Securities Act Registration No. 333-178833

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-22655

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 7, 2019

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ý

¨ Pre-Effective Amendment No.
ý Post-Effective Amendment No. 411

 

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 ý

ý Amendment No. 414

 

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, OH 45246

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (402) 895-1600

The Corporation Trust Company

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

With copy to:

JoAnn M. Strasser, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

614-469-3265 (phone)

614-469-3361 (fax)

Richard Malinowski

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110

Hauppauge, New York 11788

(631) 470-2600

 

Approximate date of proposed public offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

ý Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

¨ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

 

 
 

Class N Shares (LIONX)

Class I Shares (LIOTX)

 

PROSPECTUS

 

June 7, 2019

 

Adviser:

Horizon Capital Management, Inc.

106 Valerie Drive

Lafayette, Louisiana 70508

 

 

www.LIONX.net 1-866-787-8355

 

 

 

This Prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.

 

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from the Fund or from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Fund’s website www.LIONX.net, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

 

If you have already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank).

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you are a direct investor, you can inform the Fund or your financial intermediary that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports by following the instructions included with paper Fund documents that have been mailed to you. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with the fund complex.

 
 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FUND SUMMARY 1
Investment Objective 1
Fees and Expenses of the Fund 1
Portfolio Turnover 1
Principal Investment Strategies 2
Principal Investment Risks 3
Performance 6
Investment Adviser 7
Portfolio Manager 7
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 7
Tax Information 7
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 7
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS
8
Investment Objective 8
Principal Investment Strategies 8
Principal Investment Risks 9
Temporary Investments 14
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure 14
Cybersecurity 14
MANAGEMENT 15
Investment Adviser 15
Portfolio Manager 15
HOW SHARES ARE PRICED 16
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES 17
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES 19
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES 21
TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 22
DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES 23
Distributor 23
Distribution Fees 23
Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries 23
Householding 23
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 24
PRIVACY NOTICE 25

 

 
 

FUND SUMMARY

 

Investment Objective: The Issachar Fund (the “Fund”) seeks moderate capital appreciation consistent with capital preservation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 


Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Class N Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on purchases
(as a percentage of offering price)
None None
Redemption Fee
(as a % of amount redeemed)
None None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 1.40% 1.40%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None
Other Expenses 1.89% 1.89% (1)
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2) 0.27% 0.27%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 3.81% 3.56%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement (3) (1.24)% (1.24)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursements
2.57% 2.32%
(1) Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year for Class I shares.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

(3)     The Fund’s adviser, Horizon Capital Management, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “HCM”) has contractually agreed to waive management fees and to make payments to limit Fund expenses, at least until June 7, 2020, so that the total annual operating expenses (excluding: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); (v) taxes; and (vi) extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser))) of the Fund do not exceed 2.30% of average daily net assets attributable to Class N shares and 2.05% of average daily net assets attributable to Class I shares. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recapture. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example reflects the fee waiver and expense reimbursement for the duration of the waiver/reimbursement period only. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

Class 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
N $260 $1,050 $1,859 $3,966
I $235 $977 $1,740 $3,746

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 3,108% of the average value of its portfolio.

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Principal Investment Strategies: The Adviser uses a flexible investment strategy emphasizing capital preservation during periods of higher perceived risk and a more aggressive posture during periods of lower perceived risk to increase emphasis on capital appreciation.     The Adviser employs an opportunistic long and/or short investment strategy in which the Fund invests in equity and/or fixed income securities through individual securities, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), and other investment companies. The Fund may take long positions of up to 300% and/or short positions of up to 150% of the Fund’s net assets in equity and/or fixed income securities either directly or through the use of total return swaps or futures contracts. The Fund seeks to avoid major declines and maximize profit potential during up-trends in the market. The Fund uses a flexible approach that focuses on risk-management in an effort to protect assets during periods of perceived high risk and grow assets during periods of lower risk.

 

The equity securities in which the Fund may invest include large, small and medium-capitalization companies and issuers in the U.S. and emerging markets countries (including through the use of American Depositary Receipts) . The Fund considers emerging market issuers to be those countries represented in the EAFE Emerging Markets Index. The Fund employs an aggressive management strategy that typically results in high portfolio turnover. Depending on market conditions, the Fund may invest 0% to 300% of its portfolio in equity securities.

 

The Fund will only invest in the securities of companies which receive an Inspire Impact Score™ of zero or higher, in an effort to avoid investment in companies involved in activities including abortion, pornography, human rights violations, LGBT activism, alcohol, gambling, tobacco and/or any additional screening criterion which may be involved in the creation of the Inspire Impact Score now or in the future. Securities issued by companies with Inspire Impact Scores™ below zero will be excluded from the Fund (“Excluded Securities”). The Inspire Impact Score™, the Inspire Investing name and logos are trademarks of Inspire Investing and each has been licensed for use by the Adviser.

 

Fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest, directly or indirectly through ETFs and other investment companies, include corporate bonds, convertible bonds, foreign bond securities, municipal bonds, asset-backed securities, floating rate loans, and loan participation interests. These fixed-income securities may have varying maturities (e.g., long-term, intermediate or short-term) and credit qualities (e.g., investment grade or non-investment grade). The terms “investment grade” and “non-investment grade” refer to the credit quality of fixed-income securities as established by a recognized rating agency, such as S&P, Moody’s or Fitch. Securities that are rated lower than investment grade, high yield securities or “junk bonds,” could provide high income in an effort to compensate investors for their higher risk of default, which is the failure to make required interest or principal payments. The Fund may invest without limit in high yield securities. The Fund may also invest in money market funds and ETFs with currency-related securities or strategies.

 

The Fund may also seek leveraged returns by investing in derivative instruments, such as futures contracts, forward contracts, options and swaps, which can include swaps on stock, ETFs and mutual funds. This includes investments in foreign currency forward contracts, including cash-settled forwards (or securities of entities that invest primarily in such obligations, including money market funds and ETFs). In utilizing the swap strategy, the Fund may take positions in levered instruments that create investment exposure between from 100% and 300% of the value of the Fund’s assets. Leveraging generates returns that are more pronounced, both positively and negatively, than what would be generated on the invested capital without leverage, thus changing small market movements into larger changes in the value of the investments. In determining the amount and type of levered investments to make, the Adviser analyzes trends in market performance and volatility, as well as the volatility patterns of assets referenced in the derivative instruments. Generally, the Fund will seek greater leveraged investment exposure in periods of market strength that are coupled with low volatility. On a daily basis, the Fund will hold U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements to collateralize its investments in derivative investments.

 

The Fund attempts to limit losses and manage risk by hedging and/or exiting positions when the Adviser believes that potential portfolio gains are not sufficient to justify the potential risk of loss. HCM attempts to identify and profit from market trends, making long investments for the Fund in areas of the market that have risen somewhat and appear to offer additional upside and short investments for the Fund in areas of the market which have begun to decline and appear likely to decline further. The Adviser attempts to identify changing market conditions based on proprietary technical analysis of trends, relative strength of various sectors of the markets as well as seasonal considerations. The Adviser uses a form of technical analysis known as “chart analysis” that attempts to identify assets that have shown strong daily performance over time with low volatility in an effort to invest in assets that offer above average risk-adjusted returns. The Fund’s portfolio is positioned in response to movements by particular indexes, market segments or even particular securities in an attempt to participate in a developing trend. HCM may attempt to anticipate market moves and initiate appropriate action in advance of actual market movements. When the Adviser has not identified to its satisfaction areas of the market in which it feels comfortable investing, whether long or short, HCM may invest portions or all of the Fund’s assets in cash or cash equivalents for capital preservation.

 

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The Fund’s dynamic asset allocation strategy may result in the investment of a large portion of, or all of, the assets of the Fund in cash or cash equivalents at any given time to provide security of principal, current income and liquidity.

 

Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and performance.

 

Aggressive Investment Techniques Risk - The Fund uses investment techniques that may be considered aggressive. Risks associated with the use of futures contracts and swap agreements include potentially dramatic price changes (losses) in the value of the instruments and imperfect correlations between the price of the contract and the underlying security or index. These instruments may increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed.

 

Asset-Backed Securities Risk - Payment of interest and repayment of principal may be impacted by the cash flows generated by the assets backing these securities. The value of the Fund’s asset-backed securities also may be affected by changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the interests in and structure of the pools of purchase contracts, financing leases or sales agreements that are represented by these securities, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the loans or receivables, or the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds, or other credit enhancements.

 

Cash or Cash Equivalents Risk - At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over.

 

Convertible Bond Risk - Convertible bonds are hybrid securities that have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and are subject to fixed income security risks and conversion value-related equity risk. Convertible bonds are similar to other fixed-income securities because they usually pay a fixed interest rate and are obligated to repay principal on a given date in the future. The market value of fixed-income securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible bonds are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their conversion to equity feature is small relative to the interest and principal value of the bond. Convertible issuers may not be able to make principal and interest payments on the bond as they become due. Convertible bonds may also be subject to prepayment or redemption risk.

 

Counterparty Risk - The Fund may invest in financial instruments involving counterparties for the purpose of attempting to gain exposure to a particular group of securities or asset class without actually purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a position. These financial instruments may include swap agreements. The use of swap agreements involves risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. For example, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. Swap agreements also may be considered to be illiquid. In addition, the Fund may enter into swap agreements that involve a limited number of counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk. The Fund does not specifically limit its counterparty risk with respect to any single counterparty. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties are willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

 

Credit Risk - The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a debt security goes bankrupt or is unable or unwilling to make interest payments and/or repay principal. Changes in an issuer’s financial strength or in an issuer’s or debt security’s credit rating also may affect a security’s value and thus have an impact on Fund performance.

 

Currency Risk - Investments in foreign currencies are subject to political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war and greater volatility. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in dollar denominated securities of U.S. issuers.

 

Debt Instrument Risk - The Fund may invest in, or seek exposure to, debt instruments. Debt instruments may have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates, credit risk and other factors. Many types of debt instruments are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the security will repay principal prior to the maturity date. In addition, changes in the credit quality of the issuer of a debt instrument can also affect the price of a debt instrument, as can an issuer’s default on its payment obligations. Such factors may cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease.

 

Derivatives Risk - The Fund uses investment techniques, including investments in futures contracts, forward contracts, options and swaps, which may be considered to be an aggressive investment technique. Investments in such derivatives may general be subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time and may increase the volatility of

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the Fund. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives, such as counterparty risk and the risk that the derivatives may become illiquid. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than investing in the underlying securities directly. In addition, the Fund’s investments in derivatives as of the date of this prospectus are subject to the following risks:

Futures and Forward Contracts. There may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts. There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures contracts. Forward currency transactions include the risks associated with fluctuations in currency.

Hedging Risk. If the Fund uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund’s investment return, or create a loss.

Options. There may be an imperfect correlation between the prices of options and movements in the price of the securities (or indices) hedged or used for cover which may cause a given hedge not to achieve its objective.

Swap Agreements. Interest rate swaps are subject to interest rate and credit risk. Total return swaps are subject to counterparty risk, which relate to credit risk of the counterparty and liquidity risk of the swaps themselves.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk - To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in such stocks may also be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). While the use of ADRs, which are traded on exchanges and represent an ownership in a foreign security, provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

 

Emerging Markets Risk - Investments in emerging markets instruments involve greater risks than investing in foreign instruments in general. Risks of investing in emerging market countries include political or social upheaval, nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets and risks from an economy’s dependence on revenues from particular commodities or industries. In addition, currency transfer restrictions, limited potential buyers for such instruments, delays and disruption in settlement procedures and illiquidity or low volumes of transactions may make exits difficult or impossible at times.

 

Equity Securities Risk - Investments in publicly-issued equity securities and securities that provide exposure to equity securities, including common stocks, in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate.

 

Excluded Securities Risk - Because the Fund does not invest in Excluded Securities and will divest itself of securities that are subsequently discovered to be ineligible, the Fund may be riskier than other Funds that invest in a broader array of securities because the Fund may have a smaller universe of investments to choose from due to the Adviser’s strategy.

 

Floating Rate Loans Risk - The floating rate loans in which the Fund invests are usually rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) and are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. Moreover, such securities may, under certain circumstances, be less liquid than higher quality debt securities. Although certain floating rate loans are collateralized, there is no guarantee that the value of the collateral will be sufficient to repay the loan. In times of unusual or adverse market, economic or political conditions, floating rate loans may experience higher than normal default rates. In the event of a recession or serious credit event, among other eventualities, the Fund’s investments in floating rate loans are more likely to decline.

 

Foreign Securities Risk - Investments in foreign securities and securities that provide exposure to foreign securities involve greater risks than investing in domestic securities. As a result, the Fund’s returns and NAVs may be affected to a large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political, diplomatic or economic conditions and regulatory requirements in other countries. The Fund also may invest in depositary receipts, including ADRs, which are traded on exchanges and provide an alternative to investing directly in foreign securities. Investments in ADRs are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. The laws and accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards in foreign countries typically are not as strict as they are in the U.S., and there may be less public information available about foreign companies.

 

High Yield Debt Securities Risk - The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in

 

junk bonds. Junk bonds may be sensitive to economic changes, political changes, or adverse developments specific to a company. These securities generally involve greater risk of default or price changes than other types of fixed-income securities and the Fund’s performance may vary significantly as a result.

 

Holding Cash Risk - The Fund may hold cash positions when the market is not producing returns greater than the short-term cash investments in which the Fund may invest. There is a risk that the sections of the market in which the Fund invests

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will begin to rise or fall rapidly and the Fund will not be able to sell stocks quickly enough to avoid losses, or reinvest its cash positions into areas of the advancing market quickly enough to capture the initial returns of changing market conditions.

 

Interest Rate Risk - The value of the Fund’s investment in fixed income securities will fall when interest rates rise. The U.S. is currently in a period of historically-low interest rates and it is unclear how much longer interest rates will remain at their current levels. The effect of increased interest rates is more pronounced for any intermediate-term or longer-term fixed income obligations owned by the Fund.

 

Large Cap Stock Risk - To the extent the Fund invests in large capitalization stocks, the Fund may underperform funds that invest primarily in the stocks of lower quality, smaller capitalization companies during periods when the stocks of such companies are in favor.

 

Leverage Risk - The Fund may employ leveraged investment techniques. Use of leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund and makes them more volatile. The leveraged investment techniques that the Fund may employ could cause investors in the Fund to lose more money in adverse environments.

 

Loan Participation Risk - In addition to the risks typically associated with fixed income securities, loan participations carry other risks, including the risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary. Loan participations may be unsecured or not fully collateralized, may be subject to restrictions on resale and sometimes trade infrequently on the secondary market.

 

Management Risk - The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset classes and securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results.

 

Municipal Securities Risk - Municipal issuers are subject to unique factors affecting their ability to pay debt obligations. As such, investment in municipal securities carries additional risk. Changes in federal, state or local laws may make a municipal issuer unable to make interest payments when due. Municipal securities backed by current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets can be negatively affected by the inability to collect revenue, for the project or from the assets. Moreover, an adverse interpretation of the tax status of municipal securities may make such securities decline in value.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk - The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading, leading to increased portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, and the possibility of increased net realized capital gains, including net short-term capital gains that will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them.

 

Risks of Investing in Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) - Investments in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company or ETF, the Fund becomes a shareholder thereof. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses indirectly paid by shareholders of the other investment company or ETF, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders indirectly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations. The Fund’s performance may be magnified positively or negatively by virtue of its investment in other investment companies. If the other investment company or ETF fails to achieve its investment objective, the value of the Fund’s investment will decline, adversely affecting the Fund’s performance. In addition, closed-end investment company and ETF shares potentially may trade at a discount or a premium and are subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. Finally, because the value of other investment company or ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Fund’s holdings in those shares at the most optimal time, adversely affecting the Fund’s performance.

 

Shorting Risk - Short positions are designed to profit from a decline in the price of particular securities, baskets of securities or indices. The Fund will lose value if and when the instrument’s price rises – a result that is the opposite from traditional mutual funds.

 

Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Companies Risk - Investing in the securities of small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risks and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more-established companies. Investments in mid-cap companies involve less risk than investing in small-cap companies. Small and medium-size companies often have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. Mid-cap companies often have narrower markets and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies.

 

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Performance: The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Fund’s returns over time, which is some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows performance of the Fund’s Class N shares for each full calendar year since the Fund’s inception. The performance table compares the performance of the Fund over time to the performance of a broad-based market index. You should be aware that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) may not be an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Because Class I shares have not commenced operations, no performance information is presented for Class I shares at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus for Class I shares, Updated performance information will be available at no cost by visiting www.LIONX.net or by calling 1-866-787-8355.

 

 

Class N Performance Bar Chart For Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

Best Quarter:   6/30/16 4.61%
Worst Quarter:   6/30/15 (1.78)%

 

 

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended March 31, 2019, was (1.78)%.

 

Performance Table

Average Annual Total Returns

(For year ended December 31, 2018)

  One
Year
Since Inception
(2-28-14)
Class N shares Return before taxes 2.41% 2.02%
Class N shares Return after taxes on distributions 2.08% 1.34%
Class N shares Return after taxes on distributions
and sale of Fund shares
1.42% 1.24%
S&P 500 Total Return Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (1)
(4.38)% 8.58%

IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2)(3)

(3.09)% 1.52%
(1) The S&P 500 Total Return Index (the “S&P 500 Index”) is an unmanaged free-float capitalization-weighted index which measures the performance of 500 large-cap common stocks actively traded in the United States. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends. Investors may not invest in the S&P 500 Index directly; unlike the Fund’s returns, the S&P 500 Index does not reflect any fees or expenses.
(2) The IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy Index (the “IQ Index”) seeks to replicate the risk-adjusted return characteristics of the collective hedge funds using various hedge fund investment styles, including long/short equity, global macro, market neutral, event-driven, fixed income arbitrage and emerging markets. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends. Investors may not invest in the IQ Index directly; unlike the Fund’s returns, the IQ Index does not reflect any fees or expenses.
(3) The Fund has selected the IQ Index to replace the S&P 500 Index as its primary benchmark. The components of the IQ Index are actively managed funds which feature a similarly flexible management style to that of the Fund, unlike the S&P 500 Index, which assumes a “buy and hold” posture.

 

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

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Investment Adviser: Horizon Capital Management, Inc.

 

Portfolio Manager: Dexter P. Lyons, the Principal of HCM, has managed the Fund since February 2014.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: You may purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. The minimum initial investment in the Fund is $1,000 for investors in Class N shares of the Fund. The minimum initial investment in the Fund is $100,000 for investors in Class I shares of the Fund.
The minimum subsequent investment is $100 for Class N and Class I shares of the Fund.

 

Tax Information: Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates unless you are investing through a tax-deferred plan such as an IRA or 401(k) plan. However, these dividend and capital gain distributions may be taxable upon their eventual withdrawal from tax-deferred plans.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks moderate capital appreciation consistent with capital preservation.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Adviser uses a flexible investment strategy emphasizing capital preservation during periods of higher perceived risk and a more aggressive posture during periods of lower perceived risk to increase emphasis on capital appreciation.   The Adviser employs an opportunistic long and/or short investment strategy in which the Fund invests in equity and/or fixed income securities through individual securities, ETFs, and other investment companies. Additionally, the Fund may take long positions of up to 300% and/or short positions of up to 150% of the Fund’s net assets equity and/or fixed income securities either directly or through the use of total return swaps or futures contracts. HCM believes that limiting losses is as important to building capital as maximizing gains and manages risk by exiting positions when HCM believes that potential portfolio gains are not sufficient to justify the potential risk of loss. HCM attempts to identify and profit from market trends, making long investments in areas of the market that have risen somewhat and appear to offer additional upside and short investments in areas of the market which have begun to decline and appear likely to decline further. Additionally, when HCM believes that market conditions are appropriate, it may cause the Fund to take positions in leveraged investments that provide the Fund with aggregate investment exposure equal to an amount up to 300% of the value of the Fund’s assets. HCM attempts to identify changing market conditions based on proprietary technical analysis of trends, relative strength of various sectors of the markets as well as seasonal considerations.

 

The Fund will only invest in the securities of companies which receive an Inspire Impact Score™ of zero or higher, in an effort to avoid investment in companies involved in activities including abortion, pornography, human rights violations, LGBT activism, alcohol, gambling, tobacco and/or any additional screening criterion which may be involved in the creation of the Inspire Impact Score now or in the future. Securities issued by companies with Inspire Impact Scores™ below zero will be excluded from the Fund. The Inspire Impact Score™, the Inspire Investing name and logos are trademarks of Inspire Investing and each has been licensed for use by the Adviser.

 

The Adviser typically chooses investment options from among market categories or investment vehicles which represent pools of securities, including major market indexes, more narrowly defined market sectors, ETFs, and mutual funds, among other options. The Fund’s portfolio is positioned in response to movements by particular indexes, market segments or even particular securities in an attempt to participate in a developing trend. HCM may attempt to anticipate market moves and initiate appropriate action in advance of actual market movements.

 

The Fund’s portfolio may be traded frequently as the Adviser attempts to position the portfolio in line with the Adviser’s expectations for market movements. The Fund’s portfolio turnover may vary substantially from year to year since portfolio adjustments are made when conditions affecting relevant markets, particular market segments or individual issues warrant such action, and may be significant. In addition, portfolio turnover may also be affected by sales of portfolio securities necessary to meet cash requirements for redemptions of shares. Buying and selling securities involves some expense to the Fund, such as broker commissions and other transaction costs, and a high turnover rate in any year will result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of above-average amounts of taxes on realized investment gains.

 

Core Investments - The Fund may invest in fixed income securities, such as corporate bonds, convertible bonds, foreign bond securities, municipal bonds, asset-backed securities, floating rate loans, and loan participation interests, directly or indirectly through ETFs and other investment companies. These fixed-income securities may have varying maturities (e.g., long-term, intermediate or short-term) and credit qualities (e.g., investment grade or non-investment grade). The terms “investment grade” and “non-investment grade” refer to the credit quality of fixed-income securities as established by a recognized rating agency, such as S&P, Moody’s or Fitch. Securities that are rated lower than investment grade, high yield securities or “junk bonds,” could provide high income in an effort to compensate investors for their higher risk of default, which is the failure to make required interest or principal payments. The Fund may invest without limit in high yield securities.

 

The Fund may invest in equity securities of domestic issuers, equity securities of foreign issuers, whether directly or indirectly through sponsored or unsponsored ADRs, ETFs, other investment companies and foreign currencies. ADRs are equity securities traded on U.S. exchanges that evidence ownership of foreign equities. Additionally, the equity securities in which the Fund may invest may be of varying market capitalizations, and may include large-, medium- and small-capitalization companies. Depending on market conditions, the Fund may invest 0% up to 300% of its portfolio in equity securities.

 

The Fund may also use derivative instruments, primarily including swaps and futures, which enable the Fund to seek greater exposure to target investments than would be available by purchasing only traditional equity and fixed-income securities.

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The Fund also may invest in options. The use of these derivative securities produces economically “leveraged” investment results. Leveraging generates returns that are more pronounced, both positively and negatively, than what would be generated on the invested capital without leverage, thus changing small market movements into larger changes in the value of the investments. On a daily basis, the Fund will hold U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements to collateralize its investments in derivative investments.

 

The Fund’s dynamic asset allocation strategy may result in the investment of a large portion of, or all of, the assets of the Fund in cash or cash equivalents at any given time to provide security of principal, current income and liquidity. To earn income on available cash, a large portion or all of the assets of the Fund may be invested in high quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements that are fully collateralized by such obligations.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

The following risks may apply to the Fund’s direct investments as well the Fund’s indirect risks through investing in Underlying Funds.

 

Aggressive Investment Techniques Risk

 

The Fund uses investment techniques that may be considered aggressive. Risks associated with the use of futures contracts and swap agreements include potentially dramatic price changes (losses) in the value of the instruments and imperfect correlations between the price of the contract and the underlying security or index. These instruments may increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed.

 

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

 

Payment of interest and repayment of principal may be impacted by the cash flows generated by the assets backing these securities. The value of the Fund’s asset-backed securities also may be affected by changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the interests in and structure of the pools of purchase contracts, financing leases or sales agreements that are represented by these securities, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the loans or receivables, or the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds, or other credit enhancements.

 

Cash or Cash Equivalents Risk

 

At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over.

 

Convertible Bond Risk

 

Convertible bonds are hybrid securities that have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and are subject to fixed income security risks and conversion value-related equity risk. Convertible bonds are similar to other fixed-income securities because they usually pay a fixed interest rate and are obligated to repay principal on a given date in the future. The market value of fixed-income securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible bonds are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their conversion to equity feature is small relative to the interest and principal value of the bond. Convertible issuers may not be able to make principal and interest payments on the bond as they become due. Convertible bonds may also be subject to prepayment or redemption risk. If a convertible bond is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to surrender the security for redemption, convert it into the issuing company’s common stock or cash at a time that may be unfavorable to the Fund. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to common stocks especially when their conversion value is greater than the interest and principal value of the bond. The price of equity securities may rise or fall because of economic or political changes. Stock prices in general may decline over short or even extended periods of time. Market prices of equity securities in broad market segments may be adversely affected by a prominent issuer having experienced losses or by the lack of earnings or such an issuer’s failure to meet the market's expectations with respect to new products or services, or even by factors wholly unrelated to the value or condition of the issuer, such as changes in interest rates. When a convertible bond's value is more closely tied to its conversion to stock feature, it is sensitive to the underlying stock's price.

 

Counterparty Risk

 

The Fund may invest in financial instruments involving counterparties for the purpose of attempting to gain exposure to a particular group of securities or asset class without actually purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a position. Such financial instruments may include swap agreements. The Fund will use short-term counterparty

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agreements to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized in particular predetermined investments or instruments. The Fund will not enter into any agreement involving a counterparty unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The use of swap agreements involves risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. For example, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. In addition, the Fund may enter into swap agreements with a limited number of counterparties, and the Fund may invest in commodity-linked structured notes issued by a limited number of issuers that will act as counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk. The Fund does not specifically limit its counterparty risk with respect to any single counterparty. Swap agreements also may be considered to be illiquid. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties are willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may not be able to achieve their investment objectives.

 

Credit Risk

 

The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable to meet its financial obligations or goes bankrupt. A Fund could also lose money if the issuer of a debt security in which it has a short position is upgraded or generally improves its standing. Changes in an issuer’s financial strength or in an issuer’s or debt security’s credit rating also may affect a security’s value and thus have an impact on Fund performance. Credit risk usually applies to most debt securities, but generally is not a factor for U.S. government obligations.

 

Currency Risk

 

To the extent the Fund gains economic exposure to foreign currencies, the performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar. Investments in foreign currencies are subject to political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war and greater volatility. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. issuers. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.

 

Debt Instrument Risk

 

The Fund may invest in, or seek exposure to, debt instruments. Debt instruments may have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates, credit risk and other factors. Typically, the value of outstanding debt instruments falls when interest rates rise. Debt instruments with longer maturities may fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than instruments with shorter maturities. Many types of debt instruments are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the security will repay principal prior to the maturity date. Debt instruments allowing prepayment may offer less potential for gains during a period of declining interest rates. In addition, changes in the credit quality of the issuer of a debt instrument can also affect the price of a debt instrument, as can an issuer’s default on its payment obligations. Such factors may cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease.

 

Derivatives Risk

 

The Fund uses investment techniques, including investments in futures contracts, forward contracts, options and swaps, that attempt to track the price movement of underlying securities or indices, which may be considered aggressive. The derivative instruments that the Fund may invest in are described in “Additional Information Regarding Investment Techniques and Policies.” Investments in derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. In addition, such instruments may experience potentially dramatic price changes (losses) and imperfect correlations between the price of the contract and the underlying security or index which will increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed. The use of derivatives may, as of the date of this prospectus, expose the Fund to additional risks that they would not be subject to if they invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives, such as counterparty risk and the risk that the derivatives may become illiquid. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than investing in the underlying securities directly. The derivatives that the Fund may invest in include:

· Futures. A futures contact is a contract to purchase or sell a particular security, or the cash value of an index, at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Under such contracts, no delivery of the actual securities is required. Rather, upon the expiration of the contract, settlement is made by exchanging cash in an amount equal to the difference between the contract price and the closing price of a security or index at expiration, net of the variation margin that was previously paid.
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· Forward Contracts. Forward contracts are two-party contracts pursuant to which one party agrees to pay the counterparty a fixed price for an agreed upon amount of commodities, securities, or the cash value of the commodities, securities or the securities index, at an agreed upon date. A forward currency contract is an obligation to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract.
· Hedging Risk. Investing for hedging purposes or to increase the Fund’s return may result in certain additional transaction costs that may reduce the Fund’s performance. When used for hedging purposes, no assurance can be given that each derivative position will achieve a perfect correlation with the security against which it is being hedged. Because the markets for certain derivative instruments are relatively new, suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes and there can be no assurance that a particular derivative position will be available when sought by the Adviser or that such techniques will be utilized by the Adviser.
· Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency.
· Options on Futures Contracts. An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to enter into a “long” position in the underlying futures contract, in the case of a call option, or a “short” position in the underlying futures contract in the case of a put option, at a fixed exercise price to a stated expiration date. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option, in the case of a call option, or a corresponding long position, in the case of a put option.
· Swap Agreements. In an interest rate swap, the Fund and another party exchange the right to receive interest payments on a security or other reference rate. The terms of the instrument are generally negotiated by the Fund and its swap counterparty. In a total return swap, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities or a non-asset reference such as a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on a total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. Swap agreements are subject to counterparty risk, which relates to credit risk of the counterparty and liquidity risk for the swaps themselves.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk

 

To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in such stocks may also be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers, including ADRs. While the use of ADRs, which are traded on exchanges and represent an ownership in a foreign security, provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

 

Emerging Markets Risk

 

Investments in emerging markets instruments involve all of the risks of investing in foreign instruments; however these risks are generally heightened because emerging markets are in the initial stages of industrialization and have lower per capita income. Emerging markets are generally more volatile than the markets of developed countries with more mature economies. Emerging markets often provide significantly higher or lower rates of return than developed markets and carry significantly more risks to investors.

 

Equity Securities Risk

 

Investments in publicly issued equity securities and securities that provide exposure to equity securities, including common stocks, in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a Fund invests will cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate.

 

Excluded Securities Risk

 

Because the Fund does not invest in Excluded Securities and will divest itself of securities that are subsequently discovered to be ineligible, the Fund may be riskier than other Funds that invest in a broader array of securities because the Fund may have a smaller universe of investments to choose from due to the Adviser’s strategy.

 

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Floating Rate Loans Risk

 

The floating rate loans in which the Fund invests are usually rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) and are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. Moreover, such securities may, under certain circumstances, be less liquid than higher quality debt securities. Although certain floating rate loans are collateralized, there is no guarantee that the value of the collateral will be sufficient to repay the loan. In times of unusual or adverse market, economic or political conditions, floating rate loans may experience higher than normal default rates. In the event of a recession or serious credit event, among other eventualities, the Fund’s investments in floating rate loans are more likely to decline.

 

Foreign Securities Risk

 

Investments in foreign securities and securities that provide exposure to foreign securities involve greater risks than investing in domestic securities. As a result, the Fund’s returns and NAVs may be affected to a large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political, diplomatic or economic conditions and regulatory requirements in other countries. The laws and accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards in foreign countries typically are not as strict as they are in the U.S., and there may be less public information available about foreign companies.

 

High Yield Debt Securities Risk

 

The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in junk bonds. Investments in junk bonds generally involve significantly greater risks of loss of your money than an investment in investment grade bonds. Compared with issuers of investment grade bonds, junk bonds are more likely to encounter financial difficulties and to be materially affected by these difficulties. Rising interest rates may compound these difficulties and reduce an issuer’s ability to repay principal and interest obligations. Issuers of lower-rated securities also have a greater risk of default or bankruptcy. High-yield securities may be less liquid than higher quality investments. A security whose credit rating has been lowered may be particularly difficult to sell.

 

Holding Cash Risk

 

One of the Fund’s strategies is to hold cash positions when the market is not producing returns greater than the short-term cash investments in which the Fund may invest. This usually occurs when broad markets are declining rapidly. The purpose of this strategy is to protect principal in falling markets. There is a risk that the sections of the market in which the Fund invests will begin to rise or fall rapidly and that the Fund will not be able to sell stocks quickly enough to avoid losses, or to reinvest its cash positions into areas of the advancing market quickly enough to capture the initial returns of changing market conditions.

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. In general, the price of a debt security will fall when interest rates rise and will rise when interest rates fall. Securities with longer maturities and mortgage securities can be more sensitive to interest rate changes. In other words, the longer the maturity of a security, the greater the impact a change in interest rates could have on the security’s price. In addition, short-term and long-term interest rates do not necessarily move in the same amount or the same direction. Short-term securities tend to react to changes in short-term interest rates, and long-term securities tend to react to changes in long-term interest rates. The U.S. is currently in a period of historically-low interest rates and it is unclear how much longer interest rates will remain at their current levels. The impact of an interest rate changes may be significant for other asset classes as well, whether because of the impact of interest rates on economic activity or because of changes in the relative attractiveness of asset classes due to changes in interest rates. For instance, higher interest rates may make investments in debt securities more attractive, thus reducing investments in equities.

 

Large Cap Stock Risk

 

To the extent the Fund invests in large capitalization stocks, the Fund may underperform a Fund that invests primarily in the stocks of lower quality, smaller capitalization companies during periods when the stocks of such companies are in favor.

 

Leverage Risk

 

The Fund may employ leveraged investment techniques. Use of leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund and makes them more volatile. The leveraged investment techniques that the Fund may employ could cause investors in the Fund to lose more money in adverse environments.

 

Loan Participation Risk

 

In addition to the risks typically associated with fixed income securities, loan participations carry other risks, including the

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risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other intermediary. Loan participations may be unsecured or not fully collateralized, may be subject to restrictions on resale and sometimes trade infrequently on the secondary market.

 

Management Risk

 

The NAV of the Fund changes daily based on the performance of the securities and derivatives in which it invests. The Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset classes and securities in which the Fund invests (long or short) may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results.

 

Municipal Securities Risk

 

Municipal issuers are subject to unique factors affecting their ability to pay debt obligations. As such, investment in municipal securities carries additional risk. Changes in federal, state or local laws may make a municipal issuer unable to make interest payments when due. Municipal securities backed by current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets can be negatively affected by the inability to collect revenue, for the project or from the assets. Moreover, an adverse interpretation of the tax status of municipal securities may make such securities decline in value.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk

 

The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading, leading to increased portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, and the possibility of increased net realized capital gains, including net short-term capital gains that will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them.

 

Risks of Investing in Other Investment Companies (including ETFs)

 

Investments in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company or ETF, the Fund becomes a shareholder thereof. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company or ETF, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders indirectly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations. The Fund’s performance may be magnified positively or negatively by virtue of its investment in other investment companies. If the other investment company or ETF fails to achieve its investment objective, the value of the Fund’s investment will decline, adversely affecting the Fund’s performance. In addition, closed-end investment company and ETF shares potentially may trade at a discount or a premium and are subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. Finally, because the value of other investment company or ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Fund’s holdings in those shares at the most optimal time, adversely affecting the Fund’s performance.

 

Shorting Risk

 

The Fund may, from time to time, establish short positions designed to profit from the decline in the price of particular securities, baskets of securities or indices. In general, when the Fund shorts securities, it borrows the securities from a broker and sells the borrowed securities. The Fund is obligated to deliver to the broker securities that are identical to the securities sold short and will be subject to the risk of loss, which may be significant, in the event that the market value of the securities sold short plus related transaction costs exceeds the proceeds to the Fund from the short sale. A short sale involves the theoretically unlimited risk of an increase in the market price of the security, basket of securities or index sold short, which, except in the case of a short sale “against the box,” would result in a theoretically unlimited loss. As a consequence, the Fund will lose value if and when the price of particular securities, baskets of securities or indexes rise, a result that is the opposite from traditional equity mutual funds. The holder of a short position is responsible for paying the dividends and interest accruing on the short position. Because dividends and interest accruing on a short position is an expense to the Fund, the performance of the Fund may be adversely impacted by the cost of maintaining its short positions.

 

Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Companies Risk

 

The Fund is subject to the risks of investing in smaller sized companies. Small and medium-size companies often have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. Furthermore, those companies often have limited product lines, services, markets, financial resources or are dependent on a small management group. In addition, because these stocks are not well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Fund. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

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Temporary Investments: To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may invest 100% of its total assets, without limitation, in high-quality short-term debt securities and money market instruments. These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include: shares of money market mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, U.S. Government securities and repurchase agreements. While the Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited. Furthermore, to the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for cash positions, there will be some duplication of expenses because shareholders will pay the fees and expenses of the fund and, indirectly, the fees and expenses of the underlying money market funds. The Fund may also invest a substantial portion of its assets in such instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies.

 

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure: A description of the Fund’s policies regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

Cybersecurity

 

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and their service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and their service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Fund and their shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.

 

Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate their NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Fund, the Adviser, and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invest; counterparties with which the Fund engage in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Fund’s shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

Investment Adviser: Horizon Capital Management, Inc., 106 Valerie Drive, Lafayette, LA 70508, serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for management of the Fund’s investment portfolio. The Adviser is responsible for assuring that investments are made according to the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions. The Adviser was established in 1989 as a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. HCM has managed private accounts using a risk-adjusted investment strategy similar to the Fund’s. As of September 30, 2018, the Adviser had had approximately $13.8 million in assets under management/advisement.

 

Pursuant to an advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser, the Adviser is entitled to receive, on a monthly basis, an annual advisory fee equal to 1.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive management fees and to make payments to limit Fund expenses, until June 7, 2020, so that the total annual operating expenses (excluding: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); (v) taxes; and (vi) extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser))) of the Fund do not exceed 2.30% of average daily net assets attributable to Class N shares and 2.05% of average daily net assets attributable to Class I shares. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recapture. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustee’s approval of the advisory agreement is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders dated September 30, 2018. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, the Fund paid an aggregate of 0.16% of its average net assets in advisory fees to the Adviser (after fee waivers).

 

Portfolio Manager: The Fund is managed on a day to day basis by Dexter P. Lyons. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership in the Fund.

 

Dexter P. Lyons has served as the Fund’s Portfolio Manager since its inception and is responsible for managing the assets of the Fund. Mr. Lyons has a B.S. in Business Administration (1990) from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana. He has been a principal of the Adviser since December 1990. Mr. Lyons has also been the sole owner of Lyons Capital Management, Inc., an administrative services firm, since January 1997.

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HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

 

Shares of the Fund are sold at NAV. The NAV of the Fund is determined at close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. NAV is computed by determining, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The NYSE is closed on weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV takes into account, on a per class basis, the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for a share class for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.

 

Generally, the Fund’s securities are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid ask prices on such exchanges. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the- counter market. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity.

 

If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. The Board of Trustees has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee composed of one or more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Adviser. The committee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board of Trustees reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund’s securities. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund. Because the Fund may invest in underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of some of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.

 

In computing the NAV, the Fund values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the NYSE. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short term traders. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other mutual funds to determine NAV, or from the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.

 

With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs of those open-end management investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

 

 

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HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

 

Share Classes

 

This Prospectus describes two classes of shares offered by the Fund: Class N and Class I. Class I shares are not currently available for purchase. The Fund offers these two classes of shares so that you can choose the class that best suits your investment needs. Refer to the information below so that you can choose the class that best suits your investment needs. The main differences between each class are ongoing fees and minimum investment. For information on ongoing distribution fees, see Distribution Fees on page 23 of this Prospectus. Each class of shares in the Fund represents interest in the same portfolio of investments within the Fund. There is no investment minimum on reinvested distributions and the Fund may change investment minimums at any time. The Fund and the Adviser may each waive investment minimums at their individual discretion. Not all share classes may be available for purchase in all states.

 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Share Class

 

When deciding which class of shares of the Fund to purchase, you should consider your investment goals, present and future amounts you may invest in the Fund, and the length of time you intend to hold your shares. To help you make a determination as to which class of shares to buy, please refer back to the examples of the Fund’s expenses over time in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section for the Fund in this Prospectus. You also may wish to consult with your financial adviser for advice with regard to which share class would be most appropriate for you.

 

Class N Shares

 

Class N shares of the Fund are offered at their NAV without an initial sales charge. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund. Class N shares pay 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of Class N shares as reimbursement or compensation for service and distribution-related activities with respect to the Fund and/or shareholder services. Over time, fees paid under this distribution and service plan will increase the cost of a Class N shareholder’s investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges. The minimum initial investment in Class N Shares is $1,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $100.

 

Class I Shares

 

Class I shares of the Fund would be sold at NAV without an initial sales charge and are not subject to 12b-1 distribution fees. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund. Class I shares require a minimum initial investment of $100,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $100.

 

You may purchase shares of the Fund by sending a completed application form to the following address:

 

via Regular Mail:

Issachar Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 541150

Omaha, Nebraska 68154

or Overnight Mail:

Issachar Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including the Fund, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money-laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts. As requested on the application, you should supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing a P.O. Box will not be accepted. This information will assist the Fund in verifying your identity. Until such verification is made, the Fund may temporarily limit additional share purchases. In addition, the Fund may limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a shareholder’s identity. As required by law, the Fund may employ various procedures, such as comparing the information to fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you, to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct.

 

Purchase through Brokers: You may invest in the Fund through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The brokers and agents are authorized to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or if applicable, a brokers authorized its designee receives the order. The broker or agent may set their own initial and subsequent investment minimums. You may be charged a fee if you use a broker or agent to buy or redeem shares of the Fund. Finally, various servicing agents use procedures and impose restrictions that may be in addition to, or different from those applicable to investors purchasing shares directly from the Fund. You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent.

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Purchase by Wire: If you wish to wire money to make an investment in the Fund, please call the Fund at 1-866-787-8355 for wiring instructions and to notify the Fund that a wire transfer is coming. Any commercial bank can transfer same-day funds via wire. The Fund will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if they are received by the Fund’s designated bank before the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your bank may charge you a fee for wiring same-day funds.

 

Automatic Investment Plan: You may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money from your bank account and invests it in the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers or automatic bank drafts. You may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers of a minimum of $25 on specified days of each month into your established Fund account. Please contact the Fund at 1-866-787-8355 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan.

 

The Fund, however, reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any application to purchase shares. Applications will not be accepted unless they are accompanied by a check drawn on a U.S. bank, thrift institutions, or credit union in U.S. funds for the full amount of the shares to be purchased. After you open an account, you may purchase additional shares by sending a check together with written instructions stating the name(s) on the account and the account number, to the above address. Make all checks payable to “Issachar Fund.” The Fund will not accept payment in cash, credit cards or third party checks. Also, to prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, U.S. Treasury checks, credit card checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares.

 

Note: Gemini Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s transfer agent, will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any check returned to the transfer agent for insufficient funds.

 

When Order is Processed: All shares will be purchased at the NAV per share (plus applicable sales charges, if any) next determined after the Fund receives your application or request in good order. All requests received in good order by the Fund before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) will be processed on that same day. Requests received after 4:00 p.m. will be processed on the next business day.

 

Good Order: When making a purchase request, make sure your request is in good order. “Good order” means your purchase request includes:

  • the name of the Fund and share class;
  • the dollar amount of shares to be purchased;
  • a completed purchase application or investment stub; and
  • check payable to the “Issachar Fund.”

 

Retirement Plans: You may purchase shares of the Fund for your individual retirement plans. Please call the Fund at 1-866-787-8355 for the most current listing and appropriate disclosure documentation on how to open a retirement account.

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HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

 

Redeeming Shares: The Fund typically expects that it will take up to three business days following the receipt of your redemption request to pay out redemption proceeds by check or electronic transfer. The Fund typically expects to pay redemptions from cash, cash equivalents, proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, any lines of credit, and then from the sale of portfolio securities. These redemption payment methods will be used in regular and stressed market conditions. You may redeem all or any portion of the shares credited to your account by submitting a written request for redemption to:

 

via Regular Mail:

Issachar Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 541150

Omaha, Nebraska 68154

or Overnight Mail:

Issachar Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

Redemptions by Telephone: The telephone redemption privilege is automatically available to all new accounts except retirement accounts. If you do not want the telephone redemption privilege, you must indicate this in the appropriate area on your account application or you must write to the Fund and instruct it to remove this privilege from your account.

 

The proceeds will be sent by mail to the address designated on your account or wired directly to your existing account in a bank or brokerage firm in the United States as designated on your application. To redeem by telephone, call 1-866-787-8355. IRA accounts are not redeemable by telephone.

 

The Fund reserves the right to suspend the telephone redemption privileges with respect to your account if the name(s) or the address on the account has been changed within the previous 30 days. Neither the Fund, the transfer agent, nor their respective affiliates will be liable for complying with telephone instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine or for any loss, damage, cost or expenses in acting on such telephone instructions and you will be required to bear the risk of any such loss. The Fund or the transfer agent, or both, will employ reasonable procedures to determine that telephone instructions are genuine. If the Fund and/or the transfer agent do not employ these procedures, they may be liable to you for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. These procedures may include, among others, requiring forms of personal identification prior to acting upon telephone instructions, providing written confirmation of the transactions and/or tape recording telephone instructions.

 

Redemptions through Broker: If shares of the Fund are held by a broker-dealer, financial institution or other servicing agent, you must contact that servicing agent to redeem shares of the Fund. The servicing agent may charge a fee for this service.

 

Redemptions by Wire: You may request that your redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The Fund’s transfer agent imposes a $15 fee for each wire redemption and deducts the fee directly from your account. Your bank may also impose a fee for the incoming wire.

 

Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If your individual accounts, IRA or other qualified plan account have a current account value of at least $10,000, you may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money to your bank account from the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers. You may elect to make subsequent withdrawals by transfers of a minimum of $100 on specified days of each month into your established bank account. Please contact the Fund at 1-866-787-8355 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan.

 

Redemptions in Kind: The Fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s assets. The securities will be chosen by the Fund and valued under the Fund’s NAV procedures. A shareholder will be exposed to market risk until these securities are converted to cash and may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash.

 

When Redemptions are Sent: Once the Fund receives your redemption request in “good order” as described below, it will issue a check based on the next determined NAV following your redemption request. If you purchase shares using a check and soon after request a redemption, your redemption proceeds will not be sent until the check used for your purchase has cleared your bank.

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Good Order: Your redemption request will be processed if it is in “good order.” To be in good order, the following conditions must be satisfied:

· The request should be in writing, unless redeeming by telephone, indicating the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed;
· The request must identify your account number;
· The request should be signed by you and any other person listed on the account, exactly as the shares are registered; and
· If you request that the redemption proceeds be sent to a person, bank or an address other than that of record or paid to someone other than the record owner(s), or if the address was changed within the last 30 days, or if the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $50,000, the signature(s) on the request must be medallion signature guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor.

 

When You Need Medallion Signature Guarantees: If you wish to change the bank or brokerage account that you have designated on your account, you may do so at any time by writing to the Fund with your signature guaranteed. A medallion signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects you from unauthorized account transfers. You will need your signature guaranteed if:

· you request a redemption to be made payable to a person not on record with the Fund;
· you request that a redemption be mailed to an address other than that on record with the Fund;
· the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $50,000;
· any redemption is transmitted by federal wire transfer to a bank other than the bank of record; or
· your address was changed within 30 days of your redemption request.

 

Signatures may be guaranteed by any eligible guarantor institution (including banks, brokers and dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations). Further documentation will be required to change the designated account if shares are held by a corporation, fiduciary or other organization. A notary public cannot guarantee signatures.

 

Retirement Plans: If you own an IRA or other retirement plan, you must indicate on your redemption request whether the Fund should withhold federal income tax. Unless you elect in your redemption request that you do not want to have federal tax withheld, the redemption will be subject to withholding.

 

Low Balances: If at any time your account balance in the Fund falls below $250, the Fund may notify you that, unless the account is brought up to at least $250 within 60 days of the notice; your account could be closed. After the notice period, the Fund may redeem all of your shares and close your account by sending you a check to the address of record. Your account will not be closed if the account balance drops below $250 due to a decline in NAV.

 

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FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

The Fund discourages and does not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of the Fund can harm all Fund shareholders by disrupting the Fund’s investment strategies, increasing Fund expenses, decreasing tax efficiency and diluting the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. The Fund is designed for long-term investors and is not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has approved policies that seek to curb these disruptive activities while recognizing that shareholders may have a legitimate need to adjust their Fund investments as their financial needs or circumstances change. The Fund currently uses several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include, but are not limited to:

· Committing staff to review, on a continuing basis, recent trading activity in order to identify trading activity that may be contrary to the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy.

 

Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

Based on the frequency of redemptions in your account, the Adviser or transfer agent may in its sole discretion determine that your trading activity is detrimental to the Fund as described in the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy and elect to (i) reject or limit the amount, number, frequency or method for requesting future purchases into the Fund and/or (ii) reject or limit the amount, number, frequency or method for requesting future exchanges or redemptions out of the Fund.

 

The Fund reserves the right to reject or restrict purchase requests for any reason, particularly when the shareholder’s trading activity suggests that the shareholder may be engaged in market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser will be liable for any losses resulting from rejected purchase orders. The Adviser may also bar an investor who has violated these policies (and the investor’s financial advisor) from opening new accounts with the Fund.

 

Although the Fund attempts to limit disruptive trading activities, some investors use a variety of strategies to hide their identities and their trading practices. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund. While the Fund will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers who invest indirectly in the Fund, the Fund is limited in its ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made difficult to identify in the omnibus accounts used by those intermediaries for aggregated purchases, exchanges and redemptions on behalf of all their customers. More specifically, unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to apply the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers through such methods as implementing short-term trading limitations or restrictions and monitoring trading activity for what might be market timing, the Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Fund have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Fund upon request. If the Fund or its transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent suspects there is market timing activity in the account, the Fund will seek full cooperation from the service provider maintaining the account to identify the underlying participant. At the request of the Adviser, the service providers may take immediate action to stop any further short-term trading by such participants.

 

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TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Any sale or exchange of the Fund’s shares may generate tax liability (unless you are a tax-exempt investor or your investment is in a qualified retirement account). When you redeem your shares you may realize a taxable gain or loss. This is measured by the difference between the proceeds of the sale and the tax basis for the shares you sold. (To aid in computing your tax basis, you generally should retain your account statements for the period that you hold shares in the Fund.)

 

The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income quarterly and net capital gains at least annually in December. Both distributions will be reinvested in shares of the Fund unless you elect to receive cash. Dividends from net investment income (including any excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) are taxable to investors as ordinary income, while distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of your holding period for the shares. Any dividends or capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund will normally be taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions or receive them in cash. Certain dividends or distributions declared in October, November or December will be taxed to shareholders as if received in December if they are paid during the following January. Each year the Fund will inform you of the amount and type of your distributions. IRAs and other qualified retirement plans are exempt from federal income taxation until retirement proceeds are paid out to the participant.

 

Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between the cost of your shares, including any sales charges, and the amount you receive when you sell them.

 

On the account application, you will be asked to certify that your social security number or taxpayer identification number is correct and that you are not subject to backup withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are subject to backup withholding or you did not certify your taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to withhold a percentage of any dividend, redemption or exchange proceeds. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application that does not include a certified social security or taxpayer identification number. If you do not have a social security number, you should indicate on the purchase form that your application to obtain a number is pending. The Fund is required to withhold taxes if a number is not delivered to the Fund within seven days.

 

This summary is not intended to be and should not be construed to be legal or tax advice. You should consult your own tax advisors to determine the tax consequences of owning the Fund’s shares.

 

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DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES

 

Distributor: Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska, 68130, is the distributor for the shares of the Fund. Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis.

 

Distribution Fees: The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class N (the “Plan”) under Rule 12b-1, pursuant to which the Fund may pay the Fund’s distributor an annual fee for distribution and shareholder servicing expenses of 0.25% the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class N. There is no plan for Class I.

 

The Fund’s distributor and other entities are paid under the Plan for services provided and the expenses borne by the distributor and others in the distribution of Fund shares, including the payment of commissions for sales of the shares and incentive compensation to and expenses of dealers and others who engage in or support distribution of shares or who service shareholder accounts, including overhead and telephone expenses; printing and distribution of prospectuses and reports used in connection with the offering of the Fund’s shares to other than current shareholders; and preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature and advertising materials. In addition, the distributor or other entities may utilize fees paid pursuant to the Plan to compensate dealers or other entities for their opportunity costs in advancing such amounts, which compensation would be in the form of a carrying charge on any un-reimbursed expenses.

 

Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries: The Fund’s distributor, its affiliates, and the Adviser and its affiliates may, at their own expense and out of their own assets including their legitimate profits from Fund-related activities, provide additional cash payments to financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund or assist in the marketing of the Fund. Financial intermediaries include brokers, financial planners, banks, insurance companies, retirement or 401(k) plan administrators and others. These payments may be in addition to the Rule 12b-1 fees and any sales charges that are disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus. These payments are generally made to financial intermediaries that provide shareholder or administrative services, or marketing support. Marketing support may include access to sales meetings, sales representatives and financial intermediary management representatives, inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, or other sales programs. These payments also may be made as an expense reimbursement in cases where the financial intermediary provides shareholder services to Fund shareholders. The distributor may, from time to time, provide promotional incentives to certain investment firms. Such incentives may, at the distributor’s discretion, be limited to investment firms who allow their individual selling representatives to participate in such additional compensation. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

 

Householding: To reduce expenses, the Fund mails only one copy of a Prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Fund at 1-866-787-8355 on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the period of the Fund’s operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by RSM US LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the Fund’s September 30, 2018, annual report, which is available at no charge upon request.

 

 

ISSACHAR FUND

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout Each Period Presented

 

    Six Months Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Period Ended  
    March 31, 2019     September 30, 2018     September 30, 2017     September 30, 2016     September 30, 2015     September 30, 2014 (1)  
    Class N     Class N     Class N     Class N     Class N     Class N  
    (Unaudited)                                
                                     
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 10.36     $ 10.34     $ 10.18     $ 10.02     $ 9.94     $ 10.00  
Activity from investment operations:                                                
Net investment income (loss) (2)     (0.03 )     (0.09 )     (0.14 )     (0.06 )     (0.09 )     0.08  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (3)     (0.29 )     0.30       0.48       0.36       0.28       0.00  (4)
Total from investment operations     (0.32 )     0.21       0.34       0.30       0.19       0.08  
Distributions to shareholders                                                
From net investment income           (0.08 )     (0.18 )     (0.06 )     (0.11 )     (0.14 )
From net realized gains     (0.08 )     (0.11 )                        
From return of capital                       (0.08 )            
Total distributions to shareholders     (0.08 )     (0.19 )     (0.18 )     (0.14 )     (0.11 )     (0.14 )
Net asset value, end of period   $ 9.96     $ 10.36     $ 10.34     $ 10.18     $ 10.02     $ 9.94  
Total return (5)     (3.10 )% (6)     2.12 %     3.31 %     3.01 %     1.89 %     0.84 % (6)
Net assets, end of period (000s)   $ 13,660     $ 13,805     $ 13,490     $ 16,478     $ 18,860     $ 10,922  
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (7,8)     3.30 % (9)     3.54 %     3.10 %     2.63 %     2.69 %     3.99 % (9)
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (8)     2.30 % (9)     2.30 %     2.30 %     2.30 %     2.30 %     2.30 % (9)
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (8)     (0.61 )% (9)     (0.87 )%     (1.38 )%     (0.57 )%     (0.86 )%     1.32 % (9)
Portfolio Turnover Rate     1028 % (6,10)     3108 % (10)     779 % (10)     1135 % (10)     908 % (10)     383 % (6)

 

  (1) The Issachar Fund commenced operations on February 28, 2014.

 

  (2) Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the period.

 

  (3) Realized and unrealized gains per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period, and may not reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of Operations due to the timing of share transactions for the period.

 

  (4) Less than $0.005.

 

  (5) Total return assumes all reinvestment of dividends, if any, and represents the aggregate total return based on net asset value. Total returns would have been lower absent fee waivers and reimbursed expenses.

 

  (6) Not annualized.

 

  (7) Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed by the advisor.

 

  (8) The ratios shown do not include the Fund’s proportionate shares of the expenses of the underlying funds and swaps in which the Fund invests.

 

  (9) Annualized.

 

  (10) The portfolio turnover rate excludes investments whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. For this reason all money market funds that were traded throughout the period are excluded from the calculation. The timing of the Fund’s limited amount of purchases and sales of long term securities produced the resulting portfolio turnover percentage, which appears inflated due to the nature of the calculation. Had the Fund’s core investments been included in the calculation, the turnover calculation would have been much lower.
www.LIONX.net 24 www.LIONX.net
 

 

Rev. February 2014


PRIVACY NOTICE
FACTS WHAT DOES NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III
DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
    
Why? Financial companies choose how they share your personal information.  Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing.  Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information.  Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
     
What? The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us.  This information can include:
  • Social Security number
  • Purchase History
  • Assets
  • Account Balances
  • Retirement Assets
  • Account Transactions
  • Transaction History
  • Wire Transfer Instructions
  • Checking Account Information
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.
   
How? All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business.  In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Northern Lights Fund Trust III chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.
           
Reasons we can share your personal information Does Northern Lights Fund Trust III share? Can you limit
this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes –

such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes No

For our marketing purposes –

to offer our products and services to you

No We don’t share
For joint marketing with other financial companies No We don’t share

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes –

information about your transactions and experiences

No We don’t share

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes –

information about your creditworthiness

No We don’t share
For nonaffiliates to market to you No We don’t share
     
Questions? Call (402) 493-4603
   
           
www.LIONX.net 25 www.LIONX.net
 

 

 

Who we are
Who is providing this notice? Northern Lights Fund Trust III
What we do
How does Northern Lights Fund Trust III protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

 

Our service providers are held accountable for adhering to strict policies and procedures to prevent any misuse of your nonpublic personal information.

How does Northern Lights Fund Trust III collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

§   Open an account

§   Provide account information

§   Give us your contact information

§   Make deposits or withdrawals from your account

§   Make a wire transfer

§   Tell us where to send the money

§   Tells us who receives the money

§   Show your government-issued ID

§   Show your driver’s license

We also collect your personal information from other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

§   Sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness

§   Affiliates from using your information to market to you

§   Sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

Definitions
Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

§   Northern Lights Fund Trust III does not share with our affiliates.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies

§   Northern Lights Fund Trust III does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

§   Northern Lights Fund Trust III doesn’t jointly market.

 

www.LIONX.net 26 www.LIONX.net
 

ISSACHAR FUND

Adviser

Horizon Capital Management, Inc.

106 Valerie Drive

Lafayette, Louisiana 70508

Distributor

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

RSM US LLP

555 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1200

Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Custodian

U.S. Bank National Association, LLC

1555 N. River Center Drive

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

Transfer Agent

Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s SAI dated June 7, 2019. The SAI is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (i.e., legally made a part of this Prospectus). The SAI provides more details about the Fund’s policies and management. Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

 

To obtain a free copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call 1-866-787-8355 or visit www.LIONX.net. You may also write to:

 

ISSACHAR FUND

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, NE 68130

 

Reports and other information about the Fund is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

 

 

Investment Company Act File # 811-22655

 
 

a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III

 

Class N Shares LIONX
Class I Shares LIOTX

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

June 7, 2019

 

 

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a Prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Issachar Fund (the "Fund") dated June 7, 2019, which is incorporated by reference into this SAI (i.e., legally made a part of this SAI). Copies may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund's Transfer Agent, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130 or by calling 1-866-787-8355. You may also obtain a prospectus by visiting the Fund's website at www.LIONX.net.

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE FUND 1
INVESTMENTS AND RISKS 2
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 22
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS 23
INVESTMENT ADVISER 25
PORTFOLIO MANAGER 26
ALLOCATION OF BROKERAGE 27
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 27
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 29
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 31
LEGAL COUNSEL 31
DISTRIBUTOR 31
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES 33
CODE OF ETHICS 33
PROXY VOTING POLICIES 34
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF FUND SHARES 34
TAX STATUS 39
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM 44
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 45
MANAGEMENT 46
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 51
APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 52

 

 
 

THE FUND


 

The Fund is a diversified series of shares of Northern Lights Fund Trust III, a Delaware statutory trust organized on December 5, 2011 (the "Trust"). The Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company. The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the "Board," “Trustees” or "Board of Trustees").

 

The Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. All shares of the Fund have equal rights and privileges. Each share of the Fund is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each share of the Fund is entitled to participate equally with other shares, on a class-specific basis, (i) in dividends and distributions declared by the Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of the Fund are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable and have no pre-emptive, conversion or exchange rights. Fractional shares have proportionately the same rights, including voting rights, as are provided for a full share.

 

Horizon Capital Management, Inc. (the "Adviser" or “HCM”) is the Fund's investment adviser. The Fund's investment objectives, restrictions and policies are more fully described here and in the Prospectus. The Board may start other series and offer shares of a new fund under the Trust at any time.

 

The Fund offers two classes of shares: Class N shares and Class I shares. Class I shares are not currently available for sale. Each share class represents an interest in the same assets of the Fund, has the same rights and is identical in all material respects except that (i) each class of shares may be subject to different (or no) sales loads; (ii) each class of shares may bear different (or no) distribution fees; (iii) each class of shares may have different shareholder features, such as minimum investment amounts; (iv) certain other class-specific expenses will be borne solely by the class to which such expenses are attributable, including transfer agent fees attributable to a specific class of shares, printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials to current shareholders of a specific class, registration fees paid by a specific class of shares, the expenses of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class, litigation or other legal expenses relating to a class of shares, Trustees' fees or expenses paid as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares and accounting fees and expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (v) each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters relating to its own distribution arrangements. The Board of Trustees may classify and reclassify the shares of the Fund into additional classes of shares at a future date.

 

Under the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, each Trustee will continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his/her earlier death, incapacity, resignation or removal. Shareholders can remove a Trustee to the extent provided by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Vacancies may be filled by a majority of the remaining Trustees, except insofar as the 1940 Act may require the election by shareholders. As a result, normally no annual or regular meetings of shareholders will be held unless matters arise requiring a vote of shareholders under the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or the 1940 Act.

 

1  
 

INVESTMENTS AND RISKS


 

The investment objective of the Fund and the descriptions of the Fund's principal investment strategies are set forth under "Investment Objective,” “Principal Investment Strategies” and “Principal Investment Risks" in the Prospectus. The Fund's investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust.

 

The following pages contain more detailed information about the types of instruments in which the Fund may invest, strategies the Adviser may employ in pursuit of the Fund's investment objective and a summary of related risks.

 

Equity Securities

 

Equity securities in which the Fund invests include common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common stocks, such as convertible bonds, warrants, rights and options. The value of equity securities varies in response to many factors, including the activities and financial condition of individual companies, the business market in which individual companies compete and general market and economic conditions. Equity securities fluctuate in value, often based on factors unrelated to the value of the issuer of the securities, and such fluctuations can be significant.

 

Common Stock

 

Common stock represents an equity (ownership) interest in a company, and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company's stock price.

 

Preferred Stock

 

The Fund may invest in preferred stock with no minimum credit rating. Preferred stock is a class of stock having a preference over common stock as to the payment of dividends and the recovery of investment should a company be liquidated, although preferred stock is usually junior to the debt securities of the issuer. Preferred stock typically does not possess voting rights and its market value may change based on changes in interest rates.

 

The fundamental risk of investing in common and preferred stock is the risk that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. Historically, common stocks have provided greater long-term returns and have entailed greater short-term risks than preferred stocks, fixed-income securities and money market investments. The market value of all securities, including common and preferred stocks, is based upon the market's perception of value and not necessarily the book value of an issuer or other objective measures of a company's worth.

 

Fixed Income/Debt/Bond Securities

 

Yields on fixed income securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including the general conditions of the money market and other fixed income securities markets, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. An investment in the Fund will be subjected to risk even if all fixed income securities in the Fund's portfolio are paid in full at maturity. All

2  
 

fixed income securities, including U.S. Government securities, can change in value when there is a change in interest rates or the issuer's actual or perceived creditworthiness or ability to meet its obligations.

 

There is normally an inverse relationship between the market value of securities sensitive to prevailing interest rates and actual changes in interest rates. In other words, an increase in interest rates produces a decrease in market value. The longer the remaining maturity (and duration) of a security, the greater will be the effect of interest rate changes on the market value of that security. Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the market’s perception of an issuer's creditworthiness will also affect the market value of the debt securities of that issuer. Obligations of issuers of fixed income securities (including municipal securities) are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. In addition, the obligations of municipal issuers may become subject to laws enacted in the future by Congress, state legislatures, or referenda extending the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness will also affect the market value of the debt securities of that issuer. The possibility exists, therefore, that, the ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its debt securities may become impaired.

 

The corporate debt securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate bonds and notes and short-term investments such as commercial paper and variable rate demand notes. Commercial paper (short-term promissory notes) is issued by companies to finance their or their affiliate's current obligations and is frequently unsecured. Variable and floating rate demand notes are unsecured obligations typically redeemable upon not more than 30 days' notice. These obligations include master demand notes that permit investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to a direct arrangement with the issuer of the instrument. The issuer of these obligations often has the right, after a given period, to prepay the outstanding principal amount of the obligations upon a specified number of days' notice. These obligations generally are not traded, nor generally is there an established secondary market for these obligations. To the extent a demand note does not have a 7-day or shorter demand feature and there is no readily available market for the obligation, it is treated as an illiquid security.

 

The Fund may invest in debt securities, including non-investment grade debt securities. The following describes some of the risks associated with fixed income debt securities:

 

Interest Rate Risk . Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. In general, the price of a debt security can fall when interest rates rise and can rise when interest rates fall. Securities with longer maturities and mortgage securities can be more sensitive to interest rate changes although they usually offer higher yields to compensate investors for the greater risks. The longer the maturity of the security, the greater the impact a change in interest rates could have on the security's price. In addition, short-term and long-term interest rates do not necessarily move in the same amount or the same direction. Short-term securities tend to react to changes in short-term interest rates and long-term securities tend to react to changes in long-term interest rates.

 

Credit Risk . Fixed income securities have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of those issuers to make principal or interest payments, as compared to issuers of more highly rated securities.

 

3  
 

Extension Risk . The Fund is subject to the risk that an issuer will exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation held by the Fund (such as mortgage-backed securities) later than expected. This may happen when there is a rise in interest rates. These events may lengthen the duration (i.e., interest rate sensitivity) and potentially reduce the value of these securities.

 

Prepayment Risk . Certain types of debt securities, such as mortgage-backed securities, have yield and maturity characteristics corresponding to underlying assets. Unlike traditional debt securities, which may pay a fixed rate of interest until maturity when the entire principal amount comes due, payments on certain mortgage-backed securities may include both interest and a partial payment of principal. Besides the scheduled repayment of principal, payments of principal may result from the voluntary prepayment, refinancing, or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans.

 

Securities subject to prepayment are less effective than other types of securities as a means of "locking in" attractive long-term interest rates. One reason is the need to reinvest prepayments of principal; another is the possibility of significant unscheduled prepayments resulting from declines in interest rates. These prepayments would have to be reinvested at lower rates. As a result, these securities may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other securities of comparable maturities, although they may have a similar risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. Prepayments may also significantly shorten the effective maturities of these securities, especially during periods of declining interest rates. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, a reduction in prepayments may increase the effective maturities of these securities, subjecting them to a greater risk of decline in market value in response to rising interest rates than traditional debt securities, and, therefore, potentially increasing the volatility of the Fund.

 

At times, some of the mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest will have higher than market interest rates and therefore will be purchased at a premium above their par value. Prepayments may cause losses in securities purchased at a premium, as unscheduled prepayments, which are made at par, will cause the Fund to experience a loss equal to any unamortized premium.

 

Certificates of Deposit and Bankers' Acceptances

 

Certificates of deposit are receipts issued by a depository institution in exchange for the deposit of funds. The issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the receipt on the date specified on the certificate. The certificate usually can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity.

 

The Fund may invest in insured bank obligations. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insures the deposits of federally insured banks and savings and loan associations (collectively referred to as "banks") up to $250,000. The Fund may purchase bank obligations that are fully insured as to principal by the FDIC. Currently, to remain fully insured as to principal, these investments must be limited to $250,000 per bank; if the principal amount and accrued interest together exceed $250,000, the excess principal and accrued interest will not be insured. Insured bank obligations may have limited marketability.

 

Bankers' acceptances typically arise from short-term credit arrangements designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then "accepted" by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a

4  
 

specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.

 

Time Deposits and Variable Rate Notes

 

The Fund may invest in fixed time deposits, whether or not subject to withdrawal penalties. The commercial paper obligations, which the Fund may buy are unsecured and may include variable rate notes. The nature and terms of a variable rate note (i.e., a "Master Note") permit the Fund to invest fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to a direct arrangement between the Fund as lender, and the issuer, as borrower. It permits daily changes in the amounts borrowed. The Fund has the right at any time to increase, up to the full amount stated in the note agreement, or to decrease the amount outstanding under the note. The issuer may prepay at any time and without penalty any part of or the full amount of the note. The note may or may not be backed by one or more bank letters of credit. Because these notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and the issuer, it is not generally contemplated that they will be traded; moreover, there is currently no secondary market for them. Except as specifically provided in the Prospectus, there is no limitation on the type of issuer from whom these notes may be purchased; however, in connection with such purchase and on an ongoing basis, the Adviser will consider the earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of the issuer, and its ability to pay principal and interest on demand, including a situation in which all holders of such notes made demand simultaneously. Variable rate notes are subject to the Fund's investment restriction on illiquid securities unless such notes can be put back to the issuer on demand within seven days.

 

Commercial Paper

 

The Fund may purchase commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations. It may be secured by letters of credit, a surety bond or other forms of collateral. Commercial paper is usually repaid at maturity by the issuer from the proceeds of the issuance of new commercial paper. As a result, investment in commercial paper is subject to the risk the issuer cannot issue enough new commercial paper to satisfy its outstanding commercial paper, also known as rollover risk. Commercial paper may become illiquid or may suffer from reduced liquidity in certain circumstances. Like all fixed income securities, commercial paper prices are susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates. If interest rates rise, commercial paper prices will decline. The short-term nature of a commercial paper investment makes it less susceptible to interest rate risk than many other fixed income securities because interest rate risk typically increases as maturity lengths increase. Commercial paper tends to yield smaller returns than longer-term corporate debt because securities with shorter maturities typically have lower effective yields than those with longer maturities. As with all fixed income securities, there is a chance that the issuer will default on its commercial paper obligation.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. In a repurchase agreement, an investor (such as the Fund) purchases a security (known as the "underlying security") from a securities dealer or bank. Any such dealer or bank must be deemed creditworthy by the Adviser. At that time, the bank or securities dealer agrees to repurchase the underlying security at a mutually agreed upon price on a designated future date. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at an agreed upon rate due to the Fund on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund generally will be unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying securities. Repurchase agreements must be "fully collateralized," in that the market value of the underlying securities (including accrued interest) must at

5  
 

all times be equal to or greater than the repurchase price. Therefore, a repurchase agreement can be considered a loan collateralized by the underlying securities.

 

Repurchase agreements are generally for a short period of time, often less than a week, and will generally be used by the Fund to invest excess cash or as part of a temporary defensive strategy. Repurchase agreements that do not provide for payment within seven days will be treated as illiquid securities. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default by the seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying security and losses. These losses could result from: (a) possible decline in the value of the underlying security while the Fund is seeking to enforce its rights under the repurchase agreement; (b) possible reduced levels of income or lack of access to income during this period; and (c) expenses of enforcing its rights.

 

High Yield Securities

 

The Fund may invest in high yield securities. High yield, high risk bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BB+ or lower by S&P and Ba1 or lower by Moody's). Other terms used to describe such securities include "lower rated bonds," "non-investment grade bonds," "below investment grade bonds," and "junk bonds." These securities are considered to be high-risk investments. The risks include the following:

 

Greater Risk of Loss . These securities are regarded as predominately speculative. There is a greater risk that issuers of lower rated securities will default than issuers of higher rated securities. Issuers of lower rated securities generally are less creditworthy and may be highly indebted, financially distressed, or bankrupt. These issuers are more vulnerable to real or perceived economic changes, political changes or adverse industry developments. In addition, high yield securities are frequently subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness. If an issuer fails to pay principal or interest, the Fund would experience a decrease in income and a decline in the market value of its investments.

 

Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Changes . The income and market value of lower-rated securities may fluctuate more than higher rated securities. Although non-investment grade securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than investment grade securities, non-investment grade securities are more sensitive to short-term corporate, economic and market developments. During periods of economic uncertainty and change, the market price of the investments in lower-rated securities may be volatile. The default rate for high yield bonds tends to be cyclical, with defaults rising in periods of economic downturn. For example, in 2000, 2001 and 2002, the default rate for high yield securities was significantly higher than in the prior or subsequent years.

 

Valuation Difficulties . It is often more difficult to value lower rated securities than higher rated securities. If an issuer's financial condition deteriorates, accurate financial and business information may be limited or unavailable. In addition, the lower rated investments may be thinly traded and there may be no established secondary market. Because of the lack of market pricing and current information for investments in lower rated securities, valuation of such investments is much more dependent on judgment than is the case with higher rated securities.

 

Liquidity . There may be no established secondary or public market for investments in lower rated securities. Such securities are frequently traded in markets that may be relatively less liquid than the market for higher rated securities. In addition, relatively few institutional purchasers may hold a major portion of an issue of lower-rated securities at times. As a result, the Fund may be required to sell investments at substantial losses or retain them indefinitely when an issuer's financial condition is deteriorating.

6  
 

 

Credit Quality . Credit quality of non-investment grade securities can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and even recently-issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular high-yield security.

 

New Legislation . Future legislation may have a possible negative impact on the market for high yield, high risk bonds. As an example, in the late 1980s, legislation required federally-insured savings and loan associations to divest their investments in high yield, high risk bonds. New legislation, if enacted, could have a material negative effect on the Fund's investments in lower rated securities.

 

High yield investments may include the following:

 

Straight fixed-income debt securities . These include bonds and other debt obligations that bear a fixed or variable rate of interest payable at regular intervals and have a fixed or resettable maturity date. The particular terms of such securities vary and may include features such as call provisions and sinking funds.

 

Zero-coupon debt securities . These bear no interest obligation but are issued at a discount from their value at maturity. When held to maturity, their entire return equals the difference between their issue price and their maturity value.

 

Zero-fixed-coupon debt securities . These are zero-coupon debt securities that convert on a specified date to interest-bearing debt securities.

 

Pay-in-kind bonds . These are bonds which allow the issuer, at its option, to make current interest payments on the bonds either in cash or in additional bonds. These are bonds sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), usually to a relatively small number of institutional investors.

 

Convertible Securities . These are bonds or preferred stock that may be converted to common stock.

 

Preferred Stock . These are stocks that generally pay a dividend at a specified rate and have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and in liquidation.

 

Loan Participations and Assignments . These are participations in, or assignments of all or a portion of loans to corporations or to governments, including governments of less developed countries.

 

Securities issued in connection with Reorganizations and Corporate Restructurings. In connection with reorganizing or restructuring of an issuer, an issuer may issue common stock or other securities to holders of its debt securities. The Fund may hold such common stock and other securities even if it does not invest in such securities.

 

Municipal Government Obligations

 

In general, municipal obligations are debt obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia) and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities. Municipal obligations generally include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. Certain types of municipal obligations are issued in whole or in part to obtain funding for privately operated facilities or projects. Municipal obligations include general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, industrial development bonds, notes and municipal lease

7  
 

obligations. Municipal obligations also include additional obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax, that may become available in the future as long as the Board of the Fund determines that an investment in any such type of obligation is consistent with the Fund's investment objectives. Municipal obligations may be fully or partially backed by local government, the credit of a private issuer, current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or domestic or foreign entities providing credit support such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance.

 

Bonds and Notes . General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of interest and principal. Revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a project or facility or from the proceeds of a specified revenue source. Industrial development bonds are generally revenue bonds secured by payments from and the credit of private users. Municipal notes are issued to meet the short-term funding requirements of state, regional and local governments. Municipal notes include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes, construction loan notes, short-term discount notes, tax-exempt commercial paper, demand notes and similar instruments.

 

Municipal Lease Obligations . Municipal lease obligations may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase or a conditional sales contract. They are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land, equipment and facilities, such as vehicles, telecommunications and computer equipment and other capital assets. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that purchase these lease obligations directly, or it may purchase participation interests in such lease obligations (See "Participation Interests" section). States have different requirements for issuing municipal debt and issuing municipal leases. Municipal leases are generally subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds because they usually contain a "non-appropriation" clause, which provides that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year. Such non-appropriation clauses are required to avoid the municipal lease obligations from being treated as debt for state debt restriction purposes. Accordingly, such obligations are subject to "non-appropriation" risk. Municipal leases may be secured by the underlying capital asset and it may be difficult to dispose of any such asset in the event of non-appropriation or other default.

Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”)

 

The Fund may invest in ETNs, which are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours; however, investors also can hold ETNs until they mature. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day‘s market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN also may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by the Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

 

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ETNs also are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

 

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

 

United States Government Obligations

 

These consist of various types of marketable securities issued by the United States Treasury, i.e., bills, notes and bonds. Such securities are direct obligations of the United States government and differ mainly in the length of their maturity. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government security, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. The Fund may also invest in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”). TIPS are special types of treasury bonds that were created in order to offer bond investors protection from inflation. The values of the TIPS are automatically adjusted to the inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). If the CPI goes up by half a percent, the value of the bond (the TIPS) would also go up by half a percent. If the CPI falls, the value of the bond does not fall because the government guarantees that the original investment will stay the same. TIPS decline in value when real interest rates rise. However, in certain interest rate environments, such as when real interest rates are rising faster than nominal interest rates, TIPS may experience greater losses than other fixed income securities with similar duration.

 

United States Government Agency Obligations

 

These consist of debt securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States government, including the various types of instruments currently outstanding or which may be offered in the future. Agencies include, among others, the Federal Housing Administration, Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), Farmer's Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Maritime Administration, and General Services Administration. Instrumentalities include, for example, each of the Federal Home Loan Banks, the National Bank for Cooperatives, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), the Farm Credit Banks, the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), and the United States Postal Service. These securities are either: (i) backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government (e.g., United States Treasury Bills); (ii) guaranteed by the United States Treasury (e.g., GNMA mortgage-backed securities); (iii) supported by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's right to borrow from the United States Treasury (e.g., FNMA Discount Notes); or (iv) supported only by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's own credit (e.g., Tennessee Valley Association). On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Authority (the "FHFA") announced that FNMA and FHLMC had been placed into conservatorship, a statutory process designed to stabilize a troubled institution with the objective of returning the entity to normal business operations. The U.S. Treasury Department and the FHFA at the same time established a secured lending facility and a Secured Stock Purchase Agreement with both FNMA and FHLMC to ensure that each entity had the ability to fulfill its financial obligations. The

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FHFA announced that it does not anticipate any disruption in pattern of payments or ongoing business operations of FNMA and FHLMC.

 

Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government) include FNMA and FHLMC. FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders. It is subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.

 

FHLMC was created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks and now owned entirely by private stockholders. FHLMC issues Participation Certificates ("PCs"), which represent interests in conventional mortgages from FHLMC's national portfolio. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers may, in addition, be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such nongovernmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in the former pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The insurance and guarantees are issued by governmental entities, private insurers and the mortgage poolers.

 

Securities of Other Investment Companies

 

The Fund's investments in exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), mutual funds and closed-end funds involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results, which would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying fund. Generally, the Fund will not purchase securities of another investment company if, as a result: (i) more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of other investment companies, (ii) such purchase would result in more than 3% of the total outstanding voting securities of any such investment company being held by the Fund, or (iii) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in any one such investment company. However, many ETFs have obtained exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in the ETFs’ shares beyond the above statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the particular ETF and the investing fund. A Fund may rely on these exemptive orders to invest in unaffiliated ETFs. In the alternative, the Fund intends to rely on Rule 12d1-3, which allows unaffiliated mutual funds and ETFs to exceed the 5% limitation and the 10% limitation, provided the aggregate sales loads any investor pays (i.e., the combined distribution expenses of both the acquiring fund and the acquired fund) does not exceed the limits on sales loads established by FINRA for funds of funds. In addition to ETFs, the Fund may invest in other investment companies such as open-end mutual funds or exchange-traded closed-end funds, within the limitations described above.

 

 

 

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Closed-End Investment Companies

 

The Fund may invest its assets in "closed-end" investment companies (or "closed-end funds"), subject to the investment restrictions set forth above. Shares of closed-end funds are typically offered to the public in a one-time initial public offering by a group of underwriters who retain a spread or underwriting commission of between 4% or 6% of the initial public offering price. Such securities are then listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (commonly known as "NASDAQ") and, in some cases, may be traded in other over-the-counter markets. Because the shares of closed-end funds cannot be redeemed upon demand to the issuer like the shares of an open-end investment company (such as the Fund), investors seek to buy and sell shares of closed-end funds in the secondary market.

 

The Fund generally will purchase shares of closed-end funds only in the secondary market. The Fund will incur normal brokerage costs on such purchases similar to the expenses the Fund would incur for the purchase of securities of any other type of issuer in the secondary market. The Fund may, however, also purchase securities of a closed-end fund in an initial public offering when, in the opinion of the Adviser, based on a consideration of the nature of the closed-end fund's proposed investments, the prevailing market conditions and the level of demand for such securities, they represent an attractive opportunity for growth of capital. The initial offering price typically will include a dealer spread, which may be higher than the applicable brokerage cost if the Fund purchased such securities in the secondary market.

 

The shares of many closed-end funds, after their initial public offering, frequently trade at a price per share, which is less than the net asset value per share, the difference representing the "market discount" of such shares. This market discount may be due in part to the investment objective of long-term appreciation, which is sought by many closed-end funds, as well as to the fact that the shares of closed-end funds are not redeemable by the holder upon demand to the issuer at the next determined net asset value but rather are subject to the principles of supply and demand in the secondary market. A relative lack of secondary market purchasers of closed-end fund shares also may contribute to such shares trading at a discount to their net asset value.

 

The Fund may invest in shares of closed-end funds that are trading at a discount to net asset value or at a premium to net asset value. There can be no assurance that the market discount on shares of any closed-end fund purchased by the Fund will ever decrease. In fact, it is possible that this market discount may increase and the Fund may suffer realized or unrealized capital losses due to further decline in the market price of the securities of such closed-end funds, thereby adversely affecting the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Similarly, there can be no assurance that any shares of a closed-end fund purchased by the Fund at a premium will continue to trade at a premium or that the premium will not decrease subsequent to a purchase of such shares by the Fund.

 

Closed-end funds may issue senior securities (including preferred stock and debt obligations) for the purpose of leveraging the closed-end fund's common shares in an attempt to enhance the current return to such closed-end fund's common shareholders. The Fund's investment in the common shares of closed-end funds that are financially leveraged may create an opportunity for greater total return on its investment, but at the same time may be expected to exhibit more volatility in market price and net asset value than an investment in shares of investment companies without a leveraged capital structure.

 

Open-End Investment Companies

 

The Fund and any "affiliated persons," as defined by the 1940 Act, may purchase in the aggregate only up to 3% of the total outstanding securities of any underlying fund.  Accordingly, when

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affiliated persons hold shares of any of the underlying fund, the Fund's ability to invest fully in shares of those funds is restricted, and the Adviser must then, in some instances, select alternative investments that would not have been its first preference.  The 1940 Act also provides that an underlying fund whose shares are purchased by the Fund when relying on certain exemptions to limitations on investments in other investment companies will be obligated to redeem shares held by the Fund only in an amount up to 1% of the underlying fund's outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days. Therefore, shares held by the Fund when relying on certain exemptions to limitations on investments in other investment companies under the 1940 Act in excess of 1% of an underlying fund's outstanding securities will be considered not readily marketable securities, which, together with other such securities, may not exceed 15% of the Fund's total assets.

 

Under certain circumstances, an underlying fund may determine to make payment of a redemption by the Fund wholly or partly by a distribution in kind of securities from its portfolio, in lieu of cash, in conformity with the rules of the SEC. In such cases, the Fund may hold securities distributed by an underlying fund until the Adviser determines that it is appropriate to dispose of such securities.

 

Investment decisions by the investment advisers of the underlying fund(s) are made independently of the Fund and its Adviser. Therefore, the investment adviser of one underlying fund may be purchasing shares of the same issuer whose shares are being sold by the investment adviser of another such fund. The result would be an indirect expense to the Fund without accomplishing any investment purpose.

 

Exchange Traded Funds

 

ETFs are generally passive funds that track their related index and have the flexibility of trading like a security. They are managed by professionals and provide the investor with diversification, cost and tax efficiency, liquidity, marginability, are useful for hedging, have the ability to go long and short, and some provide quarterly dividends. Additionally, some ETFs are unit investment trusts (“UIT”s). ETFs typically have two markets. The primary market is where institutions swap "creation units" in block-multiples of, for example, 50,000 shares for in-kind securities and cash in the form of dividends. The secondary market is where individual investors can trade as little as a single share during trading hours on the exchange. This is different from open-ended mutual funds that are traded after hours once the net asset value (“NAV”) is calculated. ETFs share many similar risks with open-end and closed-end funds.

 

Foreign Securities

 

General . The Fund may invest in foreign securities and ETFs and other investment companies that hold a portfolio of foreign securities. Investing in securities of foreign companies and countries involves certain considerations and risks that are not typically associated with investing in U.S. government securities and securities of domestic companies. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign issuer than a domestic one, and foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. There may also be less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies than exists in the United States. Interest and dividends paid by foreign issuers may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes, which may decrease the net return on such investments as compared to dividends and interest paid to the Fund by domestic companies or the U.S. government. There may be the possibility of expropriations, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or diplomatic developments that could affect assets of the Fund held in foreign countries. Finally, the

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establishment of exchange controls or other foreign governmental laws or restrictions could adversely affect the payment of obligations.

 

To the extent the Fund's currency exchange transactions do not fully protect the Fund against adverse changes in currency exchange rates, decreases in the value of currencies of the foreign countries in which the Fund invests relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding decrease in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets denominated in those currencies (and possibly a corresponding increase in the amount of securities required to be liquidated to meet distribution requirements). Conversely, increases in the value of currencies of the foreign countries in which the Fund invests relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding increase in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets (and possibly a corresponding decrease in the amount of securities to be liquidated).

 

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts.  A forward contract is a contractual obligation to purchase or sell a specified quantity of a currency (or make offsetting cash payments) at a specified date in the future at a specified price and, therefore, is similar to a futures contract. However, forward contracts are not traded on exchanges and, as a consequence, investors in forward contracts are not afforded all the regulatory protections of such exchanges; rather, banks and dealers act as principals in such markets. Banking authorities do not regulate all trading in forward contracts on currencies, and foreign banks may not be regulated by any United States governmental agency. There are no limitations on daily price moves in forward contracts. In addition, speculative position limits are not applicable to forward contract trading although the principals with which the Fund may deal in the forward markets may limit the positions available to the Fund as a consequence of credit considerations. The principals who deal in the forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the forward contracts they trade. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward markets have refused to quote prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy and that at which they are prepared to sell.

Because performance of forward contracts on currencies is not guaranteed by any exchange or clearinghouse, the Fund will be subject to the risk of the inability or refusal to perform with respect to such contracts on the part of the principals or agents with or through which the Fund trades. Any such failure or refusal, whether due to insolvency, bankruptcy or other causes, could subject the Fund to substantial losses. The Fund will not be excused from the performance of any forward contracts into which it has entered due to the default of third parties in respect of other forward trades which in the Fund’s trading strategy were to have substantially offset such contracts. The Fund will trade forward contracts only with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions which the Adviser has determined to be creditworthy. As a result, the Adviser will trade forward contracts with and through a limited number of entities, and as a result liquidity problems might be greater in the Fund’s forward trading than they would be were the Adviser to trade with a larger number of forward market participants.  The Fund may enter into contractual agreements with counterparties to ensure that forward contracts cash settle and therefore avoid physical delivery of currencies.

 

The Fund is subject to foreign currency-related tax risk. As a regulated investment company ("RIC"), the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as "qualifying income" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund may gain exposure to local currency markets through forward currency contracts. Although foreign currency gains currently constitute "qualifying income," the Treasury Department has the authority to issue regulations excluding from the definition of "qualifying income" a RIC's foreign currency gains not "directly related" to its "principal business" of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect thereto). Such regulations might treat gains from some of the Fund's foreign currency-denominated positions as not qualifying income and there is a remote possibility that such regulations might be applied retroactively, in which case, the Fund might not qualify as a RIC for one or more years.

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In the event the Treasury Department issues such regulations, the Fund's Board may authorize a significant change in investment strategy or the Fund's liquidation.

 

Securities Options

The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.

A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.

Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the AMEX Oil and Gas Index or the Computer and Business Equipment Index. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ PHLX.

The Fund's obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund's execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have paid a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument or liquidate the assets held in a segregated account, as described below, until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.

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If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.

Certain Risks Regarding Options

There are several risks associated with transactions in options. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options, whether traded over-the-counter or on an exchange, may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities or currencies; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading value; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Successful use by the Fund of options on stock indices will be subject to the ability of the Adviser to correctly predict movements in the directions of the stock market. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. In addition, a fund's ability to effectively hedge all or a portion of the securities in its portfolio, in anticipation of or during a market decline, through transactions in put options on stock indices, depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index correlate with the price movements of the securities held by the Fund. Inasmuch as the Fund's securities will not duplicate the components of an index, the correlation will not be perfect. Consequently, the Fund bears the risk that the prices of its securities being hedged will not move in the same amount as the prices of its put options on the stock indices. It is also possible that there may be a negative correlation between the index and the Fund's securities that would result in a loss on both such securities and the options on stock indices acquired by the Fund.

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The purchase of stock index options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund in purchasing an option will be lost as a result of unanticipated movements in prices of the securities comprising the stock index on which the option is based.

There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If the Fund is unable to close out a call option on securities that it has written

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before the option is exercised, the Fund may be required to purchase the optioned securities in order to satisfy its obligation under the option to deliver such securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities.

Cover for Options Positions

Transactions using options (other than options that the Fund has purchased) expose the Fund to an obligation to another party. The Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either (i) an offsetting ("covered") position in securities or other options or (ii) cash or liquid securities with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations not covered as provided in (i) above. The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid securities in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian in the prescribed amount. Under current SEC guidelines, the Fund will segregate assets to cover transactions in which the Fund writes or sells options.

Assets used as cover or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding option is open, unless they are replaced with similar assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of the Fund's assets to cover or segregated accounts could impede portfolio management or the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

Options on Futures Contracts

 

The Fund may purchase and sell options on the same types of futures in which it may invest. Options on futures are similar to options on underlying instruments except that options on futures give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put), rather than to purchase or sell the futures contract, at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by the delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer's futures margin account which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.

 

Dealer Options

 

The Fund may engage in transactions involving dealer options as well as exchange-traded options. Certain additional risks are specific to dealer options. While the Fund might look to a clearing corporation to exercise exchange-traded options, if the Fund were to purchase a dealer option it would need to rely on the dealer from which it purchased the option to perform if the option were exercised. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by the Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction.

 

Exchange-traded options generally have a continuous liquid market while dealer options may not. Consequently, the Fund may generally be able to realize the value of a dealer option it has purchased only by exercising or reselling the option to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes a dealer option, it may generally be able to close out the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to whom the Fund originally wrote the option. While the Fund will seek to enter into dealer options only with dealers who will agree to and

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which are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will at any time be able to liquidate a dealer option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. Unless the Fund, as a covered dealer call option writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used as cover until the option expires or is exercised. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Fund may be unable to liquidate a dealer option. With respect to options written by the Fund, the inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in material losses to the Fund. For example, because the Fund must maintain a secured position with respect to any call option on a security it writes, the Fund may not sell the assets, which it has segregated to secure the position while it is obligated under the option. This requirement may impair the Fund's ability to sell portfolio securities at a time when such sale might be advantageous.

 

The Staff of the SEC has taken the position that purchased dealer options are illiquid securities. The Fund may treat the cover used for written dealer options as liquid if the dealer agrees that the Fund may repurchase the dealer option it has written for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula. In such cases, the dealer option would be considered illiquid only to the extent the maximum purchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option. Accordingly, the Fund will treat dealer options as subject to the Fund's limitation on illiquid securities. If the SEC changes its position on the liquidity of dealer options, the Fund will change its treatment of such instruments accordingly.

 

Futures Contracts

 

A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific financial instrument (e.g., units of a stock index) for a specified price, date, time and place designated at the time the contract is made. Brokerage fees are paid when a futures contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. Entering into a contract to buy is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position. Entering into a contract to sell is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position.

 

Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price would be paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Upon entering into a futures contract, and to maintain the Fund's open positions in futures contracts, the Fund would be required to deposit with its custodian or futures broker in a segregated account in the name of the futures broker an amount of cash, U.S. government securities, suitable money market instruments, or other liquid 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 margins that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.

 

If the price of an open futures contract changes (by increase in underlying instrument or index in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) so 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 so 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 fluctuate making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as "marking to the market." The Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits.

 

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Although certain futures contracts, by their terms, require actual future delivery of and payment for the underlying instruments, in practice most futures contracts are usually closed out before the delivery date. Closing out an open futures contract purchase or sale is effected by entering into an offsetting futures contract sale or purchase, respectively, for the same aggregate amount of the identical underlying instrument or index and the same delivery date. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is more, the Fund realizes a loss. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a loss. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract.

 

For example, one contract in the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index future is a contract to buy 25 pounds sterling multiplied by the level of the UK Financial Times 100 Share Index on a given future date. Settlement of a stock index futures contract may or may not be in the underlying instrument or index. If not in the underlying instrument or index, then settlement will be made in cash, equivalent over time to the difference between the contract price and the actual price of the underlying asset at the time the stock index futures contract expires.

 

Swap Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into swap agreements for purposes of attempting to gain exposure to equity, debt, commodities or other asset markets without actually purchasing those assets, or to hedge a position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index.

 

Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a "net basis." Consequently, the Fund's current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the "net amount"). Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term.

 

Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, if a swap is entered into on a net basis, if the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.

 

The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to a swap agreement entered into on a net basis will be accrued daily and an amount of cash or liquid asset having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account with the custodian. The Fund will also establish and maintain such accounts with respect to its total obligations under any swaps that are not entered into on a net basis. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be "senior securities" for purposes of the Fund's investment restriction concerning senior securities.

18  
 

Because they are two-party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Fund's illiquid investment limitations. The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counter-party.

 

The Fund may enter into a swap agreement in circumstances where the Adviser believes that it may be more cost effective or practical than buying the securities represented by such index or a futures contract or an option on such index. The counter-party to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer. The counter-party will generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks represented in the index, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund will agree to pay to the counter-party a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.

 

The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments that are traded in the over-the-counter market.

 

Regulation as a Commodity Pool Operator

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed with the National Futures Association, a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to the Fund’s operations.  Accordingly, the Fund is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator. 

When-Issued, Forward Commitments and Delayed Settlements

The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed settlement basis. In this event, the custodian will segregate liquid assets equal to the amount of the commitment in a separate account. Normally, the custodian will set aside portfolio securities to satisfy a purchase commitment. In such a case, the Fund may be required subsequently to segregate additional assets in order to assure that the value of the account remains equal to the amount of the Fund's commitment. It may be expected that the Fund's net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree when it sets aside portfolio securities to cover such purchase commitments than when it sets aside cash.

 

The Fund does not intend to engage in these transactions for speculative purposes but only in furtherance of its investment objectives. Because the Fund will segregate liquid assets to satisfy its purchase commitments in the manner described, the Fund's liquidity and the ability of the Adviser to manage them may be affected in the event the Fund's forward commitments, commitments to purchase when-issued securities and delayed settlements ever exceeded 15% of the value of its net assets.

 

The Fund will purchase securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed settlement basis only with the intention of completing the transaction. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, the Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered

19  
 

into, and may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. In these cases, the Fund may realize a taxable capital gain or loss. When the Fund engages in when-issued, forward commitment and delayed settlement transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of such party to do so may result in the Fund incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a price credited to be advantageous.

 

The market value of the securities underlying a when-issued purchase, forward commitment to purchase securities, or a delayed settlement and any subsequent fluctuations in their market value is taken into account when determining the market value of the Fund starting on the day the Fund agrees to purchase the securities. The Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until it has paid for and delivered on the settlement date.

 

Illiquid and Restricted Securities

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale (e.g., because they have not been registered under the Securities Act and securities that are otherwise not readily marketable (e.g., because trading in the security is suspended or because market makers do not exist or will not entertain bids or offers). Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. Foreign securities that are freely tradable in their principal markets are not considered to be illiquid.

 

Restricted and other illiquid securities may be subject to the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. The Fund might be unable to dispose of illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemption requests from shareholders. The Fund might have to register restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.

 

A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including foreign securities. The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments. Rule 144A under the Securities Act allows such a broader institutional trading market for securities otherwise subject to restrictions on resale to the general public. Rule 144A establishes a "safe harbor" from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for resale of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A has produced enhanced liquidity for many restricted securities, and market liquidity for such securities may continue to expand as a result of this regulation and the consequent existence of the PORTAL system, which is an automated system for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers sponsored by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA").

Under guidelines adopted by the Board of Trustees, the Adviser may determine that particular Rule 144A securities, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the private placement exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, are liquid even though they are not registered. A determination of whether such a security is liquid or not is a question of fact. In making this determination, the Adviser will consider, as it deems appropriate under the circumstances and among other factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; (3) the number of other potential purchasers of the security; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; (5) the nature of the security (e.g., debt or equity, date of maturity, terms of dividend or interest payments, and other material terms) and the nature of

20  
 

the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer); and (6) the rating of the security and the financial condition and prospects of the issuer. In the case of commercial paper, the Adviser will also determine that the paper (1) is not traded flat or in default as to principal and interest, and (2) is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least two Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations ("NRSROs") or, if only one NRSRO rates the security, by that NRSRO, or, if the security is unrated, the Adviser determines that it is of equivalent quality.

 

Rule 144A securities and Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper that have been deemed liquid as described above will continue to be monitored by the Adviser to determine if the security is no longer liquid as the result of changed conditions. Investing in Rule 144A securities or Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund's assets invested in illiquid securities if institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase such securities.

 

Lending Portfolio Securities

 

For the purpose of achieving income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities, provided (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. Government securities or cash or cash equivalents (cash, U.S. Government securities, negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances or letters of credit) maintained on a daily mark-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned, (2) the Fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of securities loaned, (3) the Fund will receive any interest or dividends received on the loaned securities, and (4) the aggregate value of the securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the Fund.

 

Short Sales

 

Short Sales “Against The Box.” The Fund may engage in short sales “against the box.” In a short sale, the Fund sells a borrowed security and has a corresponding obligation to the lender to return the identical security. The seller does not immediately deliver the securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery occurs. The Fund may engage in a short sale if at the time of the short sale the Fund owns or has the right to obtain without additional cost an equal amount of the security being sold short. This investment technique is known as a short sale “against the box.” It may be entered into by the Fund to, for example, lock in a sale price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell immediately. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral for the short position will be segregated in an account with the Fund’s custodian or qualified sub-custodian. No more than 10% of the Fund’s net assets (taken at current value) may be held as collateral for short sales “against the box” at any one time.

 

The Fund may make a short sale as a hedge, when it believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund (or a security convertible or exchangeable for such security). In such case, any future losses in the Fund’s long position should be offset by a gain in the short position and, conversely, any gain in the long position should be reduced by a loss in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses are reduced will depend upon the amount of the security sold short relative to the amount the Fund owns. There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales “against the box,” but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with the income from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales.

 

If the Fund effects a short sale of securities at a time when it has an unrealized gain on the securities, it may be required to recognize that gain as if it had actually sold the securities (as a “constructive sale”) on the date it effects the short sale. However, such constructive sale treatment may

21  
 

not apply if the Fund closes out the short sale with securities other than the appreciated securities held at the time of the short sale and if certain other conditions are satisfied. Uncertainty regarding the tax consequences of effecting short sales may limit the extent to which the Fund may effect short sales.

 

Short Sales (excluding Short Sales “Against the Box”). The Fund may sell securities short. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells securities it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market price of the securities.

To deliver the securities to the buyer, the Fund must arrange through a broker to borrow the securities and, in so doing, the Fund becomes obligated to replace the securities borrowed at their market price at the time of replacement, whatever that price may be. The Fund will make a profit or incur a loss as a result of a short sale depending on whether the price of the securities decreases or increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund purchases the security to replace the borrowed securities that have been sold. The amount of any loss would be increased (and any gain decreased) by any premium or interest the Fund is required to pay in connection with a short sale.

 

The Fund’s obligation to replace the securities borrowed in connection with a short sale will be secured by cash or liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker. In addition, the Fund will place in a segregated account with its custodian or a qualified sub-custodian an amount of cash or liquid securities equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the market value of the securities sold at the time they were sold short and (ii) any cash or liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker in connection with the short sale (not including the proceeds of the short sale). Until it replaces the borrowed securities, the Fund will maintain the segregated account daily at a level so that (a) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker (not including the proceeds from the short sale) will equal the current market value of the securities sold short and (b) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker (not including the proceeds from the short sale) will not be less than the market value of the securities at the time they were sold short.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER


 

The Fund may sell a portfolio investment soon after its acquisition if the Adviser believes that such a disposition is consistent with attaining the investment objective of the Fund. Portfolio investments may be sold for a variety of reasons, such as a more favorable investment opportunity or other circumstances bearing on the desirability of continuing to hold such investments. A high rate of portfolio turnover (over 100%) may involve correspondingly greater transaction costs, which must be borne directly by the Fund and ultimately by its shareholders. High portfolio turnover may result in the realization of substantial net capital gains. To the extent short-term capital gains are realized, distributions attributable to such gains will be deemed ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 779% of the average value of its portfolio. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 3,108% of the average value of its portfolio. The increase in portfolio turnover during the last fiscal year was due to a lack of trend persistency and increased market volatility which led to more frequent trading.

 

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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS


 

The Fund has adopted the following investment restrictions that may not be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding shares" of the Fund which, as used in this SAI, means the vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund may not:

 

1. Issue senior securities. This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that the Fund's engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff;

 

2. Borrow money, except (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund's total assets at the time when the borrowing is made. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that the Fund has an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings and repurchase commitments of the Fund pursuant to reverse repurchase transactions;

 

3. Purchase securities on margin, participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any securities trading account, or underwrite securities (does not preclude the Fund from obtaining such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of its portfolio securities, and except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, by virtue of disposing of portfolio securities);

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate. This limitation is not applicable to investments in marketable securities that are secured by or represent interests in real estate. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from investing in mortgage-related securities or investing in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including real estate investment trusts);

 

5. Invest 25% or more of the market value of its assets in the securities of companies engaged in any one industry (does not apply to investment in the securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities);

 

6. Purchase or sell commodities (unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments or through commodity forward contracts, futures contracts or options), except that the Fund may purchase and sell forward and futures contracts and options to the full extent permitted under the 1940 Act, sell foreign currency contracts in accordance with any rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, invest in securities or other instruments backed by commodities, and invest in companies that are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities; or

 

7. Make loans to others, except (a) through the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives and policies, (b) to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan, and (c) by loaning portfolio securities.

 

23  
 

 

With respect to 75% of the Fund’s total assets, the Fund may not purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (1) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer; or (2) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.

 

The Fund observes the following policies, which are not deemed fundamental and which may be changed without shareholder vote. The Fund may not:

1. Invest in any issuer for purposes of exercising control or management;

 

2. Invest in securities of other investment companies except as permitted under the 1940 Act;

 

3. Invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets, measured at time of purchase, in securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, securities, which are not readily marketable and repurchase agreements with more than seven days to maturity; or

 

4. Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any assets of the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings described in limitation (2) above. Margin deposits, security interests, liens and collateral arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques are not deemed to be a mortgage, pledge or hypothecation of assets for purposes of this limitation.

 

If a restriction on the Fund's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of Fund assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Fund's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Fund's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

 

With respect to interpretations of the SEC or its staff described in fundamental restriction number 1 above, the SEC and its staff have identified various securities trading practices and derivative instruments used by mutual funds that give rise to potential senior security issues under Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, which prohibits mutual funds from issuing senior securities. Under the 1940 Act, a mutual fund may borrow from a bank, provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300 percent for all borrowings; or from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund's total assets at the time when the borrowing is made. However, rather than rigidly deeming all such practices outside of bank borrowing as impermissible forms of issuing a "senior security" under Section 18(f), the SEC and its staff through interpretive releases, including Investment Company Act Release No. 10666 (April 18, 1979), and no-action letters has developed an evolving series of methods by which a fund may address senior security issues. In particular, the common theme in this line of guidance has been to use methods of "covering" fund obligations that might otherwise create a senior security-type obligation by holding sufficient liquid assets that permit a fund to meet potential trading and derivative-related obligations. Thus, a potential Section 18(f) senior security limitation is not applicable to activities that might be deemed to involve a form of the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that the Fund's engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by Section 18 of the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.

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INVESTMENT ADVISER


 

The Adviser . Horizon Capital Management, Inc., 106 Valerie Drive, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508, serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for management of the Fund's investment portfolio. The Adviser is responsible for selecting the Fund's investments according to the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions. The Adviser was established in 1989 as a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. HCM has managed private accounts using a risk-adjusted investment strategy similar to the Fund’s. As of September 30, 2018, the Adviser had approximately $13.8 million in assets under management/advisement.

 

Pursuant to an advisory agreement between the Fund and the Adviser, the Adviser is entitled to receive, on a monthly basis, an annual advisory fee equal to 1.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Advisory Agreement continued in effect for two (2) years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year provided such continuance is approved at least annually by (a) a vote of the majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval and by (b) the majority vote of either all of the Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated without penalty on no more than 60 days’ written notice by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or the Adviser, or by holders of a majority of that Trust's outstanding shares. The Advisory Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The Advisory Agreement for the Fund was renewed by the Board of Trustees at a meeting held on November 27-28, 2018.

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive management fees and to make payments to limit Fund expenses, until June 7, 2020, so that the total annual operating expenses (excluding: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); (v) taxes; and (vi) extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser))) of the Fund do not exceed 2.30% of average daily net assets attributable to Class N shares and 2.05% of average daily net assets attributable to Class I shares. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recapture. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser.

 

The table below provides information about the Fund’s advisory fees for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2016, September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2018.

 

Year Management Fee Fees Earned by the Adviser Advisory Fees Waived Net Fees Earned by the Adviser Expenses Reimbursed
September 30, 2016 1.40% $243,294 $56,793 $186,501 None
September 30, 2017 1.40% $212,553 $121,459 $91,094 None
September 30, 2018 1.40% $175,663 $155,377 $20,286 None

 

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PORTFOLIO MANAGER


 

Portfolio Manager . As described in the Prospectus, the Portfolio Manager listed below is responsible for the management of the Fund and, as of September 30, 2018, the other accounts set forth in the following tables.

 

      Other Registered Investment Companies    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles    Other Accounts
Portfolio Manager    Number   

Total

Assets

   Number    Total Assets    Number   

Total

Assets

Dexter P. Lyons    None    $0    None    $0    None    $0

 

Of the accounts above, the following are subject to performance-based fees.

 

      Other Registered Investment Companies    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles    Other Accounts
Portfolio Manager    Number   

Total

Assets

   Number    Total Assets    Number   

Total

Assets

Dexter P. Lyons    None    $0    None    $0    None    $0

 

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

In general, when a portfolio manager has responsibility for managing more than one account, potential conflicts of interest may arise. Those conflicts could include preferential treatment of one account over others in terms of allocation of resources or of investment opportunities. For instance, the Adviser may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fee it receives from the Fund, or it could receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. The procedures to address conflicts of interest, if any, are described below.

 

Because the Portfolio Manager does not manage any accounts other than the Fund, HCM has not identified any material conflicts associated with the management of the Fund.

 

Compensation

 

The Portfolio Manager’s compensation is paid by HCM and not the Fund. For his compensation as Portfolio Manager of the Fund, the Portfolio Manager receives a fixed-salary that is based on industry standards, in addition to receiving a portion of any firm profit as an owner of HCM.

 

Ownership of Securities

 

As of September 30, 2018, the Portfolio Manager beneficially owned the following amounts in the Fund.

Portfolio Manager Dollar Range of Shares Beneficially Owned
Dexter P. Lyons Over $1,000,000

 

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ALLOCATION OF BROKERAGE


 

Specific decisions to purchase or sell securities for the Fund are made by the Portfolio Manager who is an employee of the Adviser. Generally, the Adviser is authorized by the Trustees to allocate the orders placed by it on behalf of the Fund to brokers or dealers who may, but need not, provide research or statistical material or other services to the Fund or the Adviser for the Fund's use. Such allocation is to be in such amounts and proportions as the Adviser may determine.

 

In selecting a broker or dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Adviser will generally take the following into consideration:

  • the best net price available;
  • the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker or dealer;
  • the size of and difficulty in executing the order; and
  • the value of the expected contribution of the broker or dealer to the investment performance of the Fund on a continuing basis.

Brokers or dealers executing a portfolio transaction on behalf of the Fund may receive a commission in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for executing the transaction if the Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of brokerage and research services provided to the Fund. In allocating portfolio brokerage, the Adviser may select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage, research and other services to other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion. Some of the services received as the result of Fund transactions may primarily benefit accounts other than the Fund, while services received as the result of portfolio transactions effected on behalf of those other accounts may primarily benefit the Fund.

 

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund incurred brokerage commissions of $18,857. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017, the Fund incurred brokerage commissions of $6,147. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, the Fund incurred brokerage commissions of $18,631. The increase in brokerage commissions during the last fiscal year was due to a lack of trend persistency and increased market volatility which led to more frequent trading.

 

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS


 

The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that such disclosure is in the best interests of Fund shareholders.

 

It is the Trust's policy to: (1) ensure that any disclosure of portfolio holdings information is in the best interest of Trust shareholders; (2) protect the confidentiality of portfolio holdings information; (3) have procedures in place to guard against personal trading based on the information; and (4) ensure that the disclosure of portfolio holdings information does not create conflicts between the interests of the Trust's shareholders and those of the Trust's affiliates.

 

The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings by mailing the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders approximately two months after the end of the fiscal year and semi-annual period. In

27  
 

addition, the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings reports on Forms N-CSR and Form N-Q two months after the end of each quarter/semi-annual period.

 

Under limited circumstances, as described below, the Fund's portfolio holdings may be disclosed to, or known by, certain third parties in advance of their filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q. In each case, a determination has been made that such advance disclosure is supported by a legitimate business purpose and that the recipient is subject to a duty to keep the information confidential and a duty not to trade on such information.

 

Adviser. Personnel of the Adviser, including personnel responsible for managing the Fund's portfolio, may have full daily access to Fund portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide management, administrative, and investment services to the Fund. As required for purposes of analyzing the impact of existing and future market changes on the prices, availability, demand and liquidity of such securities, as well as for the assistance of portfolio managers in the trading of such securities, Adviser personnel may also release and discuss certain portfolio holdings with various broker-dealers.

 

Gemini Fund Services, LLC. Gemini Fund Services, LLC is the transfer agent, fund accountant, administrator and custody administrator for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund's portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.

 

U.S. Bank National Association. U.S. Bank National Association is custodian for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund's portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.

 

RSM US LLP . RSM US LLP is the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund's portfolio holdings in connection with auditing of the Fund's annual financial statements and providing other audit, tax and related services for the Fund.

 

Counsel of the Trust and Counsel to the Independent Trustees. Counsel to the Trust, counsel to the Independent Trustees and their respective personnel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings in connection with the review of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports and SEC filings.

 

Additions to List of Approved Recipients

 

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer is the person responsible, and whose prior approval is required, for any disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities at any time or to any persons other than those described above. In such cases, the recipient must have a legitimate business need for the information and must be subject to a duty to keep the information confidential and a duty to not trade on such information. There are no ongoing arrangements in place with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings. In no event shall the Fund, the Adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund's portfolio holdings.

 

Compliance With Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Procedures

 

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer will report periodically to the Board with respect to compliance with the Fund's portfolio holdings disclosure procedures, and from time to time will provide the Board any updates to the portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures.

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There is no assurance that the Trust's policies on disclosure of portfolio holdings will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information.

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS


Fund Administration, Fund Accounting and Transfer Agent Services

Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), which has its principal office at 80 Arkay Drive, Hauppauge, New York 11788, serves as administrator, fund accountant and transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to a Fund Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Trust and subject to the supervision of the Board. GFS is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds. GFS is an affiliate of the Distributor. GFS may also provide persons to serve as officers of the Fund. Such officers may be directors, officers or employees of GFS or its affiliates.

 

The Agreement became effective on February 23, 2012, and will remain in effect for two years from the applicable effective date for the Fund, and will continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board. The Agreement is terminable by the Board or GFS on 90 days’ written notice and may be assigned by either party, provided that the Trust may not assign this agreement without the prior written consent of GFS. The Agreement provides that GFS shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to the Agreement.

 

Under the Agreement, GFS performs administrative services, including:  (1) monitoring the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Trust by others service providers; (2) monitoring Fund holdings and operations for post-trade compliance with the Fund’s registration statement and applicable laws and rules; (3) preparing and coordinating the printing of semi-annual and annual financial statements; (4) preparing selected management reports for performance and compliance analyses; (5) preparing and disseminating materials for and attending and participating in meetings of the Board; (6) determining income and capital gains available for distribution and calculating distributions required to meet regulatory, income, and excise tax requirements; (7) reviewing the Trust's federal, state, and local tax returns as prepared and signed by the Trust's independent public accountants; (8) preparing and maintaining the Trust's operating expense budget to determine proper expense accruals to be charged to the Fund to calculate its daily net asset value; (9) assisting in and monitor the preparation, filing, printing and where applicable, dissemination to shareholders of amendments to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, periodic reports to the Trustees, shareholders and the SEC, notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2, proxy materials and reports to the SEC on Forms N-CEN, N-CSR, N-Q and N-PX; (10) coordinating the Trust's audits and examinations by assisting the Fund’s independent public accountants; (11) determining, in consultation with others, the jurisdictions in which shares of the Trust shall be registered or qualified for sale and facilitate such registration or qualification; (12) monitoring sales of shares and ensure that the shares are properly and duly registered with the SEC; (13) monitoring the calculation of performance data for the Fund; (14) preparing, or causing to be prepared, expense and financial reports; (15) preparing authorization for the payment of Trust expenses and pay, from Trust assets, all bills of the Trust; (16) providing information typically supplied in the Investment Company industry to companies that track or report price, performance or other information with respect to investment companies; (17) upon request, assisting the Fund in the evaluation and selection of other service providers, such as independent public accountants, printers, EDGAR providers and proxy solicitors (such parties may be affiliates of GFS); and (18) performing other services, recordkeeping

29  
 

and assistance relating to the affairs of the Trust as the Trust may, from time to time, reasonably request.

 

GFS also provides the Fund with accounting services, including: (i) daily computation of net asset value; (ii) maintenance of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) production of the Fund’s listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciliation of accounting records; (v) calculation of yield and total return for the Fund; (vi) maintenance of certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciliation of account information and balances among the Fund’s custodian and Adviser; and (vii) monitoring and evaluation of daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Fund.

 

GFS also acts as transfer, dividend disbursing, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund pursuant to the Agreement. Under the Agreement, GFS is responsible for administering and performing transfer agent functions, dividend distribution, shareholder administration, and maintaining necessary records in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

 

For the services rendered to the Fund by GFS, the Fund pays GFS the greater of an annual minimum fee or an asset based fee, which scales downward based upon net assets for fund administration, fund accounting and transfer agency services. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.

 

For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2016, September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2018, the Fund incurred the following fees in accordance with the agreement:

 

Services 2016 2017 2018
Administration $41,162 $47,767 $49,892
Fund Accounting $26,944 $26,999 $26,324
Transfer Agency $28,516 $30,820 $29,190

 

Custodian

 

U.S. Bank National Association located at 1555 N. River Center Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53202, serves as the custodian of the Fund's assets pursuant to a custody agreement (the "Custody Agreement") by and between the custodian and the Trust on behalf of the Fund. The custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund's cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, and collecting interest and dividends on the Fund's investments. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the custodian also maintains original entry documents and books of record and general ledgers; posts cash receipts and disbursements; and records purchases and sales based upon communications from the Adviser. The Fund may employ foreign sub-custodians that are approved by the Board to hold foreign assets.

 

Compliance Services

Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC ("NLCS"), located at 80 Arkay Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788, an affiliate of GFS and the distributor, provides a Chief Compliance Officer to the Trust as well as related compliance services pursuant to a consulting agreement between NLCS and the Trust. NLCS’s compliance services consist primarily of reviewing and assessing the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers pertaining to compliance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act. For the services rendered to the Fund by NLCS, the Fund pays NLCS an annual fixed fee and an asset based fee, which scales downward based upon the Fund’s net assets. The Fund also pays NLCS for any out-of-pocket expenses.

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    For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2016, September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2018 the Fund incurred fees of $18,458, $22,595 and $26,726 respectively, for compliance services.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


 

The Fund has selected RSM US LLP, located at 555 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1200, Denver, Colorado 80202, as its independent registered public accounting firm for the current fiscal year. The firm provides services including (i) audit of annual financial statements and (ii) provides other audit, tax, and related services to the Fund.

 

LEGAL COUNSEL


 

Thompson Hine LLP, 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as the Trust's legal counsel.

 

DISTRIBUTOR


 

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, located at 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130 (the "Distributor") serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Trust pursuant to an underwriting agreement with the Trust, on behalf of the Fund (the "Underwriting Agreement"). The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and each state's securities laws and is a member of FINRA. The offering of the Fund's shares are continuous. The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Distributor, as agent in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, will use reasonable efforts to facilitate the sale of the Fund’s shares.

 

The Underwriting Agreement provides that, unless sooner terminated, it will continue in effect for two years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year, subject to annual approval by (a) the Board or a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares, and (b) by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or of the Distributor by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

The Underwriting Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Trust’s entire Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund on 60 days written notice to the Distributor, or by the Distributor at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund. The Underwriting Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.

 

The following table sets forth the total compensation received by the Distributor from the Issachar Fund during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018:

 

Fund Net Underwriting Discounts and Commissions Compensation on Redemptions and Repurchases Brokerage Commissions Other Compensation
Issachar Fund $0 $0 $0 $0
The Distributor also receives 12b-1 fees from the Fund as described under the following section entitled “Rule 12b-1 Plan”.

 

 

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Rule 12b-1 Plan

 

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class N shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan") pursuant to which the Fund is authorized to pay the Distributor, as compensation for Distributor's account maintenance and distribution services under this Plan, a distribution and shareholder servicing fee at the rate of up to 0.25% for Class N shares of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to the relevant class. There is no plan for Class I shares. 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 Fund's average daily net assets 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 of Trustees and the Distributor. The Plan authorizes payments to the Distributor as compensation for providing distribution services and account maintenance services to Fund shareholders, including arranging for certain securities dealers or brokers, administrators and others ("Recipients") to provide these services and paying compensation for these services. The Fund will bear its own costs of distribution with respect to its shares. The Fund may make other payments, such as contingent deferred sales charges imposed on certain redemptions of shares, which are separate and apart from payments made pursuant to the Plan.

 

The services to be provided by Recipients may include, but are not limited to, the following: assistance in the offering and sale of Fund 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 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 of Trustees, 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 Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of the Distributor's compensation to be paid by the Fund, unless such amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected class of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act). All material amendments must be approved by a majority of the Board of Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on a 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 applicable Fund at any time upon sixty days' written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the respective Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or the Fund; (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 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement.

 

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During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, the Fund incurred $31,368 in distribution related fees pursuant to the Plan, as allocated below:  

 

Actual 12b-1 Expenditures Paid by
Issachar Fund Shares
During the Fiscal Period Ended September 30, 2018
  Total Dollars Allocated
Advertising/Marketing None
Printing/Postage None
Payment to distributor $17,034.68
Payment to dealers $4,859.02
Compensation to sales personnel None
Other $9,474.65
Total $31,368.35

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES


 

Each share of beneficial interest of the Trust has one vote in the election of Trustees. Cumulative voting is not authorized for the Trust. This means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees if they choose to do so, and, in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will be unable to elect any Trustees.

 

Shareholders of the Trust and any other future series of the Trust will vote in the aggregate and not by series except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interest of the shareholders of a particular series or classes. Matters such as election of Trustees are not subject to separate voting requirements and may be acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series.

 

The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. Each share has equal dividend, distribution and liquidation rights. There are no conversion or preemptive rights applicable to any shares of the Fund. All shares issued are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

CODE OF ETHICS


 

The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor have each adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that governs the personal securities transactions of their board members, officers and employees who may have access to current trading information of the Trust. Under the code of ethics adopted by the Trust, the Trustees are permitted to invest in securities that may also be purchased by the Fund.

 

In addition, the Trust has adopted a code of ethics, which applies only to the Trust's executive officers (the “Code”) to ensure that these officers promote professional conduct in the practice of corporate governance and management. The purpose behind these guidelines is to promote (i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; (ii) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public

33  
 

communications made by the Fund; (iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rule and regulations; (iv) the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and (v) accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES


 

The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Policies") on behalf of the Trust, which delegate the responsibility for voting proxies to the Adviser or its designee, subject to the Board's continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Adviser or its designee vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and shareholders. The Policies also require the Adviser or its designee to present to the Board, at least annually, the Adviser's proxy policies, or the proxy policies of the Adviser's designee, and a record of each proxy voted by the Adviser or its designee on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Adviser as involving a conflict of interest.

 

Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Adviser's interests and the Fund's interests, the Adviser will resolve the conflict by voting in accordance with the policy guidelines or at the client's directive using the recommendation of an independent third party. If the third party's recommendations are not received in a timely fashion, the Adviser will abstain from voting the securities held by that client's account. A copy of the Adviser's proxy voting policies is attached hereto as Appendix A.

 

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll free, 1-866-787-8355, by accessing the Fund's website at www.LIONX.net or by accessing the information on proxy voting filed by the Fund on Form N-PX on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . In addition, a copy of the Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures are also available by calling 1-866-787-8355 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.

 

PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF FUND SHARES


 

Calculation of Share Price

 

As indicated in the Prospectus under the heading "How Shares Are Priced," the NAV of the Fund's shares, by class, is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of the Fund, by class.

 

Generally, the Fund’s domestic securities (including underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges) are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on such exchange. Securities primarily traded in the NASDAQ National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s fair value committee in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Trustees and as further described below. Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether

34  
 

domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the-counter market.

 

Certain securities or investments for which daily market quotes are not readily available may be valued, pursuant to guidelines established by the Board of Trustees, with reference to other securities or indices. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less may be generally valued at amortized cost when it approximated fair value.

 

Exchange traded options are valued at the last quoted sales price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on the exchange on which such options are traded. Futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the exchange. Other securities for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction. Swap agreements and other derivatives are generally valued daily based upon quotations from market makers or by a pricing service in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.

 

Under certain circumstances, the Fund may use an independent pricing service to calculate the fair market value of foreign equity securities on a daily basis by applying valuation factors to the last sale price or the mean price as noted above. The fair market values supplied by the independent pricing service will generally reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or the value of other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. The independent pricing service will also take into account the current relevant currency exchange rate. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures. Because foreign securities may trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held by the Fund can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed or purchased. In the event that a foreign security’s market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable (for reasons other than because the foreign exchange on which it trades closed before the Fund’s calculation of NAV), the security will be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s fair value committee in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Trustees as discussed below. Without fair valuation, it is possible that short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that it will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short-term traders. In addition, because the Fund may invest in underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of these portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.

 

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the Fund's shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the New York Stock Exchange is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange shares.

 

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Fund shares are valued at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the "NYSE Close") on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. For purposes of calculating the NAV, the Fund normally use pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the NYSE Close and does not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the NYSE Close. Domestic fixed income and foreign securities are normally priced using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Information that becomes known to the Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the price of the security or the NAV determined earlier that day.

 

When market quotations are insufficient or not readily available, the Fund may value securities at fair value or estimate their value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its designees, pursuant to procedures approved by the Board. Fair valuation may also be used by the Board of Trustees if extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the NYSE Close.

 

The Fund may hold securities, such as private placements, interests in commodity pools, other non-traded securities or temporarily illiquid securities, for which market quotations are not readily available or are determined to be unreliable. These securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee composed of one of more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Adviser. The committee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

Fair Value Committee and Valuation Process . The fair value committee is composed of one of more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Adviser. The applicable investments are valued collectively via inputs from each of these groups. For example, fair value determinations are required for the following securities: (i) securities for which market quotations are insufficient or not readily available on a particular business day (including securities for which there is a short and temporary lapse in the provision of a price by the regular pricing source), (ii) securities for which, in the judgment of the Adviser, the prices or values available do not represent the fair value of the instrument. Factors which may cause the Adviser to make such a judgment include, but are not limited to, the following: only a bid price or an asked price is available; the spread between bid and asked prices is substantial; the frequency of sales; the thinness of the market; the size of reported trades; and actions of the securities markets, such as the suspension or limitation of trading; (iii) securities determined to be illiquid; (iv) securities with respect to which an event that will affect the value thereof has occurred (a “significant event”) since the closing prices were established on the principal exchange on which they are traded, but prior to the Fund’s calculation of its net asset value. Specifically, interests in commodity pools or managed futures pools are valued on a daily basis by reference to the closing market prices of each futures contract or other asset held by a pool, as adjusted for pool expenses. Restricted or illiquid securities, such as private placements or non-traded securities are valued via inputs from the Adviser valuation based upon the current bid for the security from two or more independent dealers or other parties reasonably familiar with the facts and circumstances of the security (who should take into consideration all relevant factors as may be appropriate under the circumstances). If the Adviser is unable to obtain a current bid from such independent dealers or other independent parties, the fair value committee shall determine the fair value of such security using the following factors: (i) the type of security; (ii) the cost at date of purchase; (iii) the size and nature of the Fund's holdings; (iv) the discount from market value of unrestricted securities of the same class at the time of purchase and subsequent thereto; (v) information as to any transactions or offers with respect

36  
 

to the security; (vi) the nature and duration of restrictions on disposition of the security and the existence of any registration rights; (vii) how the yield of the security compares to similar securities of companies of similar or equal creditworthiness; (viii) the level of recent trades of similar or comparable securities; (ix) the liquidity characteristics of the security; (x) current market conditions; and (xi) the market value of any securities into which the security is convertible or exchangeable.

 

Standards For Fair Value Determinations . As a general principle, the fair value of a security is the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to realize upon its current sale. The Trust has adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures ("ASC 820"). In accordance with ASC 820, fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. ASC 820 establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including such a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity's own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, developed based on the best information available under the circumstances.

 

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund's investments relating to ASC 820. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments).

 

The fair value committee takes into account the relevant factors and surrounding circumstances, which may include: (i) the nature and pricing history (if any) of the security; (ii) whether any dealer quotations for the security are available; (iii) possible valuation methodologies that could be used to determine the fair value of the security; (iv) the recommendation of a portfolio manager of the Fund with respect to the valuation of the security; (v) whether the same or similar securities are held by other funds managed by the Adviser or other funds and the method used to price the security in those funds; (vi) the extent to which the fair value to be determined for the security will result from the use of data or formulae produced by independent third parties and (vii) the liquidity or illiquidity of the market for the security.

 

Board of Trustees’ Determination. The Board of Trustees meets at least quarterly to consider the valuations provided by the fair value committee and to ratify the valuations made for the applicable securities. The Board of Trustees considers the reports provided by the fair value committee, including follow up studies of subsequent market-provided prices when available, in reviewing and determining in good faith the fair value of the applicable portfolio securities.

 

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The Trust expects that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) will be closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

 

Purchase of Shares

 

Orders for shares received by the Fund in good order prior to the close of business on the NYSE on each day during such periods that the NYSE is open for trading are priced at the public offering price, which is NAV plus any sales charge, or at NAV per share (if no sales charges apply) computed as of the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE. Orders received in good order after the close of the NYSE, or on a day it is not open for trading, are priced at the close of such NYSE on the next day on which it is open for trading at the next determined net asset value per share plus sales charges, if any.

 

Notice to Texas Shareholders

 

Under section 72.1021(a) of the Texas Property Code, initial investors in a Fund who are Texas residents may designate a representative to receive notices of abandoned property in connection with Fund shares. Texas shareholders who wish to appoint a representative should notify the Trust’s Transfer Agent by writing to the address below to obtain a form for providing written notice to the Trust:

 

Issachar Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, NE 68130

Redemption of Shares

 

The Fund will redeem all or any portion of a shareholder's shares of the Fund when requested in accordance with the procedures set forth in the "How to Redeem Shares" section of the Prospectus. Under the 1940 Act, a shareholder's right to redeem shares and to receive payment therefore may be suspended at times: (a) when the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings; (b) when trading on that exchange is restricted for any reason; (c) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to fairly determine the value of net assets, provided that applicable rules and regulations of the SEC (or any succeeding governmental authority) will govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (b) or (c) exist; or (d) when the SEC by order permits a suspension of the right to redemption or a postponement of the date of payment on redemption.

 

In case of suspension of the right of redemption, payment of a redemption request will be made based on the net asset value next determined after the termination of the suspension.

 

Supporting documents in addition to those listed under "How to Redeem Shares" in the Prospectus will be required from executors, administrators, trustees, or if redemption is requested by someone other than the shareholder of record. Such documents include, but are not restricted to, stock powers, trust instruments, certificates of death, appointments as executor, certificates of corporate authority and waiver of tax required in some states when settling estates.

 

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TAX STATUS


 

The following discussion is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. All shareholders should consult a qualified tax adviser regarding their investment in the Fund.

 

The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Tax Code"), which requires compliance with certain requirements concerning the sources of its income, diversification of its assets, and the amount and timing of its distributions to shareholders. Such qualification does not involve supervision of management or investment practices or policies by any government agency or bureau. By so qualifying, the Fund should not be subject to federal income or excise tax on its net investment income or net capital gain, which are distributed to shareholders in accordance with the applicable timing requirements. Net investment income and net capital gain of the Fund will be computed in accordance with Section 852 of the Tax Code.

 

Net investment income is made up of dividends and interest less expenses. Net capital gain for a fiscal year is computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the Fund. 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 incurred in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 may now be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. Under previously enacted laws, capital losses could be carried forward to offset any capital gains only for eight years, and carried forward as short-term capital losses, irrespective of 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 September 30, 2018, the Fund had no capital loss carry forwards for federal income tax purposes available to offset future capital gains.

 

The Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income, any excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, and any excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Tax Code and therefore should not be required to pay any federal income or excise taxes. Distributions of net investment income and net capital gain will be made after the end of each fiscal year. Both types of distributions will be in shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects to receive cash.

 

To be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Tax Code, the Fund must also (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, net income from certain publicly traded partnerships and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the business of investing in such securities or currencies, and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash, U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities (for purposes of this calculation, generally limited in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the market value of the Fund's assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer) and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities of (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) any one issuer, two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or the securities of certain publicly traded partnerships.

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If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M in any fiscal year, it will be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. As such, the Fund would be required to pay income taxes on its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, at the rates generally applicable to corporations. Shareholders of the Fund generally would not be liable for income tax on the Fund's net investment income or net realized capital gains in their individual capacities. Distributions to shareholders, whether from the Fund's net investment income or net realized capital gains, would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits of the Fund.

 

The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on certain undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gain under a prescribed formula contained in Section 4982 of the Tax Code. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund's ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (i.e., the excess of its capital gains over capital losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year plus 100% of any income that was neither distributed nor taxed to the Fund during the preceding calendar year. Under ordinary circumstances, the Fund expects to time its distributions so as to avoid liability for this tax.

 

The following discussion of tax consequences is for the general information of shareholders that are subject to tax. Shareholders that are IRAs or other qualified retirement plans are exempt from income taxation under the Tax Code.

 

Distributions of taxable net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, unless such distributions are attributable to “qualified dividend income” eligible for the reduced federal income tax rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied.

 

Distributions of net capital gain ("capital gain dividends") generally are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such shareholders.

 

Certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which should include dividends from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Fund. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Fund.

A redemption of Fund shares by a shareholder will result in the recognition of taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder's tax basis in his or her Fund shares. Such gain or loss is treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are held as capital assets. The gain or loss will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for more than one year and if not held for such period, as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon the redemption of shares within six months from the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as capital gain dividends during such six-month period. All or a portion of any loss realized upon the redemption of shares may be disallowed to the extent shares are purchased (including shares acquired by means of reinvested dividends) within 30 days before or after such redemption.

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Distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain will be taxable as described above, whether received in additional shares or cash. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the net asset value of a share on the reinvestment date.

 

All distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each taxable shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Dividends or distributions declared in October, November or December as of a record date in such a month, if any, will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of the following year. Redemptions of shares may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements.

 

Under the Tax Code, the Fund is required to report to the Internal Revenue Service all distributions of income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Tax Code, distributions of net investment income and net capital gain and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the Investment Company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law, or if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that withholding is required due to an incorrect TIN or a previous failure to report taxable interest or dividends. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.

 

Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by a Fund after June 30, 2014 and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. A Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

 

Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements

 

To the extent such investments are permissible for the Fund, the Fund's transactions in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, straddles and foreign currencies will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund's securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

 

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To the extent such investments are permissible, certain of the Fund's hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies or foreign currency-denominated instruments) are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund's book income exceeds its taxable income, the distribution (if any) of such excess book income will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund's remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient's basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. If the Fund's book income is less than taxable income, the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regular investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

 

Passive Foreign Investment Companies

 

Investment by the Fund in certain "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs") could subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" ("QEF"), in which case the Fund will be required to include its share of the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether they receives any distribution from the company.

 

The Fund also may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings "to the market" as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Fund's taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed for the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund's total return.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

The Fund's transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.

 

Other Regulated Investment Companies

 

Generally, the character of the income or capital gains that the Fund receives from another investment company will pass through to the Fund’s shareholders as long as the Fund and the other investment company each qualify as a regulated investment company. However, to the extent that another investment company that qualifies as a regulated investment company realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, the Fund will not be able to recognize its share of those losses until it disposes of shares of such investment company. Moreover, even when the Fund does make such a disposition, a portion of its loss may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for federal income tax purposes as an ordinary deduction. In particular, the Fund will not be able to offset any capital losses from its dispositions of shares of other investment companies against its ordinary income. As a result of the foregoing rules, and certain other special rules, it is possible that the amounts of net investment income and net capital gains that the Fund will be required to distribute to shareholders will be greater than such amounts would have been had the Fund invested

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directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests, rather than investing in shares of the investment companies. For similar reasons, the character of distributions from the Fund (e.g., long-term capital gain, qualified dividend income, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests.

 

Foreign Taxation

 

Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties and conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may be able to elect to "pass through" to the Fund's shareholders the amount of eligible foreign income and similar taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, a shareholder generally subject to tax will be required to include in gross income (in addition to taxable dividends actually received) his or her pro rata share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund, and may be entitled either to deduct (as an itemized deduction) his or her pro rata share of foreign taxes in computing his or her taxable income or to use it as a foreign tax credit against his or her U.S. federal income tax liability, subject to certain limitations. In particular, a shareholder must hold his or her shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 more days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a gain dividend. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. Each shareholder will be notified within 60 days after the close of the Fund's taxable year whether the foreign taxes paid by the Fund will "pass through" for that year.

 

Generally, a credit for foreign taxes is subject to the limitation that it may not exceed the shareholder's U.S. tax attributable to his or her total foreign source taxable income. For this purpose, if the pass-through election is made, the source of the Fund's income will flow through to shareholders of the Fund. With respect to the Fund, gains from the sale of securities will be treated as derived from U.S. sources and certain currency fluctuation gains, including fluctuation gains from foreign currency-denominated debt securities, receivables and payables will be treated as ordinary income derived from U.S. sources. The limitation on the foreign tax credit is applied separately to foreign source passive income, and to certain other types of income. A shareholder may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of his or her proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund. The foreign tax credit can be used to offset only 90% of the revised alternative minimum tax imposed on corporations and individuals and foreign taxes generally are not deductible in computing alternative minimum taxable income.

 

Original Issue Discount and Pay-In-Kind Securities

 

Current federal tax law requires the holder of a U.S. Treasury or other fixed income zero coupon security to accrue as income each year a portion of the discount at which the security was purchased, even though the holder receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year. In addition, pay-in-kind securities will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.

 

Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount ("OID") is treated as interest income and is included in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is

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not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. A portion of the OID includable in income with respect to certain high-yield corporate debt securities (including certain pay-in-kind securities) may be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the "accrued market discount" on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount, or OID in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

If the Fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount, which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution, if any, than they would in the absence of such transactions.

 

Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares.

 

A brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution accompany each distribution. After the end of each year the Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions.

 

Shareholders should consult their tax advisers about the application of federal, state and local and foreign tax law in light of their particular situation.

 

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM


 

The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the "Program") as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 ("USA PATRIOT Act"). To ensure compliance with this law, the Trust's Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program. The Trust's secretary serves as its Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.

 

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Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Fund's Distributor and Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity and providing a complete and thorough review of all new opening account applications. The Trust will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

As a result of the Program, the Trust may be required to "freeze" the account of a shareholder if the shareholder appears to be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of known terrorists or other suspicious persons, or the Trust may be required to transfer the account or proceeds of the account to a governmental agency.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES


 

A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a fund. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders who have the power to vote a large percentage of shares (at least 25%) of the Fund can control the Fund and could determine the outcome of a shareholders’ meeting.

 

As of May 30, 2019, following shareholder(s) of record owned 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund:

 

 

Name & Address

Class N Shares

 

Shares Percentage of Class

DEXTER P LYONS &/DEIRDRE B

LYONS JT TEN

106 VALERIE DR

LAFAYETTE, LA 70508

75,776.2790 6.35%

CONSTELLATION TRUST CO

CUST FBO/DEIRDRE B LYONS

SEP IRA

106 VALERIE DR

LAFAYETTE, LA 70508

74,839.4650 6.27%

CYD SHEREE PAGE

1449 FRENCHMANS BEND RD

MONROE, LA 71203-8792

87,762.1900 7.36%

CONSTELLATION TRUST CO

CUST FBO/CYD SHEREE PAGE

IRA

1449 FRENCHMANS BEND RD

MONROE, LA 71203-8792

71,727.5240 6.01%

CONSTELLATION TRUST CO

CUST FBO/DEXTER P LYONS

SEP IRA

106 VALERIE DR

LAFAYETTE, LA 70508

212,168.9110 17.79%
Ameritrade, Inc.   142,352.5040 11.93%

 

Management Ownership Information.   As of May 30, 2019, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

 

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MANAGEMENT


 

The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board in accordance with the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trust's By-laws (the "Governing Documents"), which have been filed with the SEC and are available upon request. The Board consists of five individuals, all of whom are not "interested persons" (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust and the Adviser ("Independent Trustees"). Pursuant to the Governing Documents, the Trustees shall elect officers including a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Board retains the power to conduct, operate and carry on the business of the Trust and has the power to incur and pay any expenses, which, in the opinion of the Board, are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the Trust's purposes. The Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust, when acting in such capacities, shall not be subject to any personal liability except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.

 

Board Leadership Structure . The Board is led by John V. Palancia, who has served as the Chairman of the Board since May 2014. The Board has not appointed a Lead Independent Trustee because all Trustees are Independent Trustees. Under the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for (a) presiding at Board meetings, (b) calling special meetings on an as-needed basis, and (c) executing and administering the Trust policies, including (i) setting the agendas for Board meetings and (ii) providing information to Board members in advance of each Board meeting and between Board meetings. Generally, the Trust believes it best to have a non-executive Chairman of the Board, who together with the President (principal executive officer), are seen by our shareholders, business partners and other stakeholders as providing strong leadership. The Trust believes that its Chairman/Lead Independent Trustee, the independent chair of the Audit Committee, and, as an entity, the full Board of Trustees, provide effective leadership that is in the best interests of the Trust, its Funds and each shareholder.

 

Board Risk Oversight . The Board of Trustees is comprised entirely of Independent Trustees with an Audit Committee with a separate chair. The Board is responsible for overseeing risk management, and the full Board regularly engages in discussions of risk management and receives compliance reports that inform its oversight of risk management from its Chief Compliance Officer at quarterly meetings and on an ad hoc basis, when and if necessary. The Audit Committee considers financial and reporting the risk within its area of responsibilities. Generally, the Board believes that its oversight of material risks is adequately maintained through the compliance-reporting chain where the Chief Compliance Officer is the primary recipient and communicator of such risk-related information.

 

Trustee Qualifications .

 

Generally, the Fund believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of his or her individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills.

 

James Jensen has over 40 years of business experience in a wide range of industries including the financial services industry. His experience includes over 25 years of mutual fund board experience with service as chairman of the Audit Committee, chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and, for the past eight years, as Chairman of the Board of Wasatch Funds. Since April 2008, Mr. Jensen has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Law & Governance Group, where he devotes himself full time to corporate law practice, board governance consulting for operating companies and private investing. In May 2014, Mr. Jensen and his firm conducted the 11th Green River Conference on Corporate Governance for lawyers, accountants, directors and service providers. In 2001, Mr. Jensen co-founded Intelisum, Inc., a company pursuing computer and measurement

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technology and products, and was Chairman of the Board from 2001 to 2008. From 1986 to 2004, Mr. Jensen held key positions with NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., including Vice President, Corporate Development, Legal Affairs and General Counsel and Secretary. In addition to his business experience, Mr. Jensen was Chairman of the Board of Agricon Global Corporation, formerly BayHill Capital Corporation from 2008 to 2014 and was a Director of the University of Utah Research Foundation from 2000 to 2018. Mr. Jensen was the founder and first President of the MountainWest Venture Group (now "MountainWest Capital Network") in 1983. Mr. Jensen is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mr. Jensen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah in 1967 and received degrees of Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Columbia University in 1971.

 

Patricia Luscombe, CFA, has more than 25 years in financial advisory and valuation services. She has delivered a broad range of corporate finance advice including fairness opinions and valuations. Ms. Luscombe joined Lincoln International in 2007 as a Managing Director and co-head of Lincoln's Valuations & Opinions Group. In this position, she assists regulated investment funds, business development companies, private equity funds and hedge funds in the valuation of illiquid securities for fair value accounting purposes. Ms. Luscombe's clients range from closely-held businesses to large, publicly-traded companies. Previously, Ms. Luscombe spent 16 years with Duff & Phelps Corporation, as a Managing Director in the firm's valuation and financial advisory business. Prior to joining Duff & Phelps Corporation, Ms. Luscombe was an Associate at Smith Barney, a division of Citigroup Capital Markets, Inc., where she managed a variety of financial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and equity and debt financings. Ms. Luscombe is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Chicago and former president of the Chicago Finance Exchange. Ms. Luscombe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Stanford University, a Master's degree in economics from the University of Chicago and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In addition, Ms. Luscombe is licensed under the Series 24, 79 and 63 of FINRA.

 

John V. Palancia has over 40 years of business experience in the financial services industry including serving as the Director of Global Futures Operations for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (“Merrill Lynch”) Mr. Palancia possesses an in depth understanding of broker-dealer operations from having served in various management capacities and has held industry registrations in both securities and futures. Based on his service at Merrill Lynch, he also possesses a strong understanding of risk management, balance sheet analysis, compliance and the regulatory framework under which regulated financial entities must operate. Additionally, he is well versed in the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate based on his service as a member of three other mutual fund boards. This practical and extensive experience in the securities industry provides valuable insight into fund operations and enhances his ability to effectively serve as chairman of the Board. Mr. Palancia is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mr. Palancia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

 

Mark H. Taylor has 30 years of academic and professional experience in the accounting and auditing fields which makes him particularly qualified to serve as the Trust’s Audit Committee chair. He holds PhD, Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Dr. Taylor chairs the Department of Accountancy in the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and is the Andrew D. Braden Professor of Accounting and Auditing. Since August 2017, Dr. Taylor is serving a three-year term as Vice President-Finance on the Board of Directors of the American Accounting Association (AAA). From 2012 to 2015, he served a 3-year term as President of the Auditing Section of the AAA (Vice-President 2012-2013, President 2013-2014, and Past President (2014-2015). Dr. Taylor serves as a member of two other

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mutual fund boards within the Northern Lights Fund Complex, and completed a fellowship in the Professional Practice Group of the Office of the Chief Accountant at the headquarters of the United States Securities Exchange Commission. He also served a three-year term on the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board (2010-2012). Dr. Taylor is a member of two research teams that recently received grants from the Center for Audit Quality to study how auditors manage the process of auditing fair value measurements in financial statements and how accounting firms’ tone-at-the top messaging impacts audit performance. Dr. Taylor teaches corporate governance and accounting policy as well as auditing and assurance services and possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies operate.

 

Jeffery D. Young has over 40 years of business management experience, including in the transportation industry and operations and information technologies. He is currently Co-owner and Vice President of the Latin America Agriculture Development Corporation, an agribusiness exporting fruit to the United States and other Central American countries. He has served as Assistant Vice President of Transportation Systems at Union Pacific Railroad Company, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of large scale command and control systems that support railroad operations and safety. In this position, Mr. Young was heavily involved in the regulatory compliance of safety and mission critical systems. Mr. Young also served as Chairman of the Association of American Railroads Policy Committee and represented both Union Pacific Railroad and the railroad industry in safety and regulatory hearings with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration in Washington, DC. Mr. Young was a member of the Board of Directors of PS Technologies, a Union Pacific affiliate serving as a technology supplier to the railroad industry. His practical business experience and understanding of regulatory compliance provides a different perspective that will bring diversity to Board deliberations.

 

Trustees and Officers . The Trustees and officers of the Trust, together with information as to their principal business occupations during the past five years and other information, are shown below. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each Trustee and officer is 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130.

 

Independent Trustees
Name, Address, Year of Birth Position(s) Held with Registrant Length of Service and Term Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years Number of Funds Overseen In The Fund Complex* Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years**

James U.

Jensen

1944

Trustee Since February 2012, Indefinite Chief Executive Officer, ClearWater Law & Governance Group, LLC (an operating board governance consulting company) (since 2004). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2012); Wasatch Funds Trust, (since 1986); University of Utah Research Foundation (April 2000 to May 2018); Agricon Global Corporation, formerly Bayhill Capital Corporation (large scale farming in Ghana, West Africa) (October 2009 to June 2014).

Patricia

Luscombe

1961

Trustee Since January 2015, Indefinite Managing Director of the Valuations & Opinions Group, Lincoln International LLC (since August 2007). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2015); Monetta Mutual Funds (since November 2015).

John V.

Palancia

1954

Trustee, Chairman Trustee, since February Retired (since 2011); Formerly, Director of Global Futures Operations Control, Merrill Lynch, 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2012); Northern Lights Fund
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  2012, Indefinite; Chairman of the Board since May 2014 Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (1975-2011). (since 2011); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2011); Alternative Strategies Fund (since 2012).

Mark H.

Taylor

1964

Trustee, Chairman of the Audit Committee Since February 2012, Indefinite Chair, Department of Accountancy and Andrew D. Braden Professor of Accounting and Auditing, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University (since 2009); Vice President-Finance, American Accounting Association (2017-2020); President, Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association (2012-15). AICPA Auditing Standards Board Member (2009-2012).  Former Academic Fellow, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2005-2006).   1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2012); Northern Lights Fund Trust (since 2007); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2007); Alternative Strategies Fund (since June 2010).

Jeffery D. Young

1956

Trustee Since January 2015, Indefinite Co-owner and Vice President, Latin America Agriculture Development Corp. (since May 2015); Formerly Asst. Vice President - Transportation Systems, Union Pacific Railroad Company (June 1976 to April 2014); President, Celeritas Rail Consulting (since June 2014). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2015); PS Technology, Inc. (2010-2013).

 

* As of March 31, 2019, the Trust was comprised of 36 active portfolios managed by 15 unaffiliated investment advisers. The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the Fund. The Fund does not hold itself out as related to any other series within the Trust for investment purposes, nor does it share the same investment adviser with any other series.

 

** Only includes directorships held within the past 5 years in a company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or any company registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act.

 

Officers of the Trust

 

Name, Address, Year of Birth Position(s) Held with Registrant Length of Service and Term Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Richard Malinowski

80 Arkay Drive,

Hauppauge, NY 11788

1983

President

Since

August 2017, indefinite

Senior Vice President (since 2017), Vice President and Counsel (2015-2016) and Assistant Vice President (2012–2015), Gemini Fund Services, LLC; Vice President and Manager, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US), Inc., (2011-2012).

Brian Curley

80 Arkay Drive,

Hauppauge, NY 11788

1970

Treasurer

Since

February 2013, indefinite

Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2015), Assistant Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2012-2014); Senior Controller of Fund Treasury, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (2008-2012); Senior Associate of Fund Administration, Morgan Stanley (1999-2008).

Eric Kane

80 Arkay Drive,

Secretary

Since

November 2013, indefinite

Vice President and Counsel, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2017), Assistant Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2014- 2017), Staff Attorney, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2013-2014), Law
49  
 

 

Hauppauge, NY 11788

1981

 

 

Clerk, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2009-2013), Legal Intern, NASDAQ OMX (2011), Hedge Fund Administrator, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2008), Mutual Fund Accountant/Corporate Action Specialist, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2006-2008).

William Kimme

1962

Chief Compliance Officer

Since

February 2012, indefinite

Senior Compliance Officer of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (since 2011); Due Diligence and Compliance Consultant, Mick & Associates (2009-2011); Assistant Director, FINRA (2000-2009).

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee that consists solely of Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Audit Committee's responsibilities include: (i) recommending to the Board the selection, retention or termination of the Trust's independent auditors; (ii) reviewing with the independent auditors the scope, performance and anticipated cost of their audit; (iii) discussing with the independent auditors certain matters relating to the Trust's financial statements, including any adjustment to such financial statements recommended by such independent auditors, or any other results of any audit; (iv) reviewing on a periodic basis a formal written statement from the independent auditors with respect to their independence, discussing with the independent auditors any relationships or services disclosed in the statement that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Trust's independent auditors and recommending that the Board take appropriate action in response thereto to satisfy itself of the auditor's independence; and (v) considering the comments of the independent auditors and management's responses thereto with respect to the quality and adequacy of the Trust's accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and internal controls. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter. Dr. Taylor is Chairman of the Audit Committee. During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee held four meetings.

 

Compensation of Directors . Effective April 1, 2019, each Trustee who is not affiliated with the Trust or an investment adviser to any series of the Trust will receive a quarterly fee of $21,500, allocated among each of the various portfolios comprising the Trust, for his or her attendance at the regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Trustees, to be paid in advance of each calendar quarter, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred. From January 1, 2017 through March 31, 2019, each Trustee who is not affiliated with the Trust or an investment adviser to any series of the Trust received a quarterly fee of $20,000 for his or her attendance at the regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Trustees, to be paid in advance of each calendar quarter, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred. Since January 1, 2017, in addition to the quarterly fees and reimbursements, the Chairman of the Board receives a quarterly fee of $5,000, and the Audit Committee Chairmen receive a quarterly fee of $3,750.

 

Additionally, in the event an in-person meeting of the Board of Trustees other than its regularly scheduled meetings (a “Special Meeting”) is required, each Independent Trustee will receive a fee of $2,500 per Special Meeting, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred, to be paid by the relevant series of the Trust or its investment adviser depending on the circumstances necessitating the Special Meeting. None of the executive officers receive compensation from the Trust.

 

50  
 

 

The table below detail the amount of compensation the Trustees received from the Fund during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. The Trust does not have a bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement plan.

 

Name and Position Issachar Fund Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement Total Compensation From Fund Complex* Paid to Trustees
James U. Jensen $2,216.50 None None $2,216.50
Patricia Luscombe $2,216.50 None None $2,216.50
John V. Palancia $2,955.33 None None $2,955.33
Mark H. Taylor $2,709.05 None None $2,709.05
Jeffery D. Young $2,216.50 None None $2,216.50

 

* There are currently numerous series comprising the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” refers only to the Funds, and not to any other series of the Trust. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, the aggregate independent Trustees’ fees paid by the entire Trust were $435,000.

 

Trustees' Ownership of Shares in the Funds . As of December 31, 2018, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts in the Funds:

 

 Name of Trustee Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies*
James U. Jensen None $10,001-$50,000
Patricia Luscombe None $10,001-$50,000
John V. Palancia None $10,001-$50,000
Mark H. Taylor None $1-$10,000
Jeffery D. Young None None

* The "Family of Investment Companies" includes the following registered management investment companies in addition to the Trust: Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust IV and Northern Lights Variable Trust.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


 

The financial statements of the Fund and the independent registered public accounting firm’s report appearing in the Annual Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 are incorporated by reference. You can obtain a copy of the financial statements contained in the Fund's Annual or Semi-Annual Report without charge by calling the Fund at 1-866-787-8355.

51  
 

APPENDIX A

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

HORIZON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

Proxy Voting. HCM serves as investment adviser to certain investment companies under the Northern Lights Fund Trust III. These funds invest in other investment companies and exchange traded funds that are not affiliated (“Underlying Funds”) and are required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) to handle proxies received from Underlying Funds in a certain manner. Notwithstanding the guidelines provided in these procedures, it is the policy of HCM to vote all proxies received from the Underlying Funds in the same proportion that all shares of the Underlying Funds are voted. After properly voted, the proxy materials are placed in a file maintained by the Chief Compliance Officer for future reference.

52  
 

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits.

 

(a) Articles of Incorporation.

 

(i) Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 30, 2011, is incorporated by reference.

 

(i) Registrant’s Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated May 30, 2019, is filed herewith.

 

(ii) Certificate of Trust, which was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 30, 2011, is incorporated by reference.

 

(b) By-Laws. Registrant's By-Laws as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holder. None other than in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Registrant.

 

(d) Investment Advisory Contracts.

  

(i) Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund as previously filed on November 13, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 17, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP, and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on December 17, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii)(b) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund as previously filed on December 26, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 24, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii)(b) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Gratus Capital, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Marathon Value Portfolio as previously filed on January 18, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 314, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) (a) Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between Gratus Capital, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Marathon Value Portfolio as previously filed on January 8, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 313, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Investment Advisory Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Sherman Tactical Allocation Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 51, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund as previously filed on September 23, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 70, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Investment Advisory Agreement between First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to The Teberg Fund as previously filed on December 13, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 86, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Investment Advisory Agreement between RESQ Investment Partners, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund as previously filed on December 13, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 85, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(x)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between RESQ Investment Partners, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund as previously filed on February 26, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 236, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Horizon Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Issachar Fund as previously filed on February 10, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 93, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 25, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 107, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xii) (a) Second Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant with respect to Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund, Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund and Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund as previously filed on July 28, 2017 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 300, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xii) (b) Third Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant with respect to Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 25, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 404, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

 

(xiii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and the Registrant with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiii)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and the Registrant with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 113 under the 1940 Act, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 130, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv)(a) Third Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant with respect to Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund as previously filed on July 24, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 341, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv)(b) Fourth Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant with respect to Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund as previously filed on October 26, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 352, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on September 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Stamen in Post-Effective Amendment No. 203, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on December 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 143, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvii)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc., and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii)(a) Amendment to the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc., and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund and Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xix) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc., and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xx) Investment Advisory Agreement between Ascendant Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund, as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund, as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund, as previously filed on June 2, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxii)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxii)(b) Second Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 25, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 404, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial LLC and Registrant with respect to the Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund and Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund as previously filed on September 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Stamen in Post-Effective Amendment No. 203, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 202, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Absolute Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund as previously filed on December 14, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 373, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvi) Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between Absolute Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund as previously filed on July 24, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 341, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund as previously filed on October 19, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 208, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxviii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund as previously filed on October 27, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 210, and hereby incorporated by reference.

  

(xxix) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC, and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund as previously filed on October 27, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 210, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxx) Investment Advisory Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Short Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and the Registrant with respect to the HCM Income Plus Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxi)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the HCM Income Plus Fund as previously filed on July 24, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 341, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxiii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Municipal Fund as previously filed on May 1, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 338, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxiv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle TrendRating Innovative Equity Fund and Pinnacle Dynamic Growth Fund as previously filed on November 16, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 365, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund as previously filed on November 16, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 364, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxvi) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC, and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund as previously filed on December 14, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 373, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxvii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Ascendant Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to ACM Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on December 21, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 377, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxviii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and Registrant with respect to the HCM Retirement Defender 100 Index ETF and HCM Retirement Defender 500 Index ETF to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(e) Underwriting Contracts.

 

(i) Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. None.

 

(g) Custodial Agreement.

 

(i) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Huntington National Bank as previously filed on August 28, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Union Bank, N.A. as previously filed on August 28, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A. as previously filed on February 10, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 93, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii)(a) Amendment to Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A. as previously filed on May 15, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 113 under the 1940 Act, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and First National Bank of Omaha as previously filed on October 14, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 139, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Fifth Third Bank as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(h) Other Material Contracts.

 

(i) Fund Services Agreement as previously filed on April 9, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund as previously filed on November 13, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 17, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP, and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on December 17, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii)(a) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP, and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii)(b) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP, and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Core U.S. Fund as previously filed on December 26, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 24, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

 

(iv)(a) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Core U.S. Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Expense Limitation Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Sherman Tactical Allocation Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 51, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi)(a) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective No. 163, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi)(b) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund as previously filed on September 23, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 70, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii)(a) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Expense Limitation Agreement between First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to The Teberg Fund as previously filed on December 13, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 86, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Expense Limitation Agreement between RESQ Investment Partners, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund as previously filed on January 8, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 313, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Expense Limitation Agreement between Horizon Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Issachar Fund as previously filed on February 27, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 98, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 25, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 107, and hereby incorporated by reference .

 

(xii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 113 under the 1940 Act, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xii)(a) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund as previously filed on January 22, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 379, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 130, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and Registrant, with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on September 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 203, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on December 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 143, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Ascendant Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii)(a) First Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund as previously filed on April 25, 2019 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 404, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xix) Expense Limitation Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund as previously filed on June 2, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xx) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund as previously filed on July 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 177, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund as previously filed on July 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 177, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 202, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Absolute Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund as previously filed on October 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 207, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund as previously filed on October 19, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 208, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxv) Consulting Services Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC, as previously filed on July 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 177, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC and Registrant with respect of the Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund as previously filed on October 27, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 210, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii)(a) First Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii)(b) Second Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on October 29, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 355, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii)(c) Third Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on February 27, 2019 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 401, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxviii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and Registrant, with respect to the HCM Income Plus Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxix) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxx) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Municipal Fund as previously filed on May 1, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 338, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle TrendRating Innovative Equity Fund and Pinnacle Dynamic Growth Fund as previously filed on November 16, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 365, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund as previously filed on November 2, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 356, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxiii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund as previously filed on November 16, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 364, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxiv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Ascendant Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the ACM Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on December 21, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 377, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and Registrant, with respect to the HCM Income Plus Fund to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(xxxvi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and Registrant, with respect to the HCM Retirement Defender 100 Index ETF and HCM Retirement Defender 500 Index ETF to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(i) Legal Consent is filed herewith.

 

(j) Other Opinions. Consent of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is filed herewith.

 

(k) Omitted Financial Statements. None.

 

(l) Initial Capital Agreements. None.

 

(m) Rule 12b-1 Plans.

 

(i) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A Shares as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(i)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A Shares as previously filed on December 21, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 377, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class C Shares as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class C Shares as previously filed on November 16, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 364, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class N Shares as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for No-Load Shares as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Non-Designated Class as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class R Shares as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

 

(vi)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class R as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A1 as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Investor Class Shares as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Investor Class Shares as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(n)       (i) Rule 18f-3 Plan as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(i)(a) Amended and Restated Appendix A to Rule 18f-3 Plan is filed herewith.

 

(o) Reserved.

 

(p) Code of Ethics.

 

(i) Code of Ethics for the Trust as previously filed on April 25, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 337, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Code of Ethics for Northern Lights Distributors, LLC as previously filed on October 26, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 352, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Code of Ethics of Swan Capital Management, Inc. as previously filed on June 8, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 4, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Code of Ethics of Persimmon Capital Management LP as previously filed on December 14, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 373, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Code of Ethics of Good Harbor Financial, LLC is filed herewith.  

 

(vi) Code of Ethics of Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC as previously filed on May 15, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 51, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Code of Ethics of Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC as previously filed on July 26, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 298, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Code of Ethics of First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. as previously filed on April 25, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 337, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

  (ix) Code of Ethics of RESQ Investment Partners, LLC as previously filed on October 26, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 352, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Code of Ethics of Horizon Capital Management, Inc. as previously filed on April 25, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 337, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC is filed herewith.

 

(xii) Code of Ethics of Howard Capital Management, Inc. as previously filed on July 26, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 298, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiii) Code of Ethics of Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC as previously filed on April 25, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 337, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv) Code of Ethics of Ascendant Capital Management, LLC as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv) Code of Ethics of Swan Global Management, LLC as previously filed on January 22, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 221, and hereby incorporated by reference.

  

(xvi) Code of Ethics of Absolute Capital Management, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(xvii) Code of Ethics of Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC as previously filed on December 14, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 373, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii) Code of Ethics for Gratus Capital, LLC as previously filed on April 25, 2018 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 337, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(q) Powers of Attorney.

 

(i) Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each executive officer, as previously filed on May 30, 2013 to the Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 53, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Power of Attorney for each trustee as previously filed on February 26, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 159, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, for Brian Curley as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each executive officer, as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

Item 29. Control Persons. None.

 

Item 30. Indemnification.

 

Generally, certain of the agreements with the Trust, or related to the Trust, provide indemnification of the Trust’s Trustees, officers, the underwriter, and certain Trust affiliates.  Insurance carried by the Trust provides indemnification of the Trustees and officers.  The details of these sources of indemnification and insurance follow.

 

Article VIII, Section 2(a) of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that to the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act of 2002, the officers and Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any act or omission of: any agent or employee of the Trust; any investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust; or with respect to each Trustee and officer, the act or omission of any other Trustee or officer, respectively. The Trust, out of the Trust Property, is required to indemnify and hold harmless each and every officer and Trustee from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever arising out of or related to such officer’s or Trustee’s performance of his or her duties as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a person serves as a Trustee or officer of the Trust whether or not such person is a Trustee or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted. Nothing contained in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust indemnifies, holds harmless or protects any officer or Trustee from or against any liability to the Trust or any shareholder to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

 

Article VIII, Section 2(b) provides that every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or document whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust, the officers 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 such Person’s capacity as Trustee and/or as officer, and such Trustee or officer, as applicable, shall not be personally liable therefore, except as described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of Section 2 of Article VIII.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of Delaware law and the Agreement and Declaration of the Registrant or the By-Laws of the Registrant, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, 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 a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Trust in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement between the Trust and Northern lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), the Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold NLD, its several officers and managers, and any person who controls NLD within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which NLD, its officers and managers, or any such controlling persons, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon: (i) any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact required to be stated in either any Registration Statement or any Prospectus,  (ii) the breach of any representations, warranties or obligations set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, (iii) any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus or necessary to make the statements in any of them not misleading, (iv) the Trust’s  failure to maintain an effective Registration statement and Prospectus with respect to Shares of the Funds that are the subject of the claim or demand, (v) the Trust’s failure to provide NLD with advertising or sales materials to be filed with the FINRA on a timely basis, (vi) the Trust’s failure to properly register Fund Shares under applicable state laws, or (vii) reasonable actions taken by NLD resulting from NLD’s reliance on instructions received from an officer, agent or legal counsel of the Trust.

 

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, NLD agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Trust, its several officers and Board members, and any person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the Trust, its officers or Board members, or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or under common law or otherwise, but only to the extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Trust , its officers or Board members, or such controlling person results from such claims or demands: (i) arising out of or based upon any sales literature, advertisements, information, statements or representations made by NLD and unauthorized by the Trust or any Disqualifying Conduct in connection with the offering and sale of any Shares, or (ii) arising out of or based upon any untrue, or alleged untrue, statement of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by NLD to the Fund  specifically for use in the Trust’s  Registration Statement and used in the answers to any of the items of the Registration Statement or in the corresponding statements made in the Prospectus, or shall arise out of or be based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact in connection with such information furnished in writing by NLD to the Trust  and required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such information not misleading.  

 

The Registrant maintains a mutual fund directors and officers liability policy. The policy, under certain circumstances, such as the inability of the Trust to indemnify Trustees and officers provides coverage to Trustees and officers.  Coverage under the policy would include losses by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement, neglect or certain breaches of duty.

 

Generally, each management agreement or investment advisory agreement provides that neither the adviser nor any director, manager, officer or employee of the adviser performing services for the Trust at the direction or request of the adviser in connection with the adviser's discharge of its obligations under the agreement shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with any matter to which the agreement relates, and the adviser shall not be responsible for any action of the Trustees of the Trust in following or declining to follow any advice or recommendation of the adviser or any sub-adviser retained by the adviser pursuant to Section 9 of the agreement; PROVIDED, that nothing contained in the agreement shall be construed (i) to protect the adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which the adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of the adviser's duties, or by reason of the adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the agreement, or (ii) to protect any director, manager, officer or employee of the adviser who is or was a Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability of the Trust or its shareholders to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person's office with the Trust.  Additionally, generally, each sub-advisory agreement provides that the subadviser shall indemnify the adviser, the Trust and each Fund, and their respective affiliates and controlling persons for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses, which the adviser, the Trust and/or the Fund and their respective affiliates and controlling persons may sustain as a result of the subadviser's willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.  Generally, each sub-advisory agreement provides that adviser shall indemnify the subadviser, its affiliates and its controlling persons, for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, which may be sustained as a result of the adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.

 

  Item 31. Activities of Investment Advisor and Sub-Advisor.

 

Certain information pertaining to the business and other connections of each Advisor of each series of the Trust is hereby incorporated herein by reference to the section of the respective Prospectus captioned "Investment Advisor" and to the section of the respective Statement of Additional Information captioned "Investment Advisory and Other Services." The information required by this Item 31 with respect to each director, officer or partner of each Advisor is incorporated by reference to the Advisor's Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration ("Form ADV") on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Each Advisor's Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov, and may be requested by File No. as follows:

 

Swan Capital Management, LLC the Advisor of the Swan Defined Risk Fund, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund, Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund and Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund – File No. 801-76701.

 

Swan Global Management, LLC, a Sub-Adviser of the Swan Defined Risk Fund, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund, Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund and Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund – File No. 801-80552.

 

Persimmon Capital Management, LP, the Adviser of the Persimmon Long/Short Fund – File No. 801-56210.

 

Good Harbor Financial, LLC, the Adviser of the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund, Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund, Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund, Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund and Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund – File No. 801-71064.

 

Gratus Capital, LLC, the Adviser of the Marathon Value Portfolio – File No. 801-40286.

 

Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC, the Adviser of the Pinnacle Sherman Tactical Allocation Fund, Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund, Pinnacle TrendRating Innovative Equity Fund and Pinnacle Dynamic Growth Fund – File No. 801-78013.

 

Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC, the Adviser of The Covered Bridge Fund– File No. 801-53760.

 

First Associated Investment Advisors, the Adviser of The Teberg Fund – File No. 801-60972.

 

RESQ Investment Partners, LLC, the Adviser of the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund – File No. 801-78822.

  

Horizon Capital Management, Inc., the Adviser of the Issachar Fund – File No. 801-26038.

 

Newfound Research LLC the Adviser of the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund, Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund and Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund – File No. 801-73042.

 

Howard Capital Management, Inc. the Adviser of the HCM Tactical Growth Fund, HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund, and HCM Income Plus Fund – File No. 801-69763.

 

Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC the Adviser of the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund, Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund, Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund and Counterpoint Tactical Municipal Fund – File No. 801-80197.

 

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC the Adviser of ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund and ACM Tactical Income Fund – File No. 801-80770.

 

Absolute Capital Management, LLC the Adviser of Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund – File No. 801-61336.

 

Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC the Adviser of Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fund – File No. 801-57468.

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriter.

(a) NLD is the principal underwriter for all series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III. NLD also acts as principal underwriter for the following:

 

AdvisorOne Funds, Arrow ETF Trust, Arrow Investments Trust, Centerstone Investors Trust, Copeland Trust, Equinox Funds Trust, Miller Investment Trust, Destra Multi-Alternative Fund, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, North Country Funds, Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust III, Northern Lights Fund Trust IV, Northern Lights Variable Trust, OCM Mutual Fund, PREDEX, The Saratoga Advantage Trust, Tributary Funds, Inc.

 

(b) NLD is registered with Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The principal business address of NLD is 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. NLD is an affiliate of Gemini Fund Services, LLC and is a subsidiary of The Ultimus Group, LLC and companies controlled by it. The following are the officers of NLD:

 

Name Positions and Offices with Underwriter Positions and Offices with the Trust
William J. Strait President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Manager None
Daniel Applegarth Treasurer and Financial Operations Principal None
Janelle Hardy Vice President, Compliance None
Mike Nielsen Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer None
Kevin Wolf Manager None
David Young Manager None
Mike Wagner Manager None

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

 

All accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by the Registrant pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 thereunder are maintained at the office of the Registrant, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Principal Underwriter, Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant, Administrator and Custodian at the addresses stated in the SAI.

 

Swan Capital Management, LLC 1099 Main Ave., Ste. 260, Durango, CO 81301, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund, Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund and Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund.

 

Persimmon Capital Management, LP, 1777 Sentry Parkway, Gwynedd Hall, Suite 102, Blue Bell, PA 19422 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund.

 

Good Harbor Financial, LLC, 330 East Main Street, Third Floor, Barrington, IL 60010, pursuant to the Advisory Agreements with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund, Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund, Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund, Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund and Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund.

 

Gratus Capital, LLC, 3350 Riverwood Parkway, Suite 1550, Atlanta, GA, 30339 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Marathon Value Portfolio.

 

Pinnacle Family Advisors, LLC, 620 W. Republic Road, Suite 104, Springfield, MO 65810 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Pinnacle Sherman Tactical Allocation Fund, Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund, Pinnacle TrendRating Innovative Equity Fund and Pinnacle Dynamic Growth Fund.

 

Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC, 2550 University Avenue West, Suite 180 South, Saint Paul, MN 55114 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund.

 

First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc., 5161 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The Teberg Fund.

 

RESQ Investment Partners, LLC 9383 East Bahia Drive, Suite 120, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to RESQ Dynamic Allocation Fund and RESQ Strategic Income Fund.

 

Horizon Capital Management, Inc. 106 Valerie Drive, Lafayette, LA 70508 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Issachar Fund.

 

Newfound Research LLC, 425 Boylston Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02116 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund, Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund and Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund.

 

Howard Capital Management, Inc., 1145 Hembree Road, Rosewell, GA 30076 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund, HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund and HCM Income Plus Fund.

 

Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC 12760 High Bluff Drive, Suite 280, San Diego, CA 92130 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund, Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund, Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund and Counterpoint Tactical Municipal Fund.

 

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90024 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund and ACM Tactical Income Fund.

 

Swan Global Management, LLC 41 Shell Castle, Humacao, PR 00791 pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Swan Capital Management, Inc., maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Swan Defined Risk, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund, Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund and Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund.

 

Absolute Capital Management, LLC 101 Pennsylvania Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund.

 

Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC 1301 East 9 th Street, Suite 2900, Cleveland, OH 44114 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fund.

 

Item 34. Management Services. Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings. The Registrant undertakes that each Subsidiary and each Director of each Subsidiary hereby consents to service of process within the United States, and to examination of its books and records.

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Hauppauge, and State of New York, on the 7th day of June, 2019.

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

 

By: /s/ Richard Malinowski

Richard Malinowski, President

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the dates indicated.

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

Name Title
/s/ Richard Malinowski President
Brian Curley* Treasurer
James U. Jensen* Independent Trustee
Patricia Luscombe* Independent Trustee
John V. Palancia* Independent Trustee
Mark H. Taylor* Independent Trustee
Jeffery D. Young* Independent Trustee

 

*By: Date:
/s/ Eric D. Kane June 7, 2019
Eric D. Kane, Esq.  

 

*Attorney-in-Fact – Pursuant to Powers of Attorney as previously filed February 26, 2015, June 17, 2016 and October 25, 2017.

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Exhibit No.
Registrant’s Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated May 30, 2019 (a)(i)
Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (e)(i)
Legal Consent (i)
Consent of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (j)
Amended and Restated Appendix A to Rule 18f-3 (n)(i)(a)
Code of Ethics of Good Harbor Financial, LLC (p)(v)
Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC (p)(xi)
Code of Ethics of Absolute Capital Management, LLC (p)(xvi)

 

 

 

 

 

AMENDED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST

 

of

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

 

a Delaware Statutory Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
ARTICLE I.  Name and Definitions 2
Section 1   Name . 2
Section 2.  Registered Agent and Registered Office; Principal Place of Business. 2
(a)    Registered Agent and Registered Office . 2
(b)    Principal Place of Business . 2
Section 3.  Definitions 2
(a)   “ 1940 Act 2
(b)   “ Affiliated Person 2
(c)   “ Assignment ”. 2
(d)   “ Board of Trustees 2
(e)   “ By-Laws 2
(f)   “ Certificate of Trust 3
(g)   “ Code 3
(h)   “ Commission 3
(i)   “ Delaware Act 3
(j)   “ Declaration of Trust 3
(k)   “ General Liabilities 3
(l)   “ Interested Person 3
(m)   “ Investment Adviser ” or “ Adviser 3
(n)   “ Majority Shareholder Vote 3
(o)   “ National Financial Emergency 3
(p)   “ Person 3
(q)   “ Principal Underwriter 4
(r)   “ Series 4
(s)   “ Shares 4
(t)   “ Shareholder 4
(u)   “ Trust 4
(v)   “ Trust Property 4
(w)   “ Trustee ” or “ Trustees ”. 4
ARTICLE II.  Purpose of Trust 4
ARTICLE III.  Shares 8
Section 1.  Division of Beneficial Interest . 8
Section 2.  Ownership of Shares 9
Section 3.  Investments in the Trust 9
Section 4.  Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability 10

 

 
 

 

Section 5.  Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares 10
Section 6.  Establishment and Designation of Series 11
(a)    Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series 11
(b)    Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series 12
(c)    Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases 13
(d)    Voting 13
(e)    Equality 13
(f)    Fractions 13
(g)    Exchange Privilege 13
(h)    Combination of Series 14
(i)    Elimination of Series 14
Section 7.  Indemnification of Shareholders 14
ARTICLE IV.  The Board of Trustees 14
Section 1.  Number, Election and Tenure 14
Section 2.  Effect of Death, Resignation, Removal, etc.  of a Trustee 15
Section 3.  Powers 15
Section 4.  Chairman of the Trustees 17
Section 5.  Payment of Expenses by the Trust 17
Section 6.  Payment of Expenses by Shareholders 17
Section 7.  Ownership of Trust Property 17
Section 8.  Service Contracts. 18
ARTICLE V.  Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings 19
Section 1.  Voting Powers 19
Section 2.  Meetings 19
Section 3.  Quorum and Required Vote 20
Section 4.  Shareholder Action by Written Consent without a Meeting 20
Section 5.  Record Dates 21
Section 6. Derivative Actions 21
Section 7.  Additional Provisions 22
ARTICLE VI.  Custodian 22
Section 1.  Appointment and Duties 22
Section 2.  Central Certificate System 22
ARTICLE VII.  Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions 23
Section 1.  Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions 23
Section 2.  Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder 23
Section 3.  Redemptions at the Option of the Trust 25

 

 

 
 

 

ARTICLE VIII.  Compensation and Limitation of Liability of Officers and Trustees 25
Section 1.  Compensation 25
Section 2.  Indemnification and Limitation of Liability. 25
Section 3.  Officers and Trustees’ Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety 26
Section 4.  Insurance 26
ARTICLE IX.  Miscellaneous 26
Section 1.  Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees 26
Section 2.  Dissolution of Trust or Series 26
Section 3.  Merger and Consolidation; Conversion . 27
(a)    Merger and Consolidation . 27
(b)    Conversion 27
Section 4.  Reorganization 28
Section 5.  Amendments 28
Section 6.  Filing of Copies, References, Headings 29
Section 7.  Applicable Law 29
Section 8.  Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations. 30
Section 9.  Statutory Trust Only 30
Section 10.  Fiscal Year 33

 

 
 

 

AMENDED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST

 

OF

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III

 

 

AMENDED AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made this 5th day of December 2011, as amended on October 2, 2012 and May 30, 2019 by the Trustees hereunder, and by the holders of shares of beneficial interest to be issued hereunder as hereinafter provided. This Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust shall be effective upon the filing of the Certificate of Trust in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS this Trust has been formed to carry on the business of an investment company; and

 

WHEREAS this Trust is authorized to issue its shares of beneficial interest in separate Series, and to issue classes of Shares of any Series or divide Shares of any Series into two or more classes, all in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth; and

 

WHEREAS the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into their hands as trustees of a Delaware business trust in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act of 2002 (12 Del. C. §3801, et seq. ), as from time to time amended and including any successor statute of similar import (the “DSTA”), and the provisions hereinafter set forth.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby declare that they will hold all cash, securities and other assets which they may from time to time acquire in any manner as Trustees hereunder IN TRUST to manage and dispose of the same upon the following terms and conditions for the benefit of the holders from time to time of shares of beneficial interest in this Trust and the Series created hereunder as hereinafter set forth.

 

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ARTICLE I

Name and Definitions .

 

 

Section 1. Name . The name of the Trust hereby created is “ Northern Lights Fund Trust III ” and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name, or any other name as they may from time to time determine.

 

Section 2. Registered Agent and Registered Office; Principal Place of Business.

 

(a)        Registered Agent and Registered Office . The name of the registered agent of the Trust and the address of the registered office of the Trust are as set forth on the Certificate of Trust.

 

(b)        Principal Place of Business . The principal place of business of the Trust is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 or such other location within or outside of the State of Delaware as the Board of Trustees may determine from time to time.

 

Section 3. Definitions . Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically provided:

 

(a)       “ 1940 Act ” shall mean the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as adopted or amended from time to time;

 

(b)       “ Affiliated Person ” shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act when used with reference to a specified Person;

(c)       “ Assignment ” shall have the meaning given in the 1940 Act, as modified by or interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Commission or any rules or regulations adopted or interpretive releases of the Commission thereunder.

(d)       “ Board of Trustees ” shall mean the governing body of the Trust, which is comprised of the Trustees of the Trust;

 

(e)       “ By-Laws ” shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust, as amended from time to time in accordance with Article X of the By-Laws, and incorporated herein by reference;

 

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(f)       “ Certificate of Trust ” shall mean the certificate of trust filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required under the DSTA to form the Trust;

 

(g)       “ Code ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder;

 

(h)       “ Commission ” shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(7) of the 1940 Act;

 

(i)       The “ Delaware Act ” refers to Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code entitled “Treatment of Delaware Statutory Trusts,” as it may be amended from time to time;

 

(j)       “ Declaration of Trust ” shall mean this Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended or restated from time to time;

 

(k)       “ General Liabilities ” shall have the meaning given it in Article III, Section 6(b) of this Declaration Trust;

 

(l)       “ Interested Person ” shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act;

 

(m)       “ Investment Adviser ” or “ Adviser ” shall mean a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any contract described in Article IV, Section 7(a) hereof;

 

(n)       “ Majority Shareholder Vote ” shall have the same meaning as the term “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” is given in the 1940 Act, as modified by or interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Commission or any rules or regulations adopted or interpretive releases of the Commission thereunder;

 

(o)       “ National Financial Emergency ” shall mean the whole or any part of any period set forth in Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act. The Board of Trustees may, in its discretion, declare that the suspension relating to a national financial emergency shall terminate, as the case may be, on the first business day on which the New York Stock Exchange shall have reopened or the period specified in Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act shall have expired (as to which, in the absence of an official ruling by the Commission, the determination of the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive);

 

(p)       “ Person ” shall include a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, trust, estate, association, corporation, custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity;

 

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(q)       “ Principal Underwriter ” shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(29) of the 1940 Act;

 

(r)       “ Series ” means a series of Shares of the Trust established in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6;

 

(s)       “ Shares ” shall mean the outstanding shares of beneficial interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, and shall include fractional and whole shares;

 

(t)       “ Shareholder ” shall mean a record owner of Shares;

 

(u)       “ Trust ” shall refer to the Delaware statutory trust established by this Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time;

 

(v)       “ Trust Property ” shall mean any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or one or more of any Series, including, without limitation, the rights referenced in Article VIII, Section 2 hereof;

 

(w)       “ Trustee ” or “ Trustees ” shall refer to each signatory to this Declaration of Trust as a trustee, so long as such signatory continues in office in accordance with the terms hereof, and all other Persons who may, from time to time, be duly elected or appointed, qualified and serving on the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof. Reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such Person or Persons in their capacity as Trustees hereunder.

 

ARTICLE II

Purpose of Trust .

 

The purpose of the Trust is to conduct, operate and carry on the business of a registered management investment company registered under the 1940 Act through one or more Series investing primarily in securities and, in addition to any authority given by law, to exercise all of the powers and to do any and all of the things as fully and to the same extent as any private corporation organized for profit under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware, now or hereafter in force, including, without limitation, the following powers:

 

(a)       To invest and reinvest cash, to hold cash uninvested, and to subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, mortgage, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise deal in or dispose of contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of fixed income or other securities, and securities or property of every nature and kind, including, without limitation, all types of bonds, debentures, stocks, preferred stocks, negotiable

4  
 

or non-negotiable instruments, obligations, evidences of indebtedness, certificates of deposit or indebtedness, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, bankers’ acceptances, and other securities of any kind, issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including, without limitation, states, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, any foreign government or any political subdivision of the U.S. Government or any foreign government, or any international instrumentality, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization organized under any foreign law, or in “when issued” contracts for any such securities, to change the investments of the assets of the Trust;

 

(b)       To exercise any and all rights, powers and privileges with reference to or incident to ownership or interest, use and enjoyment of any of such securities and other instruments or property of every kind and description, including, but without limitation, the right, power and privilege to own, vote, hold, purchase, sell, negotiate, assign, exchange, lend, transfer, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, pledge or write options with respect to or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy any rights, title, interest, powers or privileges under or with reference to any of such securities and other instruments or property, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons, to exercise any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of said instruments, and to do any and all acts and things for the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of any of such securities and other instruments or property;

 

(c)       To sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease or write options with respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating to any or all of the assets of the Trust or any Series, subject to any requirements of the 1940 Act;

 

(d)       To vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with respect to stock or other securities or property; and to execute and deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such person or persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such person or persons such power and discretion with relation to securities or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;

 

(e)       To exercise powers and right of subscription or otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities;

 

(f)       To hold any security or property in a form not indicating that it is trust property, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own name or in the name of a custodian or subcustodian or a nominee or nominees or otherwise or to authorize the custodian or a subcustodian or a nominee or nominees to deposit the same in a securities depository, subject in each case to proper safeguards according to the usual practice of investment companies or any rules or

 

5  
 

regulations applicable thereto;

 

(g)       To consent to, or participate in, any plan for the reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer of any security which is held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by such corporation or issuer; and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the Trust;

 

(h)       To join with other security holders in acting through a committee, depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper;

 

(i)       To compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the Trust or any matter in controversy, including but not limited to claims for taxes;

 

(j)       To enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and any other combinations or associations;

 

(k)       To endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations of any Person; to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or otherwise assume liability for payment thereof;

 

(l)       To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance as the Trustees may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets of the Trust or payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent contractors of the Trust, individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding Shares, holding, being or having held any such office or position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted by any such Person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, or independent contractor, to the fullest extent permitted by this Amended Declaration of Trust, the By-laws and by applicable law; and

 

(m)       To adopt, establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans, trusts and provisions, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all of the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust.

6  
 

(n)       To purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, sell, negotiate, exchange, assign, transfer, mortgage, pledge or otherwise deal with, dispose of, use, exercise or enjoy, property of all kinds.

 

(o)       To buy, sell, mortgage, encumber, hold, own, exchange, rent or otherwise acquire and dispose of, and to develop, improve, manage, subdivide, and generally to deal and trade in real property, improved and unimproved, and wheresoever situated; and to build, erect, construct, alter and maintain buildings, structures, and other improvements on real property.

 

(p)       To borrow or raise moneys for any of the purposes of the Trust, and to mortgage or pledge the whole or any part of the property and franchises of the Trust, real, personal, and mixed, tangible or intangible, and wheresoever situated.

 

(q)       To enter into, make and perform contracts and undertakings of every kind for any lawful purpose, without limit as to amount.

 

(r)       To issue, purchase, sell and transfer, reacquire, hold, trade and deal in Shares, bonds, debentures and other securities, instruments or other property of the Trust, from time to time, to such extent as the Board of Trustees shall, consistent with the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, determine; and to repurchase, re-acquire and redeem, from time to time, its Shares or, if any, its bonds, debentures and other securities.

 

The Trust shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible dissolution of the Trust or one or more of its Series. The Trust shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present or future law or custom in regard to investment by fiduciaries. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees shall be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets of the Trust or take any other action hereunder.

 

The foregoing clauses shall each be construed as purposes, objects and powers, and it is hereby expressly provided that the foregoing enumeration of specific purposes, objects and powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the powers of the Trust, and that they are in furtherance of, and in addition to, and not in limitation of, the general powers conferred upon the Trust by the DSTA and the other laws of the State of Delaware or otherwise; nor shall the enumeration of one thing be deemed to exclude another, although it be of like nature, not expressed.

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ARTICLE III

Shares

 

Section 1. Division of Beneficial Interest . The beneficial interest in the Trust shall at all times be divided into Shares, all without par value. The number of Shares authorized hereunder is unlimited. The Board of Trustees may authorize the division of Shares into separate and distinct Series and the division of any Series into separate classes of Shares. The different Series and classes shall be established and designated, and the variations in the relative rights and preferences as between the different Series and classes shall be fixed and determined by the Board of Trustees without the requirement of Shareholder approval. If no separate Series or classes shall be established, the Shares shall have the rights and preferences provided for herein and in Article III, Section 6 hereof to the extent relevant and not otherwise provided for herein, and all references to Series and classes shall be construed (as the context may require) to refer to the Trust. The fact that a Series shall have initially been established and designated without any specific establishment or designation of classes (i.e., that all Shares of such Series are initially of a single class) shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate separate classes of said Series. The fact that a Series shall have more than one established and designated class, shall not limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to establish and designate additional classes of said Series, or to establish and designate separate classes of the previously established and designated classes.

 

The Board of Trustees shall have the power to issue Shares of the Trust, or any Series or class thereof, from time to time for such consideration (but not less than the net asset value thereof) and in such form as may be fixed from time to time pursuant to the direction of the Board of Trustees.

 

The Board of Trustees may hold as treasury shares, reissue for such consideration and on such terms as they may determine, or cancel, at their discretion from time to time, any Shares of any Series reacquired by the Trust. Shares held in the treasury shall not, until reissued, confer any voting rights on the Trustees, nor shall such Shares be entitled to any dividends or other distributions declared with respect to the Shares. The Board of Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued Shares or any Shares previously issued and reacquired of any Series or class into one or more Series or classes that may be established and designated from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust and any Series thereof may acquire, hold, sell and otherwise deal in, for purposes of investment or otherwise, the Shares of any other Series of the Trust or Shares of the Trust, and such Shares shall not be deemed treasury shares or cancelled.

 

8  
 

Subject to the provisions of Section 6 of this Article III, each Share shall have voting rights as provided in Article V hereof, and the Shareholders of any Series shall be entitled to receive dividends and distributions, when, if and as declared with respect thereto in the manner provided in Article IV, Section 3 hereof. No Share shall have any priority or preference over any other Share of the same Series or class with respect to dividends or distributions paid in the ordinary course of business or distributions upon dissolution of the Trust or of such Series or class made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 2 hereof. All dividends and distributions shall be made ratably among all Shareholders of a particular class of Series from the Trust Property held with respect to such Series according to the number of Shares of such class of such Series held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any dividend or distribution. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to subscribe to new or additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust or any Series. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any particular Series into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that Series. Such division or combination may not materially change the proportionate beneficial interests of the Shares of that Series in the Trust Property held with respect to that Series or materially affect the rights of Shares of any other Series.

 

Any Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust, and any organization in which any such Person is interested, may acquire, own, hold and dispose of Shares of the Trust to the same extent as if such Person were not a Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust; and the Trust may issue and sell or cause to be issued and sold and may purchase Shares from any such Person or any such organization subject only to the general limitations, restrictions or other provisions applicable to the sale or purchase of such Shares generally.

 

Section 2. Ownership of Shares . The ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust kept by the Trust or by a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Series and class thereof that has been established and designated. No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The Board of Trustees may make such rules not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act as they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the transfer of Shares of each Series or class and similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are the Shareholders of each Series or class thereof and as to the number of Shares of each Series or class thereof held from time to time by each such Shareholder.

 

Section 3. Investments in the Trust . Investments may be accepted by the Trust from such Persons, at such times, on such terms, and for such consideration as the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, authorize. Each investment shall be credited to the individual Shareholder’s account in the form of full and fractional

9  
 

Shares of the Trust, in such Series or class as the purchaser may select, at the net asset value per Share next determined for such Series or class after receipt of the investment; provided , however , that the Principal Underwriter may, pursuant to its agreement with the Trust, impose a sales charge upon investments in the Trust.

 

Section 4. Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability . Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving to Shareholders only the rights provided in this Declaration of Trust and under applicable law. Every Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof and to have become a party hereto. The death of a Shareholder during the existence of the Trust shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any Series, nor entitle the representative of any deceased Shareholder to an accounting or to take any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees or any Series, but entitles such representative only to the rights of said deceased Shareholder under this Declaration of Trust. Ownership of Shares shall not entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the Trust Property or right to call for a partition or division of the same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the Shareholders as partners. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust, shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholder, nor, except as specifically provided herein, to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay. All Shares when issued on the terms determined by the Board of Trustees shall be fully paid and nonassessable. As provided in the DSTA, Shareholders of the Trust shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of a private corporation organized for profit under the general corporation law of the State of Delaware.

 

Section 5. Power of Board of Trustees to Change Provisions Relating to Shares . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust and without limiting the power of the Board of Trustees to amend this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate of Trust as provided elsewhere herein, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to amend this Declaration of Trust, or the Certificate of Trust, at any time and from time to time, in such manner as the Board of Trustees may determine in its sole discretion, without the need for Shareholder action, so as to add to, delete, replace or otherwise modify any provisions relating to the Shares contained in this Declaration of Trust, provided that before adopting any such amendment without Shareholder approval, the Board of Trustees shall determine that it is consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of all Shareholders and that Shareholder approval is not otherwise required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. If Shares have been issued, Shareholder approval shall be required to adopt any amendments to this Declaration of Trust which would adversely affect to a material degree the rights and preferences of the Shares of any Series or class already issued; provided , however , that in the event that the Board of Trustees determines that the Trust shall no longer be operated as an investment

10  
 

company in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may adopt such amendments to this Declaration of Trust to delete those terms the Board of Trustees identifies as being required by the 1940 Act.

 

Subject to the foregoing Paragraph, the Board of Trustees may amend the Declaration of Trust to amend any of the provisions set forth in paragraphs (a) through (i) of Section 6 of this Article III.

 

The Board of Trustees shall have the power, in its discretion, to make such elections as to the tax status of the Trust as may be permitted or required under the Code as presently in effect or as amended, without the vote of any Shareholder.

 

Section 6. Establishment and Designation of Series . The establishment and designation of any Series or class of Shares shall be effective upon the resolution by a majority of the then Board of Trustees, adopting a resolution which sets forth such establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences of such Series or class. Each such resolution shall be incorporated herein by reference upon adoption.

 

Each Series shall be separate and distinct from any other Series and shall maintain separate and distinct records on the books of the Trust, and the assets and liabilities belonging to any such Series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets and liabilities of the Trust or any other Series.

 

Shares of each Series or class established pursuant to this Section 6, unless otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such Series, shall have the following relative rights and preferences:

 

(a)        Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series . All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably be held with respect to that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors with respect to that Series, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. Such consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived, including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be, are herein referred to as “assets held with respect to” that Series. In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, funds or payments which are not readily identifiable as assets held with respect to any particular Series (collectively “General Assets”), the Board of Trustees shall allocate such General

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Assets to, between or among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, deems fair and equitable, and any General Asset so allocated to a particular Series shall be held with respect to that Series. Each such allocation by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes.

 

(b)        Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series . The assets of the Trust held with respect to each particular Series shall be charged against the liabilities of the Trust held with respect to that Series and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that Series, and any liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as being held with respect to any particular Series (collectively “General Liabilities”) shall be allocated and charged by the Board of Trustees to and among any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as the Board of Trustees in its sole discretion deems fair and equitable. The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves so charged to a Series are herein referred to as “liabilities held with respect to” that Series. Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the Board of Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes. All Persons who have extended credit which has been allocated to a particular Series, or who have a claim or contract that has been allocated to any particular Series, shall look, and shall be required by contract to look exclusively, to the assets of that particular Series for payment of such credit, claim, or contract. In the absence of an express contractual agreement so limiting the claims of such creditors, claimants and contract providers, each creditor, claimant and contract provider will be deemed nevertheless to have impliedly agreed to such limitation unless an express provision to the contrary has been incorporated in the written contract or other document establishing the claimant relationship.

 

Subject to the right of the Board of Trustees in its discretion to allocate General Liabilities as provided herein, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Series, whether such Series is now authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust or is hereafter authorized and existing pursuant to this Declaration of Trust, shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to that Series only, and not against the assets of any other Series or the Trust generally and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Trust generally or any other Series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to such Series. Notice of this limitation on liabilities between and among Series shall be set forth in the Certificate of Trust of the Trust (whether originally or by amendment) as filed or to be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DSTA, and upon the giving of such notice in the Certificate of Trust, the statutory provisions of Section 3804 of the DSTA relating to limitations on liabilities between and among Series (and the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in the Certificate

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of Trust) shall become applicable to the Trust and each Series.

 

(c)        Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, including, without limitation, Article VI, no dividend or distribution including, without limitation, any distribution paid upon dissolution of the Trust or of any Series with respect to, nor any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any Series or class shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect to such Series, nor, except as specifically provided in Section 7 of this Article III, shall any Shareholder of any particular Series otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series or the Trust generally except to the extent that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series. The Board of Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital; and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.

 

(d)        Voting . All Shares of the Trust entitled to vote on a matter shall vote on the matter, separately by Series and, if applicable, by class, subject to: (1) where the 1940 Act requires all Shares of the Trust to be voted in the aggregate without differentiation between the separate Series or classes, then all of the Trust’s Shares shall vote in the aggregate; and (2) if any matter affects only the interests of some but not all Series or classes, then only the Shareholders of such affected Series or classes shall be entitled to vote on the matter.

 

(e)        Equality . All Shares of each particular Series shall represent an equal proportionate undivided beneficial interest in the assets held with respect to that Series (subject to the liabilities held with respect to that Series and such rights and preferences as may have been established and designated with respect to classes of Shares within such Series), and each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to each other Share of that Series (subject to the rights and preferences with respect to separate classes of such Series).

 

(f)        Fractions . Any fractional Share of a Series shall carry proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of that Series, including rights with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares and dissolution of the Trust or that Series.

 

 

(g)        Exchange Privilege . The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to provide that the holders of Shares of any Series shall have the right to exchange said Shares for Shares of one or more other Series in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may be established by the Board of Trustees, and in accordance with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

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(h)        Combination of Series . The Board of Trustees shall have the authority, without the approval of the Shareholders of any Series unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and liabilities held with respect to any two or more Series into assets and liabilities held with respect to a single Series.

 

(i)        Elimination of Series . At any time that there are no Shares outstanding of any particular Series or class previously established and designated, the Board of Trustees may by resolution of a majority of the then Board of Trustees abolish that Series or class and rescind the establishment and designation thereof.

 

Section 7. Indemnification of Shareholders . If any Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be exposed to liability by reason of a claim or demand relating solely to his or her being or having been a Shareholder of the Trust (or by having been a Shareholder of a particular Series), and not because of such Person’s acts or omissions, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or, in the case of a natural person, his or her heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled to be held harmless from and indemnified out of the assets of the Trust or out of the assets of the applicable Series (as the case may be) against all loss and expense arising from such claim or demand; provided , however , there shall be no liability or obligation of the Trust (or any particular Series) arising hereunder to reimburse any Shareholder for taxes paid by reason of such Shareholder’s ownership of any Shares.

 

ARTICLE IV


The Board of Trustees

 

Section 1. Number, Election and Tenure . The number of Trustees constituting the Board of Trustees may be fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed, or by resolution approved at a duly constituted meeting, by a majority of the Board of Trustees, provided, however, that the number of Trustees shall in no event be less than one (1) nor more than fifteen (15). The initial Trustee shall be the person named herein. The Board of Trustees, by action of a majority of the then Trustees at a duly constituted meeting, may fill vacancies in the Board of Trustees or remove any Trustee with or without cause. The Shareholders may elect Trustees, including filling any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, at any meeting of Shareholders called by the Board of Trustees for that purpose. A meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more Trustees may be called by the Board of Trustees or, to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, by the Shareholders. Shareholders shall have the power to remove a Trustee only to the extent provided by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

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Each Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or is removed, or, if sooner than any of such events, until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees and until the election and qualification of his or her successor. Any Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to any officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Board of Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some later time. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period following any such event or any right to damages on account of such events or any actions taken in connection therewith following his or her resignation or removal.

 

Section 2. Effect of Death, Resignation, Removal, etc. of a Trustee . The death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, declaration as bankrupt or incapacity of one or more Trustees, or of all of them, shall not operate to dissolve the Trust or any Series or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust. Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled as provided in this Article IV, Section 1, the Trustee(s) in office, regardless of the number, shall have all the powers granted to the Board of Trustees and shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Board of Trustees by this Declaration of Trust. In the event of the death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, declaration as bankrupt or incapacity of all of the then Trustees, the Trust’s Investment Adviser(s) is (are) empowered to appoint new Trustees subject to the provisions of Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act.

 

Section 3. Powers . Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees shall manage the business of the Trust, and such Board of Trustees shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility, including, without limitation, the power to engage in securities or other transactions of all kinds on behalf of the Trust. The Board of Trustees shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts and instruments that it may consider necessary or appropriate in connection with the administration of the Trust. The Trustees shall not be bound or limited by present or future laws or customs with regard to investment by trustees or fiduciaries, but shall have full authority and absolute power and control over the assets of the Trust and the business of the Trust to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the assets of the Trust and the business in their own right, including such authority, power and control to do all acts and things as they, in their sole discretion, shall deem proper to accomplish the purposes of this Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees may: (1) adopt, amend and repeal By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the regulation and management of the affairs of the Trust; (2) fill vacancies in or remove from their number in accordance with this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, and may elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such

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agents as they consider appropriate; (3) appoint from their own number and establish and terminate one or more committees consisting of two or more Trustees which may exercise the powers and authority of the Board of Trustees to the extent that the Board of Trustees determine; (4) employ one or more custodians of the Trust Property and may authorize such custodians to employ subcustodians and to deposit all or any part of such Trust Property in a system or systems for the central handling of securities or with a Federal Reserve Bank; (5) retain a transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, a shareholder servicing agent or administrative services agent, or all of them; (6) provide for the issuance and distribution of Shares by the Trust directly or through one or more Principal Underwriters or otherwise; (7) retain one or more Investment Adviser(s); (8) redeem, repurchase and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law; (9) set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters, in the manner provided in Article V, Section 5 of this Declaration of Trust; (10) declare and pay dividends and distributions to Shareholders from the Trust Property; (11) establish from time to time, in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6 hereof, any Series or class of Shares, each such Series to operate as a separate and distinct investment medium and with separately defined investment objectives and policies and distinct investment purposes; and (12) in general delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to any committee of the Board of Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust or to any such custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing or shareholder servicing agent, Principal Underwriter or Investment Adviser. Any determination as to what is in the best interests of the Trust made by the Board of Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive.

 

In construing the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees. Unless otherwise specified herein or required by law, any action by the Board of Trustees shall be deemed effective if approved or taken by a majority of the Trustees then in office.

 

Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Trustees, or a committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be, shall individually or collectively consent in writing to that action. Such action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as a majority vote of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, as the case may be.

 

The Trustees shall devote to the affairs of the Trust such time as may be necessary for the proper performance of their duties hereunder, but neither the Trustees nor the officers, directors, shareholders or partners of the Trustees, shall be expected to devote their full time to the performance of such duties. The Trustees, or any Affiliate shareholder, officer, director, partner or employee thereof, or any Person owning a legal or beneficial interest therein, may engage in or possess an interest in

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any other business or venture of any nature and description, independently or with or for the account of others.

 

Section 4. Chairman of the Trustees . The Trustees shall appoint one of their number to be Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Trustees, shall be responsible for the execution of policies established by the Trustees and the administration of the Trust, and may be (but is not required to be) the chief executive, financial and/or accounting officer of the Trust.

 

Section 5. Payment of Expenses by the Trust . The Board of Trustees is authorized to pay or cause to be paid out of the principal or income of the Trust or any particular Series or class, or partly out of the principal and partly out of the income of the Trust or any particular Series or class, and to charge or allocate the same to, between or among such one or more of the Series or classes that may be established or designated pursuant to Article III, Section 6, as it deems fair, all expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities incurred by or arising in connection with the maintenance or operation of the Trust or a particular Series or class, or in connection with the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the Trustees’ compensation and such expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities for the services of the Trust’s officers, employees, Investment Adviser, Principal Underwriter, auditors, counsel, custodian, sub-custodian (if any), transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, and such other agents or independent contractors and such other expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary or proper to incur.

 

Section 6. Payment of Expenses by Shareholders . The Board of Trustees shall have the power, as frequently as it may determine, to cause each Shareholder of the Trust, or each Shareholder of any particular Series, to pay directly, in advance or arrears, for charges of the Trust’s custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or similar agent, an amount fixed from time to time by the Board of Trustees, by setting off such charges due from such Shareholder from declared but unpaid dividends or distributions owed such Shareholder and/or by reducing the number of Shares in the account of such Shareholder by that number of full and/or fractional Shares which represents the outstanding amount of such charges due from such Shareholder.

 

Section 7. Ownership of Trust Property . Legal title to all of the Trust Property shall at all times be considered to be vested in the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees shall have the power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of any Person as nominee, on such terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, in accordance with applicable law.

 

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Section 8. Service Contracts.

 

(a)       Subject to such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws and/or the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may, at any time and from time to time, contract for exclusive or nonexclusive advisory, management and/or administrative services for the Trust or for any Series with any corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine, including without limitation, authority for the Investment Adviser or administrator to determine from time to time without prior consultation with the Board of Trustees what securities and other instruments or property shall be purchased or otherwise acquired, owned, held, invested or reinvested in, sold, exchanged, transferred, mortgaged, pledged, assigned, negotiated, or otherwise dealt with or disposed of, and what portion, if any, of the Trust Property shall be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trust’s or a particular Series’ investments, or such other activities as may specifically be delegated to such party.

 

(b)       The Board of Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any corporation, trust, association or other organization, including any Affiliate, appointing it or them as the exclusive or nonexclusive distributor or Principal Underwriter for the Shares of the Trust or one or more of the Series or classes thereof or for other securities to be issued by the Trust, or appointing it or them to act as the custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and/or shareholder servicing agent for the Trust or one or more of the Series or classes thereof.

 

(c)       The Board of Trustees is further empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with any Persons to provide such other services to the Trust or one or more of its Series, as the Board of Trustees determines to be in the best interests of the Trust or one or more of its Series.

 

(d)       The fact that:

 

(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees, employees or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager, Adviser, Principal Underwriter, distributor, or Affiliate or agent of or for any corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or for any parent or Affiliate of any organization with which an Adviser’s, management or administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such organization, or any parent or Affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust, or that

 

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(ii) any corporation, trust, association or other organization with which an Adviser’s, management or administration contract or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made also has an Adviser’s, management or administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or custodian, transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or other service contract with one or more other corporations, trusts, associations, or other organizations, or has other business or interests, shall not affect the validity of any such contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee, employee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same, or create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders, provided that the establishment of and performance under each such contract is permissible under the provisions of the 1940 Act.

 

(e)       Every contract referred to in this Section 7 shall comply with such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the By-Laws, the 1940 Act or stipulated by resolution of the Board of Trustees; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Board of Trustees may determine.

 

 

ARTICLE V

Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings .

 

 

Section 1. Voting Powers . Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), the Shareholders shall have power to vote only (i) for the election of Trustees, including the filling of any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, as provided in Article IV, Section 1; (ii) with respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws, the 1940 Act or any registration statement of the Trust filed with the Commission; and (iii) on such other matters as the Board of Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. The Shareholder of record (as of the record date established pursuant to Section 5 of this Article V) of each Share shall be entitled to one vote for each full Share, and a fractional vote for each fractional Share. Shareholders shall not be entitled to cumulative voting in the election of Trustees or on any other matter. Shareholders may vote Shares in person or by proxy.

 

Section 2. Meetings . Meetings of the Shareholders may be held within or outside the State of Delaware. Meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or a Series may be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board or the President of the Trust for any lawful purpose, including the purpose of electing Trustees as provided in Article IV, Section 1. Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series shall be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman or

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President upon the written request of Shareholders owning the requisite percentage amount of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote specified in the By-Laws. Whenever ten or more Shareholders meeting the qualifications set forth in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, as the same may be amended from time to time, seek the opportunity of furnishing materials to the other Shareholders with a view to obtaining signatures on such a request for a meeting, the Trustees shall comply with the provisions of said Section 16(c) with respect to providing such Shareholders access to the list of the Shareholders of record of the Trust or the mailing of such materials to such Shareholders of record, subject to any rights provided to the Trust or any Trustees provided by said Section 16(c). Shareholders shall be entitled to at least fifteen (15) days’ notice of any meeting.

 

Section 3. Quorum and Required Vote . Except when a larger quorum is required by applicable law, by the By-Laws or by this Declaration of Trust, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at a Shareholders’ meeting shall constitute a quorum at such meeting. When a separate vote by one or more Series or classes is required, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the Shares of each such Series or class present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a Shareholders’ meeting of such Series or class. Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), Article VIII, Section 4 and any other provision of this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws or applicable law which requires a different vote: (1) in all matters other than the election of Trustees, the affirmative vote of the majority of votes cast at a Shareholders’ meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Shareholders; (2) Trustees shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at a Shareholders’ meeting at which a quorum is present.

 

Section 4. Shareholder Action by Written Consent without a Meeting . Any action which may be taken at any meeting of Shareholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior notice if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by the holders of Shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all Shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted. All such consents shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trust’s records. Any Shareholder giving a written consent or the Shareholder’s proxy holders or a transferee of the Shares or a personal representative of the Shareholder or its respective proxy-holder may revoke the consent by a writing received by the secretary of the Trust before written consents of the number of Shares required to authorize the proposed action have been filed with the secretary.

 

If the consents of all Shareholders entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing and if the unanimous written consent of all such Shareholders shall not have been received, the secretary shall give prompt notice of the action taken without a meeting to such Shareholders. This notice shall be given in the manner specified in the By-Laws.

 

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Section 5. Record Dates . For purposes of determining the Shareholders entitled to notice of any meeting or to vote or entitled to give consent to action without a meeting, the Board of Trustees may fix in advance a record date which shall not be more than one hundred eighty (180) days nor less than seven (7) days before the date of any such meeting.

 

If the Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date:

 

(a)       The record date for determining Shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the business day which is five (5) business days next preceding to the day on which the meeting is held.

 

(b)       The record date for determining Shareholders entitled to give consent to action in writing without a meeting, (i) when no prior action by the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first written consent is given, or (ii) when prior action of the Board of Trustees has been taken, shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Trustees adopts the resolution taking such prior action or the seventy-fifth (75th) day before the date of such other action, whichever is later.

 

For the purpose of determining the Shareholders of any Series or class who are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, the Board of Trustees may from time to time fix a date, which shall be before the date for the payment of such dividend or such other distribution, as the record date for determining the Shareholders of such Series or class having the right to receive such dividend or distribution. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as precluding the Board of Trustees from setting different record dates for different Series or classes.

 

Section 6. Derivative Actions . In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Act, a Shareholder may bring derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if the Shareholder or Shareholders first make a pre-suit demand upon the Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Trustees to bring such action is excused. A demand on the Trustees shall only be excused if a majority of the Board of Trustees, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, has a personal financial interest in the action at issue. A Trustee shall not be deemed to have a personal financial interest in an action or otherwise be disqualified from ruling on a Shareholder demand by virtue of the fact that such Trustee receives remuneration from his service on the Board of Trustees of the Trust or on the boards of one or more investment companies with the same or an affiliated investment advisor or underwriter.

 

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Section 7. Additional Provisions . The By-Laws may include further provisions for Shareholders’ votes, meetings and related matters.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Custodian .

 

Section 1. Appointment and Duties . The Trustees shall at all times employ a bank, a company that is a member of a national securities exchange, or a trust company, each having capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least two million dollars ($2,000,000) as custodian with authority as its agent, but subject to such restrictions, limitations and other requirements, if any, as may be contained in the Bylaws of the Trust:

 

(a)        To hold the securities owned by the Trust and deliver the same upon written order or oral order confirmed in writing, or by such electro-mechanical or electronic devices as are agreed to by the Trust and the custodian, if such procedures have been authorized in writing by the Trust;

 

(b)        To receive and receipt for any moneys due to the Trust and deposit the same in its own banking department or else where as the Trustees may direct;

 

(c)        To disburse such funds upon orders or vouchers;

 

and the Trust may also employ such custodian as its agent:

 

(d)        To keep the books and accounts of the Trust or of any Series or class and furnish clerical and accounting services; and

 

(e)        To compute, if authorized to do so by the Trustees, the Net Asset Value of any Series, or class thereof, in accordance with the provisions hereof; all upon such basis of compensation as may be agreed upon between the Trustees and the custodian.

 

The Trustees may also authorize the custodian to employ one or more sub-custodians from time to time to perform such of the acts and services of the custodian, and upon such terms and conditions, as may be agreed upon between the custodian and such sub-custodian and approved by the Trustees, provided that in every case such sub-custodian shall be a bank, a company that is a member of a national securities exchange, or a trust company organized under the laws of the United States or one of the states thereof and having capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least two million dollars ($2,000,000) or such other person as may be permitted by the Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the 1940 Act.

 

Section 2. Central Certificate System . Subject to such rules, regulations and orders as the Commission may adopt, the Trustees may direct the custodian to

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deposit all or any part of the securities owned by the Trust in a system for the central handling of securities established by a national securities exchange or a national securities association registered with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or such other person as may be permitted by the Commission, or otherwise in accordance with the 1940 Act, pursuant to which system all securities of any particular class or series of any issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of such securities, provided that all such deposits shall be subject to withdrawal only upon the order of the Trust or its custodians, subcustodians or other agents.

 

ARTICLE VII

Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions

 

Section 1. Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions . Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to fix an initial offering price for the Shares of any Series or class thereof which shall yield to such Series or class not less than the net asset value thereof, at which price the Shares of such Series or class shall be offered initially for sale, and to determine from time to time thereafter the offering price which shall yield to such Series or class not less than the net asset value thereof from sales of the Shares of such Series or class; provided , however , that no Shares of a Series or class thereof shall be issued or sold for consideration which shall yield to such Series or class less than the net asset value of the Shares of such Series or class next determined after the receipt of the order (or at such other times set by the Board of Trustees), except in the case of Shares of such Series or class issued in payment of a dividend properly declared and payable.

 

Subject to Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Board of Trustees, in their absolute discretion, may prescribe and shall set forth in the By-laws or in a duly adopted vote of the Board of Trustees such bases and time for determining the per Share or net asset value of the Shares of any Series or net income attributable to the Shares of any Series, or the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions on the Shares of any Series, as they may deem necessary or desirable.

 

Section 2. Redemptions at the Option of a Shareholder . Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus of the Trust relating to the Shares, as such prospectus may be amended from time to time (“Prospectus”):

 

(a)       The Trust shall purchase such Shares as are offered by any Shareholder for redemption, upon the presentation of a proper instrument of transfer together with a request directed to the Trust or a Person designated by the Trust that the Trust purchase such Shares or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the Board of Trustees may from time to time authorize; and the Trust

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will pay therefor the net asset value thereof, in accordance with the By-Laws and applicable law. Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to the Shareholder within seven days after the date on which the request is received in proper form. The obligation set forth in this Section 2 is subject to the provision that in the event that any time the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the Rules of the Commission during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any National Financial Emergency which makes it impracticable for the Trust to dispose of the investments of the applicable Series or to determine fairly the value of the net assets held with respect to such Series or during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for the protection of investors, such obligations may be suspended or postponed by the Board of Trustees. If certificates have been issued to a Shareholder, any such request by such Shareholder must be accompanied by surrender of any outstanding certificate or certificates for such Shares in form for transfer, together with such proof of the authenticity of signatures as may reasonably be required on such Shares and accompanied by proper stock transfer stamps, if applicable.

 

(b)       Payments for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made in cash, except payment for such Shares may, at the option of the Board of Trustees, or such officer or officers as it may duly authorize in its complete discretion, be made in kind or partially in cash and partially in kind. In case of any payment in kind, the Board of Trustees, or its delegate, shall have absolute discretion as to what security or securities of the Trust shall be distributed in kind and the amount of the same; and the securities shall be valued for purposes of distribution at the value at which they were appraised in computing the then current net asset value of the Shares, provided that any Shareholder who cannot legally acquire securities so distributed in kind by reason of the prohibitions of the 1940 Act or the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) shall receive cash. Shareholders shall bear the expenses of in-kind transactions, including, but not limited to, transfer agency fees, custodian fees and costs of disposition of such securities.

 

(c)       Payment for Shares so redeemed by the Trust shall be made by the Trust as provided above within seven days after the date on which the redemption request is received in good order; provided, however, that if payment shall be made other than exclusively in cash, any securities to be delivered as part of such payment shall be delivered as promptly as any necessary transfers of such securities on the books of the several corporations whose securities are to be delivered practicably can be made, which may not necessarily occur within such seven day period. Moreover, redemptions may be suspended in the event of a National Financial Emergency. In no case shall the Trust be liable for any delay of any corporation or other Person in transferring securities selected for delivery as all or part of any payment in kind.

 

(d)       The right of Shareholders to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares may be set forth in a Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees and amended from time to time pursuant to Rule 18f-3 of the 1940 Act. The right of any

24  
 

Shareholder of the Trust to receive dividends or other distributions on Shares redeemed and all other rights of such Shareholder with respect to the Shares so redeemed by the Trust, except the right of such Shareholder to receive payment for such Shares, shall cease at the time as of which the purchase price of such Shares shall have been fixed, as provided above.

 

Section 3. Redemptions at the Option of the Trust . The Board of Trustees may, from time to time, without the vote or consent of the Shareholders, and subject to the 1940 Act, redeem Shares or authorize the closing of any Shareholder account, subject to such conditions as may be established by the Board of Trustees.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

Compensation and Limitation of Liability of
Officers and Trustees .

 

 

Section 1. Compensation . Except as set forth in the last sentence of this Section 1, the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, fix a reasonable amount of compensation to be paid by the Trust to the Trustees and officers of the Trust. Nothing herein shall in any way prevent the employment of any Trustee for advisory, management, legal, accounting, investment banking or other services and payment for the same by the Trust.

 

Section 2. Indemnification and Limitation of Liability.

 

(a)       To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the DSTA, the officers and Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any act or omission of: any agent or employee of the Trust; any Investment Adviser or Principal Underwriter of the Trust; or with respect to each Trustee and officer, the act or omission of any other Trustee or officer, respectively. The Trust, out of the Trust Property, shall indemnify and hold harmless each and every officer and Trustee from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever arising out of or related to such officer’s or Trustee’s performance of his or her duties as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a Person serves as a Trustee or officer of the Trust whether or not such Person is a Trustee or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted. Nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any officer or Trustee from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which such Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Person’s office.

 

(b)       Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or document whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust, the officers or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust

25  
 

shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in such Person’s capacity as Trustee and/or as officer, and such Trustee or officer, as applicable, shall not be personally liable therefor, except as described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 2 of this Article VIII.

 

Section 3. Officers and Trustees’ Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety . The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder shall be binding upon everyone interested. An officer or Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for such officer’s or Trustee’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of such officer or Trustee, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The officers and Trustees may obtain the advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust and their duties as officers or Trustees. No such officer or Trustee shall be liable for any act or omission in accordance with such advice and no inference concerning liability shall arise from a failure to follow such advice. The officers and Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is required.

 

Section 4. Insurance . To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the officers and Trustees shall be entitled and have the authority to purchase with Trust Property, insurance for liability and for all expenses reasonably incurred or paid or expected to be paid by a Trustee or officer in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which such Person becomes involved by virtue of such Person’s capacity or former capacity with the Trust, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the provisions of this Article.

 

ARTICLE IX

Miscellaneous

 

Section 1. Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees . No person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any actions made or to be made by the Trustees.

 

Section 2. Dissolution of Trust or Series . Unless dissolved as provided herein, the Trust shall have perpetual existence. The Trust may be dissolved at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of the Trust entitled to vote or by the Board of Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders. Any Series may be dissolved at any time by vote of a majority of the Shares of that Series or by the Board of Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders of that Series.

 

Upon dissolution of the Trust (or a particular Series, as the case may be), the Trustees shall (in accordance with § 3808 of the DSTA) pay or make reasonable

26  
 

provision to pay all claims and obligations of each Series (or the particular Series, as the case may be), including all contingent, conditional or unmatured claims and obligations known to the Trust, and all claims and obligations which are known to the Trust but for which the identity of the claimant is unknown. If there are sufficient assets held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid in full and any such provisions for payment shall be made in full. If there are insufficient assets held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be), such claims and obligations shall be paid or provided for according to their priority and, among claims and obligations of equal priority, ratably to the extent of assets available therefor. Any remaining assets (including without limitation, cash, securities or any combination thereof) held with respect to each Series of the Trust (or the particular Series, as the case may be) shall be distributed to the Shareholders of such Series, ratably according to the number of Shares of such Series held by the several Shareholders on the record date for such dissolution distribution.

 

Section 3. Merger and Consolidation; Conversion .

 

(a)        Merger and Consolidation . Pursuant to an agreement of merger or consolidation, the Trust, or any one or more Series, may, by act of a majority of the Board of Trustees, merge or consolidate with or into one or more business trusts or other business entities formed or organized or existing under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state or the United States or any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction. Any such merger or consolidation shall not require the vote of the Shareholders affected thereby, unless such vote is required by the 1940 Act, or unless such merger or consolidation would result in an amendment of this Declaration of Trust, which would otherwise require the approval of such Shareholders. In accordance with Section 3815(f) of the DSTA, an agreement of merger or consolidation may affect any amendment to this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or affect the adoption of a new declaration of trust or by-laws of the Trust if the Trust is the surviving or resulting business trust. Upon completion of the merger or consolidation, the Trustees shall file a certificate of merger or consolidation in accordance with Section 3810 of the DSTA.

 

(b)        Conversion . A majority of the Board of Trustees may, without the vote or consent of the Shareholders, cause (i) the Trust to convert to a common-law trust, a general partnership, limited partnership or a limited liability company organized, formed or created under the laws of the State of Delaware as permitted pursuant to Section 3821 of the DSTA; (ii) the Shares of the Trust or any Series to be converted into beneficial interests in another business trust (or series thereof) created pursuant to this Section 3 of this Article VIII, or (iii) the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law; provided , however, that if required by the 1940 Act, no such statutory conversion, Share conversion or Share exchange shall be effective unless the terms of such transaction shall first have been approved at a meeting called for that purpose by

27  
 

the “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or Series, as applicable; provided , further , that in all respects not governed by statute or applicable law, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe the procedure necessary or appropriate to accomplish a sale of assets, merger or consolidation including the power to create one or more separate business trusts to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the Trust may be transferred and to provide for the conversion of Shares of the Trust or any Series into beneficial interests in such separate business trust or trusts (or series thereof).

 

Section 4. Reorganization . A majority of the Board of Trustees may cause the Trust to sell, convey and transfer all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or all or substantially all of the assets associated with any one or more Series, to another trust, business trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association or corporation organized under the laws of any state, or to one or more separate series thereof, or to the Trust to be held as assets associated with one or more other Series of the Trust, in exchange for cash, shares or other securities (including, without limitation, in the case of a transfer to another Series of the Trust, Shares of such other Series) with such transfer either (a) being made subject to, or with the assumption by the transferee of, the liabilities associated with each Series the assets of which are so transferred, or (b) not being made subject to, or not with the assumption of, such liabilities; provided, however, that, if required by the 1940 Act, no assets associated with any particular Series shall be so sold, conveyed or transferred unless the terms of such transaction shall first have been approved at a meeting called for that purpose by the “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” as such phrase is defined in the 1940 Act, of that Series. Following such sale, conveyance and transfer, the Board of Trustees shall distribute such cash, shares or other securities (giving due effect to the assets and liabilities associated with and any other differences among the various Series the assets associated with which have so been sold, conveyed and transferred) ratably among the Shareholders of the Series the assets associated with which have been so sold, conveyed and transferred (giving due effect to the differences among the various classes within each such Series); and if all of the assets of the Trust have been so sold, conveyed and transferred, the Trust shall be dissolved.

 

Section 5. Amendments . Subject to the provisions of the second paragraph of this Section 5 of this Article VIII, this Declaration of Trust may be restated and/or amended at any time by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Board of Trustees and, if required, by approval of such amendment by Shareholders in accordance with Article V, Section 3 hereof. Any such restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be effective immediately upon execution and approval or upon such future date and time as may be stated therein. The Certificate of Trust of the Trust may be restated and/or amended by a similar procedure, and any such

28  
 

restatement and/or amendment shall be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or upon such future date as may be stated therein.

 

Notwithstanding the above, the Board of Trustees expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal any provisions contained in this Declaration of Trust or the Certificate of Trust, in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of Article III hereof, and all rights, contractual and otherwise, conferred upon Shareholders are granted subject to such reservation. The Board of Trustees further expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision of the By-Laws pursuant to Article IX of the By-Laws.

 

Section 6. Filing of Copies, References, Headings . The original or a copy of this Declaration of Trust and of each restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust where any Shareholder may inspect it. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such restatements and/or amendments have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such restatements and/or amendments. In this Declaration of Trust and in any such restatements and/or amendments, references to this instrument, and all expressions of similar effect to “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as amended or affected by any such restatements and/or amendments. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument. Whenever the singular number is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.

 

Section 7. Applicable Law . This Declaration of Trust is created under and is to be governed by and construed and administered according to the laws of the State of Delaware and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Code. The Trust shall be a Delaware business trust pursuant to the DSTA, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily exercised by such a business trust.

29  
 

Section 8. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations.

 

(a)       The provisions of this Declaration of Trust are severable, and if the Board of Trustees shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the Code, the DSTA, or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed not to have constituted a part of this Declaration of Trust from the time when such provisions became inconsistent with such laws or regulations; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of this Declaration of Trust or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination.

 

(b)       If any provision of this Declaration of Trust shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration of Trust in any jurisdiction.

 

Section 9. Statutory Trust Only . It is the intention of the Trustees to create a statutory trust pursuant to the DSTA, and thereby to create the relationship of trustee and beneficial owners within the meaning of the DSTA between the Trustees and each Shareholder. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock association, corporation, bailment, or any form of legal relationship other than a business trust pursuant to the DSTA. Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.

 

S ection 10. Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the Trust shall end on a specified date as set forth in the Bylaws, provided, however, that the Trustees may, without Shareholder approval, change the fiscal year of the Trust.

 

 

30  
 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trustees named below do hereby make and enter into this Amended Declaration of Trust as of the date first above written.

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Patricia Luscombe

Patricia Luscombe

Trustee

 

 

 

/s/ Mark H. Taylor

Mark H. Taylor

Trustee

 

 

 

/s/ Jeffery D. Young

Jeffery D. Young

Trustee

 

 

 

/s/ James U. Jensen

James U. Jensen

Trustee

 

 

/s/ John V. Palancia

John V. Palancia

Trustee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

 

Between

 

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III

 

and

 

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 1 of 21 
 

INDEX

 

 

1.   Appointment of NLD and Delivery of Documents 3
2.   NATURE OF DUTIES 4
3.   OFFERING OF SHARES 4
4.   LICENSED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FUNDS. 5
5.   REPURCHASE OR REDEMPTION OF SHARES BY THE TRUST 6
6.   DUTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS OF NLD 7
7.   DUTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS OF THE TRUST 9
8.   INDEMNIFICATION OF NLD BY THE TRUST 12
9.   INDEMNIFICATION OF THE TRUST BY NLD 14
10.   NOTIFICATION BY THE TRUST 15
11.   COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES 16
12.   SELECTED DEALER AND SELECTED AGENT AGREEMENTS 17
13.   CONFIDENTIALITY 17
14.   EFFECTIVENESS AND DURATION 18
15.   DISASTER RECOVERY 18
16.   DEFINITIONS 19
17.   MISCELLANEOUS 20
ATTACHED SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE A  
SCHEDULE B  

 

 

Page 2 of 21 
 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

THIS UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT effective the 1st day of February, 2019, by and between NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III, a Delaware statutory trust, having its principal office and place of business at 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (the “Trust”), and NORTHERN LIGHTS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC , a Nebraska limited liability company having its principal office and place of business at 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (“NLD”).

 

WHEREAS , the Trust is offering shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) in separate investment portfolios as set forth on Schedule A , as may be amended from time to time (each a “Fund”), and each a series of the Trust; and

 

WHEREAS , the Trust is an open-end management investment company registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”); and

 

WHEREAS , NLD is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("1934 Act"), as a broker-dealer and is engaged in the business of selling shares of registered investment companies either directly to purchasers or through other financial intermediaries; and

 

WHEREAS , the Trust desires that NLD offer, as principal underwriter, the Shares of the Funds to the public and NLD is willing to provide those services on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement in order to promote the growth of the Funds and facilitate the distribution of the Shares;

 

NOW THEREFORE , for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, the Trust and NLD hereby agree as follows:

 

1.       Appointment of NLD and Delivery of Documents

 

(a)                 The Trust hereby appoints NLD, and NLD hereby agrees, to act as principal underwriter and distributor of the Shares of the Funds for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. In connection therewith, the Funds have delivered to NLD current copies of:

 

(i)                  the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-laws (the “Organizational Documents”);

 

(ii)                the Trust’s current Registration Statement;

Page 3 of 21 
 

 

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

 

(iv)              the Trust’s current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented, the “Prospectus”);

 

(v)                any current plan of distribution or similar document adopted by the Funds under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (“Plan”) and each current shareholder service plan or similar document adopted by the Trust (“Service Plan”).

 

(b)                The Trust shall promptly furnish NLD with:

 

(i)                  all amendments of or supplements to the foregoing; and

 

(ii)                a copy of the resolution of the Board appointing NLD and authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

2.       NATURE OF DUTIES

 

(a)                 NLD shall act as distributor of the Funds except that the rights given under this Agreement to NLD shall not apply to: (i) Shares issued in connection with the merger, consolidation or reorganization of any other investment company or series or class thereof with a Fund or class thereof; (ii) the Trust’s acquisition by purchase or otherwise of all or substantially all of the assets or stock of any other investment company or series or class thereof; (iii) the reinvestment in Shares by the Funds’ shareholders of dividends or other distributions; or (iv) any other offering by the Funds of securities to its shareholders (collectively "exempt transactions").

 

(b)                Notwithstanding the foregoing, NLD is and may in the future distribute shares of other investment companies including investment companies having investment objectives similar to those of the Funds. The Funds further understand that existing and future investors in the Funds may invest in shares of such other investment companies. The Funds agree that the services that NLD provides to such other investment companies shall not be deemed in conflict with its duties to the Funds under this Agreement.

3.       OFFERING OF SHARES

 

(a)                 NLD shall have the right to buy from the Funds the Shares needed to fill unconditional orders for Shares of the Funds placed with NLD by investors or selected dealers or selected agents (each as defined in Section 12 hereof) acting as agent for their

Page 4 of 21 
 

customers’ or on their own behalf. Alternatively, NLD may act as the Funds’ agent, to offer, and to solicit offers to subscribe to, Shares of the Funds.

 

(b)                The price that NLD shall pay for Shares purchased from the Funds shall be the NAV used in determining the Public Offering Price on which the orders are based. Shares purchased by NLD are to be resold by NLD to investors at the respective Public Offering Price(s), or to selected dealers or selected agents acting in accordance with the terms of selected dealer or selected agent agreements described in Section 12 of this Agreement. The Funds will advise NLD of the NAV(s) each time that it is determined by the Funds, or its designated agent, and at such other times as NLD may reasonably request.

 

(c)                 NLD will promptly forward all orders and subscriptions to the Funds or its designated agent. All orders and all subscriptions shall be directed to the Funds for acceptance and shall not be binding until accepted by the Funds. Any order or subscription may be rejected by the Funds; provided, however, that the Funds will not arbitrarily or without reasonable cause refuse to accept or confirm orders or subscriptions for the purchase of Shares. The Funds or its designated agent will confirm orders and subscriptions upon their receipt, will make appropriate book entries and, upon receipt by the Funds or its designated agent of payment therefore, will issue such Shares in uncertificated form pursuant to the instructions of NLD. NLD agrees to cause such payment and such instructions to be delivered promptly to the Funds or its designated agent.

 

(d)                The Funds reserve the right to suspend the offering of Shares of the Funds at any time in the absolute discretion of the Board, and upon notice of such suspension NLD shall cease to offer Shares of the Funds specified in the notice.

 

(e)                 No Shares shall be offered by either NLD or the Funds under any of the provisions of this Agreement and no orders for the purchase or sale of Shares hereunder shall be accepted by the Funds if and so long as the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect or any necessary amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of the Securities Act, or if and so long as a current Prospectus, as required by Section 10(b) of the Securities Act, as amended, is not on file with the SEC; provided, however, that nothing contained in this paragraph shall in any way limit the Funds’ obligation to repurchase Shares from any shareholder in accordance with the provisions of the Fund's Organizational Documents or the Prospectus applicable to the Shares.

4.       LICENSED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FUNDS.

 

At the request of the Trust, a Fund, a Fund’s sponsor, adviser or affiliate, NLD may license certain designated employees as a “registered representative” and maintain

Page 5 of 21 
 

their licensed status in accordance with FINRA rules and regulations including the following:

 

(a)       Filing Form U-4’s and fingerprint submission and processing renewals and terminations

 

(b)       On-going compliance up-dates and training

 

(c)       Preparation of materials and training for compliance with FINRA continuing education requirements

 

(d)       Supervision of registered representatives

 

NLD reserves the right in its sole discretion of refuse to register or maintain the registration for any individual and otherwise impose any requirements, fees or limitations on licensed persons.

5.       REPURCHASE OR REDEMPTION OF SHARES BY THE TRUST

 

(a)                 Any of the outstanding Shares of the Funds may be tendered for redemption at any time, and the Funds agree to redeem or repurchase the Shares so tendered in accordance with its obligations as set forth in the Organizational Documents and the Prospectus relating to the Shares.

 

(b)                The Funds or its designated agent shall pay:

 

(i)                  the total amount of the redemption price consisting of the NAV less any applicable redemption fee to the redeeming shareholder or its agent, and

 

(ii)                except as may be otherwise required by FINRA Rules, any applicable deferred sales charges to NLD in accordance with NLD’s instructions on or before the fifth business day (or such other earlier business day as is customary in the investment company industry) subsequent to the Trust or its agent having received the notice of redemption in proper form.

 

(c)                 Redemption of Shares or payment therefore may be suspended at times when the New York Stock Exchange is closed for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closings, when trading thereon is restricted, when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Funds of securities owned by the Funds is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Funds fairly to determine the value of the Funds’ net assets, or during any other period when the SEC so requires or permits.

 

Page 6 of 21 
 

6.       DUTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS OF NLD

 

(a)                 NLD shall use reasonable efforts to facilitate the sale of Shares of the Funds upon the terms and conditions contained herein and in the then current Prospectus. NLD shall devote reasonable time and effort to facilitate the distribution of Fund shares but shall not be obligated to sell any specific number of Shares. The services of NLD to the Funds hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and nothing herein contained shall prevent NLD from entering into like arrangements with other investment companies so long as the performance of its obligations hereunder is not impaired thereby.

 

(b)                NLD will execute and deliver agreements with broker/dealers, financial institutions and other industry professionals based on forms of agreement approved from time to time by the Board with respect to shares of the Funds, including but not limited to forms of sales support agreements and shareholder servicing agreements approved in connection with any distribution and/or servicing plan approved in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

(c)                 NLD shall be responsible for reviewing and providing advice and counsel on, and filing with FINRA, all sales literature (e.g., advertisements, brochures and shareholder communications, including the Fund’s website) with respect to the Funds. All costs associated with advertising filings shall be paid by the Funds. NLD will forward all FINRA comments on marketing materials to the Trust for incorporation into such materials and the sole responsibility for incorporation of such comments shall remain with the Trust; provided, however, that the Trust shall provide all factual content, opinion, and other content for such materials and NLD shall not be responsible for the accuracy of the content of such materials, when used thereafter by the Trust or any person authorized by the Trust to use such material; nor shall NLD be responsible for the filing or content of any such materials used by third parties without the authorization of NLD; and provided further that NLD shall not be responsible for filing any materials that fall within the definition of advertising and sales literature if such materials are not provided to NLD in a form suitable for filing in a timely manner. In addition, NLD will provide one or more persons, during normal business hours, to respond to telephone questions with respect to the Funds.

 

(d)                NLD will forward all sales related complaints concerning the Funds to the Trust.

 

(e)                 NLD will provide assistance in the preparation of quarterly board materials with regard to sales and other distribution related data reasonably requested by the Board of the Funds.

 

(f)                  All activities by NLD and its agents and employees as distributor of Shares shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation,

Page 7 of 21 
 

the 1940 Act, the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act, and FINRA Rules, all rules and regulations made or adopted pursuant to the 1940 Act by the SEC or any securities association registered under the Securities Exchange Act.

 

(g)                In selling Shares of the Funds, NLD shall use its best efforts in all material respects duly to conform with the requirements of all federal and state laws relating to the sale of the Shares. Neither NLD, any selected dealer, any selected agent nor any other person is authorized by the Funds to give any information or to make any representations other than as is contained in a Funds’ Prospectus or any advertising materials or sales literature specifically approved in writing by the Funds or their agents.

 

(h)                NLD shall adopt and follow procedures for the confirmation of sales to investors and selected dealers or selected agents, the collection of amounts payable by investors and selected dealers or selected agents on such sales, and the cancellation of unsettled transactions, as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of FINRA.

 

(i)                  NLD represents and warrants to the Trust that:

 

(i)                  It is a limited liability company duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nebraska and it is duly qualified to carry on its business in the State of Nebraska;

 

(ii)                It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Articles of Organization to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

(iii)              All requisite actions have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

(iv)              It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement;

 

(v)                This Agreement, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of NLD, enforceable against NLD in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and

 

(vi)              It is registered under the Securities Exchange Act with the SEC as a broker-dealer, it is a member in good standing of FINRA, it will abide by FINRA Rules, and it will notify the Funds if its membership in FINRA is terminated or suspended.

 

(vii)            Its selling agreements will require that selling agents comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws, regulations, rules and government guidance,

Page 8 of 21 
 

including the reporting, record keeping and compliance requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA"), as amended by The International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002, Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act (the “PATRIOT Act"), its implementing regulations, and related SEC and SRO rules.

 

(j)                   Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement, including the Schedules, to the contrary, NLD makes no warranty or representation as to the number of selected dealers or selected agents with which it has entered into agreements in accordance with Section 12 hereof, as to the availability of any Shares to be sold through any selected dealer, selected agent or other intermediary or as to any other matter not specifically set forth herein.

7.       DUTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS OF THE TRUST

 

(a)                 The Trust shall furnish to NLD copies of all financial statements and other documents to be delivered to shareholders or investors at least two (2) Fund Business Days prior to such delivery and shall furnish NLD copies of all other financial statements, documents and other papers or information which NLD may reasonably request for use in connection with the distribution of Shares. The Trust shall make available to NLD the number of copies of the Funds’ Prospectuses as NLD shall reasonably request.

 

(b)                The Trust shall take, from time to time, subject to the approval of the Board and any required approval of the shareholders of the Funds, all actions necessary to fix the number of authorized Shares (if such number is not unlimited) and to register the Shares under the Securities Act, to the end that there will be available for sale the number of Shares as reasonably may be expected to be sold pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(c)                 The Trust will execute any and all documents, furnish any and all information and otherwise take all actions that may be reasonably necessary to register or qualify Shares for sale in such states as NLD may designate to the Funds and the Funds may approve, and the Funds shall pay all fees and other expenses incurred in connection with such registration or qualification; provided that NLD shall not be required to register as a broker-dealer or file a consent to service of process in any State and the Funds shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation, Fund or association in any State. Any registration or qualification may be withheld, terminated or withdrawn by the Funds at any time in its discretion. NLD shall furnish such information and other material relating to its affairs and activities as the Funds require in connection with such registration or qualification.

 

(d)                The Trust represents and warrants to NLD that:

 

(i)                  It is a business trust duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of Delaware;

Page 9 of 21 
 

 

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

 

(iii)              All proceedings required by the Organizational Documents have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform its duties under this Agreement;

 

(iv)              It is an open-end management investment company registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act;

 

(v)                All Shares, when issued, shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;

 

(vi)              This Agreement, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Trust, enforceable against the Trust in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties;

 

(vii)            The performance by the Trust of its obligations hereunder does not and will not contravene any provision of the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust.

 

(viii)          The Registration Statement is currently effective and will remain effective with respect to all Shares of the Funds being offered for sale;

 

(ix)              The Registration Statement and Prospectus have been or will be, as the case may be, carefully prepared in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder;

 

(x)                 The Registration Statement and Prospectus contain or will contain all statements required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; all statements of fact contained or to be contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus are or will be true and correct at the time indicated or on the effective date as the case may be; and neither the Registration Statement nor any Prospectus, when they shall become effective or be authorized for use, will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading to a purchaser of Shares;

 

(xi)              It will from time to time file such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and Prospectus as, in the light of then-current and then-prospective developments, shall, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order to have the Registration Statement and Prospectus at all times contain all material facts

Page 10 of 21 
 

required to be stated therein or necessary to make any statements therein not misleading to a purchaser of Shares ("Required Amendments");

 

(xii)            It shall not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus without giving NLD reasonable advance notice thereof; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Agreement shall in any way limit the Funds’ right to file at any time such amendments to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, of whatever character, as the Funds may deem advisable, such right being in all respects absolute and unconditional; and

 

(xiii)          All Shares of the Fund are properly registered in the states as required by applicable state laws; and

 

(xiv)          Any amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus hereafter filed will, when it becomes effective, contain all statements required to be stated therein in accordance with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; all statements of fact contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus will, when it becomes effective, be true and correct at the time indicated or on the effective date as the case may be; and no such amendment, when it becomes effective, will include an untrue statement of a material fact or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading to a purchaser of the Shares.

 

(xv)            In connection with any registered representatives maintained under this Agreement, the Trust agrees to cooperate with NLD and provide reports as necessary to maintain appropriate licensing and qualifications and report to NLD any complaints, arbitrations, litigation or any other material matter that may affect a registered representative’s registration status.

 

(xvi)          It has adopted necessary procedures to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA"), as amended by The International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002, Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act (the “PATRIOT Act"), its implementing regulations, and related SEC and SRO rules. Consistent with this requirement, the Trust shall ensure that the account opening forms utilized by the Funds contain the necessary customer information such as name, address, taxpayer identification and other information to verify the identity of such customers as well as provide proper notification to customers of such anti-money laundering program adopted by the Trust and/or its service providers.

 

(xvii)        NLD may rely on and will be held harmless from relying on oral or written instructions it receives from an officer, agent, or legal counsel to the Trust.

Page 11 of 21 
 

8.       INDEMNIFICATION OF NLD BY THE TRUST

 

(a)                 The Trust authorizes NLD and any dealers with whom NLD has entered into dealer agreements to use the latest Prospectus in the form furnished by the Trust in connection with the sale of Shares. The Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold NLD, its several officers and managers, and any person who controls NLD within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which NLD, its officers and managers, or any such controlling persons, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon:

 

(i)                  any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact required to be stated in either any Registration Statement or any Prospectus,

 

(ii)                the breach of any representations, warranties or obligations set forth herein,

 

(iii)              any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus or necessary to make the statements in any of them not misleading,

 

(iv)              the Trust’s failure to maintain an effective Registration statement and Prospectus with respect to Shares of the Funds that are the subject of the claim or demand,

 

(v)                the Trust’s failure to provide NLD with advertising or sales materials to be filed with FINRA on a timely basis or use of marketing materials that are false or misleading,

 

(vi)              the Trust’s failure to properly register Fund Shares under applicable state laws, or

 

(vii)            all reasonable actions taken by NLD hereunder, including all actions resulting from NLD’s reliance on instructions received from an officer, agent or legal counsel of the Trust.

 

(b)                The Trust’s agreement to indemnify NLD, its officers or managers, and any such controlling person will not be deemed to cover any such claim, demand, liability or expense to the extent that it arises out of or is based upon:

 

Page 12 of 21 
 

(i)                  any such untrue statement, alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission made in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus in reliance upon information furnished by NLD, its officers, managers or any such controlling person to the Fund or its representatives for use in the preparation thereof, or

 

(ii)                willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of NLD’s duties, or by reason of NLD’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement ("Disqualifying Conduct").

 

(c)                 The Trust’s agreement to indemnify NLD, its officers and managers, and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon the Trust’s being notified of any action brought against NLD, its officers or managers, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given by letter, by facsimile or by telegram addressed to the Funds at the address set forth above within a reasonable period of time after the summons or other first legal process shall have been served; provided, however, that the failure to notify the Trust of any such action shall not relieve the Trust from any liability which the Trust may have to the person against whom such action is brought by reason of any such untrue, or alleged untrue, statement or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise than on account of the Funds’ indemnity agreement contained in this Section.

 

(d)                The Trust will be entitled to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any such claim, demand or liability, but, in such case, such defense shall be conducted by counsel of good standing chosen by the Trust and approved by NLD, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. If the Trust elects to assume the defense of any such suit and retain counsel of good standing approved by NLD, the defendant or defendants in such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by any of them; but in case the Trust does not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, the Trust will reimburse NLD, its officers and managers, or the controlling person or persons named as defendant or defendants in such suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.

 

(e)                 The Trust’s indemnification agreement contained in this Section and the Funds’ representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of NLD, its officers and managers, or any controlling person, and shall survive the delivery of any Shares. This agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively to NLD’s benefit, to the benefit of its several officers and managers, and their respective estates, and to the benefit of any controlling persons and their successors. The Trust agrees promptly to notify NLD of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Trust or any of its officers or Board members in connection with the issue and sale of Shares.

 

 

Page 13 of 21 
 

9.       INDEMNIFICATION OF THE TRUST BY NLD

 

(a)                 NLD agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Trust, its several officers and Board members, and any person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the Trust, its officers or Board members, or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or under common law or otherwise, but only to the extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Trust , its officers or Board members, or such controlling person results from such claims or demands:

(i)                  arising out of or based upon statements or representations made by NLD which are unauthorized by the Trust or its agents in any sales literature or advertisements or any Disqualifying Conduct by NLD in connection with the offering and sale of any Shares, or

 

(ii)                arising out of or based upon any untrue, or alleged untrue, statement of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by NLD to the Fund specifically for use in the Trust’s Registration Statement and used in the answers to any of the items of the Registration Statement or in the corresponding statements made in the Prospectus, or shall arise out of or be based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact in connection with such information furnished in writing by NLD to the Trust and required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such information not misleading.

 

(b)                NLD’s agreement to indemnify the Trust, its officers and Trustees, and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon NLD’s being notified of any action brought against the Trust, its officers or Trustees, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given by letter, by facsimile or by telegram addressed to NLD at its address set forth above within a reasonable period of time after the summons or other first legal process shall have been served.

 

(c)                 The failure to notify NLD of any such action shall not relieve NLD from any liability which it may have to the person against whom such action is brought by reason of any such untrue, or alleged untrue, statement or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise than on account of NLD’s indemnity agreement contained in this Section.

 

(d)                NLD will be entitled to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any such claim, demand or liability, but, in such case, such defense shall be conducted by counsel of good standing chosen by NLD and approved by the Trust, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. If NLD elects to assume the defense of any such suit and retain counsel of good standing approved by the Trust the defendant or defendants in such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by any of

Page 14 of 21 
 

them; but in the case NLD does not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, NLD will reimburse the Trust, the Trust’s officers and directors, or the controlling person or persons named as defendant or defendants in such suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by the Trust or them.

 

NLD’s indemnification agreement contained in this Section and NLD’s representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by NLD or on behalf of NLD, its officers and managers, or any controlling person, and shall survive the delivery of any Shares. This agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively to the Funds’ benefit, to the benefit of the Funds’ officers and Trustees, and their respective estates, and to the benefit of any controlling persons and their successors. NLD agrees promptly to notify the Funds of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against NLD or any of its officers or managers in connection with the issue and sale of Shares.

10.       NOTIFICATION BY THE TRUST

 

(a)                 The Trust agrees to advise NLD as soon as reasonably practical:

 

(i)                  of any request by the SEC for amendments to the Registration Statement or any Prospectus then in effect;

 

(ii)                of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Prospectus then in effect or of the initiation of any proceeding for that purpose;

 

(iii)              of the happening of any event that makes untrue any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement or any Prospectus then in effect or which requires the making of a change in such Registration Statement or Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not misleading;

 

(iv)              of all actions of the SEC with respect to any amendment to any Registration Statement or any Prospectus which may from time to time be filed with the SEC;

 

(v)                if a current Prospectus is not on file with the SEC; and

 

(vi)              of all advertising, sales materials and other communications with the public required to be filed with FINRA. This obligation shall extend to all revisions of such communications.

 

For purposes of this section, informal requests by or acts of the Staff of the SEC shall not be deemed actions of or requests by the SEC.

Page 15 of 21 
 

11.       COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES

 

(a)                 In consideration of NLD’s services hereunder, the Fund agrees to pay, or cause the Fund’s adviser to pay, to NLD the fees set forth in Schedule B , attached hereto. Fees will begin to accrue for each Fund on the latter of the date of this Agreement or the date NLD begins providing services to or on behalf of such Fund. The monthly Service Fee set forth on Schedule B may be offset by any fees and charges collected and retained by NLD, for the applicable month, as set forth below:

 

(i)                  any applicable sales charge assessed upon investors in connection with the purchase of Shares;

 

(ii)                from the Fund, any applicable contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") assessed upon investors in connection with the redemption of Shares;

 

(iii)              from the Fund, the distribution service fees with respect to the Shares of those classes as designated in Schedule A for which a Plan is effective (the "Distribution Fee"); and

 

(iv)              from the Fund, the shareholder service fees with respect to the Shares of those Classes as designated in Schedule A for which a Service Plan is effective (the "Shareholder Service Fee").

 

(b)                The Distribution Fee and Shareholder Service Fee, if any, shall be accrued daily by the Trust or class thereof and shall be paid monthly as promptly as possible after the last day of each calendar month, at the rate or in the amounts set forth in the Plan(s). The Trust grants and transfers to NLD a general lien and security interest in any and all securities and other assets of the Trust now or hereafter maintained in an account at the Trust’s custodian on behalf of the Trust to secure any Distribution Fees, Shareholder Service Fees, or other fees owed NLD by the Trust under this Agreement. All fees set forth herein shall be due and payable upon receipt of invoice and shall be considered late if payment is not received by NLD within fifteen (15) days of the Fund’s receipt of the invoice. Payments not received with fifteen (15) days may be assessed interest at the maximum amount permitted by law.

 

(c)                 The Trust shall be responsible and assumes the obligation for payment of all the expenses of the Trust, including fees and disbursements of its counsel and auditors, in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement and Prospectus (including but not limited to the expense of setting in type the Registration Statement and Prospectus and printing sufficient quantities for internal compliance, regulatory purposes and for distribution to current shareholders).

 

Page 16 of 21 
 

The Trust shall bear the cost and expenses (i) of the registration of the Shares for sale under the Securities Act; (ii) of the registration or qualification of the Shares for sale under the securities laws of the various States; (iii) if necessary or advisable in connection therewith, of qualifying the Funds, (but not NLD) as an issuer or as a broker or dealer, in such States as shall be selected by the Trust and NLD pursuant to Section 7(c) hereof; (iv) payable to each State for continuing registration or qualification therein until the Funds decide to discontinue registration or qualification pursuant to Section 7(c) hereof; and (v) payable for standard transmission costs, including costs imposed by the National Securities Clearing Corporation. NLD shall pay all expenses relating to NLD's broker-dealer qualification.

 

12.       SELECTED DEALER AND SELECTED AGENT AGREEMENTS

 

NLD shall have the right to enter into selected dealer agreements with securities dealers of its choice ("selected dealers") and selected agent agreements with depository institutions and other financial intermediaries of its choice ("selected agents") for the sale of Shares and to fix therein the portion of the sales charge, if any, that may be allocated to the selected dealers or selected agents; provided, that the Trust shall approve the forms of agreements with selected dealers or selected agents and shall review and approve the compensation set forth therein. A form selling agreement for the Funds is attached hereto. Selected dealers and selected agents shall resell Shares of the Funds at the public offering price(s) set forth in the Prospectus relating to the Shares. Within the United States, NLD shall offer and sell Shares of the Funds only to selected dealers that are members in good standing of FINRA.

13.       CONFIDENTIALITY

 

NLD agrees to treat all records and other information related to the Trust as proprietary information of the Trust and, on behalf of itself and its employees, to keep confidential all such information, except that NLD may:

 

(a)                 Prepare or assist in the preparation of periodic reports to shareholders and regulatory bodies such as the SEC;

 

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

 

(c)                 release such other information as approved in writing by the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld;

 

Page 17 of 21 
 

NLD may release any information regarding the Trust without the consent of the Trust if NLD reasonably believes that it may be exposed to civil or criminal legal proceedings for failure to comply, when requested to release any information by duly constituted authorities or when so requested by the Trust. Each party agrees to comply with Regulation S-P under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

 

14.       EFFECTIVENESS AND DURATION

 

(a)                 This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof and will continue for an initial two-year term and will continue thereafter so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the Trust’s Board or (ii) by a vote of a majority of the Shares of the Trust, provided that in either event its continuance also is approved by a majority of the Board members who are not "interested persons" of any party to this Agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

(b)                This agreement is terminable, without penalty, on sixty (60) days' notice, by the Board, by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Trust, or by NLD.

 

(c)                 This Agreement will automatically and immediately terminate in the event of its "assignment."

 

(d)                NLD agrees to notify the Trust immediately upon the event of NLD’s expulsion or suspension by FINRA. This Agreement will automatically and immediately terminate in the event of NLD’s expulsion or suspension by FINRA.

15.       DISASTER RECOVERY

 

NLD shall maintain disaster recovery procedures in effect making reasonable provisions for the storage and retrieval of information maintained in NLD’s possession.

Page 18 of 21 
 

16.       DEFINITIONS

 

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth below:

 

(a)                 The “Board" means the Board of Trustees of the Trust.

 

(b)                “Fund Business Day” means any day on which the NAV of Shares of each Fund is determined as stated in the then current Prospectus.

 

(c)                 “FINRA Rules” means the Constitution, By-Laws, and Rules of Fair Practice of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA") and any interpretations thereof.

 

(d)                “NAV” means the net asset value per Share of each Fund as determined by the Fund, or its designated agent, in accordance with and at the times indicated in the applicable Prospectus of the Fund on each Fund Business Day in accordance with the method set forth in the Prospectus and guidelines established by the Board.

 

(e)                 “Public Offering Price” means the price per Share of the Fund at which NLD or selected dealers or selected agents may sell Shares to the public or to those persons eligible to invest in Shares as described in the Prospectus of the Funds, determined in accordance with such Prospectus under the Securities Act relating to such Shares.

 

(f)                  “Prospectus” means the current prospectus and statement of additional information of the Fund, as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented.

 

(g)                “Registration Statement” means the Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and all amendments thereto filed with the SEC.

 

(h)                “SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(i)                  “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(j)                   “Securities Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(k)                “1940 Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(l)                  The terms "majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested person" and "assignment" shall have the same meanings as such terms have in the 1940 Act.

Page 19 of 21 
 

17.       MISCELLANEOUS

 

(a)     No provision of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any manner except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed by both parties.

 

(b)    This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Nebraska.

 

(c)     This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or written.

 

(d)    The parties may execute this Agreement or any number of counterparts, and all of the counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.

 

(e)     If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or portions shall be considered severable and not be affected by such determination, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the Agreement did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to be illegal or invalid.

 

(f)      In the event either party is unable to perform its obligations under the terms of this Agreement because of acts of God, strikes, equipment or transmission failure or damage reasonably beyond its control, or other causes reasonably beyond its control, such party shall not be liable for damages to the other party resulting from such failure to perform or otherwise from such causes.

 

(g)    NLD shall not be liable for any consequential, incidental, exemplary, punitive, special or indirect damages, whether or not the likelihood of such damages was known by NLD or its affiliates.

 

(h)    Any controversy or claim arising out of, or related to, this Agreement, its termination or the breach thereof, shall be settled by binding arbitration by three arbitrators (or by fewer arbitrator(s), if the parties subsequently agree to fewer) in the State of Nebraska, in accordance with the rules then obtaining of FINRA, and the arbitrators’ decision shall be binding and final, and judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

 

(i)      Section and paragraph headings in this Agreement are included for convenience only and are not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.

 

Page 20 of 21 
 

(j)       All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be deemed to have been given when received, and shall be given to the following addresses (or such other addresses as to which notice is given):

 

To the Trust: To NLD:
   
Northern Lights Fund Trust III Northern Lights Distributors, LLC
Attn: President Attn: Legal Department
17645 Wright Street, Suite 200 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200
Omaha, NE 68130 Omaha, NE 68130

 

(k)    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the parties agree that the assets and liabilities of each Fund of the Trust are separate and distinct from the assets and liabilities of each other Fund and that no Fund shall be liable or shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any other Fund, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

(l)      Each of the undersigned expressly warrants and represents that they have full power and authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of the party indicated and that their signature will bind the party indicated to the terms hereof.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized persons, as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III NORTHERN LIGHTS DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
   
   
By: /s/ Richard Malinowski_______ By: /s/ William J. Strait_______________
   
Richard Malinowski William J. Strait
President President
Page 21 of 21 
 

 

 

 

June 7, 2019

 

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

 

Re:        Northern Lights Fund Trust III - File Nos. 333-178833 and 811-22655

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

A legal opinion (the “Legal Opinion”) that we prepared was filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 377 to the Northern Lights Fund Trust III Registration Statement. We hereby give you our consent to incorporate by reference the Legal Opinion into Post-Effective Amendment No. 411 under the Securities Act of 1933 (Amendment No. 414 under the Investment Company Act of 1940) (the “Amendment”) and consent to all references to us in the Amendment.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

/s/ Thompson Hine LLP

THOMPSON HINE LLP

 

 

 

 

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement (No. 333-178833) on Form N-1A of Issachar Fund, a separate series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III, of our report dated November 29, 2018, relating to our audit of the financial statements and financial highlights, which appear in the September 30, 2018 Annual Report to Shareholders, which are also incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement.

 

We also consent to the references to our firm under the captions “Financial Highlights,” "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" and “Policies and Procedures For Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings” in such Registration Statement.

 

/s/ RSM US LLP

 

Denver, Colorado

June 7, 2019

 

APPENDIX A

Funds and Classes as of May 30, 2019

 

Fund / Fund Family Share Classes Share Class Features (1) Redemption Fee
12b-1 Plan (2) Front-End Sales Charge (3) Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (3)
Swan Defined Risk Fund A ü ü   None
C ü   ü None
I       None
T ü ü   None
No Load ü     None
Y       None
Persimmon long/short fund I       1.00%**

Good Harbor Funds

Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund

Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund

Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Buyout Index Fund

Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund

Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund

A ü     1.00%*
C ü   ü 1.00%*
I       1.00%*

Pinnacle Funds

Pinnacle Sherman Tactical Allocation Fund

Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Fund

A ü ü   1.00%**
C ü   ü 1.00%**
I       1.00%**

Pinnacle Funds

Pinnacle Dynamic Growth Fund

Pinnacle TrendRating Innovative Equity Fund

A ü ü   1.00%**
C ü     1.00%**
I       1.00%**
The Covered Bridge Fund A ü ü   1.00%***
I       1.00%***

RESQ Funds

RESQ Strategic Income Fund

RESQ Dynamic Allocation Fund

A ü ü   2.00%*
C ü     2.00%*
I       2.00%*

 

Issachar fund

 

N ü     None
I       None
Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund A ü ü   1.00%*
I       1.00%*
3  
 

 

Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund A ü ü   1.00%*
I       1.00%*
Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund A ü ü   1.00%*
I       1.00%*
HCM Tactical Growth Fund A ü ü   1.00%*
Investor ü     1.00%*
I       1.00%*

Counterpoint Funds

Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund

Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund

Counterpoint Long-Short

Equity Fund

Counterpoint Tactical Municipal

Fund

A ü ü   None
C ü     None
I       None

ACM Funds

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

A ü ü ü 1.00%*
I       1.00%*
ACM Tactical Income Fund A ü ü   1.00%*
I       1.00%*

Swan Funds

Swan Defined Risk

Emerging Markets Fund

Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund

Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund

A ü ü   None
C ü   ü None
I       None
T ü ü   None
Y       None
Swan Defined Risk Growth Fund A ü ü   None
C ü     None
I       None
Y       None
HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund A ü ü   1.00%*
A1 ü ü   1.00%*
Investor ü     1.00%*
N ü     1.00%*
I       1.00%*

Absolute Funds

Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund

Absolute Capital Defender Fund

A ü ü   None
Investor ü     None
Institutional       None
4  
 

 

Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fund A ü ü   None
C ü     None
R ü     None
Investor ü     None
I       None
I2       None
Marathon Value Portfolio Non Designated       None
The Teberg Fund Non Designated ü     None
HCM Income Plus Fund A ü     1.00%*
Investor ü     1.00%*
I       1.00%*

 

(1) The features and expenses of each share class are described in further detail in the respective Fund’s Prospectus.

(2) The distribution and shareholder servicing expenses of a share class are provided for in the Fund’s respective 12b-1 Plan.

(3) The sales charges associated with a share class are described further in the respective Fund’s Prospectus.

* As a % of amount redeemed if held less than 30 days.

** As a % of amount redeemed if held less than 60 days.

*** As a % of amount redeemed, if sold within 90 days.

**** Fund hasn’t commenced operation yet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trust has executed this amended Multi-Class Plan as of the 30 th day of May, 2019.

 

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III

 

 

By: /s/ Richard Malinowski

Richard Malinowski, President

 

CEDAR CAPITAL, LLC AND AFFILIATES

CODE OF ETHICS

Adopted: April 1, 2019

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This document covers Cedar Capital, LLC and its affiliated entities (collectively, the “Cedar Group”). As of the date of this document, affiliates include Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Broadmeadow Capital, LLC. All members of the Cedar Group are SEC-registered investment advisers.

 

Cedar Capital, LLC will be referred to throughout the document as the “Adviser” “we” or “us” and is intended to cover all principals and employees (“Access Persons” or “you”) of the Cedar Group.

 

Cedar Capital, LLC has adopted this Code of Ethics (“Code”) to provide our employees with a framework for conduct in all aspects of their employment within our firm. The goal is to provide employees with an understanding of the requirements of conduct as prescribed by 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). This Code applies to the Adviser with respect to any client of the Adviser, including any investment company for which the Adviser serves as an investment adviser. This Code formalizes the high standard of ethical behavior required of our employees.

 

We have developed this Code to promote the highest levels of ethical conduct among our principals and employees (“Access Persons” or “you”). Among the purposes of the Code are to:

(1)   educate Access Persons regarding the Adviser’s expectations and the laws governing their conduct; (2) remind Access Persons that they are in a position of trust and must act with complete propriety at all times; (3) protect the reputation of the Adviser; (4) guard against violation of the securities laws; (5) protect the Adviser’s clients by deterring misconduct; and (6) establish procedures for Access Persons to follow so that the Adviser can assess whether its Access Persons are complying with the Adviser’s ethical principles.

 

PART 1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

 

The Adviser provides portfolio management services to individuals, institutions, funds registered under the Investment Company Act and funds organized as an Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (“UCITS”), (collectively, the “Clients”). The Adviser has entered into a fiduciary relationship with its Clients and owes each Client the utmost duty of loyalty, good faith, and fair dealing. The Adviser places its Clients’ interests ahead of those of its principals and employees. Therefore, each of us is likewise expected to place Client interests ahead of personal interests. The Adviser embraces the following general principles with respect to the conduct of each of its Access Persons when acting on behalf of the Adviser or in any

1  
 

capacity that affects the interests of the Adviser’s Clients:

 

1. The duty at all times to place the interests of our Clients first;

 

2. The requirement that all personal securities transactions be conducted consistent with this Code and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of your position of trust and responsibility;

 

3. The fundamental standard that the Adviser’s personnel should not take inappropriate advantage of their positions;

 

4. The fiduciary principle that information concerning the identity of security holdings and financial circumstances of Clients is confidential;

 

5. The principle that the Adviser and its personnel will exercise independent, unbiased judgment in the investment decision-making process; and

 

6. The importance of acting with honesty, integrity and professionalism in all aspects of our business.

 

These general principles govern all conduct, whether or not the conduct also is covered by more specific provisions below. We expect that all of our Access Persons will abide by this Code both in word and in spirit. Failure to comply with this Code is a serious matter that may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

 

If you have any questions or need clarification regarding what the Code does and does not permit, please do not hesitate to contact the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”).

 

PART 2. SCOPE OF THE CODE

 

The Code addresses the personal trading and other conduct of the Adviser’s Access Persons and is an integral part of its compliance program.

 

A. Persons Covered by the Code

 

This Code applies to each of the Adviser’s employees, all of whom are deemed to be “Access Persons” for purposes of this Code. Certain provisions of this Code also apply to the “Family Members” of Access Persons. The term “Family Members” includes an Access Person’s spouse, domestic partner, minor children, and relatives by blood or marriage living in the person’s household (including an adult child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, sibling, or in-laws). The Adviser’s CCO may designate additional persons as Access Persons subject to the Code from time to time as appropriate, such as consultants, temporary employees or interns.

 

B. Securities Covered by the Code
2  
 

The term “Covered Security” as used in this Code means any stock, bond, warrant, future, exchange-traded fund (“ETF”), closed end fund, investment contract or any other instrument that is considered a “security” under the Advisers Act. The term Covered Security is very broad and includes instruments and products such as: (1) options on securities, on indexes, and on currencies; (2) all kinds of limited partnerships (including those managed by the Adviser); and

(3) private equity funds, hedge funds, foreign unit trusts and investment clubs.

 

The term Covered Security does NOT include: (1) direct obligations of the U.S. government; (2) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, and high quality short-term debt obligations, including repurchase agreements; (3) shares issued by money market funds; (4) shares of open-end mutual funds; (excluding those managed by the Adviser) and (5) shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds.

 

The Code governs any Covered Security in which you, as an Access Person, have any direct or indirect beneficial interest, including interests in a trust, partnership, or retirement plan. For purpose of this Code, you are presumed to have a “beneficial interest” in securities or accounts held by your Family Members – See definition in Part 2.A. above.

 

C. Funds Covered by the Code

 

The Code governs the Adviser’s funds organized as “UCITS” and funds registered under the Investment Company Act (collectively, the “Registered Funds”) for which we serve as investment adviser.

 

PART 3. STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

 

You are required to comply with certain standards of business conduct in accordance with the Adviser’s fiduciary obligations to its Clients.

 

A. Compliance with Laws and Regulations

 

You must comply with all applicable federal securities laws. You are not permitted, in connection with the purchase or sale (directly or indirectly) of a security held or to be acquired by a Client of the Adviser:

 

1. To defraud the Client in any manner;
2. To mislead the Client, including by making a statement that omits material facts;
3. To engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Client;
4. To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Client; or
5. To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to securities, including price manipulation.

 

B. Conflicts of Interest

 

As a fiduciary, the Adviser has an affirmative duty to act in the best interest of its Clients.

3  
 

Integral to this duty is avoiding many types of potential conflicts of interest. The Adviser strives to identify conflicts of interest with Clients and to fully disclose all material facts concerning any conflict that does arise with respect to any Client. As an Access Person of the Adviser, you should avoid any situation that may have the appearance of a conflict or impropriety.

 

1. Conflicts among Client Interests . You are prohibited from inappropriate favoritism of one Client over another Client that would constitute a breach of fiduciary duty.

 

2. Competing with Client Trades. You are prohibited from using knowledge about pending or currently considered securities transactions for Clients to profit personally (directly or indirectly) as a result of such transactions, including by purchasing or selling such securities – referred to as “front running.” Conflicts raised by personal securities transactions also are addressed more specifically below.

 

3. Disclosure of Personal Interest . Access Persons who make investment decisions for Clients or help execute and/or implement investment decisions are prohibited from recommending, implementing, or considering any securities transaction for a Client without having disclosed any material Beneficial Ownership, business or personal relationship, or other material interest in the issuer or its affiliates, to the CCO. If the CCO deems the disclosed interest to present a material conflict, the CCO will make a judgment regarding the securities of that issuer. This provision applies in addition to the Adviser’s quarterly and annual personal securities reporting requirements set forth in Section D below.

 

4. Referrals/Brokerage. You are required to act in the best interests of the Adviser’s Clients regarding execution and other costs paid by Clients for brokerage services. You must strictly adhere to the Adviser’s policies and procedures regarding brokerage (including best execution and directed brokerage, if applicable). See Section 7.1 – Best Execution in the Adviser’s Compliance Manual for more information.

 

5. Vendors and Suppliers. You must disclose to the CCO any personal investments or other interests in vendors or suppliers with respect to which that person negotiates or makes decisions on behalf of the Adviser. If you have such an interest, it is within the CCO’s sole discretion to prohibit you from negotiating or making decisions regarding the Adviser’s business with those companies.

 

C. Insider Trading

 

You are prohibited from any trading, either personally or on behalf of others, while in possession of material, nonpublic information. You are prohibited from communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of the law. Additionally, all Access Persons who come into contact with material nonpublic information are subject to the Adviser’s prohibitions on insider trading and any potential sanctions. See Section 2.5 – Prevention of Insider Trading in the

4  
 

Adviser’s Compliance Manual for more information.

 

Insider trading is a very serious matter. Penalties for violating the Adviser’s insider trading policy may include (in addition to termination of employment) civil injunctions, permanent bars from employment in the securities industry, civil penalties up to three times the profits made or losses avoided, criminal fines, and jail sentences.

 

D. Personal Securities Transactions

 

You (and your Family Members) are required to strictly adhere to the Adviser’s policies and procedures regarding personal securities transactions.

 

1. Limited or Private Offerings – Pre-Clearance . Prior written approval by the CCO (or delegate) is required before you and your Family Members purchase, sell or transfer securities in a limited offering ( e.g., private placement) including those managed by the Adviser. In addition, prior written approval is required for additional or “add-on” investments in private placements. The CCO shall consider among other factors in approving such a transaction, whether the investment opportunity should be reserved for Clients, and whether the opportunity is being offered by virtue of your position with the Adviser.

 

2. Initial Public Offering – Pre-Clearance . You and your Family Members must obtain prior written approval from the CCO before purchasing any initial public offering.

 

3. Restricted List – Prohibition & Pre-clearance. You and your Family Members are prohibited from purchasing any security on the Restricted List, including options on restricted securities. If you currently own a security on the Restricted List, you may sell with pre-clearance.

 

The Restricted List is maintained and updated by the CCO (or delegate). The Restricted List is updated quarterly or more frequently as needed and is distributed to Access Persons at least quarterly. Employees should not assume they have the most recent Restricted List and should always check the current Restricted List before executing a securities transaction.

 

4. Registered Funds managed by the Adviser. Registered Funds managed by the Adviser fall under the definition of Covered Security. Therefore, all transactions in the Registered Funds are subject to the Adviser’s quarterly transaction and annual holdings requirements.

 

Authority to Exempt Transactions . The CCO has the authority to exempt personal securities transaction of an Access Person from any or all of the provisions of this Code if the CCO determines that such exemption would not be against any interests of a Client and in accordance with applicable law. The CCO will document any exemption granted, describing the circumstances and reasons for the exemption.

5  
 
E. Gifts and Entertainment

 

You should not accept inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations, or other things of material value that could influence your decision-making or suggest that you are beholden to any particular person or firm. Similarly, you should not offer gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations, or other things of value that could be viewed as overly generous or aimed at influencing decision-making or making a Client feel beholden to you or to the Adviser. These policies also apply to your Family Members.

 

1. Gifts. You may not give or receive any gift, service, or other thing in excess of

$100 per person from any person or entity that does business with, or on behalf of, the Adviser.

 

Promotional items of nominal value that display the firm’s logo (e.g. umbrellas, golf balls, or shirts) valued at substantially less than $100 are excluded from this limit. However, promotional items valued at or near $100 are not considered nominal and are subject to the limit.

 

Gifts given or received under $100 need not be reported to the CCO. If an Access Person receives a gift over $100, it should be promptly reported to the CCO. If an Access Person intends on giving a gift over $100, the Access Person must seek pre-clearance from the CCO. Exceptions may be granted on a limited basis.

 

2. Business Entertainment. You may not provide or accept entertainment that could be viewed as extravagant or excessive to or from a Client, prospective Client, or any person or entity that does or s eeks to do business with, or on behalf of, the Adviser. You may provide or accept a business entertainment event of reasonable value ( i.e., an occasional meal, sporting event, theatre production, or comparable entertainment event) provided that such entertainment is neither so frequent nor so extensive as to raise any question of propriety.

 

Expense Reports : When submitting expense reports for business meals, entertainment and any other expenses, where another advisor was present, the report must include the advisors in attendance (both individual and firm names).

 

3. Cash. You may not give or accept cash gifts or cash equivalents to or from a Client, prospective Client, or any entity that does business with or on behalf of the Adviser.

 

4. Pre-Clearance. You should seek CCO prior approval when you are unsure about the value of a proposed gift or proposed entertainment. You must pre-clear with the CCO all gifts and any entertainment or other expenses involving any government, municipal or similar authority.

 

5. Referrals. You are prohibited from making referrals to Clients ( e.g., of
6  
 

accountants, attorneys, or the like) if you expect to benefit in any way.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is not the intent of this Code to prohibit the everyday courtesies of business life. Therefore, the specific guidelines above shall not apply to an occasional meal or ticket to a theater, entertainment or sporting event that is social in nature, or that is an incidental part of a business meeting with a clear business purpose, or a food item received by an individual but shared with the Adviser’s other employees or principals and consumed on the Adviser’s premises.

 

F. Political Contributions

 

(Rule 206(4)-5 Pay-to-Play) An adviser is prohibited from receiving compensation for providing advisory services to a government entity for two years following any contribution, other than certain de minimis contributions, by the Adviser or its Access Persons to an official of a state or local government entity who is or will be in a position to influence the award of advisory business. In addition, an adviser is also prohibited from coordinating, or soliciting others to make, contributions for an official of a government entity to which the adviser is providing or seeking to provide advisory services.

 

Accordingly, the Adviser has adopted policies and procedures concerning political contributions and activities regarding state and local candidates, officials and political parties. These policies regarding activities and political contributions apply to the Adviser and all its Access Persons. See Section 3.4 – Political Contributions in the Adviser’s Compliance Manual for more information.

 

These policies are intended solely to comply with these laws and regulations and to avoid any appearance of impropriety. These policies are not intended to otherwise interfere with an individual’s right to participate in the political process.

 

G. Charitable Contributions

 

The Adviser has established policies and procedures concerning charitable contributions. The Adviser’s policy is to limit charitable contributions that are frequent or substantial in nature which may create conflicts of interest. Access Persons are prohibited from making contributions to a charitable or non-profit organization in excess of $250 at the request of a “business contact.” A business contact is defined as an organization or individual that currently does business with or is a prospect of the Adviser. The $250 limit is per business contact, per year.

 

These policies are intended solely to comply with these laws and regulations and to avoid any appearance of impropriety. These policies are not intended to discourage personal charitable contributions or those that are considered customary or nominal in nature.

 

H. Confidentiality

 

Information concerning the identity of security holdings in Client accounts and the financial circumstances of investors in such accounts is confidential.

7  
 

 

1. Adviser Duties. The Adviser must keep all information about Client accounts and investors in Client accounts in strict confidence, including identity and financial circumstances, security holdings, and advice furnished by the Adviser unless permitted to do so in writing from such Client or investor (such as when permission is received to disclose a Client’s or investor’s name.)

 

2. Access Persons’ Duties. You are prohibited from disclosing to persons outside the Adviser any material non-public information about any Client or any investor in a Client account, the securities investments made by the Adviser on behalf of a Client, information about contemplated securities transactions, or information regarding the Adviser’s trading strategies, except as required to effectuate securities transactions on behalf of a Client. Access Persons who are involved in marketing efforts on behalf of the Adviser may disclose information regarding the Adviser’s trading strategies in the ordinary course of their duties and as permitted by federal securities laws.

 

I. Service on a Board of Directors

 

Given the increased potential for conflicts of interest and insider trading issues, you must seek prior approval from the CCO to serve on the board of directors of a publicly traded company.

 

J. Other Outside Activities

 

You must disclose to the CCO any personal interests that may present a conflict of interest or harm the reputation of the Adviser. Additionally, you must obtain prior written approval by the CCO for other outside activities that may create a conflict of interest for you or the Adviser, including outside business or investment activities (such as directorships, consulting engagements, outside business affiliations, or public positions) and acting as an executor or trustee or accepting a power of attorney.

 

K. Marketing and Promotional Activities

 

Any oral or written statement you make, including those made to Clients, prospective Clients, their representatives, or the media, must be professional, accurate, balanced, and not misleading in any way. Statements made to the media should be pre-cleared by the CCO. See Section 8 – Sales and Marketing in the Adviser’s Compliance Manual for more information.

 

PART 4. COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES

 

A. Personal Securities Transaction Procedures and Reporting

 

1. Disclosure of Personal Accounts . The Adviser’s Access Persons must disclose to the CCO within 10 days of date of employment through the automated compliance software all Personal Accounts in which the Access Person or Family Members have a direct interest or for which the Access Person influences or controls the investment decisions.
8  
 

In addition, Access Persons must pre-clear any new Personal Accounts prior to opening the account. An account established for the benefit of the following will be presumed to be a Personal Account unless the Access Person and the CCO agree otherwise in writing:

(i) an Access Person; (ii) the spouse of an Access Person; (iii) any child of any Access Person under the age of 21, whether or not residing with the Access Person; (iv) any other Family Member of the Access Person residing in the same household with the Access Person or to whose financial support the Access Person makes a significant contribution; and (v) any other account in which the Access Person has a direct or indirect beneficial interest (e.g., joint accounts, trustee accounts, partnerships, investment clubs, estates or closely held corporations in which the Access Person has a beneficial interest).

 

2. Pre-clearance Procedures .

 

Pre-clearance for sales in securities on the Restricted List should be requested via the automated compliance software.

 

Approval for a trade is valid for the day on which it is granted and the immediately following business day. After that, a new request is required to be submitted to the CCO. Your trading activity is reviewed to ensure that each transaction was properly authorized.

 

PRE-CLEARANCE IS NOT REQUIRED for the following types of transactions:

 

a. Purchases or sales over which an Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control (e.g., a managed account);
b. Purchases or sales pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan (including a dividend reinvestment plan);
c. Purchases effected upon exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuers, and sales of such rights so acquired;
d. Acquisition of securities through stock dividends, dividend reinvestments, stock splits, reverse stock splits, mergers, consolidations, spin-offs, and other similar corporate reorganizations or distributions generally applicable to all holders of the same class of securities;
e. Open end investment company shares;
f. Unit investment trusts; and
g. Assignment of options or exercise of an option at expiration.

 

3. Market Timing . Frequent trading can harm open-end fund shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs to the fund and disrupting portfolio management strategies. Access Persons are required to comply with the policies of any open-end funds in which they invest regarding purchases, redemptions and exchanges, and are prohibited from engaging in frequent trading in open-end funds. To prevent disruption in the management of a fund, excessive exchange activity is limited. Generally, exchange activity is considered excessive if it exceeds parameters as set forth below:
9  
 

 

· A substantive exchange redemption in the same fund within 30 days of each other, in the amount of $50,000 or 1% of net assets, whichever is higher.

 

The Adviser has adopted these procedures in compliance with the Trust’s Compliance Manual.

 

4. Late Trading. Late trading is prohibited by law and, with respect to Registered Funds managed by the Adviser, may represent a violation of fiduciary duty. Even though this Code only requires Access Persons to report transactions in these funds, the Code prohibits Access Persons from engaging in or facilitating late trading in shares of any open-end fund.

 

5. Reporting Requirements . All reporting is submitted through the automated compliance software.

 

a. Holdings Reports . You are required to submit to the CCO a holdings report that includes: (1) information regarding all holdings in Covered Securities in which you or your Family Members have a beneficial interest. New Access Persons should submit these reports within 10 days of employment with the Adviser, and thereafter on an annual basis, by January 30 of each year. Reports should be current as of a date not more than 45 days before the report is due.

 

b. Quarterly Transaction Reports. You are required to submit to the CCO quarterly transaction reports that cover all transactions in Covered Securities and Registered Funds managed by the Adviser in which you or your Family Members have a beneficial interest no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. Certain types of transactions, listed in subsection e below, are not required to be included in these reports.

 

c. Quarterly Personal Account Establishment Reports. New Personal Accounts for you or your Family Members must be pre-cleared through the compliance software and quarterly you are required to affirm that you have disclosed to the CCO all of Personal Accounts in which you or your Family Members have a beneficial interest.

 

d. Confidentiality of Reports. The Adviser will keep confidential all transactions and holdings reports, except to the extent necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of the Code or to comply with requests for information from government authorities.

 

e. Reporting Exemptions . The following reporting exemptions apply:

 

i. Any report with respect to securities held in accounts over which you and/or your Family Members have no direct or indirect influence or control; and

 

ii. Any transaction report with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an
10  
 

Automatic Investment Plan (including dividend reinvestment plans).

 

6. Monitoring of Personal Securities Transactions. The CCO (or delegate) is responsible for periodically reviewing personal securities transactions and holdings reports. The CCO will name as a delegate a senior employee to be responsible for reviewing and monitoring the personal securities transactions of the CCO and for taking on the responsibilities of the CCO in the CCO’s absence.

 

 

B. Gifts and Business Entertainment Reporting. Disclosures will be submitted through automated compliance software.

 

a. You are required to disclose to the CCO, upon receipt but no less than quarterly, any gifts given or received in excess of $100 per person.

 

b. You are required to disclose to the CCO, upon receipt but no less than quarterly, any business entertainment expenses provided or received which may be deemed excess in nature.

 

C. Certifications of Compliance. All certifications will be submitted through automated compliance software.

 

1. Initial Certification. You are required to provide certification that you have:

 

(a) received a copy of the Code; (b) read and understood all provisions of the Code; and

(c) agreed to comply with the terms of the Code. Such initial certification must be provided within 10 days of becoming designated as an Access Person under the Code.

 

2. Acknowledgement of Amendments. The Adviser will provide you with any amendments to the Code and you must submit an acknowledgement that you have received, read, and understood the amendments to the Code.

 

3. Annual Certification . You are required to certify on an annual basis that that you have read, understood, and complied with the Code .

 

PART 5. RECORDKEEPING

 

The Adviser maintains the following records related to the Code in a readily accessible place:

 

1. A copy of each Code that has been in effect at any time during the past five years;
2. A record of any violation of the Code and any action taken as a result of such violation for five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;
3. A record of compliance certifications for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, an Access Person;
4. Holdings and transactions reports made pursuant to the Code, including any
11  
 

brokerage account statements made in lieu of these reports;

5. A list of the names of persons who are currently, or within the past five years were Access Persons;
6. A record of any decision and supporting reasons for approving the acquisition of securities by Access Persons in a limited offering, initial public offering or in the Sectors; and
7. A record of any decision and supporting reasons for granting any Access Person a waiver from or exception to the Code.

 

PART 6. ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE

 

A. Training and Education. The CCO, or delegate, shall be responsible for training and educating Access Persons regarding the Code. Such training shall be mandatory for all Access Persons and shall occur within 10 days of date of hire and on an annual basis or more frequently as determined necessary by the CCO.

 

B. Annual Review . The CCO shall review the adequacy of the Code and the effectiveness of its implementation as the CCO deems appropriate, but no less frequently than annually.

 

C. Reporting Violations. You are required to report actual or suspected violations of the Adviser’s Code promptly to the CCO, or in the case of a violation by the CCO, to senior management. The Adviser has adopted a policy of non-retaliation with respect to any person who reports matters in good faith. See Section 2.2 – Reporting Violations in the Adviser’s Compliance Manual for more information.

 

1. Confidentiality. Any reports created to satisfy the requirements of the Code shall be treated confidentially and shall be investigated promptly as required by the particular circumstances.

 

2. Types of Reporting. You are obligated to report any: (a) noncompliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (b) fraud or illegal acts involving any aspect of the Adviser’s business; (c) material misstatements in regulatory filings, internal books and records, Clients records or reports; (d) activity that is harmful to Clients; and (e) material deviations from required controls and procedures that safeguard Clients and the Adviser.

 

3. Guidance. You are encouraged to seek guidance from the CCO or other senior management with respect to any action or transaction that may violate the Code and to refrain from any action or transaction which might lead to the appearance of a violation.

 

D. Sanctions. As noted in Part 1 of this Code, a violation of the Code may result in any disciplinary action that the CCO or senior management deems appropriate, including but not limited to a warning, fines, disgorgement, suspension, demotion, or termination of employment. In addition to sanctions, violations may result in referral to civil or criminal
12  
 

authorities where appropriate.

 

E. Further Information Regarding the Code. You should contact the CCO to obtain any additional information about compliance and ethics issues.
13  
 

DEFINITIONS

 

For purposes of this Code:

 

“Access Person” means any employee (i) who has access to non-public information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of securities, or non-public information regarding the portfolio holdings of any client of the Adviser, or (ii) who is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are non-public. Notwithstanding the above definition, the CCO has determined that all principals, officers and employees of the Adviser will be considered Access Persons under this Code unless otherwise specifically exempted by the Senior Managing Member and the CCO.

 

Additionally, a consultant, temporary employee, or other person may be considered an Access Person depending on various factors, including length of service, nature or duties and access to information about the Adviser. Such person will be notified by the CCO when he or she is considered an Access Person.

 

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

 

“Beneficial Ownership” means that a person, directly, or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the security. A pecuniary interest means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the security. An indirect pecuniary interest includes (i) securities held by a member of a person’s immediate family sharing the same household, (ii) a person’s interest in securities held by a trust, and (iii) a person’s right to acquire securities through the exercise of a derivative security.

 

The definition of “beneficial ownership” is complex, and questions regarding whether an Employee has a beneficial interest in a security should be directed to the CCO. Any report filed under this Code may state that the report is not to be construed as an admission that the person making the report has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates. The term “beneficial ownership” is interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) in determining whether a person has beneficial ownership of a security for purposes of Section 16 of the 1934 Act.

 

“Covered Security” means a Security (defined herein), except that it does not include: (i) direct obligations of the government of the United States; (ii) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments (including repurchase agreements); (iii) shares issued by money market funds; (iv) shares issued by open-end mutual funds not affiliated with the Adviser; and (v) shares issued by

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unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end mutual funds.

 

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

 

“Inside Information” means material non-public information (i.e., information which is not available to investors generally) that a reasonable investor would consider to be important in deciding whether to buy, sell or retain a security, including for example non- public information relating to a pending merger, acquisition, disposition, joint venture, contract award or termination, major lawsuit or claim, earnings announcement or change in dividend policy, significant product development, or the gain or loss of a significant customer or supplier. Any non-public information may be inside information regardless of whether it is developed internally or obtained from others (e.g., information received from the issuer, current or prospective customers, suppliers or business partners). Information is considered non-public until the market has had a reasonable time after public announcement to assimilate and react to the information.

 

“Limited Offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act pursuant to Sections 4(2) or 4(6) or Rule 504, 505 or 506. Limited Offerings are sometimes referred to as private placements of securities.

 

“Personal Account” means any securities and futures account of an Employee in which the Employee has a direct or pecuniary interest or for which such Employee influences or controls the investment decisions (other than accounts for the Adviser’s clients, except those clients who fall within the list in the next sentence). An account established for the benefit of the following will be presumed to be a Personal Account unless the Employee and the CCO agree otherwise in writing: (i) an Employee; (ii) the spouse or domestic partner of an Employee; (iii) any child of any Employee under the age of 21, whether or not residing with the Employee; (iv) any other family member of the Employee residing in the same household with the Employee or to whose financial support the Employee makes a significant contribution; and (v) any other account in which the Employee has a direct or indirect beneficial interest (e.g., joint accounts, trustee accounts, partnerships, investment clubs, estates or closely held corporations in which the Employee has a beneficial interest).

 

“Publicly Traded Security” means any equity or debt instrument traded on an exchange, through NASDAQ or through the “Pink Sheets,” any option to purchase or sell such equity or debt instrument, any index stock or bond group option that includes such equity or debt instrument, and futures contract on stock or bond groups that includes such equity or debt instrument, and any option on such futures contract. A Publicly Traded Security also means any security traded on foreign security exchanges, and publicly traded shares of registered closed-end investment companies, exchange-traded funds, unit trusts, partnership and similar interests, notes, warrants, or fixed income instruments, and bonds and debt obligations issued by foreign governments, states, or municipalities.

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Exceptions to the definition of “Publicly Traded Security” include the following: securities issued by mutual funds (not affiliated with the Adviser), U.S. treasury bonds, notes and bills, U.S. savings bonds and other instruments issued by the U.S. government, debt instruments issued by a banking institution (such as bankers’ acceptances, certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high-quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements) and U.S. and foreign currency. The securities covered by this exception are referred to as “Non-covered Securities”.

 

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

 

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

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APPENDIX – Revision History

 

 

 

 

 

Version Updates
April 1, 2019 Updated references to Compliance Manual throughout Code.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amended and Restated December 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Statement of General Policy

This Code of Ethics ("Code") has been adopted by Newfound Research LLC and is designed to comply with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act").

 

This Code establishes rules of conduct for all employees of Newfound Research LLC and is designed to, among other things, govern personal securities trading activities in the accounts of employees, immediate family/household accounts and accounts in which an employee or spouse has a beneficial interest or investment control. The Code is based upon the principle that Newfound Research LLC and its employees owe a fiduciary duty to Newfound Research LLC's clients to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such a manner as to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients, (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with the firm and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.

 

The purpose of the Code is to preclude activities which may lead to or give the appearance of conflicts of interest, insider trading and other forms of prohibited or unethical business conduct.

 

Pursuant to Section 206 of the Advisers Act, both Newfound Research LLC and its employees are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. Compliance with this section involves more than acting with honesty and good faith alone. It means that Newfound Research LLC has an affirmative duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of its clients. Newfound Research LLC and its supervised persons shall not employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud any fund for which Newfound Research LLC serves as investment adviser. Furthermore, such parties shall not make any untrue statement of a material fact to such fund(s) or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made to such fund(s), in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

 

Newfound Research LLC and its employees are subject to the following specific fiduciary obligations when dealing with clients (where applicable):

 

The duty to have a reasonable, independent basis for the investment advice provided;
The duty to obtain best execution for a client's transactions where the Firm is in a position to direct brokerage transactions for the client;
The duty to ensure that investment advice is suitable to meeting the client's individual objectives, needs and circumstances; and
A duty to be loyal to clients.

 

In meeting its fiduciary responsibilities to its clients, Newfound Research LLC expects every employee to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct for continued employment with Newfound Research LLC. Strict compliance with the provisions of the Code shall be considered a basic condition of employment with Newfound Research LLC. Newfound Research LLC's reputation for fair and honest dealing with its clients could be seriously damaged as the result of even a single securities transaction being considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty

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owed to our clients. Employees are urged to seek the advice of Newfound Research LLC’s Chief Compliance Officer, for any questions about the Code or the application of the Code to their individual circumstances. Employees should also understand that a material breach of the provisions of the Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment with Newfound Research LLC.

 

The provisions of the Code are not all-inclusive. Rather, they are intended as a guide for employees of Newfound Research LLC in their conduct. In those situations where an employee may be uncertain as to the intent or purpose of the Code, he/she is advised to consult with the Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer may grant exceptions to certain provisions contained in the Code only in those situations when it is clear beyond dispute that the interests of our clients will not be adversely affected or compromised. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the client even at the expense of the interests of employees.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Code or in any other document, nothing in this Code or in any policy or agreement shall prohibit a supervised person from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity, including but not limited to the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General, or making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation. Supervised persons do not need the prior authorization of the Chief Compliance Officer, the legal department or any other party to make any such reports or disclosures and no supervised person is required to notify Newfound Research LLC that it has made such reports or disclosures.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer will periodically report to senior management and/or the Board of Managers of Newfound Research LLC to document compliance with this Code.

 

Any amendments to the Code shall be promptly provided to the board of any fund over which Newfound Research LLC serves as investment adviser.

 

Definitions

 

For the purposes of this Code, the following definitions shall apply:

 

“Access person” means any supervised person who is an advisory person, a director, officer or general partner (or equivalent position for different types of organizations), or who has access to nonpublic information regarding any client’s purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Reportable fund, our firm or its control affiliates, manages or has access to such recommendations, or is involved in making securities recommendations to clients that are nonpublic.

 

“Advisory person” means any director, officer, general partner or employee of Newfound Research LLC (or any company or natural person in a control relationship to Newfound Research LLC) who makes, participates in or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of reportable securities by Newfound Research LLC or whose functions relate to
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the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales or us otherwise designated by the Chief Compliance Officer as an access person.

 

“Account” means accounts of any employee and includes accounts of the employee’s immediate family members (any relative by blood or marriage living in the employee's household), and any account in which he or she has direct or indirect beneficial interest, such as trusts and custodial accounts or other accounts in which the employee has a beneficial interest, controls or exercises investment discretion.

 

“Automatic investment” (including “pre-approved automatic 401(K) and other investments”) means a program in which regular periodic purchases or withdrawals are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation.

 

“Beneficial ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of such Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Any report may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission that the person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.

 

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

 

“Fund” means an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act.

 

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

 

“Limited Offering” means an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933

 

“Reportable fund” means any registered investment company, i.e., mutual fund, for which our firm, or a control affiliate, acts as investment adviser, as defined in section 2(a) (20) of the Investment Company Act, or principal underwriter and any fund our firm controls, is controlled by or is under common control with.

 

“Reportable security” means any security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, except that it does not include: (i) transactions and holdings in direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt
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instruments, including repurchase agreements; (iii) shares issued by money market funds; and (iv) transactions in units of a unit investment trust if the unit investment trust is invested exclusively in mutual funds, unless Newfound Research LLC or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter for the fund (in which case such security shall be deemed a “reportable security”).

 

“Supervised person” means directors, officers and partners of Newfound Research LLC (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions); employees of Newfound Research LLC, including temporary employees, interns and individual consultants and contractors who provide services similar to those services provided by employees; and any other person who provides advice on behalf of Newfound Research LLC and is subject to Newfound Research LLC's supervision and control.

 

Standards of Business Conduct

 

Newfound Research LLC places the highest priority on maintaining its reputation for integrity and professionalism. That reputation is a vital business asset. The confidence and trust placed in our firm and its employees by our clients is something we value and endeavor to protect. The following Standards of Business Conduct set forth policies and procedures to achieve these goals. This Code is intended to comply with applicable federal and state laws, including the various provisions of the Advisers Act and also requires that all supervised persons comply with the various applicable provisions of applicable federal and state laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers. Such policies and procedures are contained in this Code. The Code also contains policies and procedures with respect to personal securities transactions of all “supervised persons” of Newfound Research LLC. These procedures cover transactions in a reportable security in which a supervised person has a beneficial interest in or accounts over which the supervised person exercises control as well as transactions by members of the supervised person's immediate family.

 

Section 206 of the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for Newfound Research LLC or its agents or employees to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any client or prospective client, or to engage in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative practices. This Code contains provisions that prohibit these and other enumerated activities and that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent violations of the Code, the Advisers Act and rules thereunder.

 

Prohibition Against Insider Trading

 

Introduction

 

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Trading securities while in possession of material, nonpublic information, or improperly communicating that information to others may expose supervised persons and Newfound Research LLC to stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or ten years imprisonment. The SEC can recover the profits gained or losses avoided through the illegal trading, impose a penalty of up to three times the illicit windfall, and/or issue an order permanently barring you from the securities industry. Finally, supervised persons and Newfound Research LLC may be sued by investors seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations.

 

The rules contained in this Code apply to reportable securities trading and information handling by supervised persons of Newfound Research LLC and their immediate family members.

 

The law of insider trading is continuously developing. An individual legitimately may be uncertain about the application of the rules contained in this Code in a particular circumstance. Often, a single question can avoid disciplinary action or complex legal problems. You are encouraged to notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Code has occurred or is about to occur.

 

General Policy

 

No supervised person, or spouse, may trade, either personally or on behalf of others (such as investment funds and private accounts managed by Newfound Research LLC), while in the possession of material, nonpublic information, nor may any personnel of Newfound Research LLC communicate material, nonpublic information to others in violation of the law.

 

1. What is Material Information?

 

Information is material where there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions. Generally, this includes any information the disclosure of which will have a substantial effect on the price of a company's securities. No simple test exists to determine when information is material; assessments of materiality involve a highly fact-specific inquiry. For this reason, you should direct any questions about whether information is material to the Chief Compliance Officer. While the Chief Compliance Officer is available to assist you with any questions regarding the law and this Code, the responsibility ultimately rests with each individual to comply with the law and this Code, and to uphold the reputation of Newfound Research LLC.

 

Material information often relates to a company's results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Material information also may relate to the market for a company's securities. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell securities may, in some contexts, be material. Prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may

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be material. For example, the United States Supreme Court upheld the criminal convictions of insider trading defendants who capitalized on prepublication information about The Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street" column.

 

You should also be aware of the SEC's position that the term "material nonpublic information" relates not only to issuers but also to Newfound Research LLC's securities recommendations and client securities holdings and transactions.

 

2. What is Nonpublic Information?

 

Information is "public" when it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through the Internet, a public filing with the SEC or some other government agency, the Dow Jones "tape" or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation, and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely. Newfound Research LLC believes that information is “nonpublic” until a reasonable time has passed after the information has become available to the general public (i.e., after a period of time necessary for the information to be absorbed by the public, and not necessarily immediately upon it becoming available).

 

3. Identifying Inside Information

 

Before you or your spouse execute any trade for yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by Newfound Research LLC, if any ("Client Accounts"), you must determine whether you have access to material, nonpublic information. If you think that you might have access to material, nonpublic information, you should take the following steps:

 

Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the Chief Compliance Officer.
Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by the firm.
Do not communicate the information inside or outside the firm, other than to the Chief Compliance Officer.
After the Chief Compliance Officer has reviewed the issue, the firm will determine whether the information is material and nonpublic and, if so, what action the firm will take.

 

You are encouraged to consult with the Chief Compliance Officer before taking any action. This high degree of caution will protect you, our clients, and the firm.

 

4. Contacts with Public Companies

 

Contacts with public companies may represent an important part of our research efforts. The firm may make investment decisions on the basis of conclusions formed through such contacts and

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analysis of publicly available information. Difficult legal issues arise, however, when, in the course of these contacts, a supervised person of Newfound Research LLC or other person subject to this Code becomes aware of material, nonpublic information. This could happen, for example, if a company's Chief Financial Officer prematurely discloses quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative makes selective disclosure of adverse news to a handful of investors. In such situations, Newfound Research LLC must make a judgment as to its further conduct. To protect yourself, your clients and the firm, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you believe that you may have received material, nonpublic information.

 

5. Tender Offers

 

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons: First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company's securities. Trading during this time period is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC has adopted a rule which expressly forbids trading and "tipping" while in the possession of material, nonpublic information regarding a tender offer received from the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either. Supervised persons of Newfound Research LLC and others subject to this Code should exercise extreme caution any time they become aware of nonpublic information relating to a tender offer.

 

6. Restricted/Watch Lists

 

Although Newfound Research LLC does not typically receive confidential information from companies other than its clients, it may, if it receives such information, take appropriate procedures to establish restricted or watch lists in certain securities.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a "restricted list." Supervised persons are generally prohibited from personally, or on behalf of an advisory account, purchasing or selling securities during any period they are listed. Securities issued by companies about which a number of supervised persons are expected to regularly have material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the restricted list. The Chief Compliance Officer shall take steps to immediately inform all supervised persons of the securities listed on the restricted list.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a "watch list." Securities issued by companies about which a limited number of supervised persons possess material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the watch list. The list will be disclosed only to the Chief Compliance Officer and a limited number of other persons who are deemed necessary recipients of the list because of their roles in compliance.

 

Personal Securities Transactions

 

General Policy

 

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Newfound Research LLC has adopted the following principles governing personal investment activities by Newfound Research LLC's supervised persons:

 

The interests of client accounts will at all times be placed first;
All personal securities transactions will be conducted in such manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual's position of trust and responsibility; and
Supervised persons must not take inappropriate advantage of their positions.

 

Newfound Research LLC’s general policy is that all personal securities transactions by a supervised person or spouse involving reportable securities require the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer, subject to those exceptions listed in this Code of Ethics. Pre-cleared transactions involving reportable securities may be placed and completed prior to the end of the second trading day after approval, unless a shorter or longer time period is approved by the Chief Compliance Officer (i.e., once a transaction involving a reportable security is approved by the Chief Compliance Officer the supervised person has until the second market close after such approval to complete the transaction). Pre-clearance expirations are based on U.S. market hours. This means that if a pre-clearance is approved during market hours, it will expire at the market on the next trading day. If a pre-clearance is approved before or after trading hours, the employee will have the entirety of the next two trading days to execute the trade.

 

For the avoidance of doubt regarding the types of transactions that require prior approval, the following is Newfound Research LLC’s policy regarding participation in IPOs, private or limited offerings and registered funds:

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in IPOs

 

No supervised person, or spouse, shall acquire or cause the acquisition of any beneficial ownership in any securities in an Initial Public Offering for his or her account, as defined herein, without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer, who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person's activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Private or Limited Offerings

 

No supervised person, or spouse, shall acquire or cause the acquisition of any beneficial ownership of any securities in a limited offering or private placement without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person's activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in Shares of Certain Registered Funds

 

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No supervised person, or spouse, shall acquire or divest (or cause the acquisition or divesture of) any beneficial interest or otherwise transact in any securities in an open-end registered mutual fund or exchange traded fund for which Newfound Research LLC or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter for such fund for his or her account, as defined herein, without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer, who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person's activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts. Automatic reinvestment of dividends or other distributions from such a fund shall not require additional approval of the Chief Compliance Officer. See Exhibit F.

 

Exceptions to General Policy Regarding Securities Transactions

 

Third-party accounts over which a supervised person has control or authority (whether by virtue of being a trustee for a 401(K) Plan, having been granted a power of attorney or otherwise) shall be reported to the firm through the general securities reporting system but, as long as the supervised person or spouse has not and is not actually exercising his or her powers over such accounts, transactions executed by parties other than the supervised person or spouse shall not require pre-approval of transactions, reporting of transactions or holdings to the firm and shall not be subject to the holding period requirement. At such time as the supervised person exercises such authority, all requirements of this Code of Ethics shall apply.

 

The following transactions shall not require the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer; however, all such transactions and holdings shall be reported to the firm through the general securities reporting system:

 

· Transactions in a managed account where the employee has no discretion;
· Dividend and capital gains automatic reinvestment;
· Pre-approved automatic 401(K) and other investments after the initial selections by the account holder (although the initial selection requires pre-clearance);
· Non-volitional transactions, such as stock splits, stock dividends, cash dividends, corporate actions, etc.;
· Transactions involving direct obligations of the government of the United States or other sovereign government or supra-national agency, high quality short-term debt investments, brokers acceptances, certificate of deposit, commercial paper and repurchase agreements;
· Purchases or sales of variable and fixed insurance products;
· Exercised stock options, rights, warrants or tender offers;
· Securities received via gift or inheritance; and
· Securities received or transferred to a spouse as part of a divorce or material dissolution proceeding or related settlement.

 

With respect to managed accounts over which the supervised person has no discretion, the Chief Compliance Officer shall confirm with the advisor that the supervised person has no discretion and in fact is not involved in any manner in the decision to purchase or sell of any security for such account.

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Interested Transactions

 

No supervised person shall recommend any securities transactions for a client without having disclosed his or her interest, if any, in such securities or the issuer thereof, including without limitation:

 

any direct or indirect beneficial ownership of any securities of such issuer;
any contemplated transaction by such person in such securities;
any position with such issuer or its affiliates; and
any present or proposed business relationship between such issuer or its affiliates and such person or any party in which such person has a significant interest.

 

Holdings Period Rule

 

Access persons must hold reportable securities for no less than 60 days. Generally, a first-in first-out accounting method will be applied to determine compliance with this holding rule. This holding period rule does not apply to reportable securities acquired via automatic reinvestment.

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business setting may create an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest. Newfound Research LLC has adopted the policies set forth below to guide supervised persons in this area.

 

General Policy

 

Newfound Research LLC's policy with respect to gifts and entertainment is as follows:

 

No gifts shall be given or received without the prior written consent of the Chief Compliance Officer.
Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business may give rise to an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential or actual conflict of interest.
Supervised persons should not accept or provide any gifts or favors that might influence the decisions you or the recipient must make in business transactions involving Newfound Research LLC, or that others might reasonably believe would influence those decisions.
Modest gifts and favors, which would not be regarded by others as improper, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis, subject to pre-approval requirements. Dining or entertainment that satisfies these requirements and conforms to generally accepted business practices also is permissible, if, during such dining or entertainment, you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does, or proposes to do, business with Newfound Research LLC.
Supervised persons shall use their reasonable judgment with respect to all gifts and entertainment, and shall consider the differences between:
o Attending a Red Sox game in May versus attending the World Series;
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o Taking a prospective client for a routine lunch versus dinner at a steakhouse; and
o Accepting tickets from a third-party to a sporting event versus accompanying a third-party to the same sporting event (the former being a gift and the latter likely being entertainment).
No supervised person shall ever give or receive inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations or other things of material value that could influence decision-making or make them feel beholden to the firm or the person.
It is never appropriate or permissible to give or receive gifts of cash, cash equivalents, lottery tickets, gift cards, stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other securities if the gift involves a client, prospective client or other party Newfound Research LLC does or may do business with; unless, in the case of a gift card (for example, a Starbucks gift card) prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer is obtained.
Any gifts given or received must be gratuitous, with donative intent, and not as compensation and never with an expectation of receiving anything in return.
Where there is a law or rule that applies to the conduct of a particular business or the acceptance of gifts of even nominal value, the law or rule must be followed.
Promotional gifts, such as those that bear the logo of a company’s name or that are routinely made available to the general public are generally acceptable business gifts that do not require pre-approval or reporting and are not considered “gifts” for purposes of this policy, provided that the value of the promotional gift does not exceed $100.00.

 

Reporting Requirements

 

All gifts and entertainment given or received to or from anyone who does business, or may do business, with Newfound Research LLC shall be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer through the firm’s compliance system, which shall be maintained by the Chief Compliance Officer. Nominal gifts and entertainment, such as business lunches, are required to be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer but occasional failures of a supervised person to report lunches the supervised person provides or receives for less than $50 shall not be deemed to be a breach of this Code of Ethics.

 

This gift/entertaining-reporting requirement is for the purpose of helping Newfound Research LLC monitor the activities of its employees, including potential or actual conflicts of interest. However, the reporting of a gift does not relieve any supervised person from the obligations and policies set forth in this Section or anywhere else in this Code. If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any gift or entertainment, please consult the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Political Contributions

 

No political contributions shall be made by Newfound Research LLC, any of its supervised persons, or spouse or household member of supervised persons, without the written consent of the Chief Compliance Officer and only in accordance with Newfound Research LLC’s Compliance Manual. In connection with any such approval by the Chief Compliance Officer, the contributing party shall provide the Chief Compliance Officer with all information required by

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the firm’s “Political Contributions” policy in its manual and all such other information as may be required by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

 

Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

 

Confidential Client Information

 

In the course of investment advisory activities of Newfound Research LLC, the firm may gain access to non-public information about its clients. Such information may include a person's status as a client, personal financial and account information, the allocation of assets in a client portfolio, the composition of investments in any client portfolio, information relating to services performed for or transactions entered into on behalf of clients (if any), advice provided by Newfound Research LLC to clients, and data or analyses derived from such non-public personal information (collectively referred to as “Confidential Client Information”). All Confidential Client Information, whether relating to Newfound Research LLC's current or former clients, is subject to the Code's policies and procedures. Any doubts about the confidentiality of information must be resolved in favor of confidentiality.

 

Non-Disclosure of Confidential Client Information

 

All information regarding Newfound Research LLC's clients is confidential. Information may only be disclosed when the disclosure is consistent with the firm's policy and the client's direction. Newfound Research LLC does not share Confidential Client Information with any third parties, except in the following circumstances:

 

· As necessary to provide service that the client requested or authorized, or to maintain and service the client's account. Newfound Research LLC will require that any financial intermediary, agent or other service provider utilized by Newfound Research LLC (such as broker-dealers or sub-advisers) comply with substantially similar standards for non-disclosure and protection of Confidential Client Information and use the information provided by Newfound Research LLC only for the performance of the specific service requested by Newfound Research LLC;
· As required by regulatory authorities or law enforcement officials who have jurisdiction over Newfound Research LLC, or as otherwise required by any applicable law. In the event Newfound Research LLC is compelled to disclose Confidential Client Information, the firm shall provide prompt notice to the clients affected, so that the clients may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy. If no protective order or other appropriate remedy is obtained, Newfound Research LLC shall disclose only such information, and only in such detail, as is legally required; and
· To the extent reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, unauthorized transactions or liability.

 

 

Employee Responsibilities

 

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All supervised persons are prohibited, either during or after the termination of their employment with Newfound Research LLC, from disclosing Confidential Client Information to any person or entity outside the firm, including family members, except under the circumstances described above. A supervised person is permitted to disclose Confidential Client Information only to such other supervised persons who need to have access to such information to deliver the services of Newfound Research LLC to the client.

 

Supervised persons are also prohibited from making unauthorized copies of any documents or files containing Confidential Client Information and, upon termination of their employment with Newfound Research LLC, must return all such documents to Newfound Research LLC.

 

Any supervised person who violates the non-disclosure policy described above will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination, whether or not he or she benefited from the disclosed information.

 

Security of Confidential Personal Information

 

Newfound Research LLC enforces the following policies and procedures to protect the security of Confidential Client Information:

 

The firm restricts access to Confidential Client Information to those supervised persons who need to know such information to provide the services of Newfound Research LLC to clients;
Any supervised person who is authorized to have access to Confidential Client Information in connection with the performance of such person's duties and responsibilities is required to keep such information in a secure compartment, file or receptacle on a daily basis as of the close of each business day;
All electronic or computer files containing any Confidential Client Information shall be password secured and firewall protected from access by unauthorized persons; and
Any conversations involving Confidential Client Information, if appropriate at all, must be conducted by supervised persons in private, and care must be taken to avoid any unauthorized persons overhearing or intercepting such conversations.

 

Privacy Policy

 

Newfound Research LLC and all supervised persons, must comply with SEC Regulation S-P, which requires investment advisers to adopt policies and procedures to protect the “nonpublic personal information” of natural person clients. “Nonpublic information,” under Regulation S-P, includes personally identifiable financial information and any list, description, or grouping that is derived from personally identifiable financial information. Personally identifiable financial information is defined to include information supplied by individual clients, information resulting from transactions, any information obtained in providing products or services. Pursuant to Regulation S-P, Newfound Research LLC has adopted policies and procedures to safeguard the information of natural person clients.

 

Enforcement and Review of Confidentiality and Privacy Policies

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The Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for reviewing, maintaining and enforcing Newfound Research LLC's confidentiality and privacy policies and is also responsible for conducting appropriate employee training to ensure adherence to these policies. Any exception to this policy requires the written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Service as an Officer or Director

 

No supervised person shall serve as an officer or on the board of directors of any publicly or privately traded company without prior authorization by the Chief Compliance Officer or a designated supervisory person based upon a determination that any such board service or officer position would be consistent with the interest of Newfound Research LLC's clients. Where board service or an officer position is approved, Newfound Research LLC shall implement a "Chinese Wall" or other appropriate procedure, to isolate such person from making decisions relating to the company's securities.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for all Financial Services Related Outside Business Activities

 

No supervised person shall, directly or indirectly, serve as an officer or on the board of directors or trustees or otherwise perform any services for or be active or involved with any business activities for any company other than Newfound Research LLC if such other company is in the financial services business without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer who has been provided with full details of the proposed activities, duties or roles and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts. Any supervised person who receives approval of the Chief Compliance Officer shall promptly resign from such outside business activities if requested by Newfound Research LLC or the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Compliance Procedures

 

Reporting Requirements

 

Every supervised person shall provide initial and annual holdings reports and quarterly transaction reports to the Chief Compliance Officer which must contain the information described below (forms of which are attached to the end of this Code). It is the policy of Newfound Research LLC that each supervised person must arrange for their brokerage firm(s) to send automatic duplicate brokerage account statements and trade confirmations of all securities transactions to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

1. Initial Holdings Report

 

Every supervised person shall, no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes a supervised person, file an initial holdings report containing the following information:

 

The title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, type of security, number of shares and principal amount (if applicable) of each reportable security in which the
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supervised person and spouse had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership when the person becomes a supervised person;

The name of any broker, dealer or bank, account name, number and location with whom the supervised person and spouse maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the supervised person; and
The date that the report is submitted by the supervised person.

 

The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became a supervised person. See Exhibit C.

 

2. Annual Holdings Report

 

Every supervised person shall, no later than January 31 each year, file an annual holdings report containing the same information required in the initial holdings report as described above. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted. See Exhibit D.

 

3. Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Every supervised person must, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, file a quarterly transaction report containing the following information:

 

Except as otherwise provided herein with respect to any transaction during the quarter in a reportable security in which the supervised persons and spouse had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership or investment control:

 

The date of the transaction, the title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount (if applicable) of each reportable security;
The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
The price of the reportable security at which the transaction was effected;
The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and
The date the report is submitted by the supervised person.

 

See Exhibit E.

 

4. Exempt Transactions

 

A supervised person need not submit a report with respect to:

 

Transactions effected for, securities held in, any account over which the person or spouse has no direct or indirect influence or control;
Transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan, e.g. a dividend reinvestment plan;
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A quarterly transaction report if the report would duplicate information contained in securities transaction confirmations or brokerage account statements that Newfound Research LLC holds in its records so long as the firm receives the confirmations or statements no later than 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter; and
Any transaction or holding report if Newfound Research LLC has only one supervised person, so long as the firm maintains records of the information otherwise required to be reported.

 

5. Monitoring and Review of Personal Securities Transactions

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, or a designee, will monitor and review all reports required under the Code for compliance with Newfound Research LLC's policies regarding personal securities transactions and applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Chief Compliance Officer may also initiate inquiries of supervised persons regarding personal securities trading. Supervised persons are required to cooperate with such inquiries and any monitoring or review procedures employed Newfound Research LLC. Any transactions for any accounts of the Chief Compliance Officer will be reviewed and approved by the Chief Investment Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer shall at least annually identify all supervised persons who are required to file reports pursuant to the Code and will inform such supervised persons of their reporting obligations.

 

6. For each new account established by a supervised person, spouse or member of their household has beneficial interest or investment control, the supervised person shall report, within five (5) days after the account is established, the name of the broker-dealer (or bank name), the account name, the account number, the date the account was established, and other information requested by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Certification

 

Initial Certification

 

All supervised persons will be provided with a copy of the Code and must initially certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) received a copy of the Code; (ii) read and understand all provisions of the Code; (iii) agreed to abide by the Code; and (iv) reported all account holdings as required by the Code. The certification shall include the disclosure of the existence of any account over which the supervised person has authority (such as pursuant to a power of attorney or a trustee of a 401(K) plan), but which he or she is not actively exercising such power, and the certification shall so state that the power is not and has not then been exercised. The form of annual certification is attached to this Code. See Exhibit A.

 

Acknowledgement of Amendments

 

All supervised persons shall receive any amendments to the Code and must certify to the Chief Compliance Officer in writing that they have: (i) received a copy of the amendment; (ii) read and understood the amendment; and (iii) agreed to abide by the Code as amended.

 

Annual Certification

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All supervised persons must annually certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) read and understood all provisions of the Code; and (ii) complied with all requirements of the Code. The certification shall include the disclosure of the existence of any account over which the supervised person has authority (such as pursuant to a power of attorney or a trustee of a 401(K) plan), but which he or she is not actively exercising such power, and the certification shall so state that the power is not and has not then been exercised. The form of annual certification is attached to this Code. See Exhibit B.

 

Further Information

 

Supervised persons should contact the Chief Compliance Officer regarding any inquiries pertaining to the Code or the policies established herein.

 

Records

 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in a readily accessible place the following records:

 

A copy of any Code of Ethics adopted by the Firm pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1 which is or has been in effect during the past five years;
A record of any violation of the Code and any action that was taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;
A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Code and amendments thereto for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a supervised person which shall be retained for five years after the individual ceases to be a supervised person of Newfound Research LLC;
A copy of each report made pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1, including any brokerage confirmations and account statements made in lieu of these reports;
A list of all persons who are, or within the preceding five years have been, access persons;
A copy of each report or certification made by an access person for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report or certification is made;
A record of all persons currently or within the past five years who are or were required to make reports or who are or were responsible for reviewing these reports; and
A record of any decision (and the reasons underlying such decision) to approve a supervised person’s acquisition of securities in IPOs and limited offerings within the past five years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval is granted.

 

Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

All supervised persons are required to promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer or an alternate designee all apparent violations of the Code. Any retaliation for the reporting of a violation under this Code will constitute a violation of the Code and may be a violation of law.

 

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The Chief Compliance Officer shall promptly report to senior management all apparent material violations of the Code. When the Chief Compliance Officer finds that a violation otherwise reportable to senior management could not be reasonably found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit, or a manipulative practice in violation of Section 206 of the Advisers Act, he or she may, in his or her discretion, submit a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore to a reporting file created for this purpose in lieu of reporting the matter to senior management.

 

Senior management shall consider reports made to it hereunder and shall determine whether or not the Code has been violated and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Possible sanctions may include reprimands, monetary fine or assessment, or suspension or termination of the employee's employment with the firm.

 

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Exhibit A

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

Initial Certification*

 

 

I, ______________________________ do hereby certify that:

(Print Name Above)

1.       I have received a copy of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

2. I have read and understand all provisions of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

3.       I agree to abide by the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

4. I have reported all account holdings as required by the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

 

 

__________________________________

Date:


__________________________________

(Signature):

 

___________________________________

Chief Compliance Officer (Signature)

 

 

 

__________________________________

 

Date:

 

 

 

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

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Exhibit B

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

Annual Certification*

 

 

I, ______________________________ do hereby certify that:

(Print Name Above)

1. I have read and understand all provisions of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.
2. I have complied with all requirements of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

 

Date:


__________________________________

(Signature):

 

___________________________________

Chief Compliance Officer (Signature)

 

 

 

__________________________________

 

Date:

  

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

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Exhibit C

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

INITIAL HOLDINGS REPORT*

An initial holdings report must be filed by every supervised person no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes a supervised person. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became a supervised person.

 

Name of Reporting Person: _________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

 

  1. Please provide the following for each reportable security in which the supervised person [1] had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership or over which such party exercised investment control when the person becomes a supervised person:
Title and Exchange Ticker Symbol or CUSIP Type of Security Number of Shares

Principal Amount

(if applicable)

       
       
       
       
       
       

 

  1. Please provide the following information specifying with whom the supervised person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the supervised person or over which such party exercised investment control:
Name of any Broker, Dealer or Bank Account Name Account Number Location
       
       
       
       
       
       

[1] For purposes hereof “supervised person” shall include a spouse or member of his/her household.

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_____________________________

Signature of Reporting Person

 

 

_____________________________

Date Submitted

 

Received and reviewed:

 

 

_____________________________

Signature of CCO

 

 

_____________________________

Date

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

 

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Exhibit D

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

ANNUAL HOLDINGS REPORT*

An annual holdings report must be filed by every supervised person no later than January 31 each year. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted.

 

Name of Reporting Person: _________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

1. Please provide the following for each reportable security in which the supervised person [2] had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership or over which such party exercised investment control when the person becomes a supervised person:
Title and Exchange Ticker Symbol or CUSIP Type of Security Number of Shares

Principal Amount

(if applicable)

       
       
       
       
       
       

 

2. Please provide the following information specifying with whom the supervised person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the supervised person or over which such party exercised investment control:
Name of any Broker, Dealer or Bank Account Name Account Number Location
       
       
       
       
       

[2] For purposes hereof “supervised person” shall include a spouse or member of his/her household.

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_____________________________

Signature of Reporting Person

 

 

_____________________________

Date Submitted

 

 

Received and reviewed:

 

 

_____________________________

Signature of CCO

 

 

_____________________________

Date

  

 

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

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Exhibit E

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

QUARTERLY TRANSACTION REPORT*

A quarterly transaction report must be filed by every supervised person no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter.

 

Name of Reporting Person: ____________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

 

With respect to any transaction during the quarter in a reportable security in which the supervised person or, spouse or member of household had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership or investment control, please provide the following for each reportable security:

Date of Transaction Title and Exchange Ticker Symbol or CUSIP Interest Rate

Maturity Date

(if applicable)

Number

of

Shares

Principal Amount

(if applicable)

Nature of Transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition) Price of the reportable security at which the transaction was effected Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________

Signature of Reporting Person

 

 

_____________________________

Date Submitted

 

 

Received and reviewed:

 

 

_____________________________

Signature of CCO

 

 

_____________________________

Date

  

 

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*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

Exhibit F


Newfound Research LLC

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

Request for Pre-Clearance Form*

 

To: The Chief Compliance Officer

From: _____________________

 

Date of Pre-Clearance Request: ___________

Time of Pre-Clearance Request: ______ am/pm

 

Ticker Buy/Sell Name of Security Proposed Transaction Date No. of Shares Approved Denied
             
             
             
             
             
             

 

By signing below, I hereby request approval to complete the transaction(s) contemplated above. I acknowledge and agree that clearance of a transaction is valid only until the end of the trading day after approval. If the transaction if NOT placed and completed within such period, clearance of that transaction must be re-requested.

 

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Date: _____________________

 

Signature: __________________________________

 

Print Name: _________________________________

 

 

 

Received by: ____________________________ Date: ______________________

Compliance Officer

 

Approved by: __________________________ Date: ______________________

Compliance Officer

 

 

 

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

 

A BSOLUTE C APITAL M ANAGEMENT , LLC

Code of Ethics

March, 2019

 

 

 

This Code of Ethics (“Code”) is being adopted for Absolute Capital Management LLC (“ABSCAP”). This Code is designed to comply with Rule 17j-l of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). Rule 17j-1 and Rule 204A-1 apply because ABSCAP serves as investment adviser to registered investment companies (collectively referred to as the “Fund(s)”), as well as other individual and institutional customers. This Code seeks to serve and safeguard ABSCAP’s clients by setting forth provisions reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with applicable federal securities laws.

 

The Code of Ethics is predicated on the principle that ABSCAP owes a fiduciary duty to its clients. Accordingly, ABSCAP’s Supervised Persons 1 must avoid activities, interests and relationships that run contrary (or appear to run contrary) to the best interests of clients. At all times, ABSCAP must:

 

· Place client interests ahead of ABSCAP’s – As a fiduciary, ABSCAP must serve in its clients’ best interests. In other words, ABSCAP Supervised Persons may not benefit at the expense of advisory clients. This concept is particularly relevant when Access Persons 2 are making personal investments in securities traded by advisory clients.
· Engage in personal investing that is in full compliance with ABSCAP’s Code of Ethics – Access Persons must review and abide by ABSCAP’s Personal Securities Transaction and Insider Trading Policies.
· Avoid taking advantage of your position – Supervised Persons must not accept investment opportunities, gifts or other gratuities from individuals seeking to conduct business with ABSCAP, or on behalf of an advisory client, except in compliance with the Gift Policy as described below.
· Maintain full compliance with the Federal Securities Laws 3 – Supervised Persons must abide by the standards set forth in Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act.

 

With regard to ABSCAP’s service as investment adviser to the Funds, Rule 17j-1 imposes additional duties. 4 Under Rule 17j-1, it is unlawful for certain persons, including any officer, director or trustee of the Adviser, in connection with the purchase or sale by such person of a security “held or to be acquired” by the Funds: 5

 

(1) To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Funds;

 

 

1 “Supervised Person” means any of the adviser’s officers, partners, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employees or any other person who provides investment advice on the adviser’s behalf and is subject to the adviser’s supervision or control.

2 “Access Person” means any Supervised Person (i) who has access to nonpublic information regarding any client’s purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding portfolio holdings, or (ii) who is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic.

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

4 Rule 17j-1 requires that the Adviser adopt a written code of ethics (a separate document), which must be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund(s). Prior to approval, ABSCAP’s CCO submitted a certification to the Board of Trustees that ABSCAP has adopted the procedures contained herein which are reasonably designed to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics. Any material change to this Code of Ethics must be approved by the Board of Trustees within 6 months of the adoption of the change.

5 A security “Held or to be Acquired” by the Funds means any security which, if within the most recent fifteen (15) days (i) is or has been held by the Funds or any other client; (ii) is being or has been considered by the Funds or ABSCAP for purchase by the Funds or any other client; and

(iii) any option to purchase or sell, and any security convertible into or exchangeable for such a security.
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(2) To make any untrue statement of a material fact to the Funds or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the Funds, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
(3) To engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Funds; or
(4) To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Funds.

 

Any questions with respect to ABSCAP’s Code of Ethics should be directed to the CCO and/or a member of the Compliance Team. As discussed in greater detail below, Supervised Persons must promptly report any violations of the Code of Ethics to the CCO. All reported Code of Ethics violations will be treated as being made on an anonymous basis.

 

Risks

 

In developing these policy and procedures, ABSCAP considered the material risks associated with administering the Code of Ethics. This analysis includes risks such as:

 

· One or more Access Persons engage in an excessive volume of personal trading (as determined by the CCO) that detracts from their ability to perform services for clients.
· Supervised Persons take advantage of their position by accepting excessive gifts or other gratuities (including access to IPO investments) from individuals seeking to do business with ABSCAP.
· Supervised Persons are not aware of what constitutes insider information.
· The personal trading of Access Persons does not comply with certain provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act.
· Supervised Persons serve as trustees and/or directors of outside organizations. (This could present a potential conflict in a number of ways, for example, if the organization is one of ABSCAP’s service providers.)

 

ABSCAP has established the following guidelines to effectuate and monitor ABSCAP’s Code of Ethics.

 

Guiding Principles & Standards of Conduct

 

Supervised Persons and consultants closely associated with the firm, will act with competence, dignity and integrity, in an ethical manner, when dealing with clients, the public, prospects, third-party service providers and fellow employees.

 

The following set of principles frame the professional and ethical conduct that ABSCAP expects from its employees and consultants:

 

· Act with integrity, competence, diligence, respect, and in an ethical manner with the public, clients, prospective clients, employers, employees, colleagues in the investment profession, and other participants in the global capital markets;
· Place the integrity of the investment profession, the interests of clients, and the interests of ABSCAP above one’s own personal interests;
· Adhere to the fundamental standard that you should not take inappropriate advantage of your position;
· Avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest;
· Conduct all personal securities transactions in a manner consistent with this policy;
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· Use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment when conducting investment analysis, making investment recommendations, taking investment actions, and engaging in other professional activities;
· Practice and encourage others to practice in a professional and ethical manner that will reflect credit on yourself and the profession;
· Promote the integrity of, and uphold the rules governing, capital markets;
· Maintain and improve your professional competence and strive to maintain and improve the competence of other investment professionals.
· Comply with applicable provisions of the federal securities laws.

 

Policies and Procedures

 

ABSCAP’s CCO shall notify each Supervised Person that he or she is subject to certain provisions of this Code, and shall deliver a copy of this Code to each Supervised Person, and each such Supervised Person shall affirm receipt of the Code, initially upon employment, and no less than annually thereafter. The CCO shall identify all Access Persons which must also comply with the specific policies regarding reporting and personal securities transactions.

 

1. Personal Securities Transaction Policy

 

Access Persons may not purchase or sell any security in which the employee has a beneficial ownership unless the transaction occurs in an exempted security or the employee has complied with the Personal Security Transaction Policy set forth below.

 

Pre-Clearance Procedures

 

Access Persons must have written clearance for all personal securities transactions in an initial public offering 6 and any other limited offering 7 before completing the transactions. ABSCAP reserves the right to disapprove any proposed transaction that may have the appearance of improper conduct. For transactions that require pre-clearance, Access Persons shall request pre-clearance via email to ABSCAP’s CCO or another Hardin Team member 8 .

 

Once pre-clearance is granted, the Access Person may transact in that security up to 3 business days. After which, the Access must again obtain pre-clearance from the CCO or his designee. Unless otherwise noted, no pre-clearance is required for securities transactions that do not involve private placements or initial public offerings.

 

Securities and Instruments that are not Securities

 

ABSCAP will regard the following as securities (“Reportable Securities”) for purposes of complying with this policy: any Reportable Fund (defined below), note, stock, treasury security, bond, closed-end mutual fund, exchange-traded fund, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any options, or in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security. Futures and options on any group or index of securities shall be considered securities.

 

 

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

7 “Limited Offering” is defined as an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6) or pursuant to Rules 504,505, or 506 of Regulation D.

8 Denise Alfieri ( dalfieri@hardincompliance.com) ; Patricia Kulhan ( pkulhan@hardincompliance.com) ; Joanna Halenda (jhalenda@hardincompliance.com)

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Exempt Securities

 

ABSCAP requires Access Persons to provide quarterly transaction reports regarding transactions and holdings in any Reportable Securities. However, as noted in Rule 204A-1 and Rule 17j-1, the term Reportable Security does not include:

 

· Direct obligations of the Government of the United States;
· Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality hort-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
· Shares issued by money market funds;
· Shares issued by open-end funds other than Reportable Funds 9 ; and
· Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, none of which are Reportable Funds.

 

Beneficial Ownership

 

Access Persons are considered to have beneficial ownership of Reportable Securities if they have or share a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the securities. Access Persons have a pecuniary interest in securities if they have the ability to directly or indirectly profit from a securities transaction. The following are examples of indirect pecuniary interests in securities:

 

· Securities held by members of Access Persons’ immediate family sharing the same household. Immediate family means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law. Adoptive relationships are included;
· Access Persons’ interests as a general partner in securities held by a general or limited partnership; and
· Access Persons’ interests as a manager/member in the securities held by a limited liability company.

 

Access Persons do not have an indirect pecuniary interest in securities held by entities in which they hold an equity interest unless they are a controlling equity holder or they share investment control over the securities held by the entity.

 

The following circumstances constitute beneficial ownership by Access Persons of securities held by a trust:

 

· Ownership of securities as a trustee where either the employee or members of the Access Persons’ immediate family have a vested interest in the principal or income of the trust;
· Ownership of a vested beneficial interest in a trust; and
· An Access Person’s status as a settlor/grantor of a trust, unless the consent of all of the beneficiaries is required in order for the employee to revoke the trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 “Reportable Fund” means (a) any fund for which ABSCAP serves as the investment adviser as defined in section 2(a)(20) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. (ABSCAP must be approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees (as noted above)); or (b) any fund whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls ABSCAP, is controlled by ABSCAP, or is under common control with ABSCAP. Currently, the Neiman Tactical Income Fund, Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund are considered to be Reportable Funds.

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Exempt Transactions

 

The following transactions are considered exempt transactions:

 

· Any transaction in an account over which the Access Person does not have any direct or indirect influence or control. For example, presuming that such relatives do not reside in the same household as the Access Person, accounts of family members outside of the immediate family would not be subject to review.
· Any transactions occurring in an account that is managed on a fully-discretionary basis by an unaffiliated money manager.
· Purchases that are part of an automatic investment plan. 10
· Purchases of securities by the exercise of rights issued to holders of a class of securities on a pro- rata basis.
· Acquisitions or dispositions of securities as a result of a stock dividend, stock split, or other corporation actions.

 

In addition, from time to time, the CCO may exempt certain transactions on a trade-by-trade basis.

 

Reporting

 

In order to provide ABSCAP with information to enable it to determine with reasonable assurance any indications of scalping, front-running or the appearance of a conflict of interest with the management of ABSCAP clients, each Access Person of ABSCAP shall submit reports showing all transactions in Reportable Securities in which the person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership except for exempt transactions noted above.

 

ABSCAP utilizes Compliance Navigator ® , a cloud-based compliance manual system, for code of ethics and other conflicts of interest reporting. Such records are maintained in the format provided by Compliance Navigator ® for the requisite time period.

 

Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Access Persons shall be required to submit to ABSCAP a Quarterly Personal Securities Transaction Report (no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter. The quarterly transaction reports (and/or brokerage statements) shall contain at least the following information for each transaction in a Reportable Security in which the employee had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership (as defined above): (a) the date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount of each Reportable Security involved; (b) the nature of the transaction ( i.e. , purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition); (c) the price of the Reportable Security at which the transaction was effected; (d) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected; and (e) the date that the report is submitted.

  

 

 

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

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Initial and Annual Holdings Reports

 

New ABSCAP Access Persons are required to report all of their personal securities holdings (note that the Initial and Annual Holdings Reports must include a listing of all Reportable Security holdings not later than 10 days after the commencement of their employment. Access Persons must provide a copy of the most recent quarter’s brokerage statement as well as any new purchases / sales as of the commencement of employment. The Initial Holdings Report must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an employee.

 

Existing Access Persons are required to provide ABSCAP with a complete list of Reportable Securities holdings on an annual basis Access Persons must provide a copy of the year-end brokerage statement. The report shall be current as of December 31st, which is a date no more than 45 days from the final date the report is due to be submitted.

 

Each Initial and Annual Holdings Report must contain, at a minimum: (a) the title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; (b) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person's direct or indirect benefit; and (c) the date the Access Person submits the report.

 

Interim Reports

 

With respect to any personal securities holdings established by an Access Person during any quarter, in which Reportable Securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person, the Access Person much report the following information, at a minimum to the CCO: (a) the date that the account of investment was established; (b) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains the account; and (c) the date that the report is submitted.

 

Exceptions from Reporting Requirements

 

Access Persons are not required to submit: (a) a transaction or Initial and Annual Holdings Report with respect to securities held in accounts over which the Access Person had no direct or indirect influence or control, and (b) a transaction report with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan.

 

Trading and Review

 

ABSCAP strictly forbids “front-running” client accounts, which is a practice generally understood to be personally trading ahead of client accounts. The CCO shall conduct post trade reviews of ABSCAP Access Person’s personal trading by reviewing Quarterly Transaction Reports and shall review all Initial and Annual Holdings Reports that are submitted by Access Persons upon hire and annually thereafter. The Initial/Annual Holdings Reports and Quarterly Transactions Reports submitted by the CCO shall be reviewed by a Managing Director.

 

Reporting Violations and Remedial Actions

 

ABSCAP takes the potential for conflicts of interest caused by personal investing very seriously. As such, ABSCAP requires its Supervised Persons to promptly report any violations of the Code of Ethics to the CCO. ABSCAP’s management is aware of the potential matters that may arise as a result of this requirement, and shall take action against any Supervised Person that seeks retaliation against another for

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reporting violations of the Code of Ethics. ABSCAP has zero tolerance for retaliatory actions and therefore may subject offenders to more severe action than set forth below. In order to minimize the potential for such behavior, all reports of Code of Ethics violations will be treated as being made on an anonymous basis.

 

ABSCAP has implemented remedial actions that are designed to discourage its Access Persons from violating the Personal Securities Transaction Policy. Access Persons should be aware that ABSCAP reserves the right to impose varied sanctions on policy violators depending on the severity of the policy violation.

 

· 1st Violation – Verbal warning;
· 2nd Violation – Written warning that will be included in the Access Person’s file, and disgorgement of profits to a charity specified by the Access Person; and
· 3rd Violation – Written warning, disgorgement of profits to a charity and monetary fine to be donated to a charity specified by the Access Person; and
· 4th Violation – Possible termination of employment.

 

The CCO shall promptly report to the Board of Trustees of the Funds all apparent violations of this Code and the reporting requirements thereunder. When the CCO finds that a transaction otherwise reportable to the Board of Trustees could not reasonably be found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit or manipulative practice in violation of Rule 17j-l(b), the CCO may, in his discretion, lodge a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore with the reports made pursuant to this Code, in lieu of reporting the transaction to the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

 

Annual Reporting to the Board of Trustees

 

ABSCAP shall each prepare an annual written report relating to this Code to the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Such annual report shall:

 

· summarize existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the past year;
· describe any issues arising under this Code or procedures since the last report to the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer including, but not limited to, information about material violations of this Code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations.
· identify any recommended changes in the existing restrictions or procedures based upon the experience of ABSCAP under this Code, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable laws or regulations; and
· certify that ABSCAP has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Code.

 

Disclosure

 

ABSCAP shall describe its Codes of Ethics to clients in Form ADV Part 2A and, upon request, furnish clients with a copy of the Code of Ethics. All client requests for ABSCAP’s Code of Ethics shall be directed to the CCO.

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Recordkeeping

 

ABSCAP shall maintain records in the manner and to the extent set forth below, which records shall be available for appropriate examination by representatives of the SEC or ABSCAP’s management.

 

· A copy of this policy and any other code which is, or at any time within the past five years has been, in effect shall be preserved in an easily accessible place;
· A record of any violation of this policy and of any action taken as a result of such violation shall be preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs;
· A record of all written acknowledgements (annual certifications) as required by this policy for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, an employee of ABSCAP;
· A copy of each report made pursuant to this policy by an Access Person shall be preserved by the firm for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made or the information is provided, the first two years in an easily accessible place;
· A list of all persons who are, or within the past five years have been, required to make reports pursuant to this policy, or who are or were responsible for reviewing these reports, shall be maintained in an easily accessible place; and
· ABSCAP shall preserve a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of any limited offering or IPO by Access Person for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted, the first two years in an easily accessible place.
· A copy of each written report to the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer and/or Board of Trustees, as noted above.

 

2. Insider Trading Policy

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires every investment adviser to establish, maintain, and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed, taking into consideration the nature of such investment adviser's business, to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information by such investment adviser or any person associated with such investment adviser. In accordance with Section 204A, ABSCAP has instituted procedures to prevent the misuse of nonpublic information. The CCO will provide training to all Supervised Persons regarding ABSCAP’s Insider Trading Policy as hired, annually or as amended.

 

Although “insider trading” is not defined in securities laws, it is generally thought to be described as trading either personally or on behalf of others on the basis of material nonpublic information or communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of the law. In the past, securities laws have been interpreted to prohibit the following activities:

 

· Trading by an insider while in possession of material nonpublic information; or
· Trading by a non-insider while in possession of material nonpublic information, where the information was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider’s duty to keep it confidential; or
· Communicating material nonpublic information to others in breach of a fiduciary duty.
· ABSCAP’s Insider Trading Policy applies to all of its Supervised Persons. Any questions should be directed to the CCO and/or a Managing Director.
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Whom Does the Policy Cover?

 

At the time that each individual is hired, ABSCAP’s Managing Director and CCO will determine the scope of access to be provided to such individual and whether that individual will be considered an Access Person of the firm. ABSCAP’s personal trading policies apply to all Access Persons as well as any transactions in any securities participated in by family members, trusts or corporations directly or indirectly controlled by such persons. In addition, the policy applies to transactions engaged in by corporations in which the Access Person is an officer, director or 10% or greater stockholder and a partnership of which the Access Person is a partner unless the Access Person has no direct or indirect control over the partnership.

 

What Information is Material?

 

Individuals may not be held liable for trading on inside information unless the information is material. “Material information” is generally defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that an investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s securities. Advance knowledge of the following types of information is generally regarded as “material”:

 

· Dividend or earnings announcements
· Write-downs or write-offs of assets
· Additions to reserves for bad debts or contingent liabilities
· Expansion or curtailment of company or major division operations
· Merger, joint venture announcements
· New product/service announcements
· Discovery or research developments
· Criminal, civil and government investigations and indictments
· Pending labor disputes
· Debt service or liquidity problems
· Bankruptcy or insolvency problems
· Tender offers, stock repurchase plans, etc.
· Recapitalization

 

Information provided by a company could be material because of its expected effect on a particular class of a company’s securities, all of the company’s securities, the securities of another company, or the securities of several companies. The misuse of material nonpublic information applies to all types of securities, including equity, debt, commercial paper, government securities and options.

 

Material information does not have to relate to a company’s business. For example, material information about the contents of an upcoming newspaper column may effect the price of a security, and therefore be considered material.

 

What Information is Nonpublic?

 

In order for issues concerning insider trading to arise, information must not only be material, but also non- public. “Nonpublic” information generally means information that has not been available to the investing public.

 

Once material nonpublic information has been effectively distributed to the investing public, it is no longer classified as material nonpublic information. However, the distribution of nonpublic information must occur through commonly recognized channels for the classification to change. In addition, the information

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must not only be publicly disclosed, there must be adequate time for the public to receive and digest the information. Lastly, nonpublic information does not change to public information solely by selective dissemination.

 

ABSCAP’s Supervised Persons must be aware that even where there is no expectation of confidentiality, a person may become an insider upon receiving material nonpublic information. Whether the “tip” made to the employee makes him/her a “tippee” depends on whether the corporate insider expects to benefit personally, either directly or indirectly, from the disclosure. The “benefit” is not limited to a present or future monetary gain; it could be a reputational benefit or an expectation of a quid pro quo from the recipient by a gift of the information. Supervised Persons may also become insiders or tippees if they obtain material nonpublic information by happenstance, at social gatherings, by overhearing conversations, etc.

 

Penalties for Trading on Insider Information

 

Severe penalties exist for firms and individuals that engage in the act of insider trading, including civil injunctions, treble damages, disgorgement of profits and jail sentences. Further, fines for individuals and firms found guilty of insider trading are levied in amounts up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, and up to the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the profit gained or loss avoided, respectively.

 

Procedures to follow if an Employee Believes that he/she Possesses Material Nonpublic Information

 

If an employee has questions as to whether they are in possession of material nonpublic information, they must inform the CCO and a Managing Director as soon as possible. From this point, the employee, CCO and the Managing Director will conduct research to determine if the information is likely to be considered important to investors in making investment decisions, and whether the information has been publicly disseminated. In addition, on an as hired and annual basis, all Supervised Persons are required to complete ABSCAP’s Conflicts of interest Questionnaire which is designed to provide a reminder to Supervised Persons regarding their disclosure responsibilities with respect to any actual or perceived conflict of interest (including the receipt of material nonpublic information) to the CCO and Managing Director.

 

Given the severe penalties imposed on individuals and firms engaging in insider trading, Supervised Persons:

 

· Shall not trade the securities of any company in which they are deemed insiders who may possess material nonpublic information about the company.
· Shall not engage in securities transactions of any company, except in accordance with ABSCAP’s Personal Securities Transaction Policy and the securities laws.
· Shall submit personal security trading reports in accordance with the Personal Security Transaction Policy.
· Shall not discuss any potentially material nonpublic information with colleagues, except as specifically required by their position.
· Shall immediately report the potential receipt of nonpublic information to the CCO and a Managing Director.
· Shall not proceed with any research, trading, etc. until the CCO and Managing Director inform the employee of the appropriate course of action.
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3. Outside Business Activities Policy

 

Supervised Persons may, under certain circumstances, be granted permission to serve as directors, trustees or officers of outside organizations. These organizations can include public or private corporations, partnerships, charitable foundations and other not-for-profit institutions. Supervised Persons may also receive compensation for such activities.

 

At certain times, ABSCAP may determine that it is in its clients’ best interests for an employee(s) to serve as officers or on the board of directors of outside organizations. For example, a company held in clients’ portfolios may be undergoing a reorganization that may affect the value of the company’s outstanding securities and the future direction of the company. Service with organizations outside of ABSCAP can, however, raise serious regulatory issues and concerns, including conflicts of interests and may result in access to material nonpublic information.

 

As an outside board member or officer, an employee may come into possession of material nonpublic information about the outside company, or other public companies. It is critical that a proper information barrier be in place between ABSCAP and the outside organization, and that the employee does not communicate such information to other ABSCAP Supervised Persons in violation of the information barrier.

 

Similarly, ABSCAP may have a business relationship with the outside organization or may seek a relationship in the future. In those circumstances, the employee must not be involved in the decision to retain or hire ABSCAP.

 

ABSCAP Supervised Persons are prohibited from engaging in outside business activities without the prior written approval from the CCO. Approval will be granted on a case by case basis, subject to proper resolution of potential conflicts of interest. Outside activities will be approved only if any conflict of interest issues can be satisfactorily resolved and all of the necessary disclosures are made in Form ADV Part 2. In addition, Supervised Persons must confirm their outside business activities via the annual Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire. This annual disclosure will help ensure that the CCO has an accurate record of all requests for approval.

 

4. Gifts Policy

 

Supervised Persons may not accept investment opportunities, gifts or other gratuities from individuals seeking to conduct business with ABSCAP, or on behalf of an advisory client. However, Supervised Persons may accept gifts from a single giver in aggregate amounts not exceeding $100, and may attend business meals, sporting events and other entertainment events at the expense of a giver, as long as the expense is reasonable and both the giver(s) and the employee(s) are present. Supervised Persons must report their acceptance of any reportable gift (i.e., exceeding $100) to the CCO immediately upon receipt.

 

ABSCAP and its Supervised Persons are prohibited from giving gifts that may be deemed as excessive, and must obtain approval from the CCO prior to giving any gift in excess of $100 to any client, prospective client or any individual that ABSCAP is seeking to do business with. However, Supervised Persons may attend business meals, sporting events and other entertainment events with these individuals at the expense of ABSCAP, as long as the expense is reasonable and both the client, prospective client or any individual(s) that ABSCAP is seeking to do business with and the employee(s) are present.

 

Supervised Persons are reminded that notwithstanding this policy, any gratuity provided by ABSCAP to labor unions or union representatives that have an “interest” in the Taft-Hartley fund (including the members covered by the Taft-Hartley fund) in excess of $250 per fiscal year are required to be reported

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additionally to the Department Labor via Form LM-10 within 90 days following the end of ABSCAP’s fiscal year. The Department of Labor has issued further guidance on the filing of Form LM-10 through its website (www.dol.gov).

 

The CCO shall track all reportable entertainment and gifts as part of ABSCAP’s Gift Log in the Compliance Program. In addition, Supervised Persons must report gifts and entertainment in conjunction with the quarterly transaction certification.

 

5. Political Contributions & Pay to Play Policy

 

Pay to Play is the practice of making campaign contributions and related payments to elected officials in order to influence the awarding of lucrative contracts for the management of public pension plan assets and similar government investment accounts. The SEC has adopted new measures to curtail Pay to Play practices by registered investment advisers. Currently, ABSCAP does not provide investment management services to any government related or public pension plan clients, however, ABSCAP’s prohibitions with respect to political contributions and pay to play practices are as follows:

 

1. Supervised Persons are prohibited from asking another person or political action committee to make a contribution to an elected official (or candidate) that may influence the selection of an investment adviser.
2. Supervised Persons are prohibited from making payment to a political party of a state or locality where ABSCAP is seeking to provide investment advisory services to a government related entity.
3. Supervised Persons are prohibited from directing or funding contributions through third parties such as spouses, lawyers, or other entities if that conduct would violate the rule if the employee were to do it directly. This provision prevents Supervised Persons from circumventing the rule by directing or funding contributions through third parties.
4. ABSCAP is prohibited from paying a third party to solicit a government client unless that third party is an SEC registered investment adviser or broker-dealer that is subject to similar pay to play restrictions.

 

Supervised Persons must obtain written consent from the CCO prior to making any political contribution. Pursuant to the SEC’s deminimus provision, an employee may make contributions of up to $350 per election per candidate if the employee is entitled to vote for the candidate and up to $150 per election per candidate if the employee is not entitled to vote for the candidate. Again, prior written approval of the CCO is required.

 

In addition, Supervised Persons must provide the CCO with a list of their political contributions on a quarterly basis in conjunction with the quarterly reportable transaction certification. The reporting of a political contribution does not relieve any employee from the obligations and policies set forth in this Manual. If an employee has any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any political contribution, they are instructed to consult the CCO.

 

Responsibility

 

The CCO will be responsible for administering the Code of Ethics. All questions regarding this policy should be directed to the CCO or a member of the Compliance Team.

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