally vote against proposals to:
c.
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Adopt measures that appear to the Proxy Manager to arbitrarily determine executive or employee benefits.
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d.
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Adopt “golden parachutes” that offer any multiple of base compensation of the applicable executives.
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Stock Option Plans and Share Issuances
Arin evaluates proposed stock option plans and share issuances on a case-by-case basis. In reviewing proposals regarding stock option plans and issuances, Arin may consider,
without limitation, the potential dilutive effect on shareholders and the potential short and long-term economic effects on Arin. The Company believes that stock option plans do not necessarily align the interest of executives and outside directors
with those of shareholders and that well thought out cash compensation plans can achieve these objectives without diluting shareholders’ ownership. Therefore, the Company generally will vote against stock option plans. However, these proposals will
be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine that shareholders’ interests are being represented. Arin is in favor of management, directors, and employees owning stock, but prefers that the shares be purchased in the open market.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Arin expects to generally vote against proposals to:
Establish or continue stock option plans and share issuances that are not in the best interest of the shareholders.
Corporate Responsibility and Social Issues
Arin generally believes that ordinary business matters (including, without limitation, positions on corporate responsibility and social issues) are primarily the responsibility
of a company’s management that should be addressed solely by the company’s management. These types of proposals, often initiated by shareholders, may request that the company disclose or amend certain business practices.
Arin will generally vote against proposals involving corporate responsibility and social issues, although Arin may vote for
corporate responsibility and social issue proposals that Arin believes will have substantial positive economic or other effects on a company or Arin’s stock.
Record-Keeping Requirements Pertaining to Proxy Voting.
Rule 204-2, requires that the following proxy voting records be maintained. The CCO shall be responsible for maintaining these records relating to proxy voting. Arin may satisfy
this requirement by relying on a third-party service to provide these records
Copies of all policies and procedures required by Rule 206(4)-6.
A copy of each proxy statement that the Arin receives regarding a client’s securities. Arin may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third-party
provider, such as a proxy voting service, or the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system.
A record of each vote cast by the investment Arin on behalf of a client. Arin may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third-party service to provide
these records. The third party must be capable of providing documents promptly upon request.
A copy of any document created by Arin that was material in making a decision on how to vote proxies on a client’s behalf or that articulates the basis for
that decision.
A copy of each written client request for information on how Arin voted proxies on his or her behalf, as well as a copy of any written response by the
investment Arin to any written or oral client request for information.
Conflicts of Interest Pertaining to Proxy Voting
Conflicts of interest between Arin or a principal of Arin and Arin’s clients in respect of a proxy issue conceivably may arise, for example, from personal or professional
relationships with a company or with the directors, candidates for director, or senior executives of a company that is the issuer of client securities.
If the CCO determines that a material conflict of interest exists, the following procedures shall be followed:
Arin may disclose the existence and nature of the conflict to the Starboard Investment Trust, and seek directions on how to vote the proxies;
Arin may abstain from voting, particularly if there are conflicting client interests (for example, where client accounts hold multiple client securities in a
competitive merger situation); or
Arin may follow the recommendations of an independent proxy voting service in voting the proxies.
Arin keeps certain records required by applicable law in connection with its proxy voting activities for clients and shall provide proxy-voting information to clients upon their
written or oral request. A copy of Arin’s proxy-voting policies shall be made available to clients upon request.
File Nos. 333-159484 and 811-22298
STARBOARD INVESTMENT TRUST
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28.
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Exhibits
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(a)
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Declaration of Trust dated May 12, 2009 (“Trust Instrument”) , is
incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A (“Registration Statement”) filed on May 26, 2009.
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(b)
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By-Laws are incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement filed on May 26, 2009.
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(c)
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Articles III, V, and VI of the Trust Instrument define the rights of holders of the securities being registered
and are incorporated herein by reference to the Registration Statement filed on May 26, 2009.
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(d)(1)
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 29, 2016 between the Registrant and Cavalier Investments, LLC, as
investment advisor for the Cavalier Adaptive Income Fund, Cavalier Fundamental Growth Fund, Cavalier Growth Opportunities Fund, Cavalier Hedged High Income Fund, Cavalier Tactical Economic Fund and Cavalier Tactical Rotation Fund (“Cavalier
Funds”) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(d)(2)
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Amended and Restated Appendix A dated September 5, 2018 to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant
and Cavalier Investments, LLC, as investment advisor for the Cavalier Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2018.
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(d)(3)
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated September 5, 2010 between the Registrant and Roumell Asset Management, LLC, as
investment advisor for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registration Statement filed on November 15, 2010.
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(d)(4)
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated April 28, 2011 between the Registrant and Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc.,
as investment advisor for The Sector Rotation Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to the Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2011.
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(d)(5)
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated May 29, 2012, as amended July 11, 2012, between the Registrant and Arin Risk
Advisors, LLC, as investment advisor for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registration Statement filed on July 12, 2012.
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(d)(6)
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 8, 2017 between the Registrant and Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, LLC d/b/a
Matisse Capital, as investment advisor for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 268 to the Registration Statement filed on July 28, 2017.
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(d)(7)
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated May 3, 2017 between the Registrant and QCI Asset Management, Inc., as investment
advisor for the QCI Balanced Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 318 to the Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2019.
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(d)( 8 )
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated March 8, 2018 between the Registrant and Deschutes Portfolio Strategy, LLC
d/b/a Matisse Capital, as investment advisor for the Matisse Discounted Bond CEF Strategy, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 302 to the Registration Statement filed on August 3, 2018.
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(d)( 9 )
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Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 6, 2018 between the Registrant and CoreCap Advisors, Inc., as
investment advisor for the Method Smart Beta U.S. Sector Plus Fund and the Method Smart Beta Explorer Allocation Plus Fund (“Method Funds”), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 338 to the Registration
Statement filed on May 16, 2019.
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(d)( 10 )
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Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 6, 2018 between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments, LLC
and Navellier & Associates, Inc., as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Fundamental Growth Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(d)( 11 )
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Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated September 5, 2018 between Cavalier Investments, LLC and
Buckhead Capital Management, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Adaptive Income Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2018.
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(d)( 12 )
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Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated September 5, 2018 between Cavalier Investments, LLC and
Bluestone Capital Management, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Growth Opportunities Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2018.
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(e)(1)(i)
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Distribution Agreement dated July 6, 2009 between the Registrant and Capital Investment Group, Inc., as
distributor for each series of the Trust, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2015.
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(e)(1)(ii)
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Amended and Restated Appendix A dated September 12, 2019 to the Distribution Agreement between the
Registrant and Capital Investment Group, Inc., as distributor for each series of the Trust, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(f)
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Not Applicable.
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(g)(1)(i)
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Custody Agreement dated December 9, 2011, between the Registrant, UMB Bank, n.a., and The Nottingham Company
(“Custody Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2015.
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(g)(1)(ii)
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Amended and Restated Appendix A dated September 11 , 2019 to the Custody Agreement is incorporated
herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(g)(1)(iii)
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Amended and Restated Appendix B dated September 12, 2019 to the Custody Agreement is incorporated herein
by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(g)(1)(iv)
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Rule 17f-5 Delegation Agreement dated October 21, 2019 between the Registrant and UMB Bank, n.a., is
incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(h)(1)(i)
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Fund Accounting and Administration Agreement dated April 15, 2016 between the Registrant and The Nottingham
Company, as administrator for the Starboard Investment Trust (“Fund Accounting and Administration Agreement”), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 230 to the Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.
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(h)(1)(ii)
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(h)(2)(i)
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Dividend Disbursing and Transfer Agent Agreement dated December 8, 2014 between the Registrant and Nottingham
Shareholder Services, LLC, as transfer agent for the Registrant, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 190 to the Registration Statement filed on December 11, 2014.
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(h)(2)(ii)
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Amended and Restated Schedule 1 dated September 12, 2019 to the Dividend Disbursing and Transfer Agent
Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(h)(3)
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Expense Limitation Agreement dated September 6 , 201 8 between the Registrant and Cavalier
Investments, LLC, as investment advisor for the Cavalier Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 filed on September 28, 2018 .
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(h)(4)
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Expense Limitation Agreement dated June 20, 2019 between the Registrant and Deschutes Portfolio Strategy, LLC
d/b/a Matisse Capital, as investment advisor for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 341 to the Registration Statement filed on July 29, 2019.
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(h)(5)
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Expense Limitation Agreement dated September 6, 2018 between the Registrant and QCI Asset Management, Inc.,
as investment advisor for the QCI Balanced Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 318 to the Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2019.
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(h)(6)
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Expense Limitation Agreement dated September 6, 2018 between the Registrant and Roumell Asset Management,
Inc., as investment advisor for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 314 to the Registration Statement filed on December 28, 2018.
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(h)(7)
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Expense Limitation Agreement dated September 6, 2018 between the Registrant and Grimaldi Portfolio
Solutions, Inc., as investment advisor for The Sector Rotation Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 317 to the Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2019.
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(h)( 8 )
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Expense Limitation Agreement dated March 8, 2018 between the Registrant and Deschutes Portfolio Strategy,
LLC d/b/a Matisse Capital, as investment advisor for the Matisse Discounted Bond CEF Strategy, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 302 to the Registration Statement filed on August 3, 2018.
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(h)( 9 )
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Expense Limitation Agreement dated May 13, 2019 between the Registrant and CoreCap Advisors, Inc., as
investment advisor to the Method Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 338 to the Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2019.
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(h)( 10 )
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Operating Plan between Arin Risk Advisors, LLC and The Nottingham Company, with respect to the Arin Large Cap
Theta Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to the Registration Statement filed on May 4, 2012.
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(i)(1)
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Opinion and Consent of Counsel is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 336
to the Registration Statement filed on May 1, 2019.
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(i)(2)
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(j)
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(k)
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Not applicable.
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(l)(1)
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Initial Subscription Agreement for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund is incorporated herein by reference
to Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to the Registration Statement filed on December 29, 2011.
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(l)(2)
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Initial Subscription Agreement for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund is incorporated herein by reference to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to the Registration Statement filed on October 22, 2012.
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(l)(3)
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Initial Subscription Agreement for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy is incorporated herein
by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to the Registration Statement filed on October 22, 2012.
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(l)(4)
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Initial Subscription Agreement for the QCI Balanced Fund is incorporated herein by reference to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 175 to the Registration Statement filed on July 29, 2014.
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(l)(6)
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Initial Subscription Agreement for Matisse Discounted Bond CEF Strategy is incorporated herein by reference
to Post-Effective Amendment No. 302 to the Registration Statement filed on August 3, 2018.
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(l)(7)
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Initial Subscription Agreement for the Method Smart Beta U.S. Plus Fund is incorporated herein by
reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 338 to the Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2019.
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(i)(8)
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Initial Subscription Agreement for the Method Smart Beta Explorer Allocation Plus Fund is incorporated
herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 338 to the Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2019.
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(m)(1)
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Amended and Restated Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Cavalier Funds is incorporated herein by
reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 277 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2017.
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(m)(2)
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Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund is incorporated herein by reference
to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to the Registration Statement filed on June 30, 2014.
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(m)(3)
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Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the QCI Balanced Fund is incorporated herein by reference to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 159 to the Registration Statement filed on November 15, 2013.
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(m)(5)
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Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for The Sector Rotation Fund is incorporated herein by reference to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 253 to the Registration Statement filed on April 13, 2017.
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(n)(1)
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Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan for the Cavalier Funds is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective
Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(n)(2)
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Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund is incorporated herein by reference to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
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(n)(3)
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Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan for the QCI Balanced Fund is incorporated herein by reference to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 159 to the Registration Statement filed on November 15, 2013.
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(o)
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Reserved.
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(p)(1)
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Code of Ethics dated June 11 , 2020 for the Registrant is filed herewith .
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(p)(2)
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Code of Ethics for Cavalier Investments, Inc., investment advisor to the Cavalier Funds, is incorporated
herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 237 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2016.
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(p)(3)
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Code of Ethics for Roumell Asset Management, LLC, investment advisor to the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, is
incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 284 to the Registration Statement filed on December 29, 2017.
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(p)(4)
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Code of Ethics for Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc., investment advisor to The Sector Rotation Fund, is
incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 317 filed on January 28, 2019 .
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(p)(5)
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Code of Ethics for Arin Risk Advisors, LLC, investment advisor to the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund, is incorporated
herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 230 to the Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.
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(p)(6)
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Code of Ethics for Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, Inc., d/b/a Matisse Capital, investment advisor to the Matisse
Discounted Closed-End Strategy and Matisse Discounted Bond CEF Strategy, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 268 filed on July 28, 2017 .
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(p)( 7 )
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Code of Ethics for QCI Asset Management, Inc., investment advisor to the QCI Balanced Fund, is incorporated
herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 318 filed on January 28, 2019 .
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(p)( 8 )
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Code of Ethics for Capital Investment Group, Inc., distributor for each series of the Trust, is Incorporated
herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 305 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2018.
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(p)( 9 )
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Code of Ethics for Buckhead Capital Management, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Adaptive
Income Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2018.
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(p)( 10 )
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Code of Ethics for Bluestone Capital Management, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Tactical
Economic Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 to the Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2018.
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(p)( 11 )
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Code of Ethics for CoreCap Advisors, Inc., investment advisor to the Method Funds, is incorporated herein by
reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 336 to the Registration Statement filed on May 1, 2019.
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(q)
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Powers of Attorney are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27,
2019.
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ITEM 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant
No person is controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.
ITEM 30. Indemnification
Under Delaware law, Section 3817 of the Treatment of Delaware Statutory Trusts empowers Delaware business trusts to indemnify and hold harmless any trustee or beneficial owner or other person
from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever, subject to such standards and restrictions as may be set forth in the governing instrument of the business trust. The Registrant’s Trust Instrument contains the following provisions:
Article VII. Section 2. Indemnification and Limitation of Liability. The
Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, Advisor or Principal Underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other
Trustee, and, as provided in Section 3 of this Article VII, the Trust out of its assets shall indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer of the Trust from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and
damages whatsoever arising out of or related to such Trustee's performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer of the Trust; provided that nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any Trustee or officer from or
against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees
or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in or with respect to their or his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or Trustee shall not be personally
liable thereon.
Article VII. Section 3. Indemnification.
(a) Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in
Subsection (b) below:
(i) every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or an officer,
employee or agent of the Trust (including any individual who serves at its request as director, officer, partner, trustee or the like of another organization in which it has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (“Covered Person”)
shall be indemnified by the Trust or the appropriate Series to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he
becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Covered Person and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof; and
(ii) as used herein, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit,” or
“proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or other, including appeals), actual or threatened, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include, without limitation, attorneys, fees, costs,
judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
(b) No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:
(i) who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before
which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office, or (B) not to have acted in
good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust; or
(ii) in the event the matter is not adjudicated by a court or
other appropriate body, unless there has been a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office: by at least a
majority of those Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); or by written opinion of independent legal counsel
based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry).
(c) The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured
against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and
administrators of a Covered Person.
(d) To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, expenses
incurred in defending any proceeding may be advanced by the Trust before the disposition of the proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust or applicable
Series if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section; provided, however, that either a majority of the Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent
legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry) that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will not be disqualified from
indemnification under this Section.
(e) Any repeal or modification of this Article VII by the
Shareholders, or adoption or modification of any other provision of the Declaration or By-laws inconsistent with this Article, shall be prospective only, to the extent that such repeal, or modification would, if applied retrospectively, adversely
affect any limitation on the liability of any Covered Person or indemnification available to any Covered Person with respect to any act or omission which occurred prior to such repeal, modification or adoption.
In addition, the Registrant has entered into the following agreements: Investment Advisory Agreements, Investment Sub-Advisory Agreements, and Distribution Agreements. These
agreements provide indemnification for those entities and their respective affiliates. Certain personnel of the Advisors, Distributor or Administrator may serve as trustees and/or officers of the Trust.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Trust Instrument or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by trustees, officers or controlling persons of the
Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustees, officers or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issues.
ITEM 31. Business and other Connections of the Investment Advisor
(a) Cavalier Investments, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Cavalier
Funds. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by Cavalier Investments, LLC and its directors, officers or partners during the past two years is
included in Cavalier Investments, LLC’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-106545) and is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Roumell Asset Management, LLC serves as the investment adviser
to the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by Roumell Asset Management, LLC and its directors, officers or
partners during the past two years is included in Roumell Asset Management, LLC’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-60837) and is incorporated herein by reference.
(c) Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc. serves as the investment
adviser to The Sector Rotation Fund. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc. and its directors, officers or
partners during the past two years is included in Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc.’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-51163) and is incorporated herein by reference.
(d) Arin Risk Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to
the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by Arin Risk Advisors, LLC and its directors, officers or partners during
the past two years is included in Arin Risk Advisors, LLC’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-70598) and is incorporated herein by reference.
(e) Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, LLC d/b/a Matisse Capital
serves as the investment adviser to the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy and Matisse Discounted Bond CEF Strategy. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a
substantial nature engaged in by Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, LLC and its directors, officers or partners during the past two years is included in Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, LLC’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-72004) and is
incorporated herein by reference.
(f) QCI Asset Management, Inc. serves as the investment adviser to
the QCI Balanced Fund. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by QCI Asset Management, Inc. and its directors, officers or partners during the
past two years is included in QCI Asset Management, Inc.’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-12815) and is incorporated herein by reference.
(g) CoreCap Advisors, Inc. serves as the investment adviser to the
Method Funds. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by CoreCap Advisors, Inc. and its directors, officers or partners during the past two years
is included in CoreCap Advisors, Inc.’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-72687) and is incorporated herein by reference.
(h) Buckhead Capital Management, LLC serves as the investment
sub-adviser to the Cavalier Adaptive Income Fund. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by Buckhead Capital Management, LLC and its directors,
officers or partners during the past two years is included in Buckhead Capital Management, LLC’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-57810) and is incorporated herein by reference.
(i) Bluestone Capital Management, LLC serves as the investment
sub-adviser to the Cavalier Growth Opportunities Fund. The information required by this Item 31 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by Bluestone Capital Management, LLC and its
directors, officers or partners during the past two years is included in Bluestone Capital Management, LLC’s Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-77657) and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 32. Principal Underwriter
(a) Capital Investment Group, Inc. is underwriter and
distributor for Starboard Investment Trust, Aspiration Funds, Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust, Leeward Investment Trust, and Spinnaker ETF Series.
(b) Set forth below is information concerning each director and
officer of the Distributor. The principal business address of the Distributor and each such person is 100 E Six Forks Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27609.
(1)
|
(2)
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(3)
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Name
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Position and Offices
With Underwriter
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Positions and Offices
with Registrant
|
|
|
|
Richard K. Bryant
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CEO
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None
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Benjamin T. Brooks
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President
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None
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Con T. McDonald
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Assistant Vice-President
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None
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W. Harold Eddins, Jr.
|
Assistant Vice-President
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None
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Kurt A. Dressler
|
Assistant Vice-President
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None
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Ronald L. King
|
Chief Compliance Officer
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None
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(c) Not applicable.
ITEM 33. Location of Accounts and Records
(a)
|
The Registrant maintains accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder (“Records”)
at the offices of The Nottingham Company, 116 S. Franklin Street, Rocky Mount, NC 27802.
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(b)
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UMB Bank, n.a. maintains all Records relating to its service as custodian to the Registrant at its offices located at 928 Grand Boulevard, 5th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
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(c)
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The Nottingham Company maintains all Records related to its services as administrator and fund accountant to the Registrant at its offices located at 116 South Franklin Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
27802.
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(d)
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Nottingham Shareholder Services, LLC maintains all Records related to its services as dividend disbursing and transfer agent to the Registrant at 116 South Franklin Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
27802.
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(e)
|
Arin Risk Advisors, LLC maintains all Records related to its services as investment advisor for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund at its offices located at 1100 East Hector Street, Suite 215, Conshohocken,
Pennsylvania 19428.
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(f)
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Cavalier Investments, LLC maintains all Records related to its services as investment advisor to the Cavalier Funds at its offices located at 12600 Deerfield Drive, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30004.
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(g)
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Bluestone Capital Management, LLC maintains all Records related to its services as investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Growth Opportunities Fund at its offices located at 37 West Avenue, Suite 301,
Wayne, PA 19087.
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(h)
|
Buckhead Capital Management, LLC maintains all Records related to its services as investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Adaptive Income Fund at its offices located at 3100 Cumberland Blvd., Suite 1450,
Atlanta, GA 30339.
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(i)
|
Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, Inc. d/b/a Matisse Capital maintains all Records related to its services as investment advisor to the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy and Matisse Discounted Bond
CEF Strategy at its offices located at 4949 Meadows Road, Suite 200, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035.
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(j)
|
Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc. maintains all Records related to its services as investment advisor to The Sector Rotation Fund at its offices located at 1207 Route 9, Suite 10, Wappingers Falls, NY
12590.
|
(k)
|
Roumell Asset Management, LLC maintains all Records related to its services as investment advisor to the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund at its offices located at 2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 640, Chevy
Chase, Maryland 20815.
|
(l)
|
QCI Asset Management, Inc. maintains all Records related to its services as investment advisor for the QCI Balanced Fund at its offices located at 1040 Pittsford Victor Road, Pittsford, New York 14534.
|
(m)
|
CoreCap Advisors, Inc. maintains all Records related to its services as investment advisor for the Method Funds at its offices located at 27777 Franklin Road, Suite 700, Southfield, MI 48034.
|
ITEM 34. Management Services
None.
ITEM 35. Undertakings
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it
meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the
City of Rocky Mount, State of North Carolina on this 26 th day of June , 2020.
|
STARBOARD INVESTMENT TRUST
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Katherine M. Honey*
|
|
|
Katherine M. Honey
|
|
|
President and Principal Executive Officer
|
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
|
|
/s/James H. Speed, Jr.*
|
Trustee and Chairman
|
June 26 , 2020
|
James H. Speed, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/J. Buckley Strandberg*
|
Trustee
|
June 26 , 2020
|
J. Buckley Strandberg
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/Michael G. Mosley*
|
Trustee
|
June 26 , 2020
|
Michael G. Mosley
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/Theo H. Pitt, Jr.*
|
Trustee
|
June 26 , 2020
|
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/Katherine M. Honey*
|
President and Principal Financial Officer
|
June 26 , 2020
|
Katherine M. Honey
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/Ashley E. Harris*
|
Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
|
June 26 , 2020
|
Ashley E. Harris
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Tracie A. Coop
|
|
|
*By: Tracie A. Coop
|
|
|
Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney dated December
12, 2019 incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 350 filed on December 27, 2019.
|
Exhibit Index
(h)(1)(ii)
|
|
(i)(2)
|
|
(j)
|
|
(p)(1)
|
|