As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 22, 2021
Securities Act Registration No. 333-252544
Investment Company Act Reg. No. 811-23631
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | [X] | |
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 | [X] | |
Post-Effective Amendment No. ___ | [ ] | |
and/or | ||
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | [X] | |
Amendment No. 1 | [ ] |
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
Tactical Investment Series Trust
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
11726 Seven Gables Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code: (513) 984-9933
Capitol Services, Inc.
1675 South State Street, Suite B
Dover, Delaware 19901
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
With Copies To:
Bo J. Howell | Drew K. Horter |
Strauss Troy Co., LPA | Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC |
150 E. 4th Street, 4th floor | 11726 Seven Gables Road |
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 | Cincinnati, Ohio 45249 |
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion, dated April 22, 2021
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund
Class A: TFALX
Class I: TFAZX
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund
Class A: TFAMX
Class I: TFAUX
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund
Class A: TFAEX
Class I: TFAFX
TFA Quantitative Fund
Class A*
Class I: TFAQX
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund
Class A*
Class I: TFADX
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund
Class A*
Class I: TFAAX
PROSPECTUS
April 26, 2021
Advised by:
Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC
11726 Seven Gables Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
www.tfafunds.com
This Prospectus provides important information about the Funds 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.
As permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Funds’ shareholder reports will not be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website www.tacticalfundadvisors.com, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.
You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Funds electronically by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by following the instructions included with paper Fund documents that have been mailed to you. You may also elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge.
* Shares not currently offered for sale.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FUND SUMMARY: Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | 1 |
FUND SUMMARY: Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | 9 |
FUND SUMMARY: Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | 17 |
FUND SUMMARY: TFA Quantitative Fund | 25 |
FUND SUMMARY: TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | 30 |
FUND SUMMARY: TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund | 35 |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS | 40 |
Investment Objectives | 40 |
Principal Investment Strategies | 40 |
Principal Investment Risks | 46 |
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS | 52 |
Investment Adviser | 52 |
Sub-Advisers | 53 |
Portfolio Managers | 54 |
HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED | 55 |
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES | 57 |
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES | 60 |
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES | 62 |
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES | 63 |
DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES | 64 |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS | 66 |
PRIVACY NOTICE | 75 |
FUND SUMMARY: Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund
Investment Objective: The Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to provide capital appreciation with a secondary objective of 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.
Class A |
Class I |
|||
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
None | None | ||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||
Management Fees | 1.30% | 1.30% | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | None | ||
Other Expenses (1) | 0.71% | 0.71% | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2) | 0.21% | 0.21% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 2.47% | 2.22% | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(3) | (0.12)% | (0.12)% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement | 2.35% | 2.10% |
(1) Other Expenses have been restated to reflect estimated expenses to be incurred in the current fiscal year.
(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) Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and to reimburse expenses, at least through April 30, 2023, to ensure that total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and reimbursements (exclusive of any front-end or contingent deferred loads, taxes, leverage interest, borrowing interest, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, dividend expense on securities sold short, acquired (underlying) fund fees and expenses or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 1.89% and 2.14% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Class I and A shares, respectively. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to recoupment from the Fund within three years of the date on which the waiver or reimbursement occurs, provided that the recoupment payments do not cause Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed (i) the expense limitation then in effect, if any, and (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time the expenses to be repaid were incurred. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund's 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 also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example further assumes that the Fund’s operating expense limitation agreement will only be in place for the term specified above. 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 |
A | $238 | $758 | $1,305 | $2,797 |
I | $213 | $683 | $1,179 | $2,545 |
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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 fiscal period ended December 31, 2020, the Predecessor Fund’s (defined below) portfolio turnover rate was 1,316.84%.
Principal Investment Strategies: The Fund’s adviser, Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), delegates the daily management of the Fund’s assets to multiple sub-advisers. The Adviser is responsible for the overall management of the Fund, overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and determining the amount of the Fund’s assets that each sub-adviser will manage, which will vary from time to time.
The Fund may invest in equity securities of domestic and foreign issuers of any size, equity-related securities such as options on equity indices or index exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), investment-grade fixed income securities, ETFs that primarily invest in equities and fixed income securities and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) linked to the VIX (market volatility) index. ETFs that primarily invest in fixed income securities will include ETFs that invest in high-yield bonds (commonly known as “junk bonds”), investment-grade corporate bonds, municipal securities, and U.S. Treasury securities. High yield bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P and Baa3 or lower by Moody’s). The Fund may short shares of equity and fixed-income ETFs and invest in foreign equity securities or ETFs, including issuers from emerging market countries. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be those found in the MSCI EAFE Index.
The Fund’s sub-advisers invest the assets delegated to them by the Adviser as follows:
Anchor Capital Management Group Inc. (“Anchor Capital”) – Anchor Capital uses proprietary quantitative risk models to invest both long and short in domestic and foreign equity and fixed income ETFs. Anchor Capital expects its allocation of the Fund’s assets to have equity exposure between -20% and 25% and fixed income exposure between -50% and 75%.
Exceed Advisory LLC (“Exceed Advisory”) – Exceed Advisory’s strategy is composed of an equity options component and a fixed income component. The options component uses call and put options on equity indices or broad-based equity ETFs in seeking to limit risk/return exposure to predetermined market levels. The fixed income component invests in investment grade fixed income securities for the purposes of generating income for the options strategy as well as collateral for the options.
Tuttle Capital Management LLC (“Tuttle”) – Tuttle uses a proprietary market trend model to invest in a portfolio of dividend-paying domestic and international equities and equity ETFs. Depending on the sub-adviser’s model, its allocation may also be fully invested in ETFs that primarily invest in fixed income ETFs. The sub-adviser may also use volatility-linked ETNs for hedging purposes.
Synergy Financial Management, LLC (“Synergy”) – Synergy invests its allocation of the Fund’s assets in a diversified portfolio of global equity investments that seeks to outperform the S&P 500 by investing primarily in U.S. and foreign equity securities and ETFs.
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC (“Heritage”) – Heritage invests its allocation of the Fund’s assets in a diversified portfolio of global equity securities and short, intermediate, and long-
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term bonds. Heritage may also invest in exchange traded funds to provide global equity and bond exposure for the Fund.
The Fund expects to have a high portfolio turnover, which may result in higher transactional costs.
Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and performance.
The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund and apply to the Fund’s direct investment in securities as well the Fund’s indirect investments in other registered funds. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value and total return, are:
Management Risk: The portfolio managers’ judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular stocks or other securities in which the Fund invests or sells short may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the portfolio managers’ judgment will produce the desired results. Additionally, the Adviser’s judgments about the potential performance of the sub-advisers may also prove incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
Model Risk: Like all quantitative analysis, investment models carry a risk that the mathematical models used might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in short term effectiveness of the mathematical models. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
Equity Risk: The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of its holdings in U.S. and foreign equity securities. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.
· | Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience. |
· | Large Capitalization Risk. The Underlying Fund’s invest in large-capitalization companies. Large Capitalization Companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets. |
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to
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changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
· | Floating Rate Risk. Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the shares of a fund whose investments are normally invested in floating rate debt. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the Fund’s shares will also fall. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on the floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. |
· | Credit Risk·: There is a risk that issuers will not make payments on fixed income securities held by the Fund, resulting in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of fixed income securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer's financial condition changes. The issuer of a fixed income security may also default on its obligations. |
· High Yield Risk: Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price.
· | Interest Rate Risk·: Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of securities held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. |
Options Risk·: There are risks associated with the sale and purchase of call and put options. As a seller (writer) of a put option, the Fund will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security falls below the strike price. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the Fund will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security rises above the strike price. As the buyer of a put or call option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested if the value of the reference index or security is below (above) the call (put) strike at maturity.
Exchange-Traded Fund Risk: The Fund may invest in ETFs as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. The market price for a Fund’s shares may deviate from a Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than
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the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Portfolio turnover results in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.
Leverage Risk: The use of leverage by the funds or ETFs in which the Fund invests, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, will cause a fund to incur additional expenses and magnify the fund's gains or losses. Investments in derivative instruments, such as futures, options and swap agreements, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in a fund’s portfolio because such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount the fund has invested in those instruments. Financial leverage will magnify, sometimes significantly, investment exposure to any increase or decrease in prices associated with a particular reference asset resulting in increased volatility in the value of the fund’s portfolio. Accordingly, the value of the Fund’s portfolio is likely to experience greater volatility over short-term periods.
Short Position Risk: The Fund may also take short positions, including shares of an ETF. A “short” position is, in effect, similar to a sale in which the Fund sells a security it does not own but, has borrowed in anticipation that the market price of the security will decline. The Fund must replace a short security position by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. Therefore, the potential loss on a “short” position is unlimited.
Exchange Traded Note Risk: Similar to ETFs, owning an ETN generally reflects the risks of owning the assets that comprise the underlying market benchmark or strategy that the ETN is designed to reflect. ETNs also are subject to issuer, credit and interest rate risks.
Foreign Risk: Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. Foreign companies are generally not subject to the same regulatory requirements of U.S. companies thereby resulting in less publicly available information about these companies. In addition, foreign accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards generally differ from those applicable to U.S. companies.
· | Emerging Markets Risk : Investing in emerging markets involves not only the risks described above with respect to investing in foreign securities, but also other risks, including exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature, and to political systems that can be expected to have less stability, than those of developed countries. The typically small size of the markets of securities of issuers located in emerging markets and the possibility of a low or nonexistent volume of trading in those securities may also result in a lack of liquidity and in price volatility of those securities. |
Performance : The Fund was reorganized on July 9, 2021, from a series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), to a series of Tactical Investment Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Reorganization”). While the Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks are identical to the Predecessor Fund and theoretically would have invested in the same portfolio of securities, the Fund’s performance may be different than the performance of the Predecessor Fund, due to, among other things, differences in fees and expenses.
The bar chart and table that follow provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Predecessor Fund’s performance from year to year and by
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showing how the Predecessor Fund’s average annual total returns for one year and since inception compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. How the Predecessor Fund has performed in the past (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, current through the most recent month end, is available by calling (833) 974-3787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.tfafunds.com.
Calendar Year Returns – Class I Shares
Quarterly Returns During This Time Period | |
Highest: | 6.26% (quarter ended December 31, 2020) |
Lowest: | (12.42)% (quarter ended March 31, 2020) |
Average Annual Total Returns
(for periods ended December 31, 2020
One Year |
Since Inception (June 10, 2019) |
|
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund – Class I Shares | ||
Return Before Taxes | 2.99% | 4.85% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 2.56% | 4.40% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 1.77% | 3.52% |
Class A Shares | 2.71% | 4.45% |
Wilshire Liquid Alternative IndexSM | 0.61% | 0.65% |
After-tax returns are 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 above. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”). Return
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After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss on the same of Fund shares.
The Wilshire Liquid Alternative IndexSM measures the collective performance of the five Wilshire Liquid Alternative strategies that make up the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Universe. The Wilshire Liquid Alternative Index (WLIQA) is designed to provide a broad measure of the liquid alternative market by combining the performance of the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Equity Hedge IndexSM (WLIQAEH), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Global Macro IndexSM (WLIQAGM), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Relative Value IndexSM (WLIQARV), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Multi-Strategy IndexSM (WLIQAMS), and Wilshire Liquid Alternative Event Driven IndexSM (WLIQAED). Please note that indices do not take into account any fees and expenses of investing in the individual securities that they track and individuals cannot invest directly in any index.
Investment Adviser: Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC
Sub-Advisers: Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc.
Exceed Advisory LLC
Tuttle Capital Management, LLC
Synergy Financial Management, LLC
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC
Investment Adviser Portfolio Manager : Drew Horter, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers:
Eric Leake, President of Anchor Capital and Garrett Waters, Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Capital, have each served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Joseph Halpern, Managing Member of Exceed Advisory, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Matthew Tuttle, Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer of Tuttle, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Joe Maas, Chief Investment Officer of Synergy, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since January 1, 2020.
David Moenning, Investment Officer of Heritage, and Jeff Pietsch, Portfolio Manager of Heritage, have served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as portfolio managers since December 17, 2020.
Each portfolio manager is primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
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 by written request, telephone, or through your broker. The Fund or the Adviser may waive any investment minimum.
Class |
Minimum Investment | |
Initial |
Subsequent |
7 |
A | $250 | $250 |
I | $250 | $250 |
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 plan.
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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FUND SUMMARY: Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund
Investment Objective : The Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund seeks to provide capital appreciation.
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.
Class A |
Class I |
|||
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
None | None | ||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||
Management Fees | 1.30% | 1.30% | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | None | ||
Other Expenses (1) | 0.66% | 0.66% | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2) | 0.17% | 0.17% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 2.38% | 2.13% | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (3) | (0.07)% | (0.07)% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement | 2.31% | 2.06% |
(1) Other Expenses have been restated to reflect estimated expenses to be incurred in the current fiscal year.
(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) Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and to reimburse expenses, at least through April 30, 2023, to ensure that total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and reimbursement (exclusive of any front-end or contingent deferred loads, taxes, leverage interest, borrowing interest, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, dividend expense on securities sold short, acquired (underlying) fund fees and , or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 1.89% and 2.14% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Class I and Class A shares, respectively. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to recoupment from the Fund within three years of the date on which the waiver or reimbursement occurs, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recoupment. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund's 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 also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example further assumes that the Fund’s operating expense limitation agreement will only be in place for the term specified above. 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 |
A | $234 | $736 | $1,264 | $2,711 |
I | $209 | $660 | $1,138 | $2,457 |
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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 fiscal period ended December 31, 2020, the Predecessor Fund’s (defined below) portfolio turnover rate was 1,308.86%.
Principal Investment Strategies: The Fund’s adviser, Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), delegates the daily management of the Fund’s assets to multiple sub-advisers. The Adviser is responsible for the overall management of the Fund, overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and determining the amount of the Fund’s assets that each sub-adviser will manage, which will vary from time to time.
The Fund may invest in equity securities of domestic and foreign issuers of any size, equity-related securities such as options on equity indices or index exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), investment-grade fixed income securities, ETFs that primarily invest in equities or fixed income securities and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) linked to the VIX (market volatility) index. ETFs that primarily invest in fixed income securities will include ETFs that invest in high-yield bonds (commonly known as “junk bonds”), investment-grade corporate bonds, municipal securities, and U.S. Treasury securities. High yield, high risk bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P and Baa3 or lower by Moody’s). The Fund may short shares of equity and fixed income ETFs, and invest in foreign equity securities or ETFs , including issuers from emerging market countries. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be those found in the MSCI EAFE Index.
The Fund’s sub-advisers invest the assets delegated to them by the Adviser as follows:
Anchor Capital Management Group Inc. (“Anchor Capital”) – Anchor Capital uses proprietary quantitative risk models to invest both long and short in domestic and foreign equity and fixed income ETFs. Anchor Capital expects its allocation of the Fund’s assets to have equity exposure between -25% and 50% and fixed income exposure between -50% and 50%.
Exceed Advisory LLC (“Exceed Advisory”) – Exceed Advisory’s strategy is composed of an equity options component and a fixed income component. The options component uses call and put options on equity indices or broad-based equity ETFs in seeking to limit risk/return exposure to predetermined market levels. The fixed income component invests in investment grade fixed income securities for the purposes of generating income for the options strategy as well as collateral for the options.
Tuttle Capital Management LLC (“Tuttle”) – Tuttle uses a proprietary market trend model to invest in a portfolio of dividend-paying domestic and international and equity ETFs. Depending on the sub-adviser’s model, its allocation may also be fully invested in ETFs that primarily invest in U.S. Treasury securities. The sub-adviser may also use volatility-linked ETNs for hedging purposes.
Synergy Financial Management, LLC (“Synergy”) – Synergy invests its allocation of the Fund’s assets in a diversified portfolio of global equity investments that seeks to outperform the S&P 500 by investing primarily in U.S. and foreign equity securities and ETFs.
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC (“Heritage”) – Heritage invests its allocation of the Fund’s assets in a diversified portfolio of global equity securities and short, intermediate, and long-term bonds. Heritage may also invest in exchange traded funds to provide global equity and bond exposure for the Fund.
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The Fund expects to have a high portfolio turnover which may result in higher transactional costs.
Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and performance.
The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund and apply to the Fund’s direct investment in securities as well the Fund’s indirect investments in other registered funds. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value and total return, are:
Management Risk: The portfolio managers’ judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular stocks or other securities in which the Fund invests or sells short may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the portfolio managers’ judgment will produce the desired results. Additionally, the Adviser’s judgments about the potential performance of the sub-advisers may also prove incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
Model Risk: Like all quantitative analysis, investment models carry a risk that the mathematical models used might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in short term effectiveness of the mathematical models. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
Equity Risk: The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of its holdings in U.S. and foreign equity securities. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.
· | Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience. |
· | Large Capitalization Risk. The Underlying Fund’s invest in large-capitalization companies. Large Capitalization Companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets. |
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right
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to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
· | Floating Rate Risk. Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the shares of a fund whose investments are normally invested in floating rate debt. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the Fund’s shares will also fall. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on the floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. |
· | Credit Risk: There is a risk that issuers will not make payments on fixed income securities held by the Fund, resulting in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of fixed income securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer's financial condition changes. The issuer of a fixed income security may also default on its obligations. |
· | High Yield Risk: Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price. |
· | Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of securities held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. |
Options Risk: There are risks associated with the sale and purchase of call and put options. As a seller (writer) of a put option, the Fund will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security falls below the strike price. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the Fund will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security rises above the strike price. As the buyer of a put or call option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested if the value of the reference index or security is below (above) the call (put) strike at maturity.
Exchange-Traded Fund Risk: The Fund may invest in ETFs as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. The market price for a Fund’s shares may deviate from a Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than
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the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Portfolio turnover results in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.
Leverage Risk: The use of leverage by the funds or ETFs in which the Fund invests, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, will cause a fund to incur additional expenses and magnify the fund's gains or losses. Investments in derivative instruments, such as futures, options and swap agreements, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in a fund’s portfolio because such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount the fund has invested in those instruments. Financial leverage will magnify, sometimes significantly, investment exposure to any increase or decrease in prices associated with a particular reference asset resulting in increased volatility in the value of the fund’s portfolio. Accordingly, the value of the Fund’s portfolio is likely to experience greater volatility over short-term periods.
Short Position Risk: The Fund may also take short positions, including shares of an ETF. A “short” position is, in effect, similar to a sale in which the Fund sells a security it does not own but, has borrowed in anticipation that the market price of the security will decline. The Fund must replace a short security position by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. Therefore, the potential loss on a “short” position is unlimited.
Exchange Traded Note Risk: Similar to ETFs, owning an ETN generally reflects the risks of owning the assets that comprise the underlying market benchmark or strategy that the ETN is designed to reflect. ETNs also are subject to issuer, credit and interest rate risks.
Foreign Risk: Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. Foreign companies are generally not subject to the same regulatory requirements of U.S. companies thereby resulting in less publicly available information about these companies. In addition, foreign accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards generally differ from those applicable to U.S. companies.
· | Emerging Markets Risk : Investing in emerging markets involves not only the risks described above with respect to investing in foreign securities, but also other risks, including exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature, and to political systems that can be expected to have less stability, than those of developed countries. The typically small size of the markets of securities of issuers located in emerging markets and the possibility of a low or nonexistent volume of trading in those securities may also result in a lack of liquidity and in price volatility of those securities. |
Performance : The Fund was reorganized on July 9, 2021 from a series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), to a series of Tactical Investment Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Reorganization”). While the Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks are identical to the Predecessor Fund and theoretically would have invested in the same portfolio of securities, the Fund’s performance may be different than the performance of the Predecessor Fund, due to, among other things, differences in fees and expenses.
The bar chart and table that follow provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Predecessor Fund’s performance from year to year and by
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showing how the Predecessor Fund’s average annual total returns for one year and since inception compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. How the Predecessor Fund has performed in the past (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, current through the most recent month end, is available by calling (833) 974-3787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.tfafunds.com.
Calendar Year Returns – Class I Shares
Quarterly Returns During This Time Period | |
Highest: | 9.15% (quarter ended June 30, 2020) |
Lowest: | (1.15)% (quarter ended March 31, 2020) |
Average Annual Total Returns
(for periods ended December 31, 2020
One Year |
Since Inception (June 10, 2019) |
|
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund – Class I Shares | ||
Return Before Taxes | 4.11% | 4.74% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 3.74% | 4.43% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 2.43% | 3.49% |
Class A Shares | 3.62% | 4.17% |
Wilshire Liquid Alternative IndexSM | 0.61% | 0.65% |
After-tax returns are 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 above. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”). Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss on the same of Fund shares.
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The Wilshire Liquid Alternative IndexSM measures the collective performance of the five Wilshire Liquid Alternative strategies that make up the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Universe. The Wilshire Liquid Alternative Index (WLIQA) is designed to provide a broad measure of the liquid alternative market by combining the performance of the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Equity Hedge IndexSM (WLIQAEH), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Global Macro IndexSM (WLIQAGM), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Relative Value IndexSM (WLIQARV), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Multi-Strategy IndexSM (WLIQAMS), and Wilshire Liquid Alternative Event Driven IndexSM (WLIQAED). Please note that indices do not take into account any fees and expenses of investing in the individual securities that they track and individuals cannot invest directly in any index.
Investment Adviser: Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC
Sub-Advisers: Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc.
Exceed Advisory LLC
Tuttle Capital Management, LLC
Synergy Financial Management, LLC
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC
Investment Adviser Portfolio Manager : Drew Horter, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers:
Joseph Halpern, Managing Member of Exceed Advisory, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Matthew Tuttle, Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer of Tuttle, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Eric Leake, President of Anchor Capital and Garrett Waters, Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Capital Management Group Inc., have each served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Joe Maas, Chief Investment Officer of Synergy, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since January 1, 2020.
David Moenning, Investment Officer of Heritage, and Jeff Pietsch, Portfolio Manager of Heritage, have served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as portfolio managers since December 17, 2020.
Each portfolio manager is primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund
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 by written request, telephone, or through your broker. The Fund or the Adviser may waive any investment minimum.
Class | Minimum Investment | |
Initial | Subsequent | |
A | $250 | $250 |
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I | $250 | $250 |
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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FUND SUMMARY: Tactical Growth Allocation Fund
Investment Objective : The Tactical Growth Allocation Fund seeks to provide capital appreciation.
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.
Class A |
Class I |
|||
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
None | None | ||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||
Management Fees | 1.30% | 1.30% | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | None | ||
Other Expenses (1) | 0.59% | 0.59% | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2) | 0.16% | 0.16% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement | 2.30% | 2.05% |
(1) Other Expenses have been restated to reflect estimated expenses to be incurred in the current fiscal year.
(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.
Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example further assumes that the Fund’s operating expense limitation agreement will only be in place for the term specified above. 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 |
A | $233 | $718 | $1,230 | $2,636 |
I | $208 | $643 | $1,103 | $2,379 |
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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 fiscal period ended December 31, 2020, the Predecessor Fund’s (defined below) portfolio turnover rate was 1,548.86%.
Principal Investment Strategies : The Fund’s adviser, Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), delegates the daily management of the Fund’s assets to multiple sub-advisers. The Adviser is responsible for the overall management of the Fund, overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and determining the amount of the Fund’s assets that each sub-adviser will manage, which will vary from time to time.
The Fund may invest in equity securities of domestic and foreign issuers of any size, equity-related securities such as options on equity indices or index exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), investment-grade fixed income securities, ETFs that primarily invest in equities or investment grade fixed income securities and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) linked to the VIX (market volatility) index. ETFs that the Fund may invest in include leveraged ETFs and ETFs that invest in high-yield bonds (commonly known as “junk bonds”), investment-grade corporate bonds, municipal securities, and U.S. Treasury securities. High yield bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P and Baa3 or lower by Moody’s). The Fund may short shares of equity and fixed income ETFs and foreign equity securities or ETFs, including issuers from emerging market countries. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be those found in the MSCI EAFE Index.
The Fund’s sub-advisers invest the assets delegated to them by the Adviser as follows:
Anchor Capital Management Group Inc. (“Anchor Capital”) – Anchor Capital uses proprietary quantitative risk models to invest both long and/or short in domestic and foreign equity ETFs. Anchor Capital expects its allocation of the Fund’s assets to have equity exposure between -40% and 100%.
Exceed Advisory LLC (“Exceed Advisory”) – Exceed Advisory’s strategy is composed of an equity options component and a fixed income component. The options component uses call and put options on equity indices or broad-based equity ETFs in seeking to limit risk/return exposure to predetermined market levels. The fixed income component invests in investment grade fixed income securities for the purposes of generating income for the options strategy as well as collateral for the options.
Tuttle Capital Management LLC (“Tuttle”) – Tuttle uses a proprietary market trend model to invest in a portfolio of dividend-paying domestic and international and equity ETFs. Depending on the sub-adviser’s model, its allocation may also be fully invested in ETFs that primarily invest in U.S. Treasury securities. The portfolio can also use volatility ETNs for hedging purposes and leveraged ETFs to take advantage of opportunities the sub-adviser sees in the market.
Synergy Financial Management, LLC (“Synergy”) – Synergy invests its allocation of the Fund’s assets in a diversified portfolio of global equity investments that seeks to outperform the S&P 500 by investing primarily in U.S. and foreign equity securities and ETFs.
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC (“Heritage”) – Heritage invests its allocation of the Fund’s assets in a diversified portfolio of global equity securities and short, intermediate, and long-term bonds. Heritage may also invest in exchange traded funds to provide global equity and bond exposure for the Fund.
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The Fund expects to have a high portfolio turnover which may result in higher transactional costs.
Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and performance.
The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund and apply to the Fund’s direct investment in securities as well the Fund’s indirect investments in other registered funds. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value and total return, are:
Management Risk: The portfolio managers’ judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular stocks or other securities in which the Fund invests or sells short may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the portfolio managers’ judgment will produce the desired results. Additionally, the Adviser’s judgments about the potential performance of the sub-advisers may also prove incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
Model Risk: Like all quantitative analysis, investment models carry a risk that the mathematical models used might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in short term effectiveness of the mathematical models. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
Equity Risk: The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of its holdings in U.S. and foreign equity securities. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.
· | Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience. |
· | Large Capitalization Risk. The Underlying Fund’s invest in large-capitalization companies. Large Capitalization Companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets. |
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right
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to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
· | Floating Rate Risk. Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the shares of a fund whose investments are normally invested in floating rate debt. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the Fund’s shares will also fall. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on the floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. |
· | Credit Risk: There is a risk that issuers will not make payments on fixed income securities held by the Fund, resulting in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of fixed income securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer's financial condition changes. The issuer of a fixed income security may also default on its obligations. |
· | High Yield Risk: Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price. |
· | Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of securities held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. |
Options Risk: There are risks associated with the sale and purchase of call and put options. As a seller (writer) of a put option, the Fund will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security falls below the strike price. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the Fund will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security rises above the strike price. As the buyer of a put or call option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested if the value of the reference index or security is below (above) the call (put) strike at maturity.
Exchange-Traded Fund Risk: The Fund may invest in ETFs as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. The market price for a Fund’s shares may deviate from a Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than
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the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Portfolio turnover results in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.
Leverage Risk: The use of leverage by the funds or ETFs in which the Fund invests, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, will cause a fund to incur additional expenses and magnify the fund's gains or losses. Investments in derivative instruments, such as futures, options and swap agreements, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in a fund’s portfolio because such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount the fund has invested in those instruments. Financial leverage will magnify, sometimes significantly, investment exposure to any increase or decrease in prices associated with a particular reference asset resulting in increased volatility in the value of the fund’s portfolio. Accordingly, the value of the Fund’s portfolio is likely to experience greater volatility over short-term periods.
Short Position Risk: The Fund may also take short positions, including shares of an ETF. A “short” position is, in effect, similar to a sale in which the Fund sells a security it does not own but, has borrowed in anticipation that the market price of the security will decline. The Fund must replace a short security position by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. Therefore, the potential loss on a “short” position is unlimited.
Exchange Traded Note Risk: Similar to ETFs, owning an ETN generally reflects the risks of owning the assets that comprise the underlying market benchmark or strategy that the ETN is designed to reflect. ETNs also are subject to issuer, credit and interest rate risks.
Foreign Risk: Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. Foreign companies are generally not subject to the same regulatory requirements of U.S. companies thereby resulting in less publicly available information about these companies. In addition, foreign accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards generally differ from those applicable to U.S. companies.
· | Emerging Markets Risk : Investing in emerging markets involves not only the risks described above with respect to investing in foreign securities, but also other risks, including exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature, and to political systems that can be expected to have less stability, than those of developed countries. The typically small size of the markets of securities of issuers located in emerging markets and the possibility of a low or nonexistent volume of trading in those securities may also result in a lack of liquidity and in price volatility of those securities. |
Performance : The Fund was reorganized on July 9, 2021, from a series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), to a series of Tactical Investment Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Reorganization”). While the Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks are identical to the Predecessor Fund and theoretically would have invested in the same portfolio of securities, the Fund’s performance may be different than the performance of the Predecessor Fund, due to, among other things, differences in fees and expenses.
The bar chart and table that follow provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Predecessor Fund’s performance from year to year and by
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showing how the Predecessor Fund’s average annual total returns for one year and since inception compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. How the Predecessor Fund has performed in the past (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, current through the most recent month end, is available by calling (833) 974-3787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.tfafunds.com.
Calendar Year Returns – Class I Shares
Quarterly Returns During This Time Period | |
Highest: | 11.65% (quarter ended June 30, 2020) |
Lowest: | (14.85)% (quarter ended March 31, 2020) |
Average Annual Total Returns
(for periods ended December 31, 2020
One Year |
Since Inception (June 10, 2019) |
|
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund – Class I Shares | ||
Return Before Taxes | 7.87% | 7.53% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 5.92% | 6.25% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.66% | 5.23% |
Class A Shares | 6.73% | 6.66% |
Wilshire Liquid Alternative IndexSM | 0.61% | 0.65% |
After-tax returns are 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 above. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”). Return
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After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss on the same of Fund shares.
The Wilshire Liquid Alternative IndexSM measures the collective performance of the five Wilshire Liquid Alternative strategies that make up the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Universe. The Wilshire Liquid Alternative Index (WLIQA) is designed to provide a broad measure of the liquid alternative market by combining the performance of the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Equity Hedge IndexSM (WLIQAEH), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Global Macro IndexSM (WLIQAGM), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Relative Value IndexSM (WLIQARV), Wilshire Liquid Alternative Multi-Strategy IndexSM (WLIQAMS), and Wilshire Liquid Alternative Event Driven IndexSM (WLIQAED). Please note that indices do not take into account any fees and expenses of investing in the individual securities that they track and individuals cannot invest directly in any index.
Investment Adviser: Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC
Sub-Advisers: Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc.
Exceed Advisory LLC
Tuttle Capital Management, LLC
Synergy Financial Management, LLC
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC
Investment Adviser Portfolio Manager : Drew Horter, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers:
Joseph Halpern, Managing Member of Exceed Advisory, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Matthew Tuttle, Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer of Tuttle, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Eric Leake, President of Anchor Capital and Garrett Waters, Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Capital have each served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since its inception.
Joe Maas, Chief Investment Officer of Synergy, has served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as a portfolio manager since January 1, 2020.
David Moenning, Investment Officer of Heritage, and Jeff Pietsch, Portfolio Manager of Heritage, have served the Predecessor Fund and the Fund as portfolio managers since December 17, 2020.
Each portfolio manager is primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund
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 by written request, telephone, or through your broker. The Fund or the Adviser may waive any investment minimum.
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Class | Minimum Investment | |
Initial | Subsequent | |
A | $250 | $250 |
I | $250 | $250 |
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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FUND SUMMARY: TFA QUANTITATIVE FUND
Investment Objectives: The TFA Quantitative Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to provide capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses, excluding any brokerage fees, that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Class A | Class I | |
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
None | None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 1.30% | 1.30% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses (1) | 0.47% | 0.47% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2) | 1.08% | 1.08% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 3.10% | 2.85% |
(1) Other Expenses have been restated to reflect estimated expenses to be incurred in the current fiscal year.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which are estimated for the Fund’s current fiscal year, 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.
Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that 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:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Class A | $313 | $957 | $1,625 | $3,441 |
Class I | $288 | $883 | $1,504 | $3,176 |
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period May 18, 2020 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2020, the Predecessor Fund’s (defined below) portfolio turnover was 963.53%.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES:
The Fund’s Adviser, Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) executes the Fund’s investment strategy based on signals and analysis provided by the Fund’s sub-adviser, Potomac Advisors, Inc. (the “Sub-Adviser”) resulting from the outputs of the Sub-
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Adviser’s proprietary investment models. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser will invest the Fund’s assets in leveraged and unleveraged mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (the “Underlying Funds”), which seek to provide investment returns that match on a daily or monthly basis
(1) | up to 150% exposure to the NASDAQ 100 Index, |
(2) | up to 150% exposure to the S&P 500 Index, |
(3) | up to 150% exposure to the Russell 2000 Index, or |
(4) | up to 100% exposure to an inverse S&P 500 Index. |
The Fund may invest in inverse funds, which are funds that are designed to provide returns that are the inverse, or opposite of a specific benchmark or index.
The Adviser delegates the daily management of the Fund’s portfolio to the Sub-Adviser, whose model generates signals based on a quantitative analysis. The Sub-Adviser uses these signals to invest in the Underlying Funds. The model’s buy, sell, or hold signals are generated by the model’s algorithmic, rules-based system. The Sub-Adviser's model seeks to anticipate a market advance, correction, or decline. The Sub-Adviser determines the final allocations among the Underlying Funds and other assets using short-term technical analysis and momentum indicators that track recent price changes in the Underlying Funds.
The Sub-Adviser’s model utilizes a proprietary quantitative process that aggregates over 30 different trading systems into one algorithm to identify buy, sell, and short signals, based on market data. The input information includes historic and raw stock market data, including major and secondary market indexes, interest rate data, internal market data such as technical indicators that measure market indices movements, new market highs and lows, volume and volatility measures and seasonality and sentiment data.
In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund will engage in frequent trading, resulting in a high portfolio turnover rate.
PRINCIPAL RISKS: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and performance.
The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund and apply to the Fund’s direct investment in securities as well the Fund’s indirect investments in other registered funds. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value and total return, are:
Management Risk: The portfolio managers’ judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular stocks or other securities in which the Fund invests or sells short may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the portfolio managers’ judgment will produce the desired results. Additionally, the Adviser’s judgments about the potential performance of the sub-advisers may also prove incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
Model Risk: Like all quantitative analysis, investment models carry a risk that the mathematical models used might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in short term effectiveness of the mathematical models. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
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Equity Risk. The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the U.S. and/or foreign equity securities held by the Fund. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.
· | Large Capitalization Risk. The Underlying Funds invest in large-capitalization companies. Large Capitalization Companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets. |
Leverage Risk. The use of leverage by the funds or ETFs in which the Fund invests, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, will cause a fund to incur additional expenses and magnify the fund's gains or losses. Investments in derivative instruments, such as futures, options and swap agreements, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in a fund’s portfolio because such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount the fund has invested in those instruments. Financial leverage will magnify, sometimes significantly, investment exposure to any increase or decrease in prices associated with a particular reference asset resulting in increased volatility in the value of the fund’s portfolio. Accordingly, the value of the Fund’s portfolio is likely to experience greater volatility over short-term periods.
Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies including mutual funds and ETFs in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the underlying funds and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the underlying funds is subject to its own specific risks, but the Sub-Adviser expects the principal investments risks of such underlying funds will be similar to the risks of investing in the Fund.
· | Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. The Fund may invest in ETFs as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. The market price for a Fund’s shares may deviate from a Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price. |
· | Inverse Fund Risk. Investments in inverse funds, including ETFs, will prevent the Fund from participating in market-wide or sector-wide gains and may not prove to be an effective hedge. During periods of increased volatility, inverse funds may not perform in the manner they are designed. Inverse funds do not provide the inverse return of the target index over the life of the Fund. |
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Portfolio turnover results in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains.
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Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
· | Credit Risk: There is a risk that issuers will not make payments on fixed income securities held by the Fund, resulting in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of fixed income securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer's financial condition changes. The issuer of a fixed income security may also default on its obligations. |
· | Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of securities held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. |
Performance: The Fund launched on May 18. 2020 and will not report performance until it has operated for an entire calendar year. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Updated performance information, current through the most recent month end, is available by calling (833) 974-3787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.tfafunds.com.
Adviser: Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC is the Fund’s adviser.
Sub-Adviser: Potomac Advisors, Inc. is the Fund’s sub-adviser.
Portfolio Manager: Richard M. Paul, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Potomac Advisors, and Meghan S. Paul, Vice President of Potomac Advisors, have served as the Predecessor Fund’s and the Fund’s portfolio managers since its inception.
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 by written request, telephone, or through your broker. The Fund or the Adviser may waive any investment minimum.
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Class | Minimum Investment | |
Initial | Subsequent | |
A | $250 | $250 |
I | $250 | $250 |
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 plan.
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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FUND SUMMARY: TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund
Investment Objectives: The TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to provide capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses, excluding any brokerage fees, that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Class A | Class I | |
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
None | None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 1.30% | 1.30% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses (1) | 0.40% | 0.40% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2) | 0.09% | 0.09% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 2.04% | 1.79% |
(1) Other Expenses have been restated to reflect estimated expenses to be incurred in the current fiscal year.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which are estimated for the Fund’s current fiscal year, 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.
Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that 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:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Class A | $207 | $640 | $1,098 | $2,369 |
Class I | $182 | $563 | $970 | $2,105 |
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period May 18, 2020 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2020, the Predecessor Fund’s (defined below) portfolio turnover was 934.35%.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES:
Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing in:
(1) | equity securities of small, mid-, and large capitalization U.S. companies; |
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(2) | exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that invest fixed income securities of any quality or maturity, including below investment grade securities that are commonly referred to as “junk bonds” (the “Underlying ETFs”); |
(3) | Cash and cash equivalents. |
The Adviser delegates the daily management of the Fund’s portfolio to the Fund’s sub-adviser, Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Sub-Adviser will adjust the Fund’s holdings based on the daily output of its quantitative model, which analyzes multiple variables, such as price and risk factors, and uses four moments of return distribution over four different lookback periods. The Sub-Adviser utilizes the outputs of its proprietary model daily to determine whether to adjust the Fund’s specific investment allocations or shift the holdings to cash based on the amount of risk currently in the market.
In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund will engage in frequent trading, resulting in a high portfolio turnover rate.
PRINCIPAL RISKS: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and performance.
The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund and apply to the Fund’s direct investment in securities as well the Fund’s indirect investments in other registered funds. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value and total return, are:
Management Risk: The portfolio managers’ judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular stocks or other securities in which the Fund invests or sells short may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the portfolio managers’ judgment will produce the desired results. Additionally, the Adviser’s judgments about the potential performance of the sub-advisers may also prove incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
Model Risk: Like all quantitative analysis, investment models carry a risk that the mathematical models used might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in short term effectiveness of the mathematical models. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
Equity Risk. The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the U.S. and/or foreign equity securities held by the Fund. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.
· | Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience. |
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· | Large Capitalization Stock Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets. |
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
· | Floating Rate Risk. Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the shares of a fund whose investments are normally invested in floating rate debt. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the Fund’s shares will also fall. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on the floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. |
· | Credit Risk: There is a risk that issuers will not make payments on fixed income securities held by the Fund, resulting in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of fixed income securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer's financial condition changes. The issuer of a fixed income security may also default on its obligations. |
· | High Yield Risk: Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price. |
· | Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of securities held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. |
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Portfolio turnover results in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.
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Leverage Risk. The use of leverage by the funds or ETFs in which the Fund invests, such as borrowing money to purchase securities or taking short positions, will cause a fund to incur additional expenses and magnify the fund's gains or losses. Investments in derivative instruments, such as futures, options and swap agreements, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in a fund’s portfolio because such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount the fund has invested in those instruments. Financial leverage will magnify, sometimes significantly, investment exposure to any increase or decrease in prices associated with a particular reference asset resulting in increased volatility in the value of the fund’s portfolio. Accordingly, the value of the Fund’s portfolio is likely to experience greater volatility over short-term periods.
Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies including mutual funds and ETFs in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the underlying funds and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the underlying funds is subject to its own specific risks, but the Sub-Adviser expects the principal investments risks of such underlying funds will be similar to the risks of investing in the Fund.
· | Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. The Fund may invest in ETFs as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. The market price for a Fund’s shares may deviate from a Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price. |
Performance: The Fund launched on May 18. 2020 and will not report performance until it has operated for an entire calendar year. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Updated performance information, current through the most recent month end, is available by calling (833) 974-3787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.tfafunds.com.
Adviser: Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC is the Fund’s adviser.
Sub-Adviser: Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC is the Fund’s sub-adviser.
Portfolio Manager: Theodore J. Doremus, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Preston, has served as the Predecessor Fund’s and the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.
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 by written request, telephone, or through your broker. The Fund or the Adviser may waive any investment minimum.
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Class | Minimum Investment | |
Initial | Subsequent | |
A | $250 | $250 |
I | $250 | $250 |
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 plan.
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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FUND SUMMARY: TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund
Investment Objectives: The TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to provide capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses, excluding any brokerage fees, that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Class A | Class I | |
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
None | None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 1.30% | 1.30% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses (1) | 0.41% | 0.41% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2) | 0.45% | 0.45% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 2.41% | 2.16% |
(1) Other expenses are estimated for the Fund’s current fiscal year.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which are estimated for the Fund’s current fiscal year, 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.
Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that 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:
1 Year | 3 Years | |||
Class A | $244 | $751 | ||
Class I | $219 | $676 |
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund does not have any portfolio turnover because it has not yet launched.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES:
The Fund’s adviser, Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), has engaged Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) to perform the daily management of the Fund’s portfolio. The Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by employing
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an active, risk-managed, multi-strategy investment approach. The Sub-Adviser’s philosophy is that utilizing multiple, complementary strategies may enhance portfolio diversification and smooth investment returns over a full market cycle.
The Sub-Adviser employs multiple sub-strategies to manage the portfolio, including:
1) | Tactical allocation strategies designed to reduce equity exposure and increase fixed-income exposure when the Sub-Adviser considers market risk to be elevated. |
2) | Relative strength-based strategies identifying leading indices in equity and fixed income markets. |
3) | Directional long-short strategies utilizing adaptive risk management. |
4) | Leadership-based equity selection strategies focused on top-rated individual stocks (as defined by the Sub-Adviser’s proprietary rating system) and sector exposures. |
5) | Hedging overlay strategies. |
In selecting securities for the Fund’s portfolio, each Sub-Adviser strategy component first determines if equity markets offer the potential for acceptable risk-adjusted returns. If so, the Fund typically invests in equity securities, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), mutual funds, and individual stocks. The Fund may invest in issues of any size. If not, the Fund seeks investments that are uncorrelated with the equity market returns such as fixed-income securities, including ETFs, mutual funds, cash or cash equivalents, and other asset classes. The Fund can invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity, duration, or quality (including “junk bonds”)and in equity securities of domestic issuers of any size, and may short equity and fixed income securities.
The Sub-Adviser uses a combination of discretionary, rules-based and quantitative processes to measure market risk and select securities. The Sub-Adviser uses all or parts of a multi-faceted approach in managing the Fund, including fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis. Using its proprietary quantitative models that provide buy and sell signals, the Sub-Adviser sets the Fund’s market exposure based on a wide array of fundamental and technical factors. Fundamental factors include measures such as monetary conditions, economic growth rates and other economic indicators, inflation expectations, valuations, earnings growth rates, and dividend yield. Technical factors include measures such as price movement, momentum, breadth measures, volatility, investor sentiment, historical market cycles, mean reversion, and trading volume.
The Fund seeks equity exposure between -30% and 150% and fixed income exposure between -10% and 35%. During periods when the Fund has limited investment opportunities, it may invest in money market funds and other cash-like securities. In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund may utilize enhanced and inverse ETFs, and engage in frequent trading, resulting in a high portfolio turnover rate.
The Fund’s hedging overlay is a quantitatively driven, structured hedging component that uses traditional, levered, and inverse index ETFS to buffer the Fund against portfolio losses and volatility. Potential benefits include the ability to effectively manage cash, reduce costs and risk exposures, and express tactical views.
PRINCIPAL RISKS: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and performance.
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The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund and apply to the Fund’s direct investment in securities as well the Fund’s indirect investments in other registered funds. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value and total return, are:
Management Risk: The portfolio managers’ judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular stocks or other securities in which the Fund invests or sells short may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the portfolio managers’ judgment will produce the desired results. Additionally, the Adviser’s judgments about the potential performance of the sub-advisers may also prove incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
Model Risk: Like all quantitative analysis, investment models carry a risk that the mathematical models used might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in short term effectiveness of the mathematical models. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
Equity Risk: The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of its holdings in U.S. and foreign equity securities. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.
· | Large Capitalization Risk. The Underlying Fund’s invest in large-capitalization companies. Large Capitalization Companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets. |
· | Small and Mid-Capitalization Risk. The securities of small and mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions. |
Exchange-Traded Fund Risk: The Fund may invest in ETFs as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. The market price for a Fund’s shares may deviate from a Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the
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Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
· | Floating Rate Risk. Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the shares of a fund whose investments are normally invested in floating rate debt. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the Fund’s shares will also fall. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on the floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. |
· | Credit Risk: There is a risk that issuers will not make payments on fixed income securities held by the Fund, resulting in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of fixed income securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer's financial condition changes. The issuer of a fixed income security may also default on its obligations. |
· High Yield Risk: Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price.
· | Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of securities held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. |
Short Position Risk
: The Fund may also take short positions, including shares of an ETF. A “short” position is, in effect, similar to a sale in which the Fund sells a security it does not own but, has borrowed in anticipation that the market price of the security will decline. The Fund must replace a short security position by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. Therefore, the potential loss on a “short” position is unlimited.
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Portfolio turnover results in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.
Performance: Because the Fund has not yet launched, the performance section is omitted. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Updated performance information, current through the most
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recent month end, will be available by calling (833) 974-3787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.tfafunds.com.
Adviser: Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC is the Fund’s adviser.
Sub-Adviser: Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC is the Fund’s sub-adviser.
Portfolio Managers: David Moenning, Investment Officer of Heritage, and Jeff Pietsch, Portfolio Manager of Heritage, have served the Fund as portfolio managers since its inception.
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 by written request, telephone, or through your broker. The Fund or the Adviser may waive any investment minimum.
Class | Minimum Investment | |
Initial | Subsequent | |
A | $250 | $250 |
I | $250 | $250 |
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 plan.
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
The investment objectives and principal strategies of each Fund are described in this section. Each Fund’s investment objective(s) is/are a non-fundamental policy and may be changed without shareholder approval by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) upon 60 days written notice to shareholders. If a Fund’s investment objective is changed, this prospectus will be supplemented to reflect the new investment objective. There is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its objective. Please see the statement of additional information (“SAI”) for additional information about the securities and investment strategies described in this prospectus and about additional securities and investment strategies that may be used by the Funds.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES
Fund | Investment Objective(s) |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund (the “Conservative Fund”) | The Fund seeks to provide capital appreciation with a secondary objective of capital preservation. |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund (the “Moderate Fund”) | The Fund seeks to provide a balance of protecting capital and growing capital. |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund (the “Growth Fund”, and together with the Conservative Fund and Moderate Fund, the “Allocation Funds”) | The Fund seeks to provide capital appreciation. |
TFA Quantitative Fund (the “Quantitative Fund”) | The Fund seeks capital growth. |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund (the “Multidimensional Fund”) | The Fund seeks capital growth. |
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund (the “AlphaGen Fund”) | The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. |
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Adviser’s Investment Process
The Adviser selects and delegates the daily management of a Fund’s portfolio to one or more sub-advisers. The Adviser determines the various percentages of each Fund’s assets to be allocated among each of the sub-advisers and retains the ability to override a sub-adviser’s selection of securities if it believes an investment or allocation is not consistent with that Fund’s investment guidelines. The Adviser is also responsible for ongoing performance evaluation and monitoring of all sub-advisers.
While each sub-adviser is subject to the oversight of the Adviser, the Adviser will not attempt to coordinate or manage the daily investments of the sub-advisers. Each sub-adviser has discretion to invest the portion of a Fund’s assets allocated to it by the Adviser as it deems appropriate, based on its particular philosophy, style, strategies and views.
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund
The Fund may invest in equity securities of domestic and foreign equities issues of any size, equity-related securities such as options on equity indices or index ETFs, investment
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grade fixed income securities, ETFs that primarily invest in equities and/or fixed income securities and ETNs linked to the VIX (market volatility) index. ETFs that primarily invest in fixed income securities will include ETFs that invest in high-yield bonds (commonly known as “junk bonds”), investment grade corporate bonds, municipal securities and U.S. Treasury securities. The Fund may short shares of equity and fixed income ETFs. The Fund considers investment grade securities to be those that are rated Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or BBB- or higher by S&P at the time of purchase. High yield, high risk bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P and Baa3 or lower by Moody’s). The Fund may short shares of equity and fixed-income ETFs and invest in foreign equity securities or ETFs, including issuers from emerging market countries. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be those found in the MSCI EAFE Index.
Sub-Advisers and Strategies (for all Allocation Funds)
Anchor Capital Management Group Inc. (“Anchor Capital”) – Anchor Capital uses proprietary quantitative risk models to invest both long and short in domestic and foreign equity and fixed income ETFs. Anchor Capital expects its allocation of the Fund’s assets to have equity exposure between -20% and 25% and fixed income exposure between -50% and 75%.
Exceed Advisory LLC (“Exceed Advisory”) – Exceed Advisory’s strategy is composed of an equity options component and a fixed income component. The options component uses call and put options on equity indices or broad-based equity ETFs in seeking to limit risk/return exposure to predetermined market levels. The fixed income component invests in investment grade fixed income securities for the purposes of generating income for the options strategy as well as collateral for the options.
Tuttle Capital Management LLC (“Tuttle”) – Tuttle uses a proprietary market trend model to invest in a portfolio of dividend-paying domestic and international equities and equity ETFs including fixed income. Depending on the sub-adviser’s model, its allocation may also be fully invested in ETFs that primarily invest in U.S. Treasury securities. The sub-adviser may also use volatility-linked ETNs for hedging purposes.
Synergy Financial Management, LLC (“Synergy”) – Synergy uses three different types of filters to identify a limited number of U.S. and foreign securities to invest in. Synergy applies a sector, a fundamental, and a hybrid filter that reduces the potential number of investments to those which would likely outperform the S&P 500 over a one-year period.
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC (“Heritage”) - Heritage uses a multi-strategy approach that combines five to six different types of sub-strategies to determine a blend of equity investments and bonds for each Fund. Heritage invests its allocation of the Fund’s assets in a diversified portfolio of global equity securities and short, intermediate, and long-term bonds. Heritage may also invest in exchange traded funds to provide global equity and bond exposure for the Fund. The Fund’s assets allocated to Heritage may have significant investment exposure to cash or fixed income positions during unfavorable market conditions and may be fully invested when favorable conditions warrant.
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund
The Fund may invest in equity securities of domestic and foreign issuers of any size, equity-related securities such as options on equity indices or index ETFs, investment-grade fixed income securities, ETFs that primarily invest in equities and fixed income securities and ETNs linked to the VIX (market volatility) index. ETFs that primarily invest in fixed income securities will include ETFs that invest in high-yield bonds (commonly known as “junk bonds”), investment grade corporate bonds, municipal securities and U.S. Treasury
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securities. The Fund may short shares of equity and fixed income ETFs. The Fund considers investment grade securities to be those that are rated Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or BBB- or higher by S&P at the time of purchase. High yield, high risk bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P and Baa3 or lower by Moody’s). Foreign equity securities or ETFs that the Fund may invest in may also include issuers from emerging market countries. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be those found in the MSCI EAFE Index.
See the above description for more information on the Sub-Advisers and Strategies.
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund
The Fund may invest in equity securities of domestic and foreign issuers of any size, equity-related securities such as options on equity indices or index ETFs, investment grade fixed income securities, ETFs that primarily invest in equities and investment-grade fixed income securities and ETNs linked to the VIX (market volatility) index. ETFs that the Fund may invest in include leveraged ETFs and ETFs that invest in high-yield bonds (commonly known as “junk bonds”), investment-grade corporate bonds, municipal securities, and U.S. Treasury securities. High yield bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P or Baa3 or lower by Moody’s). The Fund may short shares of equity and fixed income ETFs. The Fund considers investment grade securities to be those that are rated Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or BBB- or higher by S&P at the time of purchase. Foreign equity securities or ETFs that the Fund may invest in may also include issuers from emerging market countries. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be those found in the MSCI EAFE Index.
See the above description for more information on the Sub-Advisers and Strategies.
TFA Quantitative Fund
The Adviser executes the Fund’s investment strategy based on signals and analysis provided by the Fund’s sub-adviser, Potomac Advisors, Inc. (the “Sub-Adviser”) resulting from the outputs of the Sub-Adviser’s proprietary investment model. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser will invest the Fund’s assets in leveraged and unleveraged mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (the “Underlying Funds”), which seek to provide investment returns that match on a daily or monthly basis:
(1) | up to 150% exposure to the NASDAQ 100 Index, |
(2) | up to 150% exposure to the S&P 500 Index, |
(3) | up to 150% exposure to the Russell 2000 Index, or |
(4) | up to 100% exposure to an inverse S&P 500 Index. |
The Fund may invest in inverse funds, which are funds that are designed to provide returns that are the inverse, or opposite of a specific benchmark or index.
The Sub-Adviser’s model utilizes a proprietary quantitative process that aggregates information from over 30 different trading systems into one algorithm to identify buy, sell, and short signals. The Sub-Adviser uses these signals to invest in the Underlying Funds. The input information includes historic and raw stock market data, including major and secondary market indexes, interest rate data, internal market data such as technical indicators that measure market indices movements, new market highs and lows, volume and volatility measures and seasonality and sentiment data. The Sub-Adviser’s model incorporates seasonality and sentiment data to identify patterns in the time of year to
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determine stock market advances or declines and consumer sentiment about markets or the economy.
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund
The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing in:
(1) | equity securities of small, mid-, and large capitalization U.S. companies; |
(2) | exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that invest fixed income securities, including below investment grade securities that are commonly referred to as “junk bonds” (the “Underlying ETFs”); |
(3) | cash and cash equivalents. |
The Underlying ETFs may hold U.S. Treasuries, investment-grade corporate securities, and high yield bonds with maturity dates ranging from one to 30 years. The Underlying ETFs are not limited to a to particular credit quality and may invest in below investment grade securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds"). The Fund defines below investment grade securities as high yield bonds. High yield bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P or Baa3 or lower by Moody’s).
The Adviser delegates the daily management of the Fund’s portfolio to the Fund’s sub-adviser, Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Sub-Adviser will adjust the Fund’s holdings based on the daily output of its quantitative model, which analyzes multiple variables, such as price and risk factors, and uses four moments of return distribution over four different lookback periods. The Sub-Adviser utilizes the outputs of its proprietary model daily to determine whether to adjust the Fund’s specific investment allocations or shift the holdings to cash based on the amount of risk currently in the market.
The Fund’s Sub-Adviser uses multiple types of analysis that combine technical, cyclical, charting, strategic and quantitative to determine when to buy, sell, or hold a security. Based on the output of the Sub-Adviser’s proprietary model, the Fund will invest in equity securities of U.S. small, medium, and large capitalization companies as well as fixed income ETFs. The Sub-Adviser increases or decreases the Fund’s investment allocations to equities, fixed income ETFs, or cash based on the output of key indicators over four different lookback periods.
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund
The Fund’s adviser, Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), has engaged Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) to perform the daily management of the Fund’s portfolio. The Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by employing an active, risk-managed, multi-strategy investment approach. The Sub-Adviser’s philosophy is that utilizing multiple, complementary strategies may enhance portfolio diversification and smooth investment returns over a full market cycle.
The Sub-Adviser employs multiple sub-strategies to manage the portfolio, including:
1) | Tactical allocation strategies designed to reduce equity exposure and increase fixed-income exposure when the Sub-Adviser considers market risk to be elevated. |
2) | Relative strength-based strategies identifying leading indices in equity and fixed income markets. |
3) | Directional long-short strategies utilizing adaptive risk management. |
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4) | Leadership-based equity selection strategies focused on top-rated individual stocks (as defined by the Sub-Adviser’s proprietary rating system) and sector exposures. |
5) | Hedging overlay strategies. |
In selecting securities for the Fund’s portfolio, each Sub-Adviser strategy component first determines if equity markets offer the potential for acceptable risk-adjusted returns. If so, the Fund typically invests in equity securities, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), mutual funds, and individual stocks. The Fund may invest in issues of any size. If not, the Fund seeks investments that are uncorrelated with the equity market returns such as fixed-income securities, including ETFs, mutual funds, cash or cash equivalents, and other asset classes. The Fund can invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity, duration, or quality (including “junk bonds”). The Fund may short equity and fixed income securities.
The Sub-Adviser uses a combination of discretionary, rules-based and quantitative processes to measure market risk and select securities. The Sub-Adviser uses all or parts of a multi-faceted approach in managing the Fund, including fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis. Using its proprietary quantitative models that provide buy and sell signals, the Sub-Adviser sets the Fund’s market exposure based on a wide array of fundamental and technical factors. Fundamental factors include measures such as monetary conditions, economic growth rates and other economic indicators, inflation expectations, valuations, earnings growth rates, and dividend yield. Technical factors include measures such as price movement, momentum, breadth measures, volatility, investor sentiment, historical market cycles, mean reversion, and trading volume.
The Fund seeks equity exposure between -30% and 150% and fixed income exposure between -10% and 35%. During periods when the Fund has limited investment opportunities, it may invest in money market funds and other cash-like securities. In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund may utilize enhanced and inverse ETFs, and engage in frequent trading, resulting in a high portfolio turnover rate.
The Fund’s hedging overlay is a quantitatively driven, structured hedging component that uses traditional, levered, and inverse index ETFS to buffer the Fund against portfolio losses and volatility. Potential benefits include the ability to effectively manage cash, reduce costs and risk exposures, and express tactical views.
Information Applicable To All Funds
Temporary Defensive Investments: To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, a 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, and U.S. Government securities. While a Fund is in a defensive position, a Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Furthermore, to the extent that a Fund invests in money market mutual funds for cash positions, there will be some duplication of expenses because a Fund pays its pro-rata portion of such money market funds' advisory fees and operational fees. A 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.
Exemptive Order: The Adviser, on behalf of itself and on behalf of the Funds, received an order from the SEC that allows the adviser to hire a sub-adviser or sub-advisers without shareholder approval (the “Order”). However, if the adviser hires a sub-adviser that is to
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be paid directly by a Fund rather than by the Adviser out of its compensation, shareholder approval will be required.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure: A description of the Funds’ policies and regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). The Funds may, from time to time, make available month-end portfolio holdings information on the website www.tfafunds.com, which may also include information about a Fund’s investments in securities and other investments. If month-end portfolio holdings information is posted to the website, the information is expected to be approximately 30 days old and remain available until new information for the next month is posted. Shareholders may request publicly available portfolio holdings schedules at no charge by calling 1-800-869-1679. The Adviser may make available certain information about each Fund’s portfolio prior to the public dissemination of portfolio holdings, including, but not limited to, a Fund’s portfolio characteristics data; currency and sector exposures; a Fund’s asset class and instrument exposures; and a Fund’s performance attribution, by posting such information on the website at www.tfafunds.com or upon reasonable request made to the Funds or the Adviser.
Cybersecurity: The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Funds 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 Funds and their service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Funds 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 Funds’ business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Funds’ ability to calculate its NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Funds, 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 Funds invest; counterparties with which the Funds 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 Funds’ shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.
Operational Risk. An investment in the Funds involves operational risk arising from factors such as processing errors, human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel and errors caused by third-party service providers. Any of these failures or errors could result in a loss or compromise of information, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage or other events, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Funds. While the Funds seek to minimize such events through controls and oversight, there is no guarantee that the Funds will not suffer losses due to operational risk.
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Economic and Regulatory Risks. Domestic and foreign governments and agencies thereof often adopt an active approach to managing economic conditions within a nation, which may have material effects on the securities markets within the nation. A government may pursue supportive policies that include, but are not limited to, lowering corporate and personal tax rates and launching simulative government spending programs designed to improve the national economy or sectors thereof. Agencies of a government, including central banks, may pursue supporting policies that include, but are not limited to, setting lower interest rate targets and buying and selling securities in the public markets. Governments and agencies thereof may also attempt to slow economic growth if the pace of economic growth is perceived to be too great and pose a long-term risk to the economy or a sector thereof. In each instance, the actions taken may be less successful than anticipated or may have unintended adverse consequences. Such a failure investor perception that such efforts are failing could negatively affect securities markets generally, as well as result in higher interest rates, increased market volatility and reduced the value and liquidity of certain securities, including securities held by the Fund.
In addition, governments and agencies thereof may enact additional regulation or engage in deregulation that negatively impacts the general securities markets or a sector thereof. Given the potential broad scope and sweeping nature of some regulatory actions, the potential impact a regulatory action may have on securities held by the Fund may be difficult to determine and may not be fully known an extended period of time. Accordingly, regulatory actions could adversely affect the Fund.
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions. Following the financial crisis that began in 2007, the U.S. government and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”), as well as certain foreign governments and central banks, took steps to support financial markets, including seeking to maintain interest rates at or near historically low levels and by purchasing large quantities of fixed income securities on the open market, such as securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, (“Quantitative Easing”). Similar steps appear to be taking place again in 2020 in an effort to support the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how long these policies will last. In addition, this and other government interventions may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results. When the Federal Reserve determines to “taper” or reduce Quantitative Easing and/or raise the federal funds rate, there is a risk that interest rates across the U.S. financial system will rise. Such policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain fixed income investments, including fixed income investments held by the Fund, which could cause the value of the Fund’s investments and share price to decline. To the extent that the Fund invests in derivatives tied to fixed income markets, the Fund may be more substantially exposed to these risks than a fund that does not invest in such derivatives.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
There is no assurance that the Funds will achieve their investment objectives. The Funds’ share prices will fluctuate with changes in the market value of its portfolio securities. When you sell your Fund shares, they may be worth less than what you paid for them and, accordingly, you can lose money investing in the Funds. The following risks could adversely affect the net asset value, total return and the value of the Fund and your investment. The risk descriptions below provide a more detailed explanation of the principal investment risks that correspond to the risks described in each Fund’s Summary section of this Prospectus.
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All Funds
Credit Risk. Credit Risk is the risk that an issuer of a security will fail to pay principal and interest in a timely manner, reducing a Fund’s total return. A Fund may invest in high-yield, high-risk securities commonly called “junk bonds”, that are not investment grade and are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. Credit risk may be substantial for a Fund.
Equity Risk. Equity securities consist of common stock, convertible preferred stock, rights and warrants. Common stocks, the most familiar type, represent an equity (ownership) interest in a corporation. Warrants are options to purchase equity securities at a specified price for a specific period. Rights are like warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed by the issuer to its shareholders. Although equity securities have a history of long-term growth in value, their prices fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial condition and on overall market and economic conditions.
Investments in equity securities are subject to inherent market risks and fluctuations in value due to earnings, economic conditions, and other factors beyond the control of the Adviser and Sub-Advisers. As a result, the return and net asset value of the Funds will fluctuate. Securities in the Funds’ portfolio may not increase as much as the market as a whole and some undervalued securities may continue to be undervalued for long periods of time. Although profits in some of the Funds’ holdings may be realized quickly, it is not expected that most investments will appreciate rapidly. The equity securities held by a Fund may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors affecting securities markets generally, the equity securities of a particular sector, or a particular company.
Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. The Funds may invest in ETFs as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds.
ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. ETF shares may trade at a discount to or a premium above net asset value if there is a limited market in such shares. ETFs are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to a Fund. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the adviser or sub-adviser (as applicable) may not be able to liquidate the Fund’s holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance.
Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of its investment strategy. These risks could include liquidity risk, sector risk and emerging market risk. In addition, ETFs that use derivatives may be subject to counterparty risk, liquidity risk, and other risks commonly associated with investments in derivatives. ETFs in which the Funds invest will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track, if any, because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Funds invest will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Certain securities
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comprising the indices tracked by the ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the ETFs’ ability to track their applicable indices.
When the Funds invest in sector ETFs, there is a risk that securities within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If the Funds invest more heavily in a particular sector, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Funds’ share prices may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of industries. Additionally, some sectors could be subject to greater government regulation than other sectors. Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those sectors. The sectors in which the Funds may be more heavily invested will vary.
The shares of an ETF may be assembled in a block (typically 50,000 shares) known as a creation unit and redeemed in-kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF’s net asset value) together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption. Conversely, a creation unit may be purchased from the ETF by depositing a specified portfolio of the ETF’s underlying securities, as well as a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit. The Funds may redeem creation units for the underlying securities (and any applicable cash), and may assemble a portfolio of the underlying securities and use it (and any required cash) to purchase creation units, if the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers believe it is in the Funds’ interest to do so. The Funds’ ability to redeem creation units may be limited by the 1940 Act, which provides that the ETFs will not be obligated to redeem shares held by the Funds in an amount exceeding one percent of their total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days.
There is a risk that the underlying ETFs in which the Funds invest may terminate due to extraordinary events that may cause any of the service providers to the ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, to close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF. Also, because the ETFs in which the Funds intend to invest may be granted licenses by agreement to use the indices as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names, the ETFs may terminate if such license agreements are terminated. In addition, an ETF may terminate if its entire net asset value falls below a certain amount. Although the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers, believe that, in the event of the termination of an underlying ETF they will be able to invest instead in shares of an alternate ETF tracking the same market index or another market index with the same general market, there is no guarantee that shares of an alternate ETF would be available for investment at that time.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. Fixed income risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early or later than expected, potentially reducing the amount of interest payments or extending time to principal repayment). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. If the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) raises the federal funds interest rate target, interest rates across the U.S. financial system may rise. However, the magnitude of rate changes across maturities and borrower sectors is uncertain. Rising rates may decrease
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liquidity and increase volatility, which may make portfolio management more difficult and costly to a Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, default risk increases if issuers must borrow at higher rates. Generally, these changing market conditions may cause a Fund’s share price to fluctuate or decline more than other types of equity investments.
Interest Rate Risk
·: | Interest rate risk is the risk that bond prices overall, including the prices of securities held by the Fund, will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rates than bonds with shorter maturities. For example, if interest rates go up by 1.0%, the price of a 4% coupon bond will decrease by approximately 1.0% for a bond with 1 year to maturity and approximately 4.4% for a bond with 5 years to maturity. |
Large Capitalization Risk. The Underlying Fund’s invest in large-capitalization companies. Large Capitalization Companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Management Risk. The ability of the Funds to meet its investment objective is directly related to a Sub-Adviser’s investment model. The models used by a Sub-Adviser to determine or guide investment decisions may not achieve the objectives of a Fund. A Sub-Adviser’s assessment of the attractiveness and potential appreciation of particular investments or markets in which the Funds invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that a Sub-Adviser’s investment strategy will produce the desired results. If the Sub-Advisers manage more money in the future, including money raised in this offering, such additional funds could affect their performance or trading strategies. This increases the competition for the same trades which the Funds make. There is no assurance that the Funds’ trading will generate the same results as any other accounts managed by the Sub-Advisers.
Model Risk. Like all quantitative analysis, a Sub-Adviser’s investment model carries a risk that the model used might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in short term effectiveness of a Sub-Adviser’s model. No assurance can be given that the Funds will be successful under all or any market conditions.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. A higher portfolio turnover may result in higher transactional and brokerage costs associated with the turnover which may reduce the Fund's return, unless the securities traded can be bought and sold without corresponding commission costs. Active trading of securities may also increase a Fund’s realized capital gains or losses, which may affect the taxes you pay as a Fund shareholder. A Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may exceed 100% annually.
Allocation Funds
Emerging Markets Risk. A Fund may invest in countries with newly organized or less developed securities markets. There are typically greater risks involved in investing in emerging markets securities. Generally, economic structures in these countries are less diverse and mature than those in developed countries and their political systems tend to be less stable. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries, therefore security issuers, including governments, may be more susceptible to economic weakness
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and more likely to default. Emerging market countries also may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems with fewer security holder rights. Investments in emerging markets countries may be affected by government policies that restrict foreign investment in certain issuers or industries. The potentially smaller size of their securities markets and lower trading volumes can make investments relatively illiquid and potentially more volatile than investments in developed countries, and such securities may be subject to abrupt and severe price declines. Due to this relative lack of liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price or may not be able to sell a portfolio security at all. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect a Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to meet cash obligations or take advantage of other investment opportunities.
Exchange Traded Note Risk. Similar to ETFs, owning an ETN generally reflects the risks of owning the assets that comprise the underlying market benchmark or strategy that the ETN is designed to reflect. ETNs also are subject to issuer and fixed-income risk.
Foreign Risk. To the extent a Fund invest in foreign securities, a Fund could be subject to greater risks because a Fund’s performance may depend on issues other than the performance of a particular company or U.S. market sector. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. The value of foreign securities is also affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar. There may also be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information. The values of foreign investments may be affected by changes in exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in this country or abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. In addition, foreign brokerage commissions, custody fees and other costs of investing in foreign securities are generally higher than in the United States. Investments in foreign issues could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. As a result, a Fund may be exposed to greater risk and will be more dependent on the adviser's ability to assess such risk than if a Fund.
Leverage Risk. Investing in leveraged ETFs and mutual funds will amplify a Fund's gains and losses. Most leveraged funds "reset" daily. The use of leverage may cause a fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. Due to the effect of compounding, the performance of leveraged funds over longer periods of time can differ significantly from the performance of their underlying index or benchmark during the same period of time. The use of leverage may also cause the Funds to have higher expenses than those of mutual funds that do not use such techniques.
Options Risk. A Fund may lose the entire put (call) option premium paid if the underlying security does not decrease (increase) in value at expiration. Put and call options may not be an effective hedge because they may have imperfect correlation to the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Purchased put and call options may decline in value due to changes in price of the underlying security, passage of time and changes in volatility. Written call and put options may limit the Fund's participation in equity market gains and may magnify the losses if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date when a Fund writes the option and the date on which the Fund purchases
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an offsetting position. A Fund will incur a loss as a result of a written options (also known as a short position) if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date when a Fund writes the option and the date on which a Fund purchases an offsetting position.
Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience.
Allocation Funds, Multidimensional Fund and AlphaGen Growth Fund
High Yield Bonds Risk. Lower-quality bonds, known as "high yield" or "junk" bonds, present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest. These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond's issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk). If that happens, the value of the bond may decrease, and a Fund's share price may decrease and its income distribution may be reduced. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates (interest rate risk) could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce a Fund's ability to sell its bonds (liquidity risk). Such securities may also include "Rule 144A" securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease a Fund's share price.
Floating Rate Risk. Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the shares of a fund whose investments are normally invested in floating rate debt. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the Fund’s shares will also fall. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on the floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. The impact of market interest rate changes on the Fund’s yield will also be affected by whether, and the extent to which, the floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio is subject to floors on the LIBOR base rate on which interest is calculated for such loans (the “LIBOR floor”). So long as the base rate for a loan remains under the LIBOR floor, changes in short-term interest rates will not affect the yield on such loans. In addition, to the extent that the interest rate spreads on floating rate debt in the Fund’s portfolio experience a general decline, the yield on the Fund’s shares will fall and the value of the Fund’s assets may decrease, which will cause the Fund’s net asset value to decrease. With respect to the Fund’s investments in fixed rate instruments, a rise in interest rates generally causes values to fall. The values of fixed rate securities with longer maturities or duration are more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Small and Medium Capitalization Risk. The stocks of small and medium capitalization companies involve substantial risk. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and they may be dependent on a limited management group. Stocks of these companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than those of
Allocation Funds and AlphaGen Fund
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Short Position Risk. If a security or other instrument sold short increases in price, a Fund may have to cover its short position at a higher price than the short sale price, resulting in a loss. A Fund may have substantial short security positions and must borrow those securities to make delivery to the buyer. A Fund may not be able to borrow a security that it needs to deliver or it may not be able to close out a short position at an acceptable price and may have to sell related long positions before it had intended to do so. Thus, a Fund may not be able to successfully implement its short sale strategy due to limited availability of desired securities or for other reasons.
A Fund also may be required to pay a commission and other transaction costs, which would increase the cost of the security sold short. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the commission, dividends, interest or expenses the Fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale.
Until a Fund replaces a borrowed security, it is required to maintain a segregated account of cash or liquid assets with a broker or custodian to cover the Fund’s short position. Generally, securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold unless they are replaced with other liquid assets. A Fund’s ability to access the pledged collateral may also be impaired in the event the broker fails to comply with the terms of the contract. In such instances a Fund may not be able to substitute or sell the pledged collateral.
Additionally, a Fund must maintain sufficient liquid assets (less any additional collateral pledged to the broker), marked-to-market daily, to cover the short sale obligations. This may limit a Fund’s investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
Because losses on short sales arise from increases in the value of the security sold short, such losses are theoretically unlimited. By contrast, a loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security's value cannot go below zero.
Quantitative Fund
Inverse Fund Risk. Investing in inverse funds may result in increased volatility due to the funds’ possible use of short sales of securities and derivatives such as options and futures. The use of leverage by a fund increases risk to a Fund. The more a fund invests in leveraged instruments, the more the leverage will magnify any gains or losses on those investments. During periods of increased volatility, inverse funds may not perform in the manner they are designed.
Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies including mutual funds and ETFs in which the Funds invest are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the Underlying Funds and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the Underlying Funds is subject to its own specific risks, but the adviser expects the principal investments risks of such Underlying Funds will be similar to the risks of investing in the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
Investment Adviser
Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC, located at 11726 Seven Gables Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249, serves as investment adviser to the Funds. Subject to the authority of the Board, the
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Adviser is responsible for the overall management of the Funds’ business affairs. The Adviser is responsible for selecting the Funds’ investments according to the Funds’ investment objective, policies, and restrictions. Additionally, the Adviser is responsible for conducting initial and ongoing independent evaluation of asset allocation, Funds , selection of swap or structured note counterparties, and oversight of each sub-adviser’s investments. The Adviser was established in June 2018 for the purpose of advising mutual funds. As of December 31, 2020, the Adviser had approximately $215 million in assets under management.
Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), each Fund pays the Adviser, on a monthly basis, an annual advisory fee of 1.30% of each Fund’s average daily net assets. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Adviser earned management fees of 1.04%, 1.06%, and 1.16% for the Predecessor Conservative Fund, Predecessor Moderate Fund, and Predecessor Growth Fund, respectively.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and to reimburse expenses, at least through April 30, 2023 to ensure that Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses (exclusive of any (i) front-end or contingent deferred loads, (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) fees and expenses associated with instruments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example options and swap fees and expenses); (v) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), (vi) taxes, (vii) other fees related to underlying investments, (such as option fees and expenses or swap fees and expenses); or (vii) extraordinary expenses such as litigation (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and trustees or contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser)) will not exceed 1.89% of each Fund’s Class I shares and 2.14% of each Fund’s Class A shares.
These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years of the date on which the waiver or reimbursement occurs, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of recoupment. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), on 60 days written notice to the Fund's Adviser. Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease a Fund’s expenses and boost its performance.
Sub-Advisers
Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc., located at 15 Enterprise, Suite 450, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656, is a California corporation which provides investment services to the Funds and other separately managed accounts and had approximately $11 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
Exceed Advisory LLC, located at 79 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016, is a Delaware limited liability company which provides investment services to the Funds and other registered investment companies and had approximately $38 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
Tuttle Capital Management, LLC, located at 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878 is a Delaware limited liability company which provides investment services to the Funds and other registered investment companies and had approximately $18 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
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Synergy Financial Management, LLC, located at 13231 SE 36th Street, Suite 215, Bellevue, WA 98006 is a Washington limited liability company which provides investment services to the Funds and other separately managed accounts and had approximately $37 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, located at 98 Wadsworth Blvd #127-3028, Lakewood, CO 80226, is a Colorado limited liability company which provides investment services to the Funds and other separately managed accounts and had approximately $16 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
Potomac Advisors, Inc., located at 7215 Teal Creek Glen, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202, is a Florida corporation which provides investment services to the Fund and other separately managed accounts and had approximately $41 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC, located at 1886 Metro Center, Drive, Suite 620, Reston, VA 20190, is a Virginia limited liability company which provides investment services to the TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund and other separately managed accounts and had approximately $54 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2020.
A discussion regarding the Board’s approval of the advisory and sub-advisory agreements will be available in the Fund’s semi-annual report for the period ending June 30, 2021.
Portfolio Managers
Drew K Horter, CEO
Drew K. Horter is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Strategist of Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC. Mr. Horter has been in financial services since 1982 and is a licensed insurance professional. He has extensive industry knowledge as an Investment Advisor Representative and has previously held FINRA securities licenses that include the Series 6, 7, 22 and 63. In 1991 Drew founded Horter Investment Management, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm.
Mr. Horter is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Economics.
Garrett Waters
Garrett Waters is Chief Executive Officer to Anchor Capital. Before joining Anchor Capital in 2009, Garrett began his investment career in New York City with J.P. Morgan Investment Management within its Institutional Investment Management division, then as a principal with Barclays Global Investors. Mr. Waters was involved in institutional and private fund management with Hollencrest Capital Management in 2001 and Pacific Financial Advisers. Mr. Waters is a graduate of Villanova University with a degree in business.
Eric Leake
Eric Leake is President and Chief Investment Officer to Anchor Capital. Mr. Leake is a level II Chartered Market Technician, member of the Market Technicians Association (MTA), American Association of Professional Technical Analysts (AAPTA), National Association of Active Investment Managers (NAAIM), and former advisory board member to Rydex Financial Services, LLC. Mr. Leake attended Azusa Pacific University majoring in Communications.
Joseph Halpern
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As CEO of Exceed Advisory, LLC, Mr. Halpern is responsible for setting and managing the overall direction of the firm. Mr. Halpern founded Exceed in 2013. Prior to founding Exceed Advisory, Joseph was a director at Lamco, the asset management division of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. where he headed the exotic derivatives commodities book, was chief negotiator on a number of global bank settlements and was a lead member of a task force on structured products.
Matthew Tuttle
Matthew Tuttle is a Certified Financial Planner® professional. He has been the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Tuttle Capital Management, LLC since starting the firm in 2012. Mr. Tuttle has an Masters in Business Administration in Finance from Boston University.
Joe Maas
Joe Maas founded Synergy in 2001 and has served as its chief executive officer since its inception. Mr. Maas is a chartered financial analyst, a certified valuation analyst, and is accredited in business appraisal review. Mr. Maas has a Masters of Science in Financial Services from American College.
David Moenning
David Moenning founded Heritage in January 2013 and has served as its investment officer since its inception. Mr. Moenning also, since 2013, has served as the managing partner of Numetrix Capital, LLC, an investing research firm. Mr. Moenning has a Bachelors of Computer Science and Economics from Northern Illinois University.
Jeff Pietsch
Jeff Pietsch has served as a portfolio manager at Heritage since December 2020. Mr. Pietsch has served also as the managing director of Eastsound Capital Advisors, LLC, a multi-state registered investment adviser since 2011. Mr. Pietsch is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder. He also holds an MBA in finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a JD from the Northwestern University School of Law and a Bachelors of Science from Cornell University.
Richard M. Paul
Richard Paul founded Potomac Advisors in 2003 and has served as its Chief Investment Officer since its inception. Mr. Paul has a Bachelors of Electrical Engineering degree from New York University.
Meghan S. Paul
Meghan Paul is a Vice President of Potomac Advisors and joined the firm in 2016. Ms. Paul has a Bachelors in Economics and Political Science from Vanderbilt University.
Theodore J. Doremus
TJ Doremus co-founded Preston Wealth Advisors in 2012 and serves as its CEO and Co-Portfolio Manager. Mr. Doremus has a Bachelors in Political Science from Hampden-Sydney College.
The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Fund shares.
HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED
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The net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price (NAV plus any applicable sales charges) of each class of shares is determined as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the NYSE is open for business (the “Valuation Time”). NAV is computed by determining, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of a 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 a Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.
A Fund’s securities or other investment assets for which market quotations are readily available will be valued at current market value based upon such market quotations as of the Valuation Time. A Fund may use independent pricing agents to provide current market values. Generally, a 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 and ask prices on such exchange. If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith and evaluated as to the reliability of the fair value method used by the Board on a quarterly basis, in accordance with procedures approved by the Board. 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. 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. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different than 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 has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee composed of one or more representatives 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.
The Funds may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of a Fund's securities. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for a Fund. A Fund may invest in foreign securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that may trade on weekends or other days when a Fund does not price its shares, the value of a Fund’s portfolio may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares. In computing the NAV, a Fund values foreign securities held by a 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 a Fund's portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur
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after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares, the securities will be valued at fair value.
For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before a Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using a 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 a 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 net asset value or the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security. A Fund may invest in ETFs and other investment companies (“Underlying Funds”). The Fund’s NAV is calculated based, in part, upon the market prices of the Underlying Funds in its portfolio, and the prospectuses of those companies explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing. Because foreign securities trade on days when the Fund’s shares are not priced, the value of securities held by the Fund can change on days when the Fund’s shares cannot be purchased or redeemed.
How to Purchase Shares
Share Classes
This Prospectus describes two classes of shares offered by each Fund: Class A and Class I. Under this Prospectus, each Fund offers 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 the share classes are sales charges, ongoing fees and minimum initial investment. Class A shares pay an annual distribution fee of 0.25% of average daily net assets attributable to those share classes for distribution and shareholder servicing expenses pursuant to the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plans adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1. For information on ongoing distribution fees, see Distribution (12b-1) and Shareholder Servicing Fees. Each class of shares in a Fund represents interest in the same portfolio of investments within a Fund. There is no investment minimum on reinvested distributions and a Fund may change investment minimums at any time. Each Fund reserves the right to waive sales charges, as described below, and investment minimums. Each Fund reserves the right to waive all sales charges and investment minimums. All share classes may not be available for purchase in all states.
Class A Shares
Class A shares are offered at their public offering price and are subject to 12b-1 distribution fee of 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of Class A shares. The 12b-1 fees are accrued and paid monthly. Over time, fees paid under this distribution and service plan will increase the cost of a Class A shareholder’s investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges. The minimum initial investment in Class A shares of a Fund is $250 for all accounts. The minimum subsequent investment in Class A shares of a Fund is $250 for all accounts.
Class I Shares
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The Funds’ Class I shares of are sold at NAV and are not subject to 12b-1 distribution fees, but have a higher minimum initial investment than Class A shares. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund. Unless otherwise waived by a Fund, Class I shares require a minimum initial investment of $250 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250. Class I shares are offered to investment and institutional clients of the Fund’s Adviser and its affiliates, to certain persons affiliated with the Adviser, to certain of the Funds’ service providers, and to clients of financial institutions or intermediaries (i) that charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar fee-based charges for financial services or (ii) that have entered into an agreement with the Funds’ distributor to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform.
Exchanges for Class I Shares
Holders of Class A shares issued by a Fund may exchange their shares for Class I shares if they: (1) hold their shares through a Selling Broker or other financial intermediary or institution that has a distribution agreement with the Fund’s distributor to offer Class I shares and which authorizes such an exchange; and (2) are otherwise eligible to invest in Class I shares in accordance with the terms of this Prospectus. Any such exchange is subject to the Funds’ discretion to accept or reject the exchange. For federal income tax purposes, an exchange of Class A shares for Class I shares within the same Fund will not result in the recognition of a capital gain or loss.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Share Class: When deciding which class of shares of a Fund to purchase, you should consider your investment goals, present and future amounts you may invest in a Fund, and the length of time you intend to hold your shares. To help you decide as to which class of shares to buy, please refer back to the examples of each Fund’s expenses over time in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section for a Fund in this Prospectus. You also may wish to consult with your financial Adviser for advice about which share class would be most appropriate for you.
Opening an Account: Each Fund is a separate series of Tactical Investment Series Trust (the “Trust”), and you may purchase shares directly from a Fund. You also may purchase shares through a brokerage firm or other intermediary that has contracted with the Trust to sell shares of a Fund. You may be charged a separate fee by the brokerage firm or other intermediary through whom you purchase shares.
If you are investing directly in a Fund for the first time, please call the Funds’ transfer agent at (833) 974-3787 to request a Shareholder Account Application. You will need to establish an account before investing. Be sure to sign up for all the account options that you plan to take advantage of. For example, if you would like to be able to redeem your shares by telephone, you should select this option on your Shareholder Account Application. Doing so when you open your account means that you will not need to complete additional paperwork later.
Your investment in a Fund should be intended as a long-term investment vehicle. The Funds are not designed to provide you with a means of speculating on the short-term fluctuations in the stock market. The Funds reserve the right to reject any purchase request that it regards as disruptive to the efficient management of the Funds, which includes investors with a history of excessive trading. The Funds also reserve the right to stop offering shares at any time.
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. This means that when you open an account,
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we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We also may ask for other identifying documents or information, and may take additional steps to verify your identity. We may not be able to open your account or complete a transaction for you until we are able to verify your identity.
If you have any questions regarding the Funds, please call (833) 974-3787.
You may buy shares on any “business day.” Business days are Monday through Friday, other than days the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is closed, including the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Shares of the Funds are sold at NAV. The NAV generally is calculated as of the close of trading on the NYSE every day the NYSE is open. The NYSE normally closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (“ET”). Each Fund’s NAV is calculated by taking the total value of the Fund’s assets, subtracting its liabilities, and then dividing by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent.
If you are purchasing directly from the Trust, send the completed Shareholder Account Application and a check payable to the applicable Fund in which you are investing to the following address:
[Name of Fund]
c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
P.O. Box 46707
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
Purchase orders received in “proper form” by the Funds’ transfer agent before the close of trading on the NYSE will be effective at the NAV next calculated after your order is received. On occasion, the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET. When that happens, purchase orders received after the NYSE closes will be effective the following business day.
To be in “proper form,” the purchase order must include:
● Fund name and account number;
● Account name(s) and address;
● The dollar amount or number of shares you wish to purchase.
The Funds may limit the amount of purchases and refuse to sell to any person.
Method of Payment. All purchases (both initial and subsequent) must be made in U.S. dollars and checks must be drawn on U.S. banks. Cash, credit cards and third-party checks will not be accepted. Third party checks and checks drawn on a non-U.S. financial institution will not be accepted, even if payment may be effected through a U.S. financial institution. Checks made payable to any individual or company and endorsed to Collaborative Investment Series Trust or the Fund are considered third-party checks.
A $20 fee will be charged against your account for any payment check returned to the transfer agent or for any incomplete electronic funds transfer, or for insufficient funds, stop payment, closed account or other reasons. If a check does not clear your bank or the Funds are unable to debit your pre-designated bank account on the day of purchase, each Fund reserves the right to cancel the purchase. If your purchase is canceled, you will be responsible for any losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be incurred as a result of a decline in the value of the canceled purchase. The Funds (or a Fund’s agent) each have the authority to redeem shares in your account(s) to cover any losses due to fluctuations in share price. Any profit on such cancellation will accrue to the Fund.
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If you choose to pay by wire, you must call the Funds’ transfer agent, at 1-800-869-1679 to set up your account, to obtain an account number, and obtain instructions on how to complete the wire transfer.
Wire orders will be accepted only on a day on which the Funds’ custodian and transfer agent are open for business. A wire purchase will not be considered made until the wired money and the purchase order are received by the Funds. Any delays that may occur in wiring money, including delays that may occur in processing by the banks, are not the responsibility of the Funds or their transfer agent. The Funds presently do not charge a fee for the receipt of wired funds, but the Funds may charge shareholders for this service in the future.
Automatic Investment Plans
By completing the Automatic Investment Plan section of the account application, you may make automatic monthly investments ($100 minimum per purchase) from your bank or savings account.
Other Purchase Information
If your wire does not clear, you will be responsible for any loss incurred by the Funds. If you are already a shareholder, the Funds can redeem shares from any identically registered account in the Funds as reimbursement for any loss incurred. You may be prohibited or restricted from making future purchases in the Funds.
The Funds may authorize certain brokerage firms and other intermediaries (including its designated correspondents) to accept purchase and redemption orders on its behalf. The Funds are deemed to have received an order when the authorized person or designee receives the order, and the order is processed at the NAV next calculated thereafter. It is the responsibility of the brokerage firm or other intermediary to transmit orders promptly to the Funds’ transfer agent.
How To Redeem Shares
Redeeming Shares: You may redeem your shares on any business day. Redemption orders received in proper form by the Funds’ transfer agent or by a brokerage firm or other intermediary selling Fund shares before 4:00 p.m. ET (or before the NYSE closes if the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET) will be processed at that day’s NAV. Your brokerage firm or intermediary may have an earlier cut-off time.
“Proper form” means your request for redemption must:
● Include the Fund name and account number;
● Include the account name(s) and address;
● State the dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem; and
● Be signed by all registered share owner(s) in the exact name(s) and any special capacity in which they are registered.
The Funds may require that the signatures be guaranteed if the mailing address of the account has been changed within 30 days of the redemption request. The Funds also may require that signatures be guaranteed for redemptions of $25,000 or more. Signature guarantees are for the protection of shareholders. You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks and securities dealers, but not from a notary public. All documentation requiring a signature guarantee must utilize a New Technology Medallion stamp. For joint accounts, both signatures must be guaranteed. Please call the transfer agent at (833) 974-3787 if you have questions regarding signature guarantees. At the discretion of the Funds, you may be required to furnish additional legal documents to insure proper authorization.
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The Funds will not make checks payable to any person other than the shareholder(s) of record.
Shares of the Funds may be redeemed by mail or telephone. You may receive redemption payments in the form of a check or federal wire transfer. A wire transfer fee of $20 will be charged to defray custodial charges for redemptions paid by wire transfer. Any charges for wire redemptions will be deducted from your account by redemption of shares. If you redeem your shares through a brokerage firm or other intermediary, you may be charged a fee by that institution.
Redeeming By Mail
You may redeem any part of your account in the Funds by mail at no charge. Your request, in proper form, should be addressed to:
[Name of Fund]
c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
P.O. Box 46707
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
Telephone Redemptions
You may redeem any part of your account in a Fund by calling the transfer agent at (833) 974-3787. You must first complete the Optional Telephone Redemption and Exchange section of the investment application to institute this option. The Funds, the transfer agent and the custodian are not liable for following redemption instructions communicated by telephone to the extent that they reasonably believe the telephone instructions to be genuine. However, if they do not employ reasonable procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine, they may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Procedures employed may include recording telephone instructions and requiring a form of personal identification from the caller.
The Funds may terminate the telephone redemption procedures at any time. During periods of extreme market activity it is possible that shareholders may encounter some difficulty in telephoning the Funds although neither the Funds nor the transfer agent has ever experienced difficulties in receiving and responding to telephone requests for redemptions or exchanges in a timely fashion. If you are unable to reach the Funds by telephone, you may request a redemption or exchange by mail.
Redemptions In Kind
Each 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 a Fund’s assets. The securities will be chosen by a Fund and valued under a Fund’s net asset value procedures. To the extent feasible, redemptions in kind will be paid with a pro rata allocation of a Fund’s portfolio. 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.
Additional Redemption Information
If you are not certain of the redemption requirements, please call the transfer agent at (833) 974-3787. Redemptions specifying a certain date or share price cannot be accepted and will be returned. The Funds typically expect that it will take up to 5 days following the receipt of your redemption request to pay out redemption proceeds by check or electronic transfer. The Funds 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
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securities. These redemption payment methods will be used in regular and stressed market conditions. You may be assessed a fee if a Fund incurs bank charges because you request that the Fund re-issue a redemption check. Also, when the NYSE is closed (or when trading is restricted) for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closing or under any emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC, the Funds may suspend redemptions or postpone payment dates.
Low Balances: Because the Funds incur certain fixed costs in maintaining shareholder accounts, a Fund may require that you redeem all of your shares in a Fund upon 30 days written notice if the value of your shares in a Fund is less than $1,000 due to redemption, or such other minimum amount as a Fund may determine from time to time. You may increase the value of your shares in a Fund to the minimum amount within the 30-day period. All shares of a Fund also are subject to involuntary redemption if the Board determines to liquidate a Fund. An involuntary redemption will create a capital gain or a capital loss, which may have tax consequences to you and about which you should consult your tax adviser.
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES
The Funds discourage and do not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of a Funds 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 Funds are designed for long-term investors and are not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Funds’ Board 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 Funds currently uses several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include:
· | Committing staff to review, on a continuing basis, recent trading activity in order to identify trading activity that may be contrary to the Funds’ “Market Timing Trading Policy”, |
· | Rejecting or limiting specific purchase requests, |
· | Rejecting purchase requests from certain investors |
Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, the Funds seek to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Funds’ 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 Funds as described in the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy and elect to reject or limit the amount, number, frequency or method for requesting future purchases or exchanges into the Funds.
The Funds reserve 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.
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Although the Funds attempt 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 Funds will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of a Fund. While the Funds will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers who invest indirectly in a Fund, a Fund is limited in its ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce a Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, a 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, a Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Funds have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Funds upon request. If a 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.
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Any sale or exchange of a 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 a Fund.)
Each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of their net investment income and net capital gains annually. Both distributions will be reinvested in shares of a 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 a 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 each 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.
TAXES
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In general, selling shares of the Funds and receiving distributions (whether reinvested or taken in cash) are taxable events. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you may have a gain or a loss on any shares sold. Any tax liabilities generated by your transactions or by receiving distributions are your responsibility. The Funds anticipate that distributions will be primarily taxed as ordinary income. You may want to avoid making a substantial investment when a Fund is about to make a taxable distribution because you would be responsible for any taxes on the distribution regardless of how long you have owned your shares. The Funds may produce capital gains even if they do not have income to distribute and performance has been poor.
Early each year, the Funds will mail to you a statement setting forth the federal income tax information for all distributions made during the previous year. If you do not provide your taxpayer identification number, your account will be subject to backup withholding.
The tax considerations described in this section do not apply to tax-deferred accounts or other non-taxable entities. Because each investor’s tax circumstances are unique, please consult with your tax adviser about your investment.
DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES
Distributor: Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), located at 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 is the distributor for the shares of the Funds. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Shares of the Funds are offered on a continuous basis.
Distribution (12b-1) and Shareholder Servicing Fees: The Trust, with respect to the Funds, has adopted the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plans for each of Class A, respectively (the “Plan”), pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act, pursuant to which each Fund may pay the Funds’ distributor an annual fee for distribution and shareholder servicing expenses as indicated in the following table of a Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the respective class of shares. Class I shares does not have a Plan.
12b-1 Fee | Class A |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | 0.25% |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | 0.25% |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | 0.25% |
TFA Quantitative Fund | 0.25% |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | 0.25% |
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund | 0.25% |
The distributor and other entities are paid under the Plans for services provided and the expenses borne by the distributor and others in the distribution of a 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
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distribution of prospectuses and reports used in connection with the offering of a 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 Plans 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 distributor, its affiliates, and the Funds’ Adviser and Sub-Advisers and their affiliates may each, at its own expense and out of its own assets including their legitimate profits from Fund-related activities (and not as an additional charge to any Fund), provide additional cash payments to financial intermediaries who sell shares of a Fund. Financial intermediaries include broker-dealers, financial advisers, 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. Certain administrative fees, such as sub-transfer agency or sub-administrative fees, may be payable by a Fund. Marketing support may include access to sales meetings, sales representatives and financial intermediary management representatives, inclusion of a 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.
Such payments may provide incentives for such parties to make shares of a Fund available to their customers, and may allow the Fund greater access to such parties and their customers than would be the case if no payments were paid. Such access advantages include, but are not limited to, placement of a Fund on a list of mutual funds offered as investment options to the financial intermediary’s customers; access to the financial intermediary’s registered representatives and/or ability to assist in training and educating the financial intermediary’s registered representatives. These payment arrangements will not change the price an investor pays for shares of a Fund or the amount that a Fund receives to invest on behalf of the investor.
The Adviser does not direct the Funds’ portfolio securities transactions, or otherwise compensate broker-dealers in connection with the Funds’ portfolio transactions, in consideration of sales of Fund shares.
Financial intermediaries that receive these types of payments may have a conflict of interest in recommending or selling the Funds rather than other mutual funds to their client investors, particularly if these payments exceed the amounts paid by other mutual funds.
Householding: To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the 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 Funds at (833) 974-3787 on days the Funds are open for business or contact your financial institution. We 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 Funds’ financial performance for the period of the Funds’ 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 Funds (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information presented reflects the financial highlights of each Fund’s Predecessor Fund for periods before the Reorganization. The financial highlights for the Allocation Funds’ fiscal period ended December 31, 2019 have been audited by the Allocation Funds’ prior independent registered public accounting firm. The financial highlights for the fiscal year/period ended December 31, 2020 were audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements are included in the Fund’s December 31, 2020 annual report, which is available upon request.
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund – Class A Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
Year Ended 12/31/2020 |
For the Period Ended (c) 12/31/2019 |
||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Year/Period | $ 10.36 | $ 10.00 | |
Income From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * (g) | (0.06) | 0.05 | |
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 0.34 | 0.37 | |
Total From Investment Operations | 0.28 | 0.42 | |
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | (0.01) | (0.02) | |
Realized Gains | (0.10) | (0.04) | |
Total from Distributions | (0.11) | (0.06) | |
Net Asset Value, at End of Year/Period | $ 10.53 | $ 10.36 | |
Total Return ** | 2.71% | 4.21% | (b) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Year/Period (Thousands) | $ 27 | $ 30 | |
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (e) (h) | 2.56% | 2.30% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (1.02)% | 0.58% | (a) |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (f) (h) | 2.14% | 2.00% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (0.61)% | 0.89% | (a) |
Portfolio Turnover | 1316.84% | 674.08% | (b) |
* Per share net investment income has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
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(a) Annualized.
(b) Not Annualized.
(c) For the period June 10, 2019 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2019.
(d) Expenses include 0.15% and 0.01% of administrative fees which were voluntarily waived by the administrator for the year/period ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(e) Expenses before reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.55% and 2.30% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(f) Expenses after reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.13% and 2.00% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(g) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(h) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
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Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund – Class I Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
Year Ended 12/31/2020 |
For the Period Ended (c) 12/31/2019 |
||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Year/Period | $ 10.39 | $ 10.00 | |
Income From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * (g) | (0.04) | 0.03 | |
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 0.35 | 0.42 | |
Total From Investment Operations | 0.31 | 0.45 | |
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | (0.01) | (0.02) | |
Realized Gains | (0.10) | (0.04) | |
Total from Distributions | (0.11) | (0.06) | |
Net Asset Value, at End of Year/Period | $ 10.59 | $ 10.39 | |
Total Return ** | 2.99% | 4.55% | (b) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Year/Period (Thousands) | $ 31,535 | $ 42,675 | |
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (e) (h) | 2.30% | 1.86% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (0.77)% | 0.48% | (a) |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (f) (h) | 1.89% | 1.75% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (0.36)% | 0.59% | (a) |
Portfolio Turnover | 1316.84% | 674.08% | (b) |
* Per share net investment income has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
(a) Annualized.
(b) Not Annualized.
(c) For the period June 10, 2019 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2019.
(d) Expenses include 0.15% and 0.09% of administrative fees which were voluntarily waived by the administrator for the year/period ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(e) Expenses before reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.29% and 1.86% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(f) Expenses after reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 1.88% and 1.75% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(g) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(h) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
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Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund – Class A Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
Year Ended 12/31/2020 |
For the Period Ended (c) 12/31/2019 |
||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Year/Period | $ 10.29 | $ 10.00 | |
Income From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * (g) | (0.10) | 0.02 | |
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 0.47 | 0.29 | |
Total From Investment Operations | 0.37 | 0.31 | |
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | - + | (0.02) | |
Realized Gains | (0.09) | - | |
Total from Distributions | (0.09) | (0.02) | |
Net Asset Value, at End of Year/Period | $ 10.57 | $ 10.29 | |
Total Return ** | 3.62% | 3.05% | (b) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Year/Period (Thousands) | $ 2 | $ 35 | |
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (f) (h) | 2.32% | 4.66% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (1.26)% | (2.31)% | (a) |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (e) (f) (h) | 2.08% | 2.00% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (1.03)% | 0.36% | (a) |
Portfolio Turnover | 1308.86% | 911.79% | (b) |
* Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
+ Amount calculated is less than $0.005.
(a) Annualized.
(b) Not Annualized.
(c) For the period June 10, 2019 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2019.
(d) Expenses before reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.31% and 4.66% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(e) Expenses after reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.07% and 2.00% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(f) Expenses include 0.15% and 0.04% of administrative fees which were voluntarily waived by the administrator for the year/period ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(g) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(h) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
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Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund – Class I Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
Year Ended 12/31/2020 |
For the Period Ended (c) 12/31/2019 |
||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Year/Period | $ 10.30 | $ 10.00 | |
Income From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * (g) | (0.04) | 0.03 | |
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 0.46 | 0.29 | |
Total From Investment Operations | 0.42 | 0.32 | |
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | - + | (0.02) | |
Realized Gains | (0.09) | - | |
Total from Distributions | (0.09) | (0.02) | |
Net Asset Value, at End of Year/Period | $ 10.63 | $ 10.30 | |
Total Return ** | 4.11% | 3.25% | (b) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Year/Period (Thousands) | $ 38,171 | $ 74,054 | |
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (f) (h) | 2.27% | 1.82% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (0.79)% | 0.40% | (a) |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (e) (f) (h) | 1.88% | 1.75% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (0.40)% | 0.47% | (a) |
Portfolio Turnover | 1308.86% | 911.79% | (b) |
* Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
+ Amount calculated is less than $0.005.
(a) Annualized.
(b) Not Annualized.
(c) For the period June 10, 2019 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2019.
(d) Expenses before reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.26% and 1.82% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(e) Expenses after reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 1.87% and 1.75% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(f) Expenses include 0.15% and 0.04% of administrative fees which were voluntarily waived by the administrator for the year/period ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(g) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(h) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
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Tactical Growth Allocation Fund – Class I Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
Year Ended 12/31/2020 |
For the Period Ended (c) 12/31/2019 |
||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Year/Period | $ 10.37 | $ 10.00 | |
Income From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * (g) | (0.05) | 0.02 | |
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 0.86 | 0.36 | |
Total From Investment Operations | 0.81 | 0.38 | |
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | - + | (0.01) | |
Realized Gains | (0.49) | - | |
Total from Distributions | (0.49) | (0.01) | |
Net Asset Value, at End of Year/Period | $ 10.69 | $ 10.37 | |
Total Return ** | 7.87% | 3.83% | (b) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Year/Period (Thousands) | $ 50,372 | $ 55,952 | |
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (f) (h) | 2.18% | 1.87% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (0.82)% | 0.19% | (a) |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (e) (f) (h) | 1.89% | 1.76% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (0.54)% | 0.30% | (a) |
Portfolio Turnover | 1548.86% | 929.77% | (b) |
* Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
+ Amount calculated is less than $0.005.
(a) Annualized.
(b) Not Annualized.
(c) For the period June 10, 2019 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2019.
(d) Expenses before reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.28% and 4.55% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(e) Expenses after reimbursements (excluding interest expense of 0.01% and 0.00%) was 2.07% and 2.00% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(f) Expenses include 0.15% and 0.04% of administrative fees which were voluntarily waived by the administrator for the year/period ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(g) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(h) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
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Tactical Growth Allocation Fund – Class A Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
Year Ended 12/31/2020 |
For the Period Ended (c) 12/31/2019 |
||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Year/Period | $ 10.35 | $ 10.00 | |
Income From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * (g) | (0.11) | 0.02 | |
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 0.80 | 0.34 | |
Total From Investment Operations | 0.69 | 0.36 | |
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | - + | (0.01) | |
Realized Gains | (0.49) | - | |
Total from Distributions | (0.49) | (0.01) | |
Net Asset Value, at End of Year/Period | $ 10.55 | $ 10.35 | |
Total Return ** | 6.73% | 3.62% | (b) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Year/Period (Thousands) | $ 4 | $ 31 | |
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d) (f) (h) | 2.29% | 4.55% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (1.30)% | (2.24)% | (a) |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (e) (f) (h) | 2.08% | 2.00% | (a) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (g) | (1.09)% | 0.31% | (a) |
Portfolio Turnover | 1548.86% | 929.77% | (b) |
* Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
+ Amount calculated is less than $0.005.
(a) Annualized.
(b) Not Annualized.
(c) For the period June 10, 2019 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2019.
(d) Expenses before reimbursements (excluding interest and dividend expense of 0.01% and 0.01%) was 2.17% and 1.86% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(e) Expenses after reimbursements (excluding interest and dividend expense of 0.01% and 0.01%) was 1.88% and 1.75% for year/period ended 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(f) Expenses include 0.15% and 0.03% of administrative fees which were voluntarily waived by the administrator for the year/period ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(g) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(h) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
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TFA Quantitative Fund – Class I Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
For the | |||
Period Ended (a) | |||
12/31/2020 | |||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Period | $ 10.00 | ||
Income From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Loss * (d) | (0.11) | ||
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 1.92 | ||
Total from Investment Operations | 1.81 | ||
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | - | ||
Realized Gains | (0.52) | ||
Total from Distributions | (0.52) | ||
Net Asset Value, at End of Period | $ 11.29 | ||
Total Return ** | 18.13% | (c) | |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Period (Thousands) | $ 41,414 | ||
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (e) | 2.06% | (b) | |
Ratio of Net Investment Loss to Average Net Assets (d) | (1.83)% | (b) | |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (e)(f) | 1.91% | (b) | |
Ratio of Net Investment Loss to Average Net Assets (d) (f) | (1.68)% | (b) | |
Portfolio Turnover | 963.53% | (c) |
* Per share net investment income has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
(a) For the period May 18, 2020 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2020.
(b) Annualized.
(c) Not Annualized.
(d) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(e) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(f) The Administrator has voluntarily waived 0.15% for the period ended December 31, 2020.
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TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund – Class I Shares
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the year/period.
For the | |||
Period Ended (a) | |||
12/31/2020 | |||
Net Asset Value at Beginning of Period | $ 10.00 | ||
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations: | |||
Net Investment Loss * (e) | (0.04) | ||
Net Gain on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 1.28 | ||
Total from Investment Operations | 1.24 | ||
Distributions: | |||
Net Investment Income | - | ||
Realized Gains | (0.52) | ||
Total from Distributions | (0.52) | ||
Net Asset Value, at End of Period | $ 10.72 | ||
Total Return ** | 12.48% | (c) | |
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | |||
Net Assets at End of Period (Thousands) | $ 54,124 | ||
Before Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d)(f) | 2.04% | (b) | |
Ratio of Net Investment Loss to Average Net Assets (e) | (0.75)% | (b) | |
After Waivers | |||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (d)(f)(g) | 1.89% | (b) | |
Ratio of Net Investment Loss to Average Net Assets (e)(g) | (0.60)% | (b) | |
Portfolio Turnover | 934.35% | (c) |
* Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period.
** Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends.
(a) For the period May 18, 2020 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2020.
(b) Annualized.
(c) Not Annualized.
(d) Includes interest expense on securities sold short of 0.02% for the period May 18, 2020 (commencement of investment operations) through December 31, 2020.
(e) Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include net investment income of the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(f) Does not include expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(g) The Administrator has voluntarily waived 0.15% for the period ended December 31, 2020.
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PRIVACY NOTICE
Tactical Investment Series Trust
FACTS | WHAT DOES TACTICAL INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST 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 depends on the product or service that you have with us. This information can include: ● Social Security number and wire transfer instructions ● account transactions and transaction history ● investment experience and purchase history 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 Tactical Investment Series Trust chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information: | Does Tactical Investment Series Trust share information? | 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 records. | NO | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your credit worthiness. | NO | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | NO | We don’t share |
QUESTIONS? | Call 1-(833) 974-3787 |
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PRIVACY NOTICE
Tactical Investment Series Trust
What we do: | |
How does Tactical Investment Series Trust 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 Tactical Investment Series Trust collect my personal information? |
We collect your personal information, for example, when you ● open an account or deposit money ● direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities ● seek advice about your investments We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or 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. ● Tactical Investment Series Trust does not share with our affiliates. |
Nonaffiliates |
Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. ● Tactical Investment Series Trust 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. ● Tactical Investment Series Trust isn’t jointly market. |
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Adviser |
Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC 11726 Seven Gables Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45249 |
Distributor |
Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450 Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 |
Legal Counsel |
Strauss Troy, Co., LPA
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 |
Custodian |
U.S. Bank, N.A. 425 Walnut Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm: |
BBD, LLP 1835 Market St., Floor 3 Philadelphia, PA 19103 |
Additional information about the Funds, including the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings, are included in the Funds’ SAI. 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 Funds’ policies and management. Additional information about the Funds’ investments will also available in the Funds’ Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders.
To obtain a free copy of the SAI or other information about the Funds, or to make shareholder inquiries about a Fund, please call (833) 974-3787 or visit www.tfafunds.com. You may also write to:
Tactical Investment Series Trust
c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
P.O. Box 46707
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
Reports and other information about the Fund are 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 #811-23631
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The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This SAI is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion, dated April 22, 2021
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund
CLASS A SHARES: TFALX
CLASS I SHARES: TFAZX
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund
CLASS A SHARES: TFAMX
CLASS I SHARES: TFAUX
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund
CLASS A SHARES: TFAEX
CLASS I SHARES: TFAFX
TFA Quantitative Fund
CLASS A SHARES*
CLASS I SHARES: TFAQX
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund
CLASS A SHARES*
CLASS I SHARES: TFADX
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund
CLASS A SHARES*
CLASS I SHARES: TFAAX
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION April 26, 2021
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated April 26, 2021. This SAI is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Prospectus. The Funds’ Prospectus or Annual Report can be obtained at no charge by writing the transfer agent, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, at P.O. Box 46707, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707, or by calling (833) 974-3787.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Description of the Trust and Funds | 3 | ||
Additional Information About the Funds’ Investments | 4 | ||
Management of the Funds | 15 | ||
Code of Ethics | 20 | ||
Distribution Plan | 20 | ||
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities | 21 | ||
Investment Advisory Services | 23 | ||
Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices | 29 | ||
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings | 31 | ||
Determination of Share Price | 32 | ||
Fair Value Committee and Valuation Process | 33 | ||
Compliance with Portfolio Holding Disclosure Procedures | 34 | ||
Redemption In-Kind | 34 | ||
Tax Consequences | 35 | ||
Anti-Money Laundering Program | 36 | ||
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures | 36 | ||
Appendix A | A-1 |
2 |
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND FUNDS
The Tactical Growth Allocation Fund, Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund, Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Allocation Funds”), TFA Quantitative Fund, TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund, and TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund (each a “Fund” and together with the Allocation Funds, the “Funds”) are each a diversified series of the Tactical Investment Series Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is an open-end investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated January 13, 2021 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”) to authorize and issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The investment adviser to the Funds is Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”). The Allocation Funds will utilize the following sub-advisers (each, a “Sub-Adviser” and collectively, the “Allocation Fund Sub-Advisers”): (i) Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Tuttle”); (ii) the Exceed Advisory, LLC (the “Exceed”); (iii) Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. (the “Anchor”); (iv) Synergy Financial Management, LLC (“Synergy”); and (v) Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC (“Heritage”, and together with Tuttle, Exceed, Anchor, and Synergy, the “Allocation Funds Sub-Advisers”). The sub-adviser to the TFA Quantitative Fund is Potomac Advisors, Inc. (“Potomac”), the sub-adviser to the TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund is Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC (“Preston”), and the sub-adviser to the TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund is Heritage (each, a “Sub-Adviser, and together with the Allocation Funds Sub-Advisers, the “Sub-Advisers”).
Pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Reorganization”), each Fund listed below is expected to receive all of the assets and liabilities of a corresponding series of the Collaborative Investment Series Trust, as identified below (each, a “Predecessor Fund”):
Predecessor Fund | Fund |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | Tactical Growth Allocation Fund |
TFA Quantitative Fund | TFA Quantitative Fund |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund |
The shareholders of each Predecessor Fund are expected to receive shares of the corresponding Fund with aggregate net asset values equal to the aggregate net asset value of their shares in the Predecessor Fund immediately before the Reorganization. Each Predecessor Fund has the same investment objective and a similar investment strategy and risks to those of the corresponding Fund, which did not operate before the Reorganization. For financial reporting purposes, each Predecessor Fund’s operating history before the Reorganization will be reflected in the financial statements and financial highlights. The Reorganization is expected to be treated as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes, and accordingly, the basis of the assets of each Fund will reflect the historical basis of the assets of the corresponding Predecessor Fund as of the date of the Reorganization
Each Fund offers two classes of shares: Class I and Class A. The Funds do not issue share certificates. All shares are held in non-certificated form registered on the books of the Fund and the transfer agent for the account of the shareholder. Each share of a series represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to that series with each other share of that series and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the series as are declared by the Trustees. The shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights, and the Trustees have the authority to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series so long as the proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to that series and the rights of shares of any other series are in no way affected. In case of any liquidation of a series, the shareholders of the series being liquidated will be entitled to receive as a class a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any series are borne by that series. Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under
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the direction of the Trustees in such manner as the Trustees determine to be fair and equitable. No shareholder is liable to further calls or to assessment by the Trust without his or her express consent.
The Trust does not hold an annual meeting of shareholders. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each whole share he owns and fractional votes for fractional shares he owns. All shares of the Funds have equal voting rights and liquidation rights. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust can be amended by the Trustees, except that any amendment that adversely affects the rights of shareholders must be approved by the shareholders affected. All shares of the Funds are subject to involuntary redemption if the Trustees determine to liquidate the Funds. An involuntary redemption will create a capital gain or a capital loss, which may have tax consequences about which you should consult your tax adviser.
For information concerning the purchase and redemption of shares of the Funds, see “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” in the Prospectus. For a description of the methods used to determine the share price and value of the Fund’s assets, see “How Fund Shares are Priced” in the Prospectus and “Determination of Share Price” in this SAI.
Under the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, each Trustee will continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his or her death, incapacity, resignation, or removal. Shareholders can remove a Trustee to the extent provided in 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.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS
Investment Strategies and Risks
All principal investment strategies and risks are discussed in the Prospectus. This section contains a more detailed discussion of some of the investments the Funds may make and some of the techniques they may use, as described in the Risk/Return Summary in the Prospectus. Additional non-principal strategies and risks also are discussed here.
Certificates of Deposit and Bankers’ Acceptances
The Funds may invest in certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, which are short-term money market instruments.
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. 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 specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be up to 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of 180 days or less.
Closed-End Investment Companies
The Funds may invest assets in closed-end investment companies (or “closed-end funds”), subject to the investment restrictions set forth below. 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
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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 NYSE MKT LLC, 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 Funds generally will purchase shares of closed-end funds only in the secondary market. The Funds will incur normal brokerage costs on such purchases similar to the expenses the Funds would incur for the purchase of securities of any other type of issuer in the secondary market. The Funds may, however, also purchase securities of a closed-end fund in an initial public offering when, in the opinion of the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers, 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 Funds purchase 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 that 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 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 Funds 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 Funds will ever decrease. In fact, it is possible that this market discount may increase and the Funds 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 Funds’ shares. Similarly, there can be no assurance that any shares of a closed-end fund purchased by the Funds 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 Funds.
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 Funds’ 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.
Commercial Paper
The Funds may purchase commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes, including Master Notes, issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return. Master Notes, however, are obligations that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid and permit daily changes in the amount borrowed.
Master Notes are governed by agreements between the issuer and the advisor acting as agent, for no additional fee, in its capacity as advisor to the Funds and as fiduciary for other clients for whom it exercises investment discretion. The monies loaned to the borrower come from accounts maintained with or managed by the advisor or its affiliates pursuant to arrangements with such accounts. Interest and principal payments are credited to such accounts. The advisor, acting as a fiduciary on behalf of its clients,
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has the right to increase or decrease the amount provided to the borrower under an obligation. The borrower has the right to pay without penalty all or any part of the principal amount then outstanding on an obligation together with interest to the date of payment. Since these obligations typically provide that the interest rate is tied to the Treasury bill auction rate, the rate on Master Notes is subject to change. Repayment of Master Notes to participating accounts depends on the ability of the borrower to pay the accrued interest and principal of the obligation on demand which is continuously monitored by the advisor. Master Notes typically are not rated by credit rating agencies.
The Funds may purchase commercial paper consisting of issues rated at the time of purchase within the three highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization ( the “NRSRO”). The Funds may also invest in commercial paper that is not rated but is determined by the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers, under guidelines established by the Board, to be of comparable quality.
Convertible Securities
The Funds may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants or a combination of the features of several of these securities. Convertible securities are senior to common stocks in an issuer’s capital structure, but are usually subordinated to similar non- convertible securities. While providing a fixed-income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar nonconvertible security), a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock.
Corporate Debt
Corporate debt securities are long and short-term debt obligations issued by companies (such as publicly issued and privately placed bonds, notes and commercial paper). The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers consider corporate debt securities to be of investment grade quality if they are rated BBB- or higher by S&P or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s, or if unrated, determined by the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers to be of comparable quality. Investment grade debt securities generally have adequate to strong protection of principal and interest payments. In the lower end of this category, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal than in higher rated categories. The Funds may invest in both secured and unsecured corporate bonds. A secured bond is backed by collateral and an unsecured bond is not. Therefore an unsecured bond may have a lower recovery value than a secured bond in the event of a default by its issuer. The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may incorrectly analyze the risks inherent in corporate bonds, such as the issuer’s ability to meet interest and principal payments, resulting in a loss to the Funds.
Depositary Receipts
The Funds may invest in sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), which are receipts issued by an American bank or trust company evidencing ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. ADRs, in sponsored form, are designed for use in U.S. securities markets. A sponsoring company provides financial information to the bank and may subsidize administration of the ADR. Unsponsored ADRs may be created by a broker-dealer or depository bank without the participation of the foreign issuer. Holders of these ADRs generally bear all the costs of the ADR facility, whereas foreign issuers typically bear certain costs in a sponsored ADR. The bank or trust company depositary of an unsponsored ADR may be under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the foreign issuer or to pass through voting rights. Unsponsored ADRs may
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carry more risk than sponsored ADRs because of the absence of financial information provided by the underlying company. Many of the risks described below regarding foreign securities apply to investments in ADRs.
Emerging Markets Securities
The Funds may purchase exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and other closed end funds that invest in emerging market securities. Investing in emerging market securities imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries. These risks include (i) the smaller market capitalization of securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity, (ii) significant price volatility, (iii) restrictions on foreign investment, and (iv) possible repatriation of investment income and capital. In addition, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales, and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or the creation of government monopolies. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur subsequent to investments in these currencies by the Funds. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries.
Additional risks of emerging markets securities may include (i) greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, (ii) more substantial governmental involvement in the economy, (iii) less governmental supervision and regulation, (iv) the unavailability of currency hedging techniques, (v) companies that are newly organized and small, (vi) differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, and (vii) less developed legal systems. In addition, emerging securities markets may have different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions. Settlement problems may cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities, hold a portion of its assets in cash pending investment, or be delayed in disposing of a portfolio security. Such a delay could result in possible liability to a purchaser of the security.
Fixed Income Securities
Fixed income securities include bonds and securities offered on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis. Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Funds could lose money if an issuer of a fixed income security cannot meet its financial obligations or goes bankrupt. Interest rate risk is the risk that the Funds’ investments in fixed income securities may fall when interest rates rise.
Investments in high-yield bonds (aka junk bonds) are considered to be more speculative than higher quality fixed income securities. They are more susceptible to credit risk than investment-grade securities, especially during periods of economic uncertainty or economic downturns. The value of lower quality securities are subject to greater volatility and are generally more dependent on the ability of the issuer to meet interest and principal payments than higher quality securities. Issuers of high-yield securities may not be as strong financially as those issuing bonds with higher credit ratings.
Foreign Securities
The Funds may gain exposure to foreign securities both directly and indirectly through underlying investment companies that invest in foreign securities or by trading in domestic markets through an ADR. Purchases of foreign equity securities entail certain risks. For example, there may be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about a U.S. company, and foreign companies generally are not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the U.S. Other risks associated with investments in foreign securities include changes in restrictions on
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foreign currency transactions and rates of exchange, changes in the administrations or economic and monetary policies of foreign governments, the imposition of exchange control regulations, the possibility of expropriation decrees and other adverse foreign governmental action, the imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, delays in settlement of securities transactions and greater price volatility. In addition, investing in foreign securities will generally result in higher commissions than investing in similar domestic securities.
High Yield Securities
The Funds may invest in high yield securities as a non-principal investment strategy. High yield, high risk bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BBB- or lower by S&P and Baa3 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.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities
The Funds may invest 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 of 1933, as amended (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. The Funds may gain exposure to foreign securities through its investment in ADRs. Certain ADRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be considered to be illiquid.
Restricted and other illiquid securities may be subject to the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. The Funds 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 Funds 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 National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
Under guidelines adopted by the Board, the Funds’ Adviser and/or Sub-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 and/or Sub-Advisers will consider, as it deems appropriate under the circumstances and among other factors: (i) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (ii) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; (iii) the number of other potential purchasers of the security; (iv) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; (v) the nature of the security (e.g.,
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debt or equity, date of maturity, terms of dividend or interest payments, and other material terms) and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer); and (vi) the rating of the security and the financial condition and prospects of the issuer. In the case of commercial paper, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers will also determine that the paper (i) is not traded flat or in default as to principal and interest, and (ii) is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least two NRSRO 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 Funds’ assets invested in illiquid securities if institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase such securities.
Indexed Securities
The Funds may purchase indexed securities consistent with their investment objectives. Indexed securities are those, the value of which varies positively or negatively in relation to the value of other securities, securities indices or other financial indicators. Indexed securities may be debt securities or deposits whose value at maturity or coupon rate is determined by reference to a specific instrument or statistic. Recent issuers of indexed securities have included banks, corporations and certain U.S. Government agencies.
The performance of indexed securities depends to a great extent on the performance of the security or other instrument to which they are indexed and also may be influenced by interest rate changes in the United States and abroad. Indexed securities are subject to the credit risks associated with the issuer of the security, and their values may decline substantially if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates. Indexed securities may be more volatile than the underlying instruments. Certain indexed securities that are not traded on an established market may be deemed illiquid.
Insured Bank Obligations
The Funds 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 Funds may purchase bank obligations which 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.
Investment Company Securities
The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the Funds’ investment objectives. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, the Funds become a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, the Funds’ shareholders indirectly will bear the Funds’ proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses the Funds’ shareholders directly bear in connection with the Funds’ own operations.
Under Section 12(d)(1) of the of the 1940 Act, the Funds may invest only up to 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company (ETF or other mutual funds), but may not own more than
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3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company (the “3% Limitation”) or invest more than 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies. However, Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the of 1940 Act, as amended provides that the provisions of paragraph 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the Funds if (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding stock of such registered investment company is owned by the Funds and all affiliated persons of the Funds; and (ii) the Funds have not offered or sold after January 1, 1971, and is not proposing to offer or sell any security issued by it through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price which includes a sales load of more than 1 ½% percent. An investment company that issues shares to the Funds pursuant to paragraph 12(d)(1)(F) shall not be required to redeem its shares in an amount exceeding 1% of such investment company’s total outstanding shares in any period of less than thirty days. The Funds (or the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers acting on behalf of the Funds) must comply with the following voting restrictions: when the Funds exercise voting rights, by proxy or otherwise, with respect to investment companies owned by the Funds, the Funds will either seek instruction from the Funds’ shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies and vote in accordance with such instructions, or vote the shares held by the Funds in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such security. Because other investment companies employ an investment adviser, such investments by the Funds may cause shareholders to bear duplicate fees.
In addition, the Funds are subject to the 3% Limitation unless (i) the ETF or the Funds have received an order for exemptive relief from the 3% limitation from the SEC that is applicable to the Funds; and (ii) the ETF and the Funds take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order.
ETFs are investment companies whose shares are bought and sold on a securities exchange. Most ETFs are passively-managed, meaning they invest in a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market segment or index. ETFs, like mutual funds, have expenses associated with their operation, including advisory fees. Such ETF expenses may make owning shares of the ETF more costly than owning the underlying securities directly. ETFs are managed by professionals and provide the investor with diversification, cost and tax efficiency, liquidity, marginability, are useful for hedging, can go long and short, and some provide quarterly dividends. Additionally, some ETFs are unit investment trusts, which are unmanaged portfolios overseen by trustees. ETFs generally have two markets. The primary market is where institutions swap “creation units” in block-multiples of 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 NAV is calculated. The risks of owning shares of a passively-managed ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities.
There is a risk that an ETF in which a Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events that may cause any of the service providers to the ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, to close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF. Also, because the ETFs in which a Fund intends to principally invest may be granted licenses by agreement to use the indices as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names, the ETFs may terminate if such license agreements are terminated. In addition, an ETF may terminate if its entire net asset value falls below a certain amount. Although a Fund believes that, in the event of the termination of an underlying ETF, it will be able to invest instead in shares of an alternate ETF tracking the same market index or another market index with the same general market, there is no guarantee that shares of an alternate ETF would be available for investment at that time. To the extent a Fund invests in a sector product, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with that sector.
The Funds may invest in ETFs and other investment companies that invest directly in equity and fixed-income securities, commodities, options, and other asset classes. By investing in ETFs and other investment companies, the Fund’s will be exposed to the risks associated with these other asset classes. Leveraged ETFs contain all the risks that non-leveraged ETFs present. Additionally, to the extent the Fund invests in ETFs that achieve leveraged exposure to their underlying indexes using derivative instruments, the Fund will indirectly be subject
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to leverage risk, described below. Leveraged inverse ETFs seek to provide investment results that match a negative multiple of the performance of an underlying index. To the extent that a Fund invests in inverse ETFs (including leveraged inverse ETFs), the Fund will indirectly be subject to the risk that the performance of such ETF will fall as the performance of that ETF's benchmark rises. Leveraged, inverse and leveraged inverse ETFs often "reset" daily, meaning that they are designed to achieve their stated objectives daily. Because of compounding, their performance over longer periods of time can differ significantly from the performance (or inverse of the performance) of their underlying index or benchmark during the same period of time. These investment vehicles may be extremely volatile and can potentially expose an Underlying SEI Fund to complete loss of its investment.
Exchange-Traded Products (“ETPs”)
The Funds may directly purchase shares of or interests in ETPs. The risks of owning interests of an ETP, such as an ETF, exchange-traded note (“ETN”), or exchange-traded commodity pool, generally reflect the same risks as owning the underlying securities or other instruments that the ETP is designed to track. The shares of certain ETPs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the NAV of an ETP's shares). For example, supply and demand for shares of an ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the ETF to deviate from the value of the ETF's investments, which may be emphasized in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may also differ from the value of its reference market or instrument due to changes in the issuer's credit rating. By investing in an ETP, an Underlying SEI Fund indirectly bears the proportionate share of any fees and expenses of the ETP in addition to the fees and expenses that the Underlying SEI Fund and its shareholders directly bear in connection with the Underlying SEI Fund's operations. Because certain ETPs may have a significant portion of their assets exposed directly or indirectly to commodities or commodity-linked securities, developments affecting commodities may have a disproportionate impact on such ETPs and may subject the ETPs to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.
Generally, ETNs are structured as senior, unsecured notes in which an issuer, such as a bank, agrees to pay a return based on a target index or other reference instrument less any fees. ETNs allow individual investors to have access to derivatives linked to commodities and other assets such as oil, currencies and foreign stock indexes. ETNs combine certain aspects of bonds and ETFs. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are traded on a major exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold an ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to principal amount, subject to the day's index factor. ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index minus applicable fees. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying commodities markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer's credit rating, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced commodity. The value of an ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating, even if the underlying index remains unchanged. Investments in ETNs are subject to the risks facing income securities in general, including the risk that a counterparty will fail to make payments when due or default.
Preferred Stock
Preferred stocks are securities that have characteristics of both common stocks and corporate bonds. Preferred stocks may receive dividends but payment is not guaranteed as with a bond. These securities may be undervalued because of a lack of analyst coverage resulting in a high dividend yield or yield to maturity. The risks of preferred stocks are a lack of voting rights and the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may incorrectly analyze the security, resulting in a loss to the Funds. Furthermore, preferred stock dividends are not guaranteed and management can elect to forego the preferred dividend, resulting in a loss to the Funds.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interest. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a
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combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. The real property and mortgages serving as investment vehicles for REITs may be either residential or commercial in nature and may include healthcare facilities. Similar to investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Code. Such tax requirements limit a REIT’s ability to respond to changes in the commercial real estate market.
Investments in REITs are subject to the same risks as direct investments in real estate. Real estate values rise and fall in response to many factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, the demand for rental property, and interest rates. In addition, REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be more volatile than other securities.
Repurchase Agreements
The Funds may invest in fully collateralized repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a short term investment in which the purchaser (i.e., the Funds) acquires ownership of a security and the seller agrees to repurchase the obligation at a future time at a set price, thereby determining the yield during the purchaser’s holding period (usually not more than 7 days from the date of purchase). Any repurchase
transaction in which the Funds engage will require full collateralization of the seller’s obligation during the entire term of the repurchase agreement. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of the seller, the Funds could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying security and losses in value. However, the Funds intend to enter into repurchase agreements only with its custodian, other banks with assets of $1 billion or more and registered securities dealers determined by the Adviser to be creditworthy. The Adviser monitors the creditworthiness of the banks and securities dealers with which the Funds engage in repurchase transactions. The Funds may not enter into a repurchase agreement with a term of more than seven days if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of its net assets would then be invested in such repurchase agreements and other illiquid investments. To the extent the Funds enter into a repurchase agreements, the Adviser is the only authorized party to enter into such agreements.
Reverse Repurchase Transactions
The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase transactions. In a reverse repurchase transaction, the Funds concurrently agrees to sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker- dealers, and to repurchase the same securities at a later date at a mutually agreed upon price. The repurchase price generally is equal to the original sales price plus interest. The Funds retain record ownership of the securities and the right to receive interest and principal payments. The Funds will enter into a reverse repurchase transaction in order to obtain funds to pursue additional investment opportunities with a return in excess of the cost of the reverse repurchase transaction. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of Funds assets and may be viewed as a form of leverage. Reverse purchase transactions also involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Funds may decline below the price at which the Funds are obligated to repurchase the securities. In the event of bankruptcy or other default by the purchaser, the Funds could experience both delays in repurchasing the portfolio securities and losses. The Funds will enter into reverse purchase transactions only with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by the Adviser.
Reverse purchase transactions are considered by the SEC to be borrowings by the Funds under the 1940 Act. At the time the Funds enter into a reverse purchase transaction, it will direct its custodian to place in a segregated account assets (such as cash or liquid securities consistent with the Funds’ investment restrictions) having a value equal to the repurchase price (including accrued interest). The Funds will monitor the account to ensure that the market value of the account equals the amount of the Funds’ commitments to repurchase securities. To the extent the Funds enter into a reverse repurchase transactions,
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the Adviser is the only authorized party to enter into such agreements.
Rights
Rights are usually granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued to the public. The right entitles its holder to buy common stock at a specified price. Rights have similar features to warrants, except that the life of a right is typically much shorter, usually a few weeks. The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers believe rights may become underpriced if they are sold without regard to value and if analysts do not include them in their research. The risk in investing in rights is that the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser might miscalculate their value resulting in a loss to the Funds. Another risk is the underlying common stock may not reach the Adviser’s and/or Sub- Advisers’ anticipated price within the life of the right.
Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities
The Federal Reserve creates STRIPS (Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities) by separating the coupon payments and the principal payment from an outstanding Treasury security and selling them as individual securities. To the extent the Funds purchase the principal portion
of the STRIP, the Funds will not receive regular interest payments. Instead they are sold at a deep discount from their face value. The Funds will accrue income on such STRIPS for tax and accounting purposes, in accordance with applicable law, which income is distributable to shareholders. Because no cash is received at the time such income is accrued, the Funds may be required to liquidate other securities to satisfy its distribution obligations. Because the principal portion of the STRIP does not pay current income, its price can be very volatile when interest rates change. In calculating its dividend, the Funds take into account as income a portion of the difference between the principal portion of the STRIP’s purchase price and its face value.
U.S. Government Securities
The Funds may invest in U.S. government securities. These securities may be backed by the credit of the government as a whole or only by the issuing agency. U.S. Treasury bonds, notes, and bills and some agency securities, such as those issued by the Federal Housing Administration and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government as to payment of principal and interest and are the highest quality government securities. Other securities issued by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, such as securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Banks and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), are supported only by the credit of the agency that issued them, and not by the U.S. government. Securities issued by the Federal Farm Credit System, the Federal Land Banks, and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) are supported by the agency’s right to borrow money from the U.S. Treasury under certain circumstances, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
The Funds’ investments in U.S. Government securities may include agency step-up obligations. These obligations are structured with a coupon rate that “steps-up” periodically over the life of the obligation. Step-up obligations typically contain a call option, permitting the issuer to buy back the obligation upon exercise of the option. Step-up obligations are designed for investors who are unwilling to invest in a long-term security in a low interest rate environment. Step-up obligations are used in an attempt to reduce the risk of a price decline should interest rates rise significantly at any time during the life of the obligation. However, step-up obligations also carry the risk that market interest rates may be significantly below the new, stepped-up coupon rate. If this occurs, the issuer of the obligation likely will exercise the call option, leaving investors with cash to reinvest. As a result, these obligations may expose the Funds to the risk that proceeds from a called security may be reinvested in another security paying a lower rate of interest.
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Warrants
Warrants are securities that are usually issued with a bond or preferred stock but may trade separately in the market. A warrant allows its holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock at a specified price for a specified time. The risk in investing in warrants is the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers might miscalculate their value, resulting in a loss to the Funds. Another risk is the warrants will not realize their value because the underlying common stock does reach the Adviser’s and/or Sub-Advisers’ anticipated price within the life of the warrant.
Investment Restrictions
Fundamental Investment Limitations. The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Funds and are fundamental (“Fundamental Restrictions”), meaning they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Funds. As used in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, the term “majority” of the outstanding shares of the Funds mean the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Funds present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Funds are present or represented at such meeting; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Funds. Other investment practices, which may be changed by the Board without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation, or regulatory policy, are considered non-fundamental (“Non-Fundamental”). When implementing the Funds’ investment goals and strategies, each Fund will look through its investments in underlying investment companies. Except as discussed below, the Funds will consider the concentration of underlying investment companies when determining compliance with its own policy.
1. Borrowing Money. Each Fund may, subject to the restrictions of the 1940 Act, borrow money from banks as a temporary measure. For example, a Fund may borrow money to meet redemption requests or for extraordinary or emergency purposes. This limitation does not preclude the Funds from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that the Funds have the asset coverage required under the 1940 Act for all borrowings and repurchase commitments of the Funds. To the extent the Fund enters into borrowing agreements to include repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase transactions, the Adviser is the only authorized party to enter into such agreements.
2. Senior Securities. The Funds will not issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.
3. Underwriting. The Funds will not act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities (including restricted securities), a Fund may be deemed an underwriter under certain federal securities laws or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
4. Real Estate. The Funds will not directly purchase or sell 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 Funds 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. Commodities. The Funds will not purchase or sell commodities unless acquired because of ownership of securities or other investments. This limitation does not preclude the Funds from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts, from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies, which are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities.
6. | Loans. The Funds will not make loans to other persons, except: (i) by loaning portfolio securities; |
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(ii) by engaging in repurchase agreements; or (iii) by purchasing non-publicly offered debt securities. For purposes of this limitation, investment in U.S. Government obligations, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances, repurchase agreements and any other lending arrangement permitted by the 1940 Act, any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff shall not be deemed to be the making of a “loan”; nor shall the term “loans” include the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures or other securities.
7. Concentration. The Funds will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in a particular industry or group of industries. This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities, state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions (other than revenue bonds issued in connection with an identifiable industry; e.g., healthcare or education), or repurchase agreements with respect thereto, or investments in registered investment companies.
8. Diversification. The Funds will invest in the securities of any issuer only if, immediately after such investment, at least 75% of the value of the total assets of the Funds will be invested in cash and cash items (including receivables), government securities, securities of other investment companies, and other securities for the purposes of this calculation limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount (determined immediately after the latest acquisition of securities of the issuer) not greater in value than 5% of the value of the total assets of the Funds and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer.
With respect to the percentages adopted by the Trust as maximum limitations on its investment policies and limitations, an excess above the fixed percentage will not be a violation of the policy or limitation unless the excess results immediately and directly from the acquisition of any security or the action taken. This paragraph does not apply to the borrowing policy set forth in paragraph 1 above.
The 1940 Act limits the Funds’ ability to borrow money, prohibiting the Funds from issuing senior securities, except the Funds may borrow from any bank provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings by the Funds and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Funds shall, within three days thereafter or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to such an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, any investment company, whether organized as a trust, association or corporation, or a personal holding company, may be merged or consolidated with or acquired by the Trust, provided that if such merger, consolidation or acquisition results in an investment in the securities of any issuer prohibited by said paragraphs, the Trust shall, within ninety days after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or acquisition, dispose of all of the securities of such issuer so acquired or such portion thereof as shall bring the total investment therein within the limitations imposed by said paragraphs above as of the date of consummation.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
The Board supervises the business activities of the Trust and appoints the officers. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until the termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires, or is removed. The Board generally meets four times a year to review the progress and status of the Funds.
Board Leadership Structure
The Trust is led by Richard C. Curry, who has served as the Chairman of the Board since inception. The Board is comprised of Mr. Horter, who is an interested person, and three other Trustees, neither of whom is an interested person (“Independent Trustees”). The Independent Trustees have not selected a Lead Independent Trustee. Additionally, under certain 1940 Act governance guidelines that apply to the Trust, the Independent Trustees will meet in executive session, at least quarterly. Under the Trust’s Agreement
15 |
and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for presiding at board meetings, calling special meetings on an as-needed basis. Generally, the Trust believes it best to have a single leader who is seen by shareholders, business partners and other stakeholders as providing strong leadership. The Trust believes that its Chairman together with the standing committees and the full Board, provide effective leadership that is in the best interests of the Trust and the Funds’ shareholders because of the Board’s collective business acumen and understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate.
Board Risk Oversight
The Board is comprised of Mr. Horter and two Independent Trustees with a standing independent Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, each 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 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, and the Audit Committee’s communications with the independent registered public accounting firm. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the nomination of trustees, governance procedures, and trustee compensation.
Trustee Qualifications
Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills.
Drew K. Horter – Interested Trustee – Mr. Horter is the President and Founder of Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC and its affiliates, Tactical Fund Services, LLC and Horter Investment Management, LLC. Mr. Horter has extensive industry knowledge as an Investment Advisor Representative, and has previously held FINRA Securities licenses that include the Series 6, 7, 22, 24 and 63. With over 37 years of investment management experience, Mr. Horter has experienced many economic, political and financial cycles.
Matthew Brennan – Independent Trustee – Mr. Brennan has over 35 years of accounting, business strategy, and executive management experience. He started his accounting career at Deloitte & Touche before serving as a Vice president of a real estate development group. In 1996, Mr. Brennan founded his own excavating and paving company. In 2019, he founded his own full-service aircraft management company.
Richard Curry – Independent Trustee – Mr. Curry has over 20 years of experience in the securities industry, having previously served as a securities dealer at McDonald and Company, college professor of investments, and president and director of registered investment companies. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Investments at the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business and is a risk management advisor at Curry Moore & Associates.
Peter Baden – Independent Trustee – Mr. Baden has over 20 years in the financial services industry and nearly ten years as a systems analyst for private and municipal entities. Since 2005, Mr. Baden has served as the Chief Investment Officer for two registered investment advisers. At his current firm, Genoa Asset Management, he serves as the portfolio manager to the taxable total return strategy.
Each of the Independent Trustees possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework
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under which investment companies must operate. The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee’s qualifications, but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes the Board highly effective.
The following tables provide information about Board and the senior officers of the Trust. Information about each Trustee is provided below and includes each person’s: name, address, age (as of the date of the Funds’ most recent fiscal year end), present position(s) held with the Trust, principal occupations for the past five years. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each person listed below is c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, P.O. Box 46707, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707. Unless otherwise noted, each officer is elected annually by the Board.
The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act.
Name Address and Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held with the Fund |
Term of Office/Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex1 Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
Matthew Brennan
Birth Year: 1961 |
Trustee | Indefinite/ February 2021- present | Chief Executive Officer and Managing Member, Ohio Heavy Equipment Leasing, LLC, d/b/a Loveland Excavating and Paving, Inc. (1996 - present); Owner, SkyFly Aviation Services, LLC (2019 – present) | 6 | None |
Richard M. Curry
Birth Year: 1939 |
Trustee |
Indefinite/ February 2021 - present |
Independent Life and Health Insurance Adviser, Curry Moore & Associates (2014 – present); Adjunct Professor of Investments, The University of Cincinnati (2005 – present) | 6 | None |
Peter Baden
Birth Year: 1964 |
Trustee | Indefinite/ February 2021 – present | Chief Investment Officer, Genoa Asset Management (2020 – present); Chief Investment Officer, Ross Sinclaire Asset Management (2005 – 2020) | 6 | None |
1 The “Fund Complex” consists of the Tactical Investment Series Trust.
The following table provides information regarding each Trustee who is an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, and each officer of the Trust.
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Drew K. Horter2 Birth Year: 1955 |
Interested Trustee and President |
Indefinite/ January 2021 - present |
President, Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (2019 – present); President and Chief Investment Strategist, Horter Investment Management, LLC (1991 – present) | 6 | None |
Stephanie Shearer Birth Year: 1979 |
Secretary | Indefinite/ since February 2021 | Manager of Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2018); Senior Paralegal, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (from 2013 - 2018); Paralegal, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2010-2013). | N/A | N/A |
Brian Curley Birth Year: 1970_ |
Treasurer | Indefinite/ since March 2021 | Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC | N/A | N/A |
James Ash Birth Year: 1976 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Indefinite/ since February 2021 | Senior Compliance Officer, Northern Lights Compliance, LLC (since 2019); Senior Vice President, National Sales Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2017-2019); Senior Vice President and Director of Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2012 - 2017). | N/A | N/A |
John Peters Birth Year: 1962 |
Vice President | Indefinite/ since February 2021 | Executive Vice President, Horter Investment Management, LLC | N/A | N/A |
Jason Long Birth Year: 1972 |
Assistant Secretary | Indefinite/ since February 2021 | Chief Compliance Officer, Horter Investment Management, LLC | N/A | N/A |
Christine Palermo Birth Year: 1976 |
Assistant Treasurer | Indefinite/ since March 2021 | Manager – Fund Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC | N/A | N/A |
Jared Lahman Birth Year: 1986 |
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer | Indefinite/ since February 2021 | Compliance Analyst II, Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (2019 – present); Manager of Fund Accounting, Gemini Fund Services (2016 – 2019) | N/A | N/A |
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Eric Kane Birth Year: 1981 |
Assistant Secretary | Indefinite/ since February 2021 | Vice President and Managing Counsel, Ultimus Fund Solutions (2020 – present); Vice President and Counsel, Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services (2017 – 2020); Assistant Vice President and Staff Attorney, Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services (2013 – 2017) | N/A | N/A |
1 The “Fund Complex” consists of the Tactical Investment Series Trust.
2 Mr. Horter is considered an “Interested” Trustee as defined in the 1940 Act, because of his ownership interest in Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC.
As of December 31, 2020, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts in the Funds:
Name of Trustee | Name of Fund | Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund | Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Trust |
Independent Trustees | |||
Matthew Brennan | Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | None | None |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | None | ||
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | None | ||
TFA Quantitative Fund | None | ||
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | None | ||
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund | None | ||
Richard Curry | Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | None | None |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | None | ||
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | None | ||
TFA Quantitative Fund | None | ||
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | None | ||
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund | None | ||
Peter Baden | Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | None | None |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | None | ||
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | None | ||
TFA Quantitative Fund | None | ||
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | None | ||
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund | None | ||
Interested Trustee | |||
Drew K. Horter | Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | None | None |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | None | ||
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | None | ||
TFA Quantitative Fund | None | ||
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | None | ||
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund | None |
Compensation. Officers of the Trust and Trustees who are “interested persons” of the Trust or the adviser/sub-advisers will receive no salary or fees from the Trust. Officers of the Trust and interested Trustees do receive compensation directly from certain service providers to the Trust, including the Adviser and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC. Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” receives a fee of $500
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per quarterly meeting attended and additional compensation of up to $500 for each special meeting attended. The following table describes the compensation estimated to be paid to the Trustees for the Trust’s initial fiscal year.
Name |
Aggregate Compensation from the Funds | Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Fund Expenses | Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation from Trust |
Independent Trustees | ||||
Matthew Brennan | $2,000 | None | None | $2,000 |
Richard Curry | $2,000 | None | None | $2,000 |
Peter Baden | $2,000 | None | None | $2,000 |
Interested Trustee | ||||
Drew K. Horter | $0 | None | None | $0 |
CODE OF ETHICS
Pursuant to the requirements of rule 17j-1 under 1940 Act, and in order to protect against certain unlawful acts, practices and courses of business by certain individuals or entities related to the Funds, the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics and procedures for implementing the provisions of the Code. The personnel of the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers and the Distributor are subject to the code of ethics when investing in securities that may be purchased, sold or held by the Funds.
DISTRIBUTION PLAN
The Funds have adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (the “Plan”). The Plan permits the Funds to pay Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) for certain distribution and promotion expenses related to marketing Class A shares of the Funds. The amount payable annually by the Funds is 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares. The Plan is a compensation style plan which means the Funds accrue expenses and pay the Distributor based upon the percentage described above rather than on actual expenses incurred by the Distributor.
Under the Plan, the Trust may engage in any activities related to the distribution of Funds shares, including without limitation the following: (i) payments, including incentive compensation, to securities dealers or other financial intermediaries, financial institutions, investment advisers and others that are engaged in the sale of shares of the Funds, or that may be advising shareholders of the Trust regarding the purchase, sale or retention of shares of the Funds; (ii) expenses of maintaining personnel (including personnel of organizations with which the Trust has entered into agreements related to this Plan) who engage in or support distribution of shares of the Funds; (iii) costs of preparing, printing and distributing prospectuses and statements of additional information and reports of the Funds for recipients other than existing shareholders of the Funds; (iv) costs of formulating and implementing marketing and promotional activities, including, but not limited to, sales seminars, direct mail promotions and television, radio, newspaper, magazine and other mass media advertising; (v) costs of preparing, printing and distributing sales literature; (vi) costs of obtaining such information, analyses and reports with respect to marketing and promotional activities as the Trust may, from time to time, deem advisable; and (vii) costs of implementing and operating this Plan.
The Trustees expect that the Plan could significantly enhance the Funds’ ability to expand
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distribution of shares of the Funds. It is also anticipated that an increase in the size of the Funds will produce economies of scale that benefit the shareholders, facilitate more efficient portfolio management, and assist the Funds in seeking to achieve its investment objective.
The Plan has been approved by the Board, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or any related agreement, by a vote cast in person. Continuation of the Plan and the related agreements must be approved by the Trustees annually, in the same manner, and the Plan or any related agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty by a majority of such independent Trustees or by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Funds. Any amendment increasing the maximum percentage payable under the Plan or other material change must be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Funds, and all other material amendments to the Plan or any related agreement must be approved by a majority of the independent Trustees.
The following tables set forth the total compensation received by the Distributor (including its predecessor Arbor Court Capital, LLC) from the Funds and the Predecessor Funds. The TFA Quantitative Fund and TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund Class A Shares have not yet commenced operations. The TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund has not yet commenced operations.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Control Persons
Shareholders owning more than 25% of the shares of the Funds are considered to “control” the Fund as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Persons controlling the Funds can determine the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to the Funds’ fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser. As of the date of this SAI, because the Funds have not yet commenced operations, no person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of a Fund. As of April 1, 2021, the following shareholders owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the Predecessor Funds:
Conservative Allocation Fund - Class A Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
Ameritrade
|
95.99% |
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Conservative Allocation Fund – Class I Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
E*Trade Savings Bank PO Box 6503 Englewood, CO 80155
|
5.48% |
Ameritrade Inc. Omaha, NE 68103 |
89.41% |
Moderate Allocation Fund - Class A Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
Horter Investment Management 11726 Seven Gables Road Cincinnati, OH 45249
|
100.00% |
Moderate Allocation Fund – Class I Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
E*Trade Savings Bank PO Box 6503 Englewood, CO 80155
|
9.25% |
Ameritrade Inc. Omaha, NE 68103 |
88.43% |
Growth Allocation Fund - Class A Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
Horter Investment Management 11726 Seven Gables Road Cincinnati, OH 45249
|
18.96% |
Ameritrade Inc. Omaha, NE 68103 |
81.04% |
Growth Allocation Fund – Class I Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
Ameritrade Inc. Omaha, NE 68103 |
94.93% |
Quantitative Fund – Class I Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
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Ameritrade Inc. Omaha, NE 68103
|
92.66% |
E*Trade Savings Bank PO Box 6503 Englewood CO 80155 |
7.14% |
Multidimensional Tactical Fund – Class I Shares
Name and Address of Principal Holder |
Percentage Owned of Record |
Ameritrade Inc. Omaha, NE 68103
|
91.74% |
E*Trade Savings Bank PO Box 6503 Englewood CO 80155 |
7.96% |
Management Ownership
As of December 31, 2020, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned less than 1.00% of the Predecessor Funds’ outstanding shares.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
Investment Adviser
Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC, located at 11726 Seven Gables Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249, is the adviser to the Funds. Under the terms of the management agreement (the “Agreement”), the Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, provides or arranges to be provided to the Funds such investment advice as it deems advisable and will furnish or arrange to be furnished a continuous investment program for the Funds consistent with the Funds’ investment objective and policies. As compensation for its management services, the Funds are obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 1.30% of the average daily net assets of the Funds. Each Predecessor Fund paid the following advisory fees to the Adviser pursuant to the prior investment advisory agreement, of which the Adviser waived or recouped the amounts set forth in the table below:
Advisory Fee | Recoupment (Waiver) | Expense Reimbursement | Advisory Fee After Waiver | |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | ||||
December 31, 2019 | $237,160 | $(4,147) | $0 | $233,013 |
December 31, 2020 | $451,673 | $(90,908) | $0 | $360,765 |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | ||||
December 31, 2019 | $537,547 | $(12,615) | $0 | $524,932 |
December 31, 2020 | $581,548 | $(107,059) | $0 | $474,489 |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | ||||
December 31, 2019 | $380,000 | $(23,870) | $0 | $356,130 |
December 31, 2020 | $632,141 | $(65,684) | $0 | $566,457 |
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TFA Quantitative Fund | ||||
December 31, 2020 | $288,083 | $0 | $0 | $288,083 |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | ||||
December 31, 2020 | $343,679 | $0 | $0 | $343,679 |
The Agreement continues for an initial term of two years and is renewed on a year-to-year basis thereafter, provided that continuance is approved at least annually by specific approval of the Board or by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds. In either event, it must also be approved by a majority of the Trustees who are neither parties to the agreement nor interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds on not more than 60 days written notice to the Adviser. In the event of its assignment, the Agreement will terminate automatically.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and to reimburse expenses, at least through April 30, 2023 to ensure that total annual Funds operating expenses after fee waiver and reimbursement (exclusive of any acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expenses, dividend expenses on short sales, taxes, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed the percentages, shown in the table below, of average daily net assets (the “Expense Limitation Agreement”). These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years of the date on which the waiver or reimbursement occurs, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits and the expense limits in place at the time of recoupment. The Expense Limitation Agreement may be terminated only by the Funds’ Board, on 60 days written notice to the Adviser.
Fund | Expense Limitation |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund |
Class A 2.14%
Class I 1.89% |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund |
Class A 2.14%
Class I 1.89% |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund |
Class A 2.14%
Class I 1.89% |
TFA Quantitative Fund |
Class A 2.14%
Class I 1.89% |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical |
Class A 2.14%
Class I 1.89% |
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund |
Class A 2.14%
Class I 1.89% |
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A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Agreement will be available in the Funds’ semi-annual report dated June 30, 2021.
As of December 31, 2020, the Portfolio Managers were responsible for the management of the following types of accounts in addition to the Funds:
Portfolio Manager |
Account Type |
Performance-Based Fees |
Non-Performance-Based Fees |
||
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets |
||
Drew K. Horter (All Funds) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 111 | $10,311,865 | |
Garrett Waters (Allocation Funds) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 7 | $400,515,575 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 43 | $31,061,294 | |
Eric Leake (Allocation Funds) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 7 | $400,515,575 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 43 | $31,061,294 | |
Joseph Halpern (Allocation Funds) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 4 | $107,000,000 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Matthew Tuttle (Allocation Funds) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 7 | $171,000,000 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 1 | $3,000,000 | |
Joe Maas (Allocation Funds) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 25 | $20,000,000 | 0 | $0 | |
David Moenning (Allocation Funds and TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 2 | $200,611,400 | |
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Jeff Pietsch (Allocation Funds and TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 120 | $51,026,000 | |
Richard M. Paul (TFA Quantitative Fund) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 59 | $22,232,000 | |
Meghan S. Paul (TFA Quantitative Fund) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 59 | $22,232,000 | |
Theodore Doremus (TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund) | Registered Investment Company | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 1 | $11,820,000 | 1 | $2,255,000 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 75 | $141,168,000 | |
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 Funds, or it could receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. The procedures to address conflicts of interest, if any, are described below.
The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers attempt to avoid conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of the management of multiple client accounts. From time to time, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may recommend or cause a client to invest in a security in which another client of the Adviser and/or Sub- Advisers have an ownership position. The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers have each adopted certain procedures intended to treat all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. To the extent that the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers seek to purchase or sell the same security for multiple client accounts, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may aggregate, or bunch, these orders where it deems this to be appropriate and consistent with applicable regulatory requirements. When a bunched order is filled in its entirety, each participating client account will participate at the average share prices for the bunched order. When a bunched order is only partially filled, the securities purchased will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to each account participating in the bunched order based upon the initial amount requested for the account, subject to certain exceptions. Each participating account will receive the average share price for the bunched order on the same business day.
For services as a Portfolio Manager to the Funds, Mr. Horter receives a share of the Adviser’s profits, if any. For services as a Portfolio Manager to the Funds, each other Portfolio Manager receives a share of the respective Sub-Advisers’ profits, if any.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the portfolio managers in the Predecessor Funds as of the December 31, 2020.
Name of Portfolio Manager | Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds |
26 |
Mr. Horter |
· Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund - $10,001 - $50,000 · Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund - $10,001 - $50,000 · Tactical Growth Allocation Fund - $500,001 - $1,000,000 · TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund – Over $1,000,000 · TFA Quantitative Fund – Over $1,000,000 |
Mr. Leake | None |
Mr. Waters | None |
Mr. Halpern | None |
Mr. Tuttle | None |
Mr. Maas | None |
Mr. Moenning | None |
Mr. Pietsch | None |
Mr. Paul | None |
Ms. Paul | None |
Mr. Doremus | None |
Sub-Advisers and Sub-Advisory Agreements
The Adviser has engaged the Sub-Advisers to serve as investment sub-advisers to the Funds pursuant to Investment Sub-Advisory Agreements (collective, the “Sub-Advisory Agreements”). The Sub-Advisers are responsible for selecting the Funds’ investments according to each Funds’ investment objectives, policies, and restrictions.
The Sub-Advisory Agreements continue in effect for two years initially and then yearly, provided it is renewed at least annually by a vote of the majority of the Trustees, who are not parties to the agreement or interested persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreements may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Adviser or the respective Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act).
The Sub-Advisory Agreements provide that each Sub-Adviser will formulate and implement a continuous investment program for their respective Fund, in accordance with that Fund’s objectives, policies, and limitations and any investments guidelines established by the Adviser. The Sub-Advisers will, subject to the supervision and control of the Adviser, determine in its discretion which issuers and securities will be purchased, held, sold, or exchanged by each Fund, and will place orders with and give instruction to brokers and dealers to cause the execution of such transactions. The Sub-Advisers are required to furnish, at its own expense, all investment facilities necessary to perform its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreements. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreements between the Adviser and Sub-Advisers, the Sub- Advisers are entitled to receive an annual Sub-Advisory fee, which paid by the Adviser, not the Funds.
Custodian
U.S. Bank, 425 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, serves as the Funds’ custodian (“Custodian”). The Custodian acts as the Funds’ depository, provides safekeeping of its portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect thereto, disburses funds at the Funds’ request and
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maintains records in connection with its duties.
Fund Administrator
Tactical Fund Services, LLC (“TFS”), 11726 Seven Gables Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249, serves as the Funds’ administrator. TFS receives an annual fee from the Trust of 0.10% of each Fund’s average daily net assets. Before the Reorganization, Collaborative Fund Services, LLC (“CFS”) served as the Funds’ administrator and provided compliance services to the Funds.
The Predecessor Funds paid the following administrative services fees to CFS, and CFS voluntarily waived the following amounts, for the following fiscal periods:
Administrative Services Fee |
Voluntary (Waiver) |
Total Administrative Services Fee | |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund* | |||
December 31, 2019 | $41,517 | $(16,544) | $24,973 |
December 31, 2020 | $121,495 | $(52,008) | $69,487 |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund* | |||
December 31, 2019 | $129,753 | $(14,775) | $114,978 |
December 31, 2020 | $156,216 | $(66,747) | $89,469 |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund* | |||
December 31, 2019 | $91,443 | $(10,179) | $81,264 |
December 31, 2020 | $170,129 | $(72,876) | $97,253 |
TFA Quantitative Fund** | |||
December 31, 2020 | $78,864 | $(34,000) | $44,864 |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund** | |||
December 31, 2020 | $93,471 | $(40,000) | $53,471 |
* The Funds commenced operations on June 10, 2019.
** The Funds commenced operations on May 18, 2020.
Sub-Fund Administrator, Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent
TFS has entered into an agreement with Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (“Ultimus”), located at 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246, for sub-fund administration services. Ultimus also serves as the Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent for the Funds pursuant to an agreement with the Trust, on behalf of the Funds. As Transfer Agent, Ultimus maintains the records of the shareholder’s account, answers shareholders’ inquiries concerning their accounts, processes purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares, acts as dividend and distribution disbursing agent and performs other transfer agent and shareholder service functions. Before the Reorganization, Mutual Shareholder Services, LLC (“MSS”) provided the Funds with fund accounting services and served as the Funds’ transfer agent.
The Predecessor Funds paid the following fund accounting and transfer agent fees to MSS for the following fiscal periods ended:
December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund* | $46,389 | $24,629 |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund* | $47,804 | $30,368 |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund* | $47,317 | $27,499 |
TFA Quantitative Fund** | $27,557 | N/A |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund** | $26,647 | N/A |
* The Funds commenced operations on June 10, 2019.
** The Funds commenced operations on May 18, 2020.
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The firm of BBD, LLP, located at 1835 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, has been selected as independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. BBD, LLP will perform an annual audit of the Funds’ financial statements and provides financial, tax and accounting services as requested.
Legal Counsel
Strauss Troy Co., LPA, 150 E. 4th Street, 4th Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 serves as the Trust’s legal counsel.
Distributor
The Trust selected Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, located at 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 as the Funds distributor. The Distributor serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Funds pursuant to underwriting agreement with the Trust (the “Underwriting Agreement”). The Distributor is registered as broker-dealer under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and each state’s securities laws and is a member of FINRA. The offering of the Funds’ shares are continuous. The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Distributor, as agent in connection with the distribution of the Funds’ shares, will use reasonable efforts to facilitate the sale of the Funds’ shares.
The Underwriting Agreement provides that, unless sooner terminated, it will continue in effect for two years initially and thereafter shall continue year to year, subject to annual approval by (a) the Board or a vote of the majority of the outstanding shares, and (b) by a majority of 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 Board at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the entire Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Funds on 60 days’ written notice to the Distributor, or by the Distributor at any time, without any payment of any penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Funds’. The Underwriting Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Subject to policies established by the Board, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers, subject to the oversight of the Board, are responsible for the Funds’ portfolio decisions and the placing of the Funds’ portfolio transactions. In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers seek the best qualitative execution for the Funds, considering such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility and responsiveness of the broker or dealer and the brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers generally seek favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received.
The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers are specifically authorized to select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage and research services to the Funds and/or the other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion, and to pay such brokers or dealers a commission in excess of the commission another broker or dealer would charge if the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. The determination may be viewed in terms of a particular transaction or the Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Trust and to other accounts over which it exercises investment discretion.
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The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may not consider sales of shares of the Trust as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions. However, the Adviser and/or Sub- Advisers may place portfolio transactions with brokers or dealers that promote or sell the Funds’ shares so long as such placements are made pursuant to policies approved by the Board that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of the broker’s execution and not on its sales efforts.
Research services include supplemental research, securities and economic analyses, statistical services and information with respect to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities, and analyses of reports concerning performance of accounts. The research services and other information furnished by brokers through whom the Funds effect securities transactions may also be used by the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers in servicing all its accounts. Similarly, research and information provided by brokers or dealers serving other clients may be useful to the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers in connection with its services to the Funds. Although research services and other information are useful to the Funds and the Adviser, it is not possible to place a dollar value on the research and other information received. It is the opinion of the Board and the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers that the review and study of the research and other information will not reduce the overall cost to the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers of performing its duties to the Funds under the Agreement.
Over-the-counter transactions will be placed either directly with principal market makers or with broker-dealers, if the same or a better price, including commissions and executions, is available. Fixed income securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer, an underwriter, or a market maker. Purchases include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and the purchase price paid to a market maker may include the spread between the bid and asked prices.
When the Funds and the Adviser’s and/or Sub-Advisers’ clients seek to purchase or sell the same security at or about the same time, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may execute the transaction on a combined (“blocked”) basis. Blocked transactions can produce better execution for the Funds because of the increased volume of the transaction. If the entire blocked order is not filled, the Funds may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires or it may have to pay a higher price for the security. Similarly, the Funds may not be able to obtain as large an execution of an order to sell or as high a price for any particular portfolio security if the other client desires to sell the same portfolio security at the same time. In the event that the entire blocked order is not filled, the purchase or sale will normally be allocated on a pro rata basis. The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may adjust the allocation when, considering such factors as the size of the individual orders and transaction costs, the Adviser and/or Sub- Advisers believes an adjustment is reasonable. For the fiscal period ended December 31, 2019, the Allocation Funds paid $239,565 in brokerage commissions. For the fiscal period ended December 31, 2020, the Funds paid the following brokerage commissions.
2020 | |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund* | $109,717.94 |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund* | $136,055.25 |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund* | $164,256.74 |
TFA Quantitative Fund** | $-- |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund** | $67,010.63 |
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund*** | N/A |
* The Funds commenced operations on June 10, 2019.
** The Funds commenced operations on May 18, 2020.
*** As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not yet commenced operations.
Portfolio Turnover
The portfolio turnover rates for the Funds are calculated by dividing the lesser of the Funds’ purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the year by the monthly average value of the portfolio securities.
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The calculation excludes all securities whose remaining maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less. The portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may also be affected by cash requirements for redemptions of shares. High portfolio turnover rates will generally result in higher transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, to the Funds and may result in additional tax consequences to the Funds’ Shareholders. The Funds’ are not restricted by policy with regard to portfolio turnover and will make changes in its investment portfolio from time to time as business and economic conditions as well as market prices dictate. For the prior two fiscal years, the Funds’ had portfolio turnover rates as follows:
December 31, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund* | 1316.84% | 674.08% |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund* | 1308.86% | 911.79% |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund* | 1548.86% | 929.77% |
TFA Quantitative Fund** | 963.53% | N/A |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund** | 934.35% | N/A |
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund*** | N/A | N/A |
* The Predecessor Funds commenced operations on June 10, 2019.
** The Predecessor Funds commenced operations on May 18, 2020.
*** As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not yet commenced operations.
For the Allocation Funds, the increase in portfolio turnover was primarily due to the active strategy employed by Tuttle Capital Management. In the future, the Adviser does not expect the turnover ratio to remain at the 2020 elevated levels.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Funds are required to include a schedule of portfolio holdings in its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, which is sent to shareholders within 60 days of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters and which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ( the “SEC”) on Form N- CSR within 70 days of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters. The Funds also are required to file a schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-PORT within 60 days of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters. The Funds must provide a copy of the complete schedule of portfolio holdings as filed with the SEC to any shareholder of the Funds, upon request, free of charge. This policy is applied uniformly to all shareholders of the Funds without regard to the type of requesting shareholder (i.e., regardless of whether the shareholder is an individual or institutional investor). The Funds may enter into ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings to rating agencies, such as Morningstar or Lipper, in order for the agencies to assign a rating or ranking to the Funds. Portfolio holdings will be supplied to rating agencies no more frequently than quarterly and only after the Funds have filed a Form N-CSR or Form N-PORT with the SEC. The Funds currently do not have any ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings information to rating agencies.
Pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the Board, the Funds have ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings information daily to the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, Transfer Agent, the Funds Accounting Agent and Custodian and on an as needed basis to other third parties providing services to the Funds. The Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, Transfer Agent, Funds’ Accounting Agent and Custodian receive portfolio holdings information daily in order to carry out the essential operations of the Fund. The Funds disclose portfolio holdings to its auditors, legal counsel, proxy voting services (if applicable), pricing services, printers, parties to merger and reorganization agreements and their agents, and prospective or newly hired investment advisers or sub-advisers. The lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed will vary based on the identity of the party to whom the information is disclosed. For instance, the information may be provided to auditors within days of the end of an annual period, while the information may be given to legal counsel at any time.
Monthly, the Funds make publicly available an updated list of the Funds’ top ten holdings, sector weightings and other Funds’ characteristics. This information is made available on the Funds’ website. The
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same information may also be included in printed marketing materials. The information is updated monthly and is usually available within 5 days of the month end. The Funds’ Form N-CSR and Form N-PORT will contain the Funds’ entire list of portfolio holdings as of the applicable quarter end.
The Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, the Transfer Agent, the Fund Accountant, and the Custodian are prohibited from entering into any special or ad hoc arrangements with any person to make available information about the Funds’ portfolio holdings without the specific approval of the Board. Any party wishing to release portfolio holdings information on an ad hoc or special basis must submit any proposed arrangement to the Board, which will review the arrangement to determine (i) whether the arrangement is in the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders, (ii) the information will be kept confidential (based on the factors discussed below), (iii) whether sufficient protections are in place to guard against personal trading based on the information, and (iv) whether the disclosure presents a conflict of interest between the interests of Funds’ shareholders and those of the Adviser and/or the Sub-Advisers, or any affiliated person of the Funds or the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers. Additionally, the Adviser and/or the Sub-Advisers, and any affiliated persons of the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration, for themselves or on behalf of the Funds, because of disclosing the Funds’ portfolio holdings.
Information disclosed to third parties, whether on an ongoing or ad hoc basis, is disclosed under conditions of confidentiality. “Conditions of confidentiality” include (i) confidentiality clauses in written agreements, (ii) confidentiality implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g., attorney-client relationship), (iii) confidentiality required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody relationships) or (iv) understandings or expectations between the parties that the information will be kept confidential. The agreements with the Funds’ Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, Transfer Agent, Funds’ Accounting Agent and Custodian contain confidentiality clauses, which the Board and these parties have determined extend to the disclosure of nonpublic information about the Fund’s portfolio holding and the duty not to trade on the non- public information. The Funds believe, based upon its size and history, that these are reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality of the Funds’ portfolio holdings and will provide sufficient protection against personal trading based on the information.
DETERMINATION OF SHARE PRICE
The Funds’ determine the price (net asset value) of their shares at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. For a description of the methods used to determine the net asset value, see “How to Buy Shares – Purchasing Shares” in the prospectus.
Equity securities generally are valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers, as applicable, believes such prices accurately reflect the fair market value of such securities. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange or on the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an equity security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers determine that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current market value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board.
Fixed income securities generally are valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers believe such prices accurately reflect the fair market value of such securities. A pricing service utilizes electronic data processing techniques based on yield spreads relating to securities with similar characteristics to determine prices for normal institutional-size trading units of debt securities without regard to sale or bid prices. If the
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Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers decide that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair market value of the securities, when prices are not readily available from a pricing service, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, securities are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. Short term investments in fixed income securities with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity, are valued by using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined will represent fair value.
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 and/or the Sub-Advisers. 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 and/or the Sub-Advisers, the prices or values available do not represent the fair value of the instrument. Factors which may cause the Adviser and/or the Sub-Advisers 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 Funds’ 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 and/or the Sub-Advisers 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 and/or Sub-Advisers are 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 each 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 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. |
As a general principle, the fair value of a security is the amount that the Funds 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
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Disclosures (“ASC 820”). In accordance with ASC 820, fair value is defined as the price that the Funds 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 Funds’ 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 Funds’ 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 the portfolio manager of each 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 (and/or the Sub-Advisers) 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’s Determination. The Board 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 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.
The Trust expects that the 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.
COMPLIANCE WITH PORTFOLIO HOLDING DISCLOSURE PROCEDURES
The Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer will report periodically report to the Board with respect to compliance with the Funds’ portfolio holdings disclosure procedures, and from time to time will provide the Board any updates to the portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures.
REDEMPTION IN-KIND
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The Funds do not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash. The Funds reserve the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders made by a shareholder during any 90-day period by making payment in whole or in part in portfolio securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount of such a request is large enough to affect operations (if the request is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Funds’ net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period) in order to protect the interests of remaining shareholders, or to accommodate a request by a particular shareholder. If an in-kind distribution is made, a shareholder may incur additional expenses, such as the payment of brokerage commissions, on the sale or other disposition of the securities received from the Funds.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
The Funds intend to qualify under Sub-Chapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. Under provisions of Sub-Chapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended, the Funds, by paying out substantially all its investment income and realized capital gains, intends to be relieved of federal income tax on the amounts distributed to shareholders. To qualify as a “regulated investment company” under Sub- Chapter M, at least 90% of the Funds’ income must be derived from dividends, interest and gains from securities transactions, and no more than 50% of the Funds’ total assets may be in two or more securities that exceed 5% of the total assets of the Funds at the time of each security’s purchase. Not qualifying under Sub-Chapter M of the Internal Revenue Code would cause the Funds to be considered a personal holding company subject to normal corporate income taxes. The Funds then would be liable for federal income tax on the capital gains and net investment income distributed to its shareholders, resulting in a second level of taxation that would substantially reduce net after-tax returns from the Funds. Any subsequent dividend distribution of the Funds’ earnings after taxes would still be taxable as received by shareholders.
Tax Distribution: The Funds’ distributions (capital gains and dividend income), whether received by shareholders in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Funds, may be subject to federal income tax payable by shareholders. All income realized by the Funds including short-term capital gains, will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income. Dividends from net income will be made annually or more frequently at the discretion of the Board. Dividends received shortly after purchase of Funds’ shares by an investor will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of his/her shares by the amount of such dividends or distributions. You should consult a tax adviser regarding the effect of federal, state, local, and foreign taxes on an investment in the Funds.
Federal Withholding: The Funds are required by federal law to withhold 31% of reportable payments (which may include dividends, capital gains, distributions, and redemptions) paid to shareholders who have not complied with IRS regulations. To avoid this withholding requirement, you must certify on a W-9 tax form supplied by the Funds that your Social Security or Taxpayer Identification Number provided are correct and that you are not currently subject to back-up withholding, or that you are exempt from back-up withholding.
Medicare Tax: An additional 3.8% Medicare tax generally will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from each Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of each Fund’s shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that any such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of federal, state, local and foreign tax law considering their particular situation. Should additional series, or funds, be created by the Trustees, the Funds would be treated as a separate tax entity for federal tax purposes.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act: 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: (i) income dividends paid by each Fund and (ii) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from
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the sale of each Fund’s shares paid by each Fund. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (i) 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 (ii) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Funds may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Funds fails to provide the Funds with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
Tax Loss Carryforward: Under current tax law, net capital losses realized after October 31 and net ordinary losses incurred after December 31 may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first day of the following fiscal year. The Funds’ carryforward losses, post-October losses and post December losses are determined only at the end of each fiscal year. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, net capital losses recognized after December 31, 2010 may be carried forward indefinitely, and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term. Although the Act provides several benefits, including the unlimited carryover of future capital losses, there may be a greater likelihood that all or a portion of the Funds’ pre-enactment capital loss carryovers may expire without being utilized due to the fact that post-enactment capital losses get utilized before pre-enactment capital loss carryovers. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund had non-expiring short-term tax loss carryforwards of $321,758.
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.
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.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has delegated responsibilities for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Funds to the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers. A copy of the proxy voting policies of the Adviser and Sub-Advisers are attached hereto as Appendix A. The actual voting records relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll free, 833-974-3787. The information also will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Trust’s proxy voting policies and procedures are also available by calling 833-974-3787 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.
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Appendix A
Adviser Proxy Voting Policy Background
Proxy voting is an important right of shareholders and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to
ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised.
Investment advisers registered with the SEC, and which exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, are required by Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act to (a) adopt and implement written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that client securities are voted in the best interests of clients, which must include how an adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between an adviser’s interests and those of its clients; (b) to disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser with respect to the voting of proxies for their securities; (c) to describe to clients a summary of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) maintain certain records relating to the adviser’s proxy voting activities when the adviser does have proxy voting authority.
Policy
Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), as a matter of policy and as a fiduciary to our clients, has responsibility for voting proxies for portfolio securities consistent with the best economic interests of the clients. Our Firm maintains written policies and procedures as to the handling, research, voting and reporting of proxy voting and makes appropriate disclosures about our Firm’s proxy policies and practices.
Our general policy is to refrain from voting proxies because we believe the time cost of voting a proxy typically outweighs the benefits to our clients in aggregate. From time-to-time we may elect to vote proxies when we believe the benefit outweighs these costs.
The Adviser’s policy when managing accounts for investment companies is to determine how to vote proxies based on our reasonable judgment of that vote most likely to produce favorable financial results for the fund’s shareholders. Proxy votes generally will be cast in favor of proposals that maintain or strengthen the shared interests of shareholders and management, increase shareholder value, maintain or increase shareholder influence over the issuer’s board of directors and management, and maintain or increase the rights of shareholders; proxy votes generally will be cast against proposals having the opposite effect. However, the Adviser will consider both sides of each proxy issue.
Our policy and practice includes the responsibility to receive and disclose any potential conflicts of interest and maintaining relevant and required records.
Responsibility
The Designated Supervisor is responsible for implementing and monitoring the Adviser’s proxy voting policy, practices, disclosures and record keeping, including outlining our voting guidelines in our procedures.
Procedure
The Adviser has adopted procedures to implement the Firm’s policy and reviews to monitor and ensure the Firm’s policy is observed, implemented properly and amended or updated, as appropriate, which include the following:
Procedures for Investment Company Clients
A-1 |
Voting Procedures
Once proxy material has been received, it is then promptly reviewed by the Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio Manager is to evaluate the issues presented. The Portfolio Manager generally vote in a manner consistent with the following Voting Guidelines.
Voting Guidelines
A. From time to time, it is possible that one the Adviser’s portfolio managers will decide (i) to vote shares held in client accounts he or she manages differently from the vote of another Adviser’s portfolio manager whose client accounts hold the same security or (ii) to abstain from voting on behalf of client accounts he or she manages when another of the Adviser’s portfolio manager is casting votes on behalf of other Adviser client accounts.
The CCO or CIO reviews all proxy votes collected from the Adviser’s portfolio managers prior to such votes being cast. The CCO maintains a log of all votes. The CCO, or their designee, performs a quarterly review of all votes cast by the Adviser to confirm that any conflicting votes were properly handled.
B. There are many circumstances that might cause the Adviser to vote against an issuer’s board of directors or “management” proposal. These would include, among others, excessive compensation, unusual management stock options, preferential voting and poison pills. The portfolio managers decide these issues on a case-by-case basis.
C. A portfolio manager may, determine to take no action on a proxy or a specific proxy item and not submit a vote when he or she concludes that the potential benefit of voting is outweighed by the cost, when it is not in the client account’s best interest to vote.
Conflicts of Interest
The Adviser will identify any conflicts that exist between the interests of the adviser and the client by reviewing the relationship of the Adviser with the issuer of each security to determine if the Adviser or any of its Supervised Persons has any financial, business or personal relationship with the issuer.
If a material conflict of interest exists, the CCO will determine whether it is appropriate to disclose the conflict to the affected clients, to give the clients an opportunity to vote the proxies themselves, or to address the voting issue through other objective means such as voting in a manner consistent with a predetermined voting policy or receiving an independent third party voting recommendation. The Adviser will maintain a record of the voting resolution of any conflict of interest.
Recordkeeping
The Designated Supervisor shall retain the following proxy records in accordance with the SEC’s five-year retention requirement.
· | These policies and procedures and any amendments; |
· | A record of each vote that the Adviser casts; |
· | Any document the Adviser created that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies, or that memorializes that decision including periodic reports to CCO or proxy committee, if applicable. |
· | A copy of each written request from a client for information on how the Adviser voted such client’s proxies, and a copy of any written response. |
A-2 |
PART C
FORM N-1A
OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28. | Exhibits |
(a) | Agreement and Declaration of Trust (“Trust Instrument”), dated February 22, 2021, filed herewith. | |
(b) | By-Laws filed herewith. | |
(c) | Articles II, VI, VII, VIII and IX of the Trust Instrument, Exhibit 28(a) hereto, and Articles II, VIII and IX of the By-Laws, Exhibit 28(b) hereto, defines the rights of holders of the securities being registered. (Certificates for shares are not issued.) | |
(d)(1) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021, between the Registrant, on behalf of the Funds, and Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (“TFA”), filed herewith. | |
(d)(2) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021, filed herewith. | |
(d)(3) | Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021 between TFA and Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc., to be filed by amendment. | |
(d)(4) | Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021 between TFA and Exceed Advisory, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(d)(5) | Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021 between TFA and Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(d)(6) | Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021 between TFA and Potomac Advisors, Inc., to be filed by amendment. | |
(d)(7) | Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021 between TFA and Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(d)(8) | Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021 between TFA and Synergy Financial Management, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(d)(9) | Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 9, 2021 between TFA and Tuttle Capital Management, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(e) | Distribution Agreement, dated _________, 2021, between the Registrant, on behalf of the Funds, and Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(f) | Not Applicable. | |
(g) | Custody Agreement, dated _________, 2020, between the Registrant, on behalf of the Funds, and U.S. Bank, to be filed by amendment. | |
(h)(1) | Administration Agreement dated _________, 2021, between the Registrant, on behalf of the Funds, and Tactical Fund Services, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(h)(2) | Sub-Administration Agreement dated ________, 2021, between the Tactical Fund Services, LLC and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(h)(3) | Master Services Agreement dated ___________, 2021, between the Registrant, on behalf of the Funds, and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, to be filed by amendment. |
(i) | Opinion and Consent of Strauss Troy Co., LPA regarding the legality of the securities registered with respect to the Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund, Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund, Tactical Growth Allocation Fund, TFA Quantitative Fund, TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund, and TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund, filed herewith. | |
(j) | Consent of Cohen & Company filed herewith. | |
(k) | Not applicable. | |
(l) | Initial Subscription Agreement, to be filed by amendment. | |
(m) | Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Funds filed herewith. | |
(n) | Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Funds filed herewith. | |
(o) | Reserved. | |
(p)(1) | Code of Ethics for the Registrant, to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(2) | Code of Ethics for Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(3) | Code of Ethics for Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc., to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(4) | Code of Ethics for Exceed Advisory LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(5) | Code of Ethics for Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(6) | Code of Ethics for Potomac Advisors, Inc., to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(7) | Code of Ethics for Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(8) | Code of Ethics for Synergy Financial Management, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(9) | Code of Ethics for Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC, to be filed by amendment. | |
(p)(10) | Code of Ethics for Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, to be filed by amendment. |
ITEM 29. | Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant |
No person is controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.
ITEM 30. | Indemnification |
As permitted by Section 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, officers, trustees, employees and agents of the Registrant will not be liable to the Registrant, any shareholder, officer, trustee, employee, agent or other person for any action or failure to act, except for bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties, and those individuals may be indemnified against liabilities in connection with the Registrant, subject to the same exceptions.
The Registrant’s Trust Instrument (Exhibit 28(a) to the Registrant Statement), investment advisory agreements (Exhibit 28(d) to the Registration Statement), distribution agreements (Exhibit 28(e) to the Registration Statement) and administration agreements (Exhibit 28(h) to the Registrant Statement) provide for indemnification of certain persons acting on behalf of the Registrant. The Registrant may, from time to time, enter other contractual arrangements that provide for indemnification.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defenses of any action, suite or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
ITEM 31. | Business and other Connections of the Investment Advisers |
The list required by this Item 31 as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each of the investment advisers, and each director, officer or partner of such investment advisers, is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is incorporated herein by reference to Schedules A and D of each investment adviser's Form ADV listed opposite such investment adviser's name below, which is currently on file with the SEC as required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Name of Investment Adviser Form ADV File No. Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC 801-81041 Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. 801-61643 Exceed Advisory LLC 801-79958 Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC 801-119452 Potomac Advisors, Inc. 801-118200 Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC 801-81195 Synergy Financial Management, LLC 801-64132 Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC 801-76982 |
ITEM 32. | Principal Underwriters |
(a) | The Distributor also acts as the principal underwriter for the following other open-end investment companies: |
AlphaMark Investment Trust, Bruce Fund, Inc., CM Advisors Family of Funds, Caldwell & Orkin Funds, Inc., Centaur Mutual Funds Trust, Chesapeake Investment Trust, Commonwealth International Series Trust, Conestoga Funds, Cross Shore Discovery Fund, Eubel Brady & Suttman Mutual Fund Trust, First Western Funds Trust, Capitol Series Trust, HC Capital Trust, Hussman Investment Trust, Index Funds, Oak Associates Funds, Papp Investment Trust, Peachtree Alternative Strategies Fund, Primark Private Equity Fund, FSI Low Beta Absolute Return Fund, Red Cedar Fund Trust, Schwartz Investment Trust, Seagull Bryant & Hamill Trust, The Cutler Trust, The Investment House Funds, Williamsburg Investment Trust, Ultimus Managers Trust, Unified Series Trust, and Yorktown Funds.
Name | Position with Underwriter | Positions with Fund |
Kevin M. Guerette | President | None |
David James | Manager | None |
Stephen Preston | Chief Compliance Officer, Financial Operations Principal and AML Compliance Officer | None |
William J. Strait | Manager, Secretary, and General Counsel | None |
The address of the Distributor and each of the above-named persons is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246.
(c) | Not Applicable. |
ITEM 33. | Location of Accounts and Records |
The Registrant maintains the records required to be maintained by it under Rules 31a-1(a), 31a-1(b) and 31a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, at its principal executive offices 11726 Seven Gables Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249, except for those records that may be maintained pursuant to Rule 31a-3 at the offices of
(i) | Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc., 15 Enterprise, Suite 450, Aliso Viejo, California 92656 (records relating to its function as Sub-Adviser); and |
(ii) | Exceed Advisory LLC, 79 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10016 (records relating to its function as Sub-Adviser); and |
(iii) | Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, 98 Wadsworth Blvd., #127-3028, Lakewood, Colorado 80226 (records relating to its function as Sub-Adviser); and |
(iv) | Potomac Advisors, Inc., 7215 Teal Creek Glen, Lakewood Ranch, Florida 34202 (records relating to its function as Sub-Adviser); and |
(v) | Preston Wealth Advisors, LLC, 1886 Metro Center Drive, Suite 620, Reston, Virginia, 20190 (records relating to its function as Sub-Adviser); and |
(vi) | Synergy Financial Management, LLC, 13231 SE 36th Street, Suite 215, Bellevue, Washington 98006 (records relating to its function as Sub-Adviser); and |
(vii) | Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC, 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878 (records relating to its function as Sub-Adviser); and |
(viii) | Tactical Fund Services, LLC, 11726 Seven Gables Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249 (records relating to its function as Administrator); and |
(ix) | Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 (records relating to its function as Sub-Administrator, Fund Accountant, and Transfer Agent), and |
(x) | U.S. Bank, N.A., 350 California Street, Suite 2018, San Francisco, California 94104 (records relating to its function as Custodian). |
ITEM 34. | Management Services |
None.
ITEM 35. | Undertakings |
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, on April 22, 2021.
Tactical Investment Series Trust | ||
By: | /s/Drew K. Horter | |
Drew K. Horter, President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
* | April 22, 2021 | ||
Peter Baden, Trustee |
Date
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* | April 22, 2021 | ||
Matthew Brennan, Trustee |
Date
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* | April 22, 2021 | ||
Richard M. Curry, Trustee | Date | ||
/s/ Drew K, Horter | April 22, 2021 | ||
Drew K. Horter, Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer |
Date
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/s/ Brian Curley | April 22, 2021 | ||
Brian Curley, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer |
Date
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* By: | /s/ Drew K. Horter | April 22, 2021 | |
Drew K. Horter, Attorney-in-Fact | Date | ||
* Attorney-in-fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed February 24, 2021.
EXHIBIT INDEX
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of our reports dated March 1, 2021 and March 11, 2021, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights of Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund, Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund, Tactical Growth Allocation Fund, TFA Quantitative Fund and TFA Multidensional Tactical Fund, each a series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, for the year ended December 31, 2020, and to the references to our firm under the headings “Financial Highlights” in the Prospectus.
COHEN & COMPANY, LTD.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
April 22, 2021
TACTICAL INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST
RULE 18f-3 MULTI-CLASS PLAN
I. Introduction
(a) Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), this Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan (“Plan”) sets forth the general characteristics of, and conditions under which the Tactical Investment Series Trust (“Trust”) may offer multiple Classes of Shares of the Funds set forth on Exhibit A hereto (each such Fund, the “Fund”). In addition, the Plan sets forth the shareholder servicing arrangements, distribution arrangements, conversion features, exchange privileges, and other shareholder services of each Class of Shares in the Fund. The Plan is intended to allow the Fund to offer multiple Classes of Shares to the fullest extent and manner permitted by Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, subject to the requirements and conditions imposed by the Rule. This Plan may be revised or amended from time to time as provided below.
(b) Each Fund is authorized, as indicated below in the section “Class Arrangements,” to issue the Classes of Shares listed on Exhibit A, each of which represents interests in the Fund. Each Class of Shares of a Fund will represent interests in the same portfolio of the Fund and, except as described herein, shall have the same rights and obligations as each other Class of Shares of the Fund. Each Class of Shares shall be subject to such investment minimums and other conditions of eligibility as are set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information, as amended from time to time.
II. Allocation of Expenses
(a) Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, the Trust shall allocate to each Class of Shares in a Fund (i) any fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in connection with the distribution of such Class of Shares under a distribution plan (and related agreements) adopted for such Class of Shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and (ii) any fees and expenses incurred by the Trust under a shareholder servicing plan (and related agreements) in connection with the provision of shareholder services to the holders of such Class of Shares. In addition, pursuant to Rule 18f-3, the Trust may allocate the following fees and expenses to a particular Class of Shares in a single Fund:
(i) | transfer agency fees identified by the transfer agent as being attributable to such Class of Shares; |
(ii) | printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, notices, prospectuses, reports, and proxies to current shareholders of such Class of Shares or to regulatory agencies with respect to such Class of Shares; |
(iii) | blue sky registration or qualification fees incurred by such Class of Shares; |
(iv) | Securities and Exchange Commission registration fees incurred by such Class of Shares; |
(v) | the expense of administrative and personnel services (including, but not limited to, those of a portfolio accountant or dividend paying agent charged with calculating net asset values or determining or paying dividends) as required to support the shareholders of such Class of Shares; |
(vi) | litigation or other legal expenses relating solely to such Class of Shares; |
(vii) | fees of the Trustees of the Trust incurred as a result of issues particularly relating to such Class of Shares; |
(viii) | independent accountants’ fees relating solely to such Class of Shares; and |
(ix) | any additional expenses, other than advisory or custodial fees or other expenses relating to the management of a Fund’s assets, if such expenses are actually incurred in a different amount with respect to a Class that are of a different kind or to a different degree than with respect to one or more other Classes of Shares. |
(b) The initial determination of the Class expenses that will be allocated by the Trust to a particular Class of Shares and any subsequent changes thereto will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and approved by a vote of the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust.
(c) Income, realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, and any expenses of a Fund not allocated to a particular Class of the Fund pursuant to this Plan shall be allocated to each Class of Shares of the Fund on the basis of the net asset value of that Class in relation to the net asset value of the Fund.
III. Dividends. Dividends paid by the Trust with respect to each Class of Shares of the Fund, to the extent any dividends are paid, will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time and will be in the same amount, except that any fees and expenses that are properly allocated to a particular Class of Shares of a Fund will be borne by that Class of Shares.
IV. Voting Rights. Each share of a Fund entitles the shareholder of record to one vote. Each Class of Shares of the Fund will vote separately as a Class with respect to:
(a) the adoption of, or material amendment to any Rule 12b-1 distribution plan, applicable to that Class of Shares, and
(b) any other matters for which voting on a Class by Class basis is required under applicable law or interpretative positions of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
V. Class Arrangements. The following summarizes the front-end sales charges, contingent deferred sales charges, Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder servicing fees, conversion features, exchange privileges, and other shareholder services applicable to each Class of Shares of the Fund. Additional details regarding such fees and services are set forth in the Fund’s current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
(a) | Class A Shares |
1. Maximum Initial Sales Load (as a percentage of offering price): None
2. Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None
3. Rule 12b-1 Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees: Up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to such Class A Shares.
4. Conversion Features: None
5. Exchange Privileges: Class A Shares of a Fund may be exchanged for Class A Shares of any other Fund of the Trust established by the Fund’s investment adviser. Holders of Class A shares issued by a Fund may exchange their shares for Class I shares if they: (1) hold their shares through a Selling Broker or other financial intermediary or institution that has a distribution agreement with the Fund’s distributor to offer Class I shares and which authorizes such an exchange; and (2) are otherwise eligible to invest in Class I shares in accordance with the terms of the Fund’s Prospectus. Any such exchange is subject to the Fund’s discretion to accept or reject the exchange.
6. Other Shareholder Services: The Trust offers an Automatic Investment Plan to holders of Class A Shares of a Fund.
(b) | Class I Shares |
1. Maximum Initial Sales Load (as a percentage of offering price): None.
2. Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None
3. Rule 12b-1 Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees: None
4. Conversion Features: None
5. Exchange Privileges: Class I Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for Class I Shares of any other Fund of the Trust established by the Fund’s investment adviser.
6. Other Shareholder Services: The Trust offers an Automatic Investment Plan to holders of Class C Shares of the Fund.
VI. Board Review. The Board of Trustees of the Trust shall review this Plan as frequently as they deem necessary. Prior to any material amendment(s) to this Plan, the Trust’s Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees that are not interested persons of the Trust, shall find that the Plan, as proposed to be adopted or amended (including any proposed amendments to the method of allocating Class and/or Fund expenses), is in the best interest of each Class of Shares of each Fund individually and the Trust as a whole. In considering whether to approve any proposed amendment(s) to the Plan, the Trustees of the Trust shall request and evaluate such information as they consider reasonably necessary to evaluate the proposed amendment(s) to the Plan.
Adopted: February 22, 2021
Exhibit A
Series
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund
TFA Quantitative Fund
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund
Classes of Shares
1. Class A Shares
2. Class I Shares
TACTICAL INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION PURSUANT TO RULE 12b-1
WHEREAS, Tactical Investment Series Trust, a statutory trust organized and existing under the laws of the state of Delaware (the “Trust”), engages in business as an open-end management investment company and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”); and
WHEREAS, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”), in separate series representing the interests in separate funds of securities and other assets; and
WHEREAS, the Trust offers the series of such Shares listed on Exhibit A hereto (each such series, the “Fund”); and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to adopt a Plan of Distribution (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act with respect to the Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust as a whole, including the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or in any agreement relating hereto (the “Non Interested Trustees”), having determined, in the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of their fiduciary duties under state law and under Section 36(a) and (b) of the 1940 Act, that there is a reasonable likelihood that this Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders, have approved this Plan by votes cast at a meeting held in person and called for the purpose of voting hereon and on any agreements related hereto; and
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trust hereby adopts this Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, with respect to the Fund, on the following terms and conditions:
1. Distribution and Servicing Activities. Subject to the supervision of the Trustees of the Trust, the Trust may, directly or indirectly, engage in any activities primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Fund, which activities may include, but are not limited to, the following: (a) payments to the Trust’s Distributor and to securities dealers and others in respect of the sale of shares of the Fund; (b) payment of compensation to and expenses of personnel (including personnel of organizations with which the Trust has entered into agreements related to this Plan) who engage in or support distribution of shares of the Fund or who render shareholder support services not otherwise provided by the Trust’s transfer agent, administrator, or custodian, including but not limited to, answering inquiries regarding the Trust, processing shareholder transactions, providing personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts, providing other shareholder liaison services, responding to shareholder inquiries, providing information on shareholder investments in the shares of the Fund, and providing such other shareholder services as the Trust may reasonably request; (c) formulation and implementation of marketing and promotional activities, including, but not limited to, direct mail promotions and television, radio, newspaper, magazine and other mass media advertising; (d) preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature; (e) preparation, printing and distribution of prospectuses and statements of additional information and reports of the Trust for recipients other than existing shareholders of the Trust; (f) holding seminars and sales meetings designed to promote the distribution of shares; (g) obtaining information and providing explanations to wholesale and retail distributors regarding Fund investment objectives and policies and other information about the Fund, including the performance of the Fund; (h) training sales personnel regarding the shares of the Fund; and (i) obtaining such information, analyses and reports with respect to marketing and promotional activities as the Trust may, from time to time, deem advisable. The Trust is authorized to engage in the activities listed above, and in any other activities primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Fund,
either directly or through other persons with which the Trust has entered into agreements related to this Plan.
2. | Maximum Expenditures. The expenditures to be made by the Fund pursuant to this Plan and the basis upon which payment of such expenditures will be made shall be determined by the Trustees of the Trust, but in no event may such expenditures exceed the following: |
a) | Class A. For the Class A shares of the Fund, the Fund may pay an amount calculated at the rate of 0.25% per annum of the average daily net asset value of the Fund for each year or portion thereof included in the period for which the computation is being made, elapsed since the inception of this Plan to the date of such expenditures. |
b) | Class I. None. |
3. | Payment of Fees. The fees will be calculated daily and paid by the Fund with respect to the foregoing classes of the Fund’s shares (each a “Class” and together, the “Classes”). |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may such expenditures paid by the Fund as service fees exceed an amount calculated at the rate of 0.25% of the average annual net assets of the Fund, nor may such expenditures paid as service fees to any person who sells the shares of the Fund exceed an amount calculated at the rate of 0.25% of the average annual net asset value of such shares. Such payments for distribution and shareholder servicing activities may be made directly by the Trust or to other persons with which the Trust has entered into agreements related to this Plan.
4. | Term and Termination. |
(a) | This Plan shall become effective for the Fund on the date that the Fund commences operations. Unless terminated as herein provided, this Plan shall continue in effect for one year from the effective date of the Plan for the Fund and shall continue in effect for successive periods of one year thereafter, but only so long as each such continuance is specifically approved by votes of a majority of both (i) the Trustees of the Trust and (ii) the Non-Interested Trustees, cast at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. |
(b) | This Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to the Fund by a vote of a majority of the Non-Interested Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act. |
5. | Amendments. This Plan may not be amended to increase materially the maximum expenditures permitted by Section 2 hereof unless such amendment is approved by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act with respect to which a material increase in the amount of expenditures is proposed (e.g., by a vote of the shareholders of the Class whose maximum expenditures would be materially increased), and no material amendment to this Plan shall be made unless approved in the manner provided for annual renewal of this Plan in Section 3(a) hereof. |
6. | Selection and Nomination of Trustees. While this Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the Non-Interested Trustees of the Trust shall be committed to the discretion of such Non-Interested Trustees. |
7. | Quarterly Reports. The Trust’s Distributor or Treasurer shall provide to the Trustees of the Trust and the Trustees shall review quarterly a written report of the amounts expended pursuant to this Plan and any related agreement and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. |
8. | Recordkeeping. The Trust shall preserve copies of this Plan and any related agreement and all reports made pursuant to Section 7 hereof, for a period of not less than six years from the date of this Plan. Any such related agreement or such reports for the first two years will be maintained in an easily accessible place. |
9. | Limitation of Liability. Any obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders of the Trust personally, but shall bind only the assets and property of the Trust. The term “Tactical Investment Series Trust” means and refers to the Trustees from time to time serving under the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The execution of this Plan has been authorized by the Trustees, acting as such and not individually, and such authorization by such Trustees shall not be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the assets and property of the Trust as provided in the Trust’s Declaration of Trust. |
This Plan is effective February 22, 2021.
Exhibit A
Series
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund
TFA Quantitative Fund
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund
April 16, 2021
Tactical Investment Series Trust
11726 Seven Gables Road
Cincinnati, OH 45249
RE: | Opinion of Counsel regarding the Registration Statement filed on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), of Tactical Investment Series Trust (the “Trust”) (File Nos. 333-252544 and 811-23631) |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to the Tactical Investment Series Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment company.
This opinion relates to the Trust’s pre-effective amendment to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act and the 1940 Act (collectively, the “Amendment”). The Amendment relates to the registration of an indefinite number of shares of beneficial interest (collectively, the “Shares”), with no par value per share, for six new series portfolio of the Trust – Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund, Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund, Tactical Growth Allocation Fund, TFA Quantitative Fund, TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund, and TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund (together, the “Funds”). We understand that the Amendment will be filed with the Commission and that our opinion is required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
In reaching the opinions set forth below, we have examined, among other things, copies of the Trust's Certificate of Trust, Agreement and Declaration of Trust, applicable resolutions of the Board of Trustees, and originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such other documents, records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable for purposes of this opinion. We have also examined the prospectus and statement of additional information for the Funds, substantially in the form provided in the Amendment (collectively, the "Prospectus").
As to any facts or questions of fact material to the opinions set forth below, we have relied exclusively upon the above-mentioned documents and upon representations and declarations of the officers or other representatives of the Trust. We have made no independent investigation whatsoever as to such factual matters.
The Prospectus provides for the ongoing issuance of the Shares at the net asset value thereof, plus any applicable sales charge. In reaching the opinions set forth below, we have assumed that upon sale of the Shares, the Trust will receive the net asset value thereof.
We have also assumed, without independent investigation or inquiry, that:
(a) | all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic; all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents; all signatures on all documents submitted to us for examination are genuine; and all documents and public records reviewed are accurate and complete; and |
(b) | all representations, warranties, certifications and statements regarding matters of fact and other factual information (i) made by public officers; or (ii) made by officers or representatives of the Trust are accurate, true, correct and complete in all material respects. |
The Delaware Statutory Trust Act provides that shareholders of the Trust shall be entitled to the same limitation on personal liability as is extended under the Delaware General Corporation Law to stockholders of private corporations for profit. There is a remote possibility, however, that, under certain circumstances, shareholders of a Delaware statutory trust may be held personally liable for that trust’s obligations to the extent that the courts of another state do not recognize such limited liability or were to apply the laws of such state to a controversy involving such obligations. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that neither the Trust, the Trustees, nor any officer, employee, or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any shareholder, or 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 agree to pay. Therefore, the risk of any shareholder incurring financial loss beyond his investment due to shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Funds are unable to meet their obligations and the express limitation of shareholder liabilities is determined not to be effective.
Based on our review of the foregoing and subject to the assumptions and qualifications set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date of this letter:
(a) | The Shares to be offered for sale pursuant to the Prospectus are duly and validly authorized by all necessary actions on the part of the Trust; and |
(b) | The Shares, when issued and sold by the Trust for consideration pursuant to and in the manner contemplated by the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trust’s Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, subject to compliance with the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, and the applicable state laws regulating the sale of securities |
We express no opinion as to any other matters other than as expressly set forth above. The opinions expressed herein are given as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation and hereby disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change after the date of this opinion pertaining to any matter referred to herein.
We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Other Fund Service Providers” in the Prospectus and under the caption "Legal Counsel" in the Statement of Additional Information for the Funds, which is included in the Registration Statement.
Sincerely,
/s/ Bo J. Howell
On behalf of Strauss Troy Co., LPA
Form OF SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of July 9, 2021, by and between Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), an Ohio limited liability company and registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and [ ] (the “Sub-Adviser” and together with the Adviser the “Parties”), a [ ] [limited liability company], registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), with respect to the [ ] Fund ([each a/the] “Fund”[ and collectively, the “Funds”]), [each] a series of the Tactical Investment Series Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”).
WHEREAS, the Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);
WHEREAS, the Adviser has been retained to act as investment adviser for the Funds pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust effective as of July 9, 2021 (the “Advisory Agreement”);
WHEREAS, the Advisory Agreement permits the Adviser to delegate certain of its duties under the Advisory Agreement to other investment advisers, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act;
WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to retain the Sub-Adviser to assist it in the provision of a continuous investment program for each Fund’s assets, and the Sub-Adviser is willing to render such services subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties do mutually agree and promise as follows with respect to the Funds:
1. Appointment and Status of Sub-Adviser. The Adviser hereby appoints the Sub-Adviser to provide investment advisory services to the Funds for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Sub-Adviser accepts such appointment and agrees to render the services herein set forth, for the compensation herein provided. The Sub-Adviser shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an independent contractor of the Adviser and the Trust and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or authorized by the Adviser or the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Trust from time to time, have no authority to act for or represent the Adviser or the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Adviser or the Trust.
2. Sub-Adviser's Duties. Subject to the general supervision of the Board and the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser shall, employing its discretion, manage the investment operations of each Fund and the composition of the portfolio of securities and investments (including cash) belonging to a Fund, including the purchase, retention and disposition thereof and the execution of agreements relating thereto, in accordance with each Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions as stated in the Funds’ then-current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (collectively, the "Prospectus") and subject to the following understandings:
(a) | The Sub-Adviser shall furnish a continuous investment program for each Fund and determine what investments or securities will be purchased, retained or sold by the |
Funds and what portion of the assets belonging to the Funds will be invested or held un-invested as cash;
(b) | The Sub-Adviser shall use its best judgment in the performance of its duties under this agreement; |
(c) | The Sub-Adviser, in the performance of its duties and obligations under this agreement for the Funds, shall act in conformity with the Trust's declaration of trust, its by-laws and the Funds’ registration statement and with the reasonable instructions and directions of the Board and the Adviser, and will conform to and comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations; |
(d) | The Sub-Adviser shall determine the securities to be purchased or sold by the Funds and will place portfolio transactions pursuant to its determinations either directly with the issuer or with any broker and/or dealer in such securities, subject to paragraph heading: Execution of Purchase and Sale Orders below; |
(e) | The Sub-Adviser shall maintain books and records with respect to the securities transactions of the Funds and shall render to the Adviser and the Board such periodic and special reports as the Adviser or the Board may reasonably request; |
(f) | The Sub-Adviser shall provide the Trust's custodian and fund accountant on each business day with information about the Funds’ securities transactions, and with such other information relating to the Trust as may be required under the terms of the then-current custody agreement between the Trust and the custodian; |
(g) | The Sub-Adviser shall respond promptly to any request from the Adviser or the Funds’ fund accountant for assistance in obtaining price sources for securities held by a Fund or determining a price when a price source is not available, and promptly review the prices used by the Funds’ accountant to determine net asset value and advise the Funds’ accountant promptly if any price appears to be incorrect. The final price of any security will be determined in accordance with the Trust’s fair value procedures; |
(h) | The Sub-Adviser shall be responsible for: (i) directing how a Fund should vote proxies solicited by issuers of securities beneficially owned by a Fund, and (ii) making any elections relative to any mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings or other type events pertaining to the securities held by a Fund; |
(i) | The Sub-Adviser represents that it has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and will provide the Adviser and the Trust with a copy of the code and evidence of its adoption. Within 45 days of the last calendar quarter of each year while this agreement is in effect, the Sub-Adviser shall provide to the board a written report that describes any issues arising under the code of ethics since the last report to the board, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the code and sanctions imposed in |
response to the material violations; and which certifies that the sub-adviser has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent access persons (as that term is defined in rule 17j-1) from violating the code;
(j) | The Sub-Adviser agrees to maintain adequate compliance procedures to ensure its compliance with the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, and other applicable federal and state regulations. The Sub-Adviser shall provide to the Trust's chief compliance officer an annual written report regarding the sub-adviser's compliance program. |
(k) | The Adviser has delivered to the Sub-Adviser copies of (i) the Trust Instrument and Bylaws, (ii) the Trust’s Registration Statement (for the Funds) and all amendments thereto filed with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the 1940 Act, and (iii) all procedures adopted by the Trust regarding a Fund, and shall promptly furnish the Sub-Adviser with all amendments of or supplements to the foregoing. The Trust shall deliver to the Sub-Adviser (a) a certified copy of the resolution of the Board appointing the Sub-Adviser and authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (b) a copy of all proxy statements and related materials relating to a Fund, and (c) any other documents, materials, or information that the Sub-Adviser shall reasonably request to enable it to perform its duties pursuant to this Agreement. The Adviser shall furnish to the Sub-Adviser a copy of each amendment of or supplement to the foregoing promptly after the adoption of each amendment or supplement. |
(l) | The Sub-Adviser has delivered to the Adviser and the Trust (i) a copy of its Form ADV as most recently filed with the SEC. The Sub-Adviser shall promptly furnish the Adviser and Trust with all amendments of or supplements to the foregoing at least annually. |
3. Custodian. The assets of a Fund shall be held by an independent custodian, not by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser is authorized to give instructions to the custodian with respect to all investment decisions regarding a Fund and the custodian is authorized and directed to effect transactions for a Fund and otherwise take such actions as the Sub-Adviser shall reasonably direct in connection with the performance of the Sub-Adviser 's obligations in respect of the Funds.
4. Risk Acknowledgment.
(a) The Trust and Adviser shall expect of the Sub-Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser will give the Trust and Adviser the benefit of, the Sub-Adviser's best judgment and efforts in rendering its services hereunder. The Sub-Adviser shall not be liable to the Adviser or the Trust hereunder for any mistake of judgment or in any event whatsoever, except for lack of good faith, provided that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect, or purport to protect, the Sub-Adviser against any liability to the Adviser or the Trust to which the Sub-Adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of intentional misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Sub-Adviser's duties hereunder, or by reason of the Sub-Adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
(b) The Sub-Adviser shall not be liable to the Adviser or the Trust for any action taken or failure to act in good faith reliance upon: (i) information, instructions, or requests, whether oral or written, regarding a Fund that the Sub-Adviser reasonably believes were made by a duly authorized officer of the Adviser or the Trust, (ii) the written advice of counsel to the Trust, and (iii) any written instruction or certified copy of any resolution of the Board.
(c) The Sub-Adviser shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties (other than those related to the Sub-Adviser’s employees), fire, mechanical breakdowns, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots or failure of the mails (including electronic), transportation, communication or power supply.
5. Directions to the Sub-Adviser. Adviser will be responsible for forwarding Adviser and/or Trust directions, notices and instructions to Sub-Adviser, in writing, which shall be effective upon receipt by the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser shall be fully protected in relying upon any such direction, notice, or instruction until it has been duly advised in writing of changes therein.
6. Execution of Purchase and Sale Orders. In connection with purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the account of a Fund, the Sub-Adviser will arrange for the placing of all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the account with brokers or dealers selected by the Sub-Adviser, subject to review of this selection by the Board from time to time. The Sub-Adviser will be responsible for the negotiation and the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage. In the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such orders, the Sub-Adviser will always seek, for a Fund the best qualitative execution, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility and responsiveness of the broker or dealer and the brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer.
The Sub-Adviser should generally seek favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received. In seeking best qualitative execution, the Sub-Adviser is authorized to select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage and research services to a Fund and/or the other accounts over which it exercises investment discretion. The Sub-Adviser is authorized to pay a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services a commission for executing a Fund’s portfolio transaction that is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if the Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that the amount of the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the executing broker or dealer. The determination may be viewed in terms of either a particular transaction or the Sub-Adviser's overall responsibilities with respect to a Fund and to accounts over which the Sub-Adviser exercises investment discretion. The Trust and the Sub-Adviser understand and acknowledge that, although the information may be useful to a Fund and the Sub-Adviser, it is not possible to place a dollar value on such information. The Board shall periodically review the commissions paid by a Fund to determine if the commissions paid over representative periods of time were reasonable in
relation to the benefits to a Fund. The Sub-Adviser may not give consideration to sales of shares of a Fund as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers to execute Fund portfolio transactions.
Subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, and other applicable law, the Sub-Adviser, any of its affiliates or any affiliates of its affiliates may retain compensation in connection with effecting a Fund's portfolio transactions, including transactions effected through others. If any occasion should arise in which the Sub-Adviser gives any advice to clients of the Sub-Adviser concerning the shares of a Fund, the Sub-Adviser will act solely as investment counsel for such client and not in any way on behalf of the Funds.
7. Books and Records. The Sub-Adviser shall keep the Trust's books and records required to be maintained by it pursuant to Section 2(e) of this Agreement. The Sub-Adviser agrees that all records that it maintains for the Trust are the property of the Trust and it will promptly surrender any of such records to the Trust upon the Trust's request. The Sub-Adviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act any such records as are required to be maintained by the Sub-Adviser with respect to the Trust by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act. Upon request, Adviser shall provide Sub-Adviser with commercially reasonable records and information as Adviser may access regarding a Fund.
8. Expenses of the Sub-Adviser. During the term of this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser will retain responsibility for expenses incurred by it in connection with the performance of its services under this Agreement other than the cost of securities, brokerage commissions, custodian fees, auditor's fees, taxes, interest, expenses that are undertaken by the Adviser or the Trust and other expenses related to the operation of the Trust or a Fund.
9. Compensation of the Sub-Adviser. For the services provided and the expenses borne by the Sub-Adviser pursuant to the Agreement, the Adviser will pay the Sub-Adviser a percentage of the net management fee earned by the Adviser as set forth on Exhibit A hereto. Net Management Fees will be paid by each Fund to the Adviser monthly, and shall be defined as the gross management fees earned by a Fund less expenses a Fund incurs that are allocated and subtracted from the gross management fees. Payment of this compensation shall be the responsibility of the Adviser and shall not be an obligation of the Trust. If the Sub-Adviser is terminated as specified in this agreement, then the compensation to the Sub-Adviser shall be prorated.
10. Liability. Neither the Sub-Adviser nor its shareholders, members, officers, directors, employees, agents, control persons or affiliates of any thereof, shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or a loss resulting from intentional misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
Any person, even though also a director, officer, employee, shareholder, member or agent of the Sub-Adviser, who may be or become an officer, director, trustee, employee or agent of the Trust, shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Trust or acting on any business of the Trust
(other than services or business in connection with the Sub-Adviser's duties hereunder), to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Trust and not as a director, officer, employee, shareholder, member, or agent of the Sub-Adviser, or one under the Sub-Adviser's control or direction, even though paid by the Sub-Adviser.
11. Duration and Termination. The term of this Agreement shall begin as of the day the Sub-Adviser begins providing investment management services to a Fund and, unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided, shall continue in effect for a period of two years. This Agreement shall continue in effect from year to year thereafter, subject to termination as hereinafter provided, if such continuance is approved at least annually (a) by a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund or by vote of the Trust's Board, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (b) by vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party to this Agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Adviser shall furnish to the Adviser and the Trust, promptly upon their request, such information as may reasonably be necessary to evaluate the terms of this Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment thereof.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time on at least 60 days prior written notice to the Sub-Adviser, without the payment of any penalty, (i) by vote of the Board, (ii) by the Adviser, (iii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund, or (iv) in accordance with the terms of any exemptive order obtained by the Trust or a Fund under Section 6(c) of the 1940 Act, exempting the Trust or a Fund from Section 15(a) and Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act. The Sub-Adviser may terminate this Agreement at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days' prior written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. Termination of this Agreement and/or the services of the Sub-Adviser will not affect (i) the validity of any action previously taken by Sub-Adviser under this Agreement; (ii) liabilities or obligations of the parties for transactions initiated before termination of this Agreement; or (iii) a Fund’s obligation to pay advisory fees to Adviser. If this Agreement is terminated by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, Sub-Adviser will have no further obligation to take any action subsequent to termination with respect to a Fund except as may be reasonably required pursuant to the notice of termination and in furtherance of its role as a fiduciary in order to facilitate an orderly transition of the management of a Fund. This Agreement will automatically and immediately terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
12. Exclusivity.
(a) Sub-Adviser, its officers, employees, and agents, may have or take the same or similar positions in specific investments for their own accounts, or for the accounts of other clients, as the Sub-Adviser does for a Fund. The Adviser expressly acknowledges and understands that Sub-Adviser shall be free to render investment advice to others and that Sub-Adviser does not make its investment management services available exclusively to Adviser or a Fund. Nothing in this Agreement shall impose upon the Sub-Adviser any obligation to purchase or sell, or to recommend for purchase or sale, for a Fund any security which the Sub-Adviser, its principals, affiliates or employees, may purchase or sell for their own accounts or for the account of any other client, if in the reasonable opinion of the Sub-Adviser such investment would be unsuitable for a Fund or if the Sub-Adviser determines
in the best interest of a Fund such purchase or sale would be impractical. Except to the extent necessary to perform its obligations hereunder, and notwithstanding the limitations of section (b), below, nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the Sub-Adviser's right, or the right of any of the Sub-Adviser's directors, officers or employees to engage in any other business or to devote time and attention to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, trust, firm, individual or association.
(b) The Parties agree that during the term of this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall not serve as investment adviser or sub-adviser to another registered investment company managed in a similar style to a Fund. The Parties may waive this limitation by mutual agreement.
13. Non-competition.
(a) The Parties agree that for a period of two years after the termination of this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall not serve as the investment adviser or sub-adviser to another registered investment company managed in a similar style to a Fund. The Parties may waive this limitation by mutual agreement. This post-termination, non-compete clause includes the management of registered investment company managed in a similar style to a Fund, directly or indirectly, on the Sub-Adviser’s behalf or on behalf of or in conjunction with any person, business, firm, company, or other entity (including, without limitation, any corporation, trust, partnership, proprietorship, or other venture) within the United States. Nothing in this Section shall be deemed to prevent the Sub-Adviser managing other investment products in the United States or investment products in foreign jurisdictions.
(b) The Sub-Adviser acknowledges and agrees that (1) complying with the restrictions contained in this Section will not prevent it from managing its current business, and (2) such restrictions are necessary and reasonable (including, without limitation, with respect to geographic scope and duration) to protect the Adviser’s valid interests (including, without limitation, relationships with service providers and investors, goodwill, the protection of trade secrets, investment processes, and other Confidential and Proprietary Information, protection from unfair competition, and other protectable interests).
14. Non-solicitation/Interference with Business. The Sub-Adviser agrees to the following restrictive covenants during the term of this Agreement and for three years after the termination of it:
(a) The Sub-adviser and its affiliates shall not, whether directly or indirectly, solicit, communicate with or otherwise contact any of the Adviser’s or its affiliates’ investors, clients, or customers, with whom the Sub-Adviser had material contact during its engagement with the Adviser, for the purpose of conducting any business with them which is substantially similar to the business conducted by the Adviser. “Material contact” means (a) actual contact with investors, clients, or customers—such as through the provision of services or sales
visits or calls—(b) coming to know confidential information about a investors, clients, employees, or customer—such as by obtaining pricing and sales information—or (c) directing or coordinating other employees of the Adviser or its affiliates in calling, servicing, or soliciting investors, clients, or customers.
(b) The Sub-Adviser and its affiliates shall not, directly or indirectly, solicit or induce—or encourage another entity or person to solicit or induce—any person employed by the Adviser or its affiliates or any person retained by the Adviser as an independent contractor to terminate an employment relationship or contract with the Adviser or its affiliates or to obtain employment with another entity or person besides the Adviser or its affiliates.
(c) The Sub-adviser and its affiliates shall not, whether directly or indirectly, undertake any act with the intent to disrupt, impair or interfere with the business of the Adviser or its affiliates in any way, whether by way of interfering with or disrupting its relationships with customers, agents, representatives, contractors, or suppliers, or otherwise.
(d) The Sub-Adviser warrants that the above restrictions will not prevent it from operating its business, and that the restrictions are necessary to protect the trade secrets of the Adviser and its affiliates, as the Sub-Adviser’s solicitation would necessarily involve its use of the Adviser’s or its affiliates’ trade secrets.
15. Good Standing. Adviser and Sub-Adviser hereby warrant and represent that they are each investment advisers in good standing that their respective regulatory filings are current and accurately reflect their advisory operations, and that they comply with applicable state and federal rules and regulations pertaining to investment advisers. In addition, Adviser and Sub-Adviser further warrant and represent that neither is (nor any of their respective Associated Persons are) subject to any statutory disqualification set forth in Sections 203(e) and 203(f) of the Advisers Act (or any successor Advisers Act sections or rules), nor are they currently the subject of any investigation or proceeding which could result in statutory disqualification. Adviser and Sub-Adviser acknowledge that their respective obligations to advise the other with respect to these representations shall be continuing and ongoing, and should any representation change for any reason, each warrants to advise the other immediately, together with providing the corresponding pertinent facts and circumstances.
16. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, provided the Trust approves the amendment (i) by vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, including Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such amendment, and (ii) if required under then current interpretations of the 1940 Act by the Securities and Exchange Commission, by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund affected by such amendment.
17. Privacy Notice/Confidentiality.
(a) The Adviser and Sub-Adviser acknowledge prior receipt of the other’s Privacy Notice and Policy. Adviser and Sub-Adviser agree to safeguard all information pertaining to a Fund consistent with the requirements of applicable state and federal privacy statutes pertaining to registered investment advisers.
(b) Each party agrees that all non-public confidential information concerning the other party which may become available to such party in connection with services, transactions, or relationships contemplated in this Agreement shall at all times be treated in strictest confidence and shall not be disclosed to third persons except: (a) as may be required by law or regulatory authority, including but not limited to any subpoena, administrative, regulatory, or judicial demand, or court order, (b) as otherwise set forth in this Agreement, or (c) upon the prior written approval of the other party to this Agreement.
18. Notice. Whenever any notice is required or permitted to be given under any provision of this Agreement, such notice shall be in writing, shall be signed by or on behalf of the party giving the notice and shall be mailed by first class or express mail, or sent by courier or facsimile with confirmation of transmission to the other party at the addresses or facsimile numbers specified on page 1 or to such other address as a party may from time to time specify to the other party by such notice hereunder. Any such notice shall be deemed duly given when delivered at such address.
19. Arbitration.
(a) Any controversy or dispute that may arise between the Sub-Adviser and the Adviser concerning any transaction or the construction, performance, or breach of this Agreement shall be settled by arbitration. Any arbitration shall be pursuant to the rules, then applying, of the American Arbitration Association, except to the extent set forth herein. The arbitration panel shall consist of at least three individuals, with at least one panelist having knowledge of investment advisory activities. The parties agree that any arbitration proceeding pursuant to this provision shall be held in a location as determined by the rules of the American Arbitration Association, and judgment upon the award rendered may be entered into in any court, state or federal, having jurisdiction.
· | Arbitration is final and binding on all parties. |
· | The parties are waiving their right to seek remedies in court, including the right to a jury trial, except to the extent such a waiver would violate applicable law. |
· | Pre-arbitration discovery is generally more limited than and different from court proceedings. |
· | The arbitrators' award is not required to include factual findings or legal reasoning and any party’s right to appeal or to seek modification of rulings by the arbitrators is strictly limited. |
· | The panel of arbitrators will typically include a minority of arbitrators who were or are affiliated with the securities industry. |
(b) No person shall bring a putative or certified class action to arbitration, nor seek to enforce any pre-dispute arbitration agreement against any person who has initiated in court a putative class action, or who is a member of a putative class who has not opted out of the class with respect to any claims encompassed by the putative class action until: (a) the class certification is denied; (b) the class is decertified; or (c) the Sub-Adviser is excluded from the class by the court. Such forbearance to enforce an agreement to arbitrate shall not constitute a waiver of any rights under this Agreement except to the extent stated herein.
(c) The agreement to arbitrate does not entitle a party to obtain arbitration of claims that would be barred by the relevant statute of limitations if such claims were brought in a court of competent jurisdiction. If at the time a demand for arbitration is made or an election or notice of intention to arbitrate is served, the claims sought to be arbitrated would have been barred by the relevant statute of limitations or other time bar, any party to this Agreement may assert the limitations as a bar to the arbitration by applying to any court of competent jurisdiction. Each party expressly agrees that any issues relating to the application of a statute of limitations or other time bar are referable to such a court. The failure to assert such bar by application to a court, however, shall not preclude its assertion before the arbitrators.
20. Indemnification. Adviser and Sub-Adviser agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the other and each of their respective officers, directors, members, employees, and agents from any and all claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses directly resulting from the other’s violation of any of the terms of this Agreement. Adviser and Sub-Adviser’s obligations under this paragraph shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
21. Governing Law.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio, without regard to the conflicts of laws principles thereof.
(b) Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretation thereof, if any, by the United States courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the SEC issued pursuant to said 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is revised by rule, regulation or order of the SEC, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation, or order.
22. Severability. In the event any provision of this Agreement is determined to be void or unenforceable, such determination shall not affect the remainder of this Agreement, which shall continue to be in force.
23. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
24. Binding Effect. Each of the undersigned expressly warrants and represents that he has the full power and authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of the party indicated and that his signature will operate to bind the party indicated to the foregoing terms.
25. Captions. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereto or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
26. Change of Control. The Sub-Adviser shall notify Adviser and the Trust in writing at least 60 days in advance of any change of control, as defined in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act, as will enable the Trust to consider whether an assignment, as defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act, would occur.
27. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with all exhibits, attachments and appendices and any separate agreement between the Parties contemplated by Section 6 relating to expense sharing, contains the entire understanding and agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
28. Other Business. Except as set forth above, nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Sub-Adviser's directors, officers or employees who may also be a trustee, officer, partner or employee of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Sub-Adviser's right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below as of the date and year first above written.
ADVISER: Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC | |
By: ______________________ | |
Name: Drew Horter | |
Title: President | |
Date: | |
SUB-ADVISER: | |
By:________________________ | |
Name: | |
Title: | |
Date: |
Exhibit A
Compensation
The Sub-Adviser shall be paid monthly [ ]% of the Net Management Fees, such payment made in arrears within 15 calendar days of Adviser receiving a detailed calculation of the compensation due for the preceding month.
Form Of INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), made as of July 9, 2021 between TACTICAL INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), and Tactical Fund Advisors, LLC, a limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the Ohio (the “Adviser”) located at 11726 Seven Gables Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249.
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”);
WHEREAS, the Trust is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest in separate series, each having its own investment objective or objectives, policies and limitations;
WHEREAS, the Trust offers shares in the series named on Appendix A hereto (such series, together with all other series subsequently established by the Trust and made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 1.3, being herein referred to as a “Fund,” and collectively as the “Funds”);
WHEREAS, the Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Adviser to render investment advisory services to the Trust with respect to the Fund in the manner and on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | Services of the Adviser. |
1.1 Investment Advisory Services. The Adviser shall act as the investment adviser to the Fund and, as such, shall (i) obtain and evaluate such information relating to the economy, industries, business, securities markets and securities as it may deem necessary or useful in discharging its responsibilities hereunder, (ii) formulate a continuing program for the investment of the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with its investment objective(s), policies and restrictions, and (iii) determine from time to time securities to be purchased, sold, retained or lent by the Fund, and implement those decisions, including the selection of entities with or through which such purchases, sales or loans are to be effected; provided, that the Adviser will place orders pursuant to its investment determinations either directly with the issuer or with a broker or dealer, and if with a broker or dealer, (a) will attempt to obtain the best price and execution of its orders, and (b) may nevertheless in its discretion purchase and sell portfolio securities from and to brokers who provide the Adviser with research, analysis, advice and similar services and pay such brokers in return a higher commission than may be charged by other brokers.
The Trust hereby authorizes any entity or person associated with the Adviser or any sub-adviser retained by the Adviser pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, which is a member of a national securities exchange, to effect any transaction on the exchange for the account of the Trust which is permitted by Section 11(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 11a2-2(T) thereunder, and the Trust hereby consents to the retention of compensation for such transactions in accordance with Rule 11a2-2(T)(a)(2)(iv).
The Adviser shall carry out its duties with respect to the Fund’s investments in accordance with applicable law and the investment objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in the Fund’s then-current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and subject to such further limitations as the Trust may from time to time impose by written notice to the Adviser.
1.2 Administrative Services. The Trust has engaged the services of an administrator. The Adviser shall provide such additional administrative services related to its advisory functions or the functions listed below, as reasonably requested by the Board of Trustees or officers of the Trust; provided, that the Adviser shall not have any obligation to provide under this Agreement any direct or indirect services to Trust shareholders, any services related to the distribution of Trust shares, or any other services which are the subject of a separate agreement or arrangement between the Trust and the Adviser. Subject to the foregoing, in providing administrative services hereunder, the Adviser shall:
1.2.1 Office Space, Equipment and Facilities. Provide such office space, office equipment and office facilities as are adequate to fulfill the Adviser’s obligations hereunder.
1.2.2 Personnel. Provide, without remuneration from or other cost to the Trust, the services of individuals competent to perform the administrative functions, assumed in this Section.
1.2.4 Trustees and Officers. Authorize and permit the Adviser’s directors, officers and employees who may be elected or appointed as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in such capacities, without remuneration from or other cost to the Trust.
1.2.5 Books and Records. Assure that all financial, accounting and other records required to be maintained and preserved by the Adviser on behalf of the Trust are maintained and preserved by it in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
1.2.6 Reports and Filings. Provide such information as may be reasonably requested in connection with the preparation of all periodic reports by the Fund to its shareholders and all reports and filings required to maintain the registration and qualification of the Fund and Fund shares, or to meet other regulatory or tax requirements applicable to the Fund, under federal and state securities and tax laws, and review sections of those reports and filings related to Adviser’s functions and designated responsibilities under this Agreement.
1.3 Additional Series. In the event that the Trust establishes one or more series after the effectiveness of this Agreement (“Additional Series”), Appendix A to this Agreement may be amended to make such Additional Series subject to this Agreement upon the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the shareholder(s) of the Additional Series, in accordance with the
provisions of the Act. The Trust or the Adviser may elect not to make any such series subject to this Agreement.
1.4 Change in Management or Control. The Adviser shall provide at least sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the Trust of any change in “control,” as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Act. The Adviser shall provide prompt, advance notice, to the extent practicable, of any change in the portfolio manager(s) responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
2. | Expenses of the Fund. |
2.1 Expenses to be Paid by Adviser. The Adviser shall pay all salaries, expenses and fees of any officers, Trustees and employees of the Trust who are officers, directors, members or employees of the Adviser. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser is not obligated to pay the compensation or expenses of the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, regardless of whether the Chief Compliance Officer is affiliated with the Adviser.
In the event that the Adviser pays or assumes any expenses of the Trust not required to be paid or assumed by the Adviser under this Agreement, the Adviser shall not be obligated hereby to pay or assume the same or any similar expense in the future; provided, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to relieve the Adviser of any obligation to the Fund under any separate agreement or arrangement between the parties.
2.2 Expenses to be Paid by the Fund. The Fund shall bear all expenses of its operation, except those specifically allocated to the Adviser under this Agreement or under any separate agreement between the Trust and the Adviser. Subject to any separate agreement or arrangement between the Trust and the Adviser, the expenses hereby allocated to a Fund, and not to the Adviser, include but are not limited to:
2.2.1 Custody. All charges of depositories, custodians, and other agents for the transfer, receipt, safekeeping, and servicing of the Fund’s cash, securities, and other property.
2.2.2 Shareholder Servicing. All expenses of maintaining and servicing shareholder accounts, including but not limited to the charges of any shareholder servicing agent, dividend disbursing agent, transfer agent or other agent engaged by the Trust to service shareholder accounts.
2.2.3 Shareholder Reports. All expenses of preparing, setting in type, printing and distributing reports and other communications to shareholders.
2.2.4 Prospectuses. All expenses of preparing, converting to EDGAR format, filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other appropriate regulatory body, setting in type, printing and mailing annual or more frequent revisions of the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and any supplements thereto and of supplying them to shareholders.
2.2.5 Pricing and Portfolio Valuation. All expenses of computing the Fund’s net asset value per share, including any equipment or services obtained for the purpose of pricing shares or valuing the Fund’s investment portfolio.
2.2.6 Communications. All charges for equipment or services used for communications between the Adviser or the Trust and any custodian, shareholder servicing agent, portfolio accounting services agent, or other agent engaged by the Trust.
2.2.7 Legal and Accounting Fees. All charges for services and expenses of the Trust’s legal counsel and independent accountants.
2.2.8 Trustees’ Fees and Expenses. All compensation of Trustees other than those affiliated with the Adviser, all expenses incurred in connection with such unaffiliated Trustees’ services as Trustees, and all other expenses of meetings of the Trustees and committees of the Trustees.
2.2.9 Shareholder Meetings. All expenses incidental to holding meetings of shareholders, including the printing of notices and proxy materials, and proxy solicitations therefor.
2.2.10 Federal Registration Fees. All fees and expenses of registering and maintaining the registration of the Fund under the Act and the registration of the Fund’s shares under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), including all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, converting to EDGAR format, setting in type, printing, and filing of any Registration Statement, Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information under the 1933 Act or the Act, and any amendments or supplements that may be made from time to time.
2.2.11 State Registration Fees. All fees and expenses of taking required action to permit the offer and sale of the Fund’s shares under securities laws of various states or jurisdictions, and of registration and qualification of the Fund under all other laws applicable to the Trust or its business activities (including registering the Trust as a broker-dealer, or any officer of the Trust or any person as agent or salesperson of the Trust in any state).
2.2.12 Confirmations. All expenses incurred in connection with the issue and transfer of Fund shares, including the expenses of confirming all share transactions.
2.2.13 Bonding and Insurance. All expenses of bond, liability, and other insurance coverage required by law or regulation or deemed advisable by the Trustees of the Trust, including, without limitation, such bond, liability and other insurance expenses that may from time to time be allocated to the Fund in a manner approved by its Trustees.
2.2.14 Brokerage Commissions. All brokers’ commissions and other charges incident to the purchase, sale or lending of the Fund’s portfolio securities.
2.2.15 Taxes. All taxes or governmental fees payable by or with respect to the Fund to federal, state or other governmental agencies, domestic or foreign, including stamp or other transfer taxes.
2.2.16 Trade Association Fees. All fees, dues and other expenses incurred in connection with the Trust’s membership in any trade association or other investment organization.
2.2.17 Compliance Fees. All charges for services and expenses of the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer.
2.2.18 Nonrecurring and Extraordinary Expenses. Such nonrecurring and extraordinary expenses as may arise including the costs of actions, suits, or proceedings to which the Trust is a party and the expenses the Trust may incur as a result of its legal obligation to provide indemnification to its officers, Trustees and agents.
3. | Advisory Fee. |
As compensation for all services rendered, facilities provided and expenses paid or assumed by the Adviser under this Agreement, the Fund shall pay the Adviser on the last day of each month, or as promptly as possible thereafter, a fee calculated by applying a monthly rate, based on an annual percentage rate, to the Fund’s average daily net assets for the month. The annual percentage rate applicable to the Fund is set forth in Appendix A to this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time in accordance with Section 1.3 of this Agreement. If this Agreement shall be effective for only a portion of a month with respect to a Fund, the aforesaid fee shall be prorated for the portion of such month during which this Agreement is in effect for the Fund.
4. | Proxy Voting. |
The Adviser will vote, or make arrangements to have voted, all proxies solicited by or with respect to the issuers of securities in which assets of a Fund may be invested from time to time. Such proxies will be voted in a manner that you deem, in good faith, to be in the best interest of the Fund and in accordance with your proxy voting policy. You agree to provide a copy of your proxy voting policy to the Trust prior to the execution of this Agreement, and any amendments thereto promptly.
5. | Records. |
5.1 Tax Treatment. Both the Adviser and the Trust shall maintain, or arrange for others to maintain, the books and records of the Trust in such a manner that treats the Fund as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes.
5.2 Ownership. All records required to be maintained and preserved by the Trust pursuant to the provisions or rules or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 31(a) of the Act and maintained and preserved by the Adviser on behalf of the Trust are the property of the Trust and shall be surrendered by the Adviser promptly on request by the Trust; provided, that the Adviser may at its own expense make and retain copies of any such records.
6. | Reports to Adviser. |
The Trust shall furnish or otherwise make available to the Adviser such copies of the Fund’s Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, financial statements, proxy statements, reports and other information relating to its business and affairs as the Adviser may, at any time or from time to time, reasonably require in order to discharge any of its obligations under this Agreement.
7. | Reports to the Trust. |
The Adviser shall prepare and furnish to the Trust such reports, statistical data and other information in such form and at such intervals as the Trust may reasonably request.
8. | Code of Ethics. |
The Adviser has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the Act and will provide the Trust with a copy of the code and evidence of its adoption. Within 45 days of the last calendar quarter of each year while this Agreement is in effect, the Adviser will provide to the Board of Trustees of the Trust a written report that describes any issues arising under the code of ethics since the last report to the Board of Trustees, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the code and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and which certifies that the Adviser has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent “access persons” (as that term is defined in Rule 17j-1) from violating the code.
9. | Retention of Sub-Adviser. |
Subject to the Trust’s obtaining the initial and periodic approvals required under Section 15 of the Act, the Adviser may retain one or more sub-advisers, at the Adviser’s own cost and expense, for the purpose of managing the investments of the assets of one or more Funds of the Trust. Retention of one or more sub-advisers shall in no way reduce the responsibilities or obligations of the Adviser under this Agreement and the Adviser shall, subject to Section 11 of this Agreement, be responsible to the Trust for all acts or omissions of any sub-adviser in connection with the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder.
10. | Services to Other Clients. |
Nothing herein contained shall limit the freedom of the Adviser or any affiliated person of the Adviser to render investment management and administrative services to other investment companies, to act as investment adviser or investment counselor to other persons, firms or corporations, or to engage in other business activities.
11. | Limitation of Liability of Adviser and its Personnel. |
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 hereunder 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 this 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 this Agreement; PROVIDED, that nothing herein contained 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 this 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.
12. | Effect of Agreement. |
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require to the Trust to take any action contrary to its Declaration of Trust or its By-Laws or any applicable law, regulation or order to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Trustees of the Trust of their responsibility for and control of the conduct of the business and affairs of the Trust.
13. | Term of Agreement. |
The term of this Agreement shall begin on the date first above written, and unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided, this Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of two years. Thereafter, this Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to the Fund from year to year, subject to the termination provisions and all other terms and conditions hereof; PROVIDED, such continuance with respect to a Fund is approved at least annually by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by the Trustees of the Trust; PROVIDED, that in either event such continuance is also approved annually by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of either party hereto. The Adviser shall furnish to the Trust, promptly upon its request, such information as may reasonably be necessary to evaluate the terms of this Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment thereof.
14. | Amendment or Assignment of Agreement. |
Any amendment to this Agreement shall be in writing signed by the parties hereto; PROVIDED, that no such amendment shall be effective unless authorized (i) by resolution of the Trustees of the Trust, including the vote or written consent of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of either party hereto, and (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund affected by such amendment as required by applicable law. This Agreement shall terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its assignment.
15. | Termination of Agreement. |
This Agreement may be terminated as to any Fund at any time by either party hereto, without the payment of any penalty, upon sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; PROVIDED, that in the case of termination by any Fund, such action shall have been authorized (i) by resolution of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, including the vote or written consent of Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of either party hereto, or (ii) by vote of majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
16. | Use of Name. |
The Trust is named the Tactical Investment Series Trust and the Fund may be identified, in part, by the name “Tactical Investment.”
17. | Declaration of Trust. |
The Adviser is hereby expressly put on notice of the limitation of shareholder liability as set forth in the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and agrees that the obligations assumed by the Trust or a Fund, as the case may be, pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all cases to the Trust or a Fund, as the case may be, and its assets, and the Adviser shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders or any shareholder of the Trust. In addition, the Adviser shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligations from the Trustees or any individual Trustee. The Adviser understands that the rights and obligations of any Fund under the Declaration of Trust are separate and distinct from those of any and all other Funds. The Adviser further understands and agrees that no Fund of the Trust shall be liable for any claims against any other Fund of the Trust and that the Adviser must look solely to the assets of the pertinent Fund of the Trust for the enforcement or satisfaction of any claims against the Trust with respect to that Fund.
18. | Confidentiality. |
The Adviser agrees to treat all records and other information relating to the Trust and the securities holdings of the Funds as confidential and shall not disclose any such records or information to any other person unless (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust has approved the disclosure or (ii) such disclosure is compelled by law. In addition, the Adviser and the Adviser’s officers, directors and employees are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration, for themselves or on behalf of the Fund, as a result of disclosing the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The Adviser agrees that, consistent with the Adviser’s Code of Ethics, neither the Adviser nor the Adviser’s officers, directors, members or employees may engage in personal securities transactions based on nonpublic information about a Fund’s portfolio holdings.
19. | Governing Law. |
This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
20. | Interpretation and Definition of Terms. |
Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the Act and to interpretation thereof, if any, by the United States courts, or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Securities and Exchange Commission validly issued pursuant to the Act. Specifically, the terms “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “interested persons,” “assignment” and “affiliated person,” as used in this Agreement shall have the meanings assigned to them by Section 2(a) of the Act. In addition, when the effect of a requirement of the Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is modified, interpreted or relaxed by a rule, regulation or order of the Securities and Exchange Commission, whether of special or of general application, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.
21. | Captions. |
The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
22. | Execution in Counterparts. |
This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but both of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the date and year first above written.
TACTICAL INVESTMENT
SERIES TRUST
By:
Name: Drew Horter
Title: President
TACTICAL FUND ADVISORS, LLC
By:
Name: Drew Horter
Title: President
COLLABORATIVE INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
APPENDIX A
ANNUAL ADVISORY FEE AS A % OF | |
NAME OF FUND | AVERAGE NET ASSETS OF THE FUND |
Tactical Conservative Allocation Fund | 1.30% |
Tactical Moderate Allocation Fund | 1.30% |
Tactical Growth Allocation Fund | 1.30% |
TFA Quantitative Fund | 1.30% |
TFA Multidimensional Tactical Fund | 1.30% |
TFA AlphaGen Growth Fund | 1.30% |
BY-LAWS
TACTICAL INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST
A Delaware Statutory Trust
ARTICLE I.
OFFICES
Section 1.01. PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE. The Board of Trustees shall fix and may change the location of the principal executive office of the Trust at any place within or outside the State of Delaware.
Section 1.02. OTHER OFFICES. The Board of Trustees may at any time establish branch or additional offices at any place or places where the Trust intends to do business.
ARTICLE II.
MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS
Section 2.01. PLACE OF MEETINGS. Meetings of Shareholders shall be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware designated by the Board of Trustees. In the absence of any such designation, shareholders’ meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust.
Section 2.02. CALL OF MEETING. A meeting of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series may be called at any time for any purpose by the Board of Trustees, by the Chairman of the Board, or by the President. Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series shall be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman, or President upon the written request of Shareholders owning at least one-third of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote.
Section 2.03. NOTICE OF SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING. All notices of shareholders meetings shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 2.04 below with not less than 7 nor more than 180 days before the date of the meeting. The notice shall specify: (i) the place, date, and hour of the meeting; and (ii) the general nature of the business to be transacted. The notice of any meeting at which Trustees are to be elected also shall include the name of any nominee or nominees whom at the time of the notice are intended to be presented for election.
If action is proposed to be taken at any meeting for approval of (i) a contract or transaction in which a Trustee has a direct or indirect financial interest, (ii) an amendment of the Declaration of Trust, (iii) a reorganization of the Trust, or (iv) a voluntary dissolution of the Trust, the notice shall also state the general nature of that proposal.
Section 2.04 MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE; AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE. Notice of any meeting of shareholders shall be given either personally or by first-class mail or telegraphic or
other written communication, charges prepaid, addressed to the shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust or its transfer agent or given by the shareholder to the Trust for the purpose of notice. If no such address appears on the Trust’s books or is given, notice shall be deemed to have been given if sent to that shareholder by first-class mail or telegraphic or other written communication to the Trust’s principal executive office, or if published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where that office is located. Notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time when delivered personally or deposited in the mail or sent by telegram or other means of written communication.
If any notice addressed to a shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust is returned to the Trust by the United States Postal Service marked to indicate that the Postal Service is unable to deliver the notice to the shareholder at that address, all future notices or reports shall be deemed to have been duly given without further mailing if these shall be available to the shareholder on written demand of the shareholder at the principal executive office of the Trust for a period of one year from the date of the giving of the notice.
An affidavit of the mailing or other means of giving any notice of any shareholders’ meeting shall be executed by the secretary, assistant secretary or any transfer agent of the Trust giving the notice and shall be filed and maintained in the minute book of the Trust.
Section 2.05 ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE. Any shareholders’ meeting, whether a quorum is present, may be adjourned from time to time by the vote of the majority of the shares represented at that meeting, either in person or by proxy.
When any shareholders’ meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless a new record date of the adjourned meeting is fixed or unless the adjournment is for more than 60 days from the date set for the original meeting, in which case the Board of Trustees shall set a new record date. Notice of any such adjourned meeting shall be given to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 2.03 and 2.04. At any adjourned meeting, the Trust may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.
Section 2.06. VOTING. The shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, as in effect at such time. The shareholders’ vote may be by voice vote or by ballot, provided, however, that any election for trustees must be by ballot if demanded by any shareholder before the voting has begun on any matter other than elections of Trustees, any shareholder may vote part of the shares in favor of the proposal and refrain from voting the remaining shares or vote them against the proposal, but if the shareholder fails to specify the number of shares which the shareholder is voting affirmatively, it will be conclusively presumed that the shareholder’s approving vote is with respect to the total shares that the shareholder is entitled to vote on such proposal.
Section 2.07. WAIVER OF NOTICE BY CONSENT OF ABSENT SHAREHOLDERS. The transactions of the meeting of shareholders, however called and noticed and wherever held, shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice if a quorum be
present either in person or by proxy and if either before or after the meeting, each person entitled to vote who was not present in person or by proxy signs a written waiver of notice or a consent to a holding of the meeting or an approval of the minutes. The waiver of notice or consent need not specify either the business to be transacted or the purpose of any shareholders’ meeting.
Attendance by a person at a meeting shall also constitute a waiver of notice of that meeting, except when the person objects at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened and except that attendance at a meeting is not a waiver of any right to object to the consideration of matters not included in the notice of the meeting if that objection is expressly made at the beginning of the meeting.
Section 2.08. 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 outstanding 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 their respective proxyholders 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 approved by the shareholders without a meeting. This notice shall be given in the manner specified in Section 2.04. In the case of approval of (i) contracts or transactions in which a trustee has a direct or indirect financial interest, (ii) indemnification of agents of the Trust, and (iii) a reorganization of the Trust, the notice shall be given at least ten days before the consummation of any action authorized by that approval.
Section 2.09. PROXIES. Every person entitled to vote for trustees or on any other matter shall have the right to do so either in person or by one or more agents authorized by a written proxy signed by the person and filed with the Secretary of the Trust. A proxy shall be deemed signed if the shareholder’s name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual signature, typewriting, telegraphic transmission or otherwise) by the shareholder or the shareholder’s attorney-in-fact. A validly executed proxy which does not state that it is irrevocable shall continue in full force and effect unless (i) revoked by the person executing it before the vote pursuant to that proxy by a writing delivered to the Trust stating that the proxy is revoked or by a subsequent proxy executed by or attendance at the meeting and voting in person by the person executing that proxy; or (ii) written notice of the death or incapacity of the maker of that proxy is received by the Trust before the vote pursuant to that proxy is counted; provided however, that no proxy shall be valid after the expiration of 11 months from the date of the proxy unless otherwise provided in the proxy. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
Section 2.10. INSPECTORS OF ELECTION. Before any meeting of shareholders, the Board of Trustees may appoint any persons other than nominees for office to act as inspectors of election at the meeting or its adjournment. If no inspectors of election are so appointed, the chairman of the meeting may and on the request of any shareholder or a shareholder’s proxy shall, appoint inspectors of election at the meeting. The number of inspectors shall be either one or three. If inspectors are appointed at a meeting on the request of one or more shareholders or proxies, the holders of a majority of shares or their proxies present at the meeting shall determine whether one or three inspectors are to be appointed. If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the chairman of the meeting may and on the request of any shareholder or a shareholder’s proxy, shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy.
These inspectors shall:
(a) | Determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum and the authenticity, validity, and effect of proxies; |
(b) | Receive votes, ballots, or consents; |
(a) | Hear and determine all challenges and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote; |
(b) | Count and tabulate all votes or consents; |
(e) | Determine when the polls shall close; |
(f) | Determine the result; and |
(g) | Do any other acts that may be proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all shareholders. |
ARTICLE III.
TRUSTEES
Section 3.01. POWERS. Subject to the applicable provisions of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws relating to action required to be approved by the shareholders or by the outstanding shares, the business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed and all powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees.
Section 3.02. NUMBER AND QUALIFICATION OF TRUSTEES. The exact number of Trustees shall be set at three.
Section 3.03. VACANCIES. Vacancies in the Board of Trustees may be filled by a majority of the remaining trustees, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining Trustee, unless the Board of Trustees calls a meeting of shareholders for the purposes of electing
trustees. In the event that at any time less than a majority of the Trustees holding office at that time were so elected by the holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the Board of Trustees shall forthwith cause to be held as promptly as possible, and in any event within 60 days, a meeting of such holders for the purpose of electing trustees to fill any existing vacancies in the Board of Trustees, unless such period is extended by order of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Notwithstanding the above, whenever and for so long as the Trust is a participant in or otherwise has in effect a Plan under which the Trust may be deemed to bear expenses of distributing its shares as that practice is described in Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, then the selection and nomination of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) shall be, and is, committed to the discretion of such disinterested trustees.
Section 3.04. PLACE OF MEETINGS AND MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE. All meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware that has been designated from time to time by resolution of the Board. In the absence of such a designation, regular meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust. Any meeting, regular or special, may be held by conference telephone, video, or similar communication equipment, so long as all trustees participating in the meeting can hear one another and all such trustees shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and provided that provisions of the 1940 Act do not otherwise require an in-person meeting.
Section 3.05. REGULAR MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be held without call at such time as shall from time to time be fixed by the Board of Trustees. Such regular meetings may be held without notice.
Section 3.06. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Trustees for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board or the President or any Vice President or the Secretary or any two Trustees.
Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be delivered personally or by telephone to each Trustee or sent by first-class mail or telegram, charges prepaid, addressed to each trustee at that trustee’s address as it is shown on the records of the Trust. In case the notice is mailed, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least seven days before the time of the holding of the meeting. In case the notice is delivered personally, by telephone, to the telegraph company, or by express mail or similar service, it shall be given at least forty-eight hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. Any oral notice given personally or by telephone may be communicated either to the trustee or to a person at the office of the trustee who the person giving the notice has reason to believe will promptly communicate it to the trustee. The notice need not specify the purpose of the meeting or the place if the meeting is to be held at the principal executive office of the Trust.
Section 3.07. QUORUM. A majority of the authorized number of trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except to adjourn as provided in Section 3.10. Every act or decision done or made by a majority of the trustees present at a meeting duly held at which a
quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the Board of Trustees, subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust. A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding the withdrawal of trustees if any action taken is approved by a least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting.
Section 3.08. WAIVER OF NOTICE. Notice of any meeting need not be given to any trustee who either before or after the meeting signs a written waiver of notice, a consent to holding the meeting, or an approval of the minutes. The waiver of notice or consent need not specify the purpose of the meeting. All such waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the records of the Trust or made a part of the minutes of the meeting. Notice of a meeting shall also be deemed given to any trustee who attends the meeting without protesting before or at its commencement the lack of notice to that trustee.
Section 3.09. ADJOURNMENT. A majority of the Trustees present, whether or not constituting a quorum, may adjourn any meeting to another time and place.
Section 3.10. NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT. Notice of the time and place of holding an adjourned meeting need not be given unless the meeting is adjourned for more than 48 hours, in which case notice of the time and place shall be given before the time of the adjourned meeting in the manner specified in Section 3.04 to the trustees who were present at the time of the adjournment.
Section 3.11. ACTION WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees 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. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees.
Section 3.12. FEES AND COMPENSATION OF TRUSTEES. Trustees and members of committees may receive such compensation, if any, for their services and such reimbursement of expenses as may be fixed or determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees. This Section 3.12 shall not be construed to preclude any trustee from serving the Trust in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee, or otherwise and receiving compensation for those services.
Section 3.13. DELEGATION OF POWER TO OTHER TRUSTEES. Any Trustee may, by power of attorney, delegate his power for a period not exceeding six months at any one time to any other Trustee or Trustees; provided that in no case shall fewer than two Trustees personally exercise the powers granted to the Trustees under this Declaration of Trust except as otherwise expressly provided herein or by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE IV.
COMMITTEES
Section 4.01. COMMITTEES OF TRUSTEES. The Board of Trustees may by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of trustees designate one or more committees, each consisting of two or more trustees, to serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Board may designate one or more trustees as alternate members of any committee who may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee. Any committee to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board, shall have the authority of the Board, except with respect to:
(a) | the approval of any action which under applicable law also requires shareholders’ approval or approval of the outstanding shares, or requires approval by a majority of the entire Board or certain members of said Board; |
(b) | the filling of vacancies on the Board of Trustees or in any committee; |
(c) | the fixing of compensation of the trustees for serving on the Board of Trustees or on any committee; |
(d) | the amendment or repeal of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or of the By-Laws or the adoption of new By-Laws; |
(e) | the amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Board of Trustees which by its express terms is not so amendable or repealable; |
(f) | a distribution to the shareholders of the Trust, except at a rate or in a periodic amount or within a designated range determined by the Board of Trustees; or |
(g) | the appointment of any other committees of the Board of Trustees or the members of these committees. |
Section 4.02. MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES. Meetings and action of committees shall be governed by and held and taken in accordance with the provisions of Article III of these By-Laws, with such changes in the context thereof as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board of Trustees and its members, except that the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board of Trustees or by resolution of the committee. Special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board of Trustees, and notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to all alternate members who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. The Board of Trustees may adopt rules for the government of any committee not inconsistent with the provisions of these By-Laws.
ARTICLE V.
OFFICERS
Section 5.01. OFFICERS. The officers of the Trust shall be a President, a Secretary, a Chief Compliance Officer, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Trust may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, a Chairman of the
Board, one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers, and such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.03. Any number of offices may be held by the same person.
Section 5.02. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The officers of the Trust, except such officers as may appointed in accordance with the provisions of Sections 5.03 or 5.05, shall be chosen by the Board of Trustees, and each shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment.
Section 5.03. SUBORDINATE OFFICERS. The Board of Trustees may appoint and may empower the President to appoint such other officers as the business of the Trust may require, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as are provided in these By-Laws or as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine.
Section 5.04. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS. Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board of Trustees at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees or except in the case of an officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board of Trustees.
Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Trust. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice; and unless otherwise specified in that notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Trust under any contract to which the officer is a party.
Section 5.05. VACANCIES IN OFFICES. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification, or other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in these By-Laws for regular appointment to that office.
Section 5.06. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. The Chairman of the Board, if such an officer is elected, shall if present preside at meetings of the Board of Trustees and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned to him by the Board of Trustees or prescribed by the By-Laws.
Section 5.07. PRESIDENT. Subject to such supervisory powers, if any, as may be given by the Board of Trustees to the Chairman of the Board, if there be such an officer, the President shall be the chief executive officer of the Trust and shall, subject to the control of the Board of Trustees, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and the officers of the Trust. He shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and in the absence of the chairman of the board or if there be none, at all meetings of the Board of Trustees. He shall have the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of president of a corporation and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws.
Section 5.08. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence or disability of the president, the vice presidents, if any, in order of their rank as fixed by the Board of Trustees or if not ranked, a vice president designated by the Board of Trustees, shall perform all the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president. The vice presidents shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by the Board of Trustees or by these By-Laws and the President or the Chairman of the Board.
Section 5.09. SECRETARY. The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust or such other place as the Board of Trustees may direct a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of trustees, committees of trustees and shareholders with the time and place of holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized, the notice given, the names of those present at trustees’ meetings or committee meetings, the number of shares present or represented at shareholders’ meetings, and the proceedings.
The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive office of the Trust or at the office of the Trust’s transfer agent or registrar, as determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees, a share register or a duplicate share register showing the names of all shareholders and their addresses, the number and classes of shares held by each, the number and date of certificates issued for the same and the number and date of cancellation of every certificate surrendered for cancellation.
The Secretary shall give or cause to be given notice of all meetings of the shareholders and of the Board of Trustees required by these By-Laws or by applicable law to be given and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or by these By-Laws.
Section 5.10. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Trust and shall keep and maintain or cause to be kept and maintained adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the Trust, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, retained earnings and shares. The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any Trustee.
The Treasurer shall deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Trust with such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Trustees. He shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Board of Trustees, shall render to the President and Trustees, whenever they request it, an account of all of his transactions as chief financial officer and of the financial condition of the Trust and shall have other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or these By-Laws.
Section 5.11. PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Principal Executive Officer shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees, and consistent with, applicable laws and regulations.
Section 5.12. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER. The Principal Accounting Officer shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees, and consistent with, applicable laws and regulations.
Section 5.13. CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER. The Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust will be responsible for administering its compliance policies and procedures, shall have sufficient authority and independence within the organization to compel others to adhere to the compliance policies and procedures, shall report directly to the Board of Trustees, shall annually furnish a written report on the operation of the compliance policies and procedures to the Board of Trustees and shall perform such other duties as prescribed by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE VI.
INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUSTEES, OFFICERS,
AND OTHER COVERED PERSONS
Section 6.01. COVERED PERSON, PROCEEDINGS, AND EXPENSES. For the purpose of this Article, “Covered Person” means any past, present and future Trustee or officer (including persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor, or otherwise; “proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative; and “expenses” includes without limitation attorney’s fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under this Article.
Section 6.02. ACTIONS OTHER THAN BY TRUST. This Trust shall indemnify any Covered Person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of this Trust) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding if that Covered Person acted in good faith and in a manner that the Covered Person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of that Covered Person was unlawful.
Section 6.03 ACTIONS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF TRUST. This Trust shall indemnify any Covered Person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of this Trust to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with the defense or settlement of that action if that Covered Person acted in good faith, in a manner that person believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.
Section 6.04. INDEMNIFICATION. Indemnification shall be made under Sections 6.02 or 6.03 such that:
(a) | expenses, including counsel fees so incurred by any Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of any undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay amounts so paid to the Trust if its ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under Article VIII of the Declaration of Trust, provided that (i) such Covered Person shall provide security for his or her undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of such Covered Person’s failure to fulfill his undertaking or (iii) a majority of the Trustees who are disinterested persons and who are not Interested Persons (provided that a majority of such Trustees then in office act on the matter), or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (but not a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe such Covered Person ultimately will be entitled to indemnification; |
(b) | the termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not reasonably believe his or her actions to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Trust and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful. |
(c) | pursuant and subject to Article VIII, the Trust shall indemnify each Covered Person against, or advance the expenses of any Covered Person for, the amount of any deductible provided in any liability insurance policy maintained by the Trust that would otherwise be borne by Covered Person; |
(c) | agents and employees of the Trust who are not Trustees or officers of the Trust may be indemnified under the same standards and procedures set forth above, in the discretion of the Board; |
(d) | nothing in the Declaration of Trust or in these By-Laws shall be deemed to protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful malfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office; and |
(e) | the Trust shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person against any liability asserted against or incurred by such person, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article. Nevertheless, insurance will not be purchased or maintained by the Trust if the purchase or maintenance of such insurance would result in the indemnification of any person in contravention of any rule or regulation and/or interpretation of the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
Section 6.05. OTHER CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS. Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than trustees and officers of this Trust or any subsidiary hereof may be entitled by contract or otherwise.
Section 6.06. LIMITATIONS. No indemnification or advance shall be made under this Article, except as provided in Sections 6.04 or 6.05 in any circumstances where it appears:
(a) | That it would be inconsistent with a provision of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, a resolution of the shareholders, or an agreement in effect at the time of accrual of the alleged cause of action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred, or other amounts were paid which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or |
(b) | That it would be inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a settlement. |
Section 6.07. FIDUCIARIES OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN. This Article does not apply to any proceeding against any trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in that person’ s capacity as such, even though that person may also be an agent of this Trust as defined in Section 6.01. Nothing contained in this Article shall limit any right to indemnification to which such a trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary may be entitled by contract or otherwise which shall be enforceable to the extent permitted by applicable law other than this Article.
ARTICLE VII.
RECORDS AND REPORTS
Section 7.01. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF SHARE REGISTER. This Trust shall keep at its principal executive office or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, if either be appointed and as determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees, a record of its shareholders, giving the names and addresses of all shareholders and the number and series of shares held by each shareholder.
Section 7.02. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF BY-LAWS. The Trust shall keep at its principal executive office the original or a copy of these By-Laws as amended to date, which shall be open to inspection by the shareholders at all reasonable times during office hours.
Section 7.03. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF OTHER RECORDS. The accounting books and records and minutes of proceedings of the shareholders and the Board of Trustees and any committee or committees of the Board of Trustees shall be kept at such place or places designated by the Board of Trustees or in the absence of such designation, at the principal executive office of the Trust. The minutes shall be kept in written form and the accounting books and records shall be kept either in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form. The minutes and accounting books and records shall be open to inspection upon the written demand of any shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate at any reasonable time
during usual business hours for a purpose reasonably related to the holder’s interests as a shareholder or as the holder of a voting trust certificate. The inspection may be made in person or by an agent or attorney and shall include the right to copy and make extracts.
Section 7.04. INSPECTION BY TRUSTEES. Every trustee shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect all books, records, and documents of every kind and the physical properties of the Trust. This inspection by a trustee may be made in person or by an agent or attorney and the right of inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts of documents.
Section 7.05. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. A copy of any financial statements and any income statement of the Trust for each quarterly period of each fiscal year and accompanying balance sheet of the Trust as of the end of each such period that has been prepared by the Trust shall be kept on file in the principal executive office of the Trust for at least 12 months and each such statement shall be exhibited at all reasonable times to any shareholder demanding an examination of any such statement or a copy shall be mailed to any such shareholder.
The quarterly income statements and balance sheets referred to in this section shall be accompanied by the report, if any, of any independent accountants engaged by the Trust or the certificate of an authorized officer of the Trust that the financial statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the Trust.
ARTICLE VIII.
GENERAL MATTERS
Section 8.01. CHECKS, DRAFTS, EVIDENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS. All checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of or payable to the Trust shall be signed or endorsed by such person or persons and in such manner as from time to time shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
Section 8.02. CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS; HOW EXECUTED. The Board of Trustees, except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Trust and this authority may be general or confined to specific instances; and unless so authorized or ratified by the Board of Trustees or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent, or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Trust by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.
Section 8.03. CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES. A certificate or certificates for shares of beneficial interest in any series of the Trust may be issued to a shareholder upon his request when such shares are fully paid. The Trust may impose a nominal change for issuing certificates to cover expenses related thereto. All certificates shall be signed in the name of the Trust by the chairman of the board or the president or vice president and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or the secretary or any assistant secretary, certifying the number of shares and the series of shares owned by the shareholders. Any signatures on the certificate may be facsimile or electronic. In case any officer, transfer agent, or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been
placed on a certificate shall have ceased to be that officer, transfer agent, or registrar before that certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Trust with the same effect as if that person were an officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may adopt and use a system of issuance, recordation, and transfer of its shares by electronic or other means; and in fact, as a matter of policy, does not presently issue certified shares.
Section 8.04. LOST CERTIFICATES. Except as provided in this Section 8.04, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace an old certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Trust and cancelled at the same time. The Board of Trustees may in case any share certificate or certificate for any other security is lost, stolen, or destroyed, authorize the issuance of a replacement certificate on such terms and conditions as the Board of Trustees may require, including a provision for indemnification of the Trust secured by a bond or other adequate security sufficient to protect the Trust against any claim that may be made against it, including any expense or liability on account of the alleged loss, theft, or destruction of the certificate or the issuance of the replacement certificate.
Section 8.05. REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER ENTITIES HELD BY TRUST. The chairman of the Board, the president or any vice president or any other person authorized by resolution of the Board of Trustees or by any of the foregoing designated officers, is authorized to vote or represent on behalf of the Trust all shares of any corporation, partnership, trusts, or other entities, foreign or domestic, standing in the name of the Trust. The authority granted may be exercised in person or by a proxy duly executed by such designated person.
ARTICLE IX.
AMENDMENTS
Section 9.01. AMENDMENT BY SHAREHOLDERS. These By-Laws may be amended or repealed by the affirmative vote or written consent of two-thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, except as otherwise provided by applicable law or by the Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws.
Section 9.02. AMENDMENT BY TRUSTEES. Subject to the right of shareholders as provided in Section 9.0, and except as otherwise provided by law or by the Declaration of Trust, these By-Laws may be adopted, amended, or repealed by the Board of Trustees.
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
of
Tactical Investment Series Trust
a Delaware Statutory Trust
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I. | Name and Definitions | 2 |
ARTICLE II. | Purpose of Trust | 4 |
ARTICLE III. | Shares | 7 |
ARTICLE IV. | The Board of Trustees | 12 |
ARTICLE V. | Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings | 16 |
ARTICLE VI. | Custodian | 19 |
ARTICLE VII. | Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions | 20 |
ARTICLE VIII. | Compensation and Limitation of Liability of Officers and Trustees | 22 |
ARTICLE IX. | Miscellaneous | 23 |
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
TACTICAL INVESTMENT SERIES TRUST
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST made as of the 22nd day of February 2021, by the Trustee(s) hereunder, and by the holders of shares of beneficial interest to be issued hereunder as hereinafter provided. This 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 “Delaware Act”), 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.
2 |
ARTICLE I
Name and Definitions.
Section 1. Name. The name of the Trust hereby created is “Tactical Investment Series Trust” 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 11726 Seven Gables Road, Cincinnati, OH 45249 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 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;
(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 Delaware Act 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;
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(j) “Declaration of Trust” shall mean this Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended or restated from time to time;
(k) “General Assets” shall have the meaning given it in Article III, Section 6(a) of this Declaration Trust;
(l) “General Liabilities” shall have the meaning given it in Article III, Section 6(b) of this Declaration Trust;
(m) “Interested Person” shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act;
(n) “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;
(o) “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;
(p) “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 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);
(q) “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;
(r) “Principal Underwriter” shall have the meaning given to it in Section 2(a)(29) of the 1940 Act;
(s) “Series” means a series of Shares of the Trust established in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6;
(t) “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;
(u) “Shareholder” shall mean a record owner of Shares;
(v) “Trust” shall refer to the Delaware statutory trust established by this Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time;
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(w) “Trust Property” shall mean 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;
(x) “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 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 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
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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 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 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 litigate, 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;
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(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 Agreement and 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.
(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.
(s) 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 regarding 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.
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(t) 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 Delaware Act 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.
ARTICLE III
Shares.
Section 1. Division of Beneficial Interest.
(a) The beneficial interest in the Trust shall always 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.
(b) The Board of Trustees shall have the power to issue Shares of the Trust, or any Series or class thereof, 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.
(c) 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.
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(d) 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 IX, 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 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.
(e) 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 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 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.
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(a) Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving to Shareholders only the rights provided in this Declaration of Trust and under applicable law.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.
(f) All Shares when issued on the terms determined by the Board of Trustees shall be fully paid and nonassessable. As provided in the Delaware Act, 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.
(a) 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.
(b) 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 company in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Board of Trustees may
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adopt such amendments to this Declaration of Trust to delete those terms the Board of Trustees identifies as being required by the 1940 Act.
(c) 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 Article III, Section 6.
(d) 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. Claims and rights of action of a Series against a third party may brought by the Trust as assignee, with reversion of any benefits of the claim or action reverting to such Series upon resolution.
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 (collectively “General Assets”), 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 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
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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 Delaware Act, and upon the giving of such notice in the Certificate of Trust, the statutory provisions of Section 3804 of the Delaware Act relating to limitations on liabilities between and among Series (and the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in the Certificate 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 Article III, Section 7, 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
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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 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.
(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
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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.
(a) 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 1 nor more than 15.
(b) The initial Trustee shall be Drew Horter.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.
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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, incapacity of all the 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.
(a) 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 all acts and to make and execute any 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 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; |
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(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. |
(b) 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.
(c) 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, 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. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof.
(d) 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 Affiliated Person 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 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
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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 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.
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 Affiliated Person; 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 Affiliated Person, 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.
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(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:
1. | 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 Affiliated Person, or agent of or for any corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or for any parent or Affiliated Person 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 Affiliated Person thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust, or that |
2. | (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.
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(a) Subject to the provisions of Article III, Section 6(d), the Shareholders shall have power to vote only:
(1) | for the election of Trustees, including the filling of any vacancies in the Board of Trustees, as provided in Article IV, Section 1; |
(2) | 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 |
(3) | on such other matters as the Board of Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. |
(b) The Shareholder of record (as of the record date established pursuant to Article V, Section 5) 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.
(a) Meetings of the Shareholders may be held within or outside the State of Delaware.
(b) 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.
(c) Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any Series shall be called by the Board of Trustees, Chairman or President upon the written request of Shareholders owning the requisite percentage amount of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote specified in the By-Laws.
(d) Whenever ten or more Shareholders meeting the qualifications set forth in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, as may be amended, 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).
(e) Shareholders shall be entitled to at least 7 days’ notice of any meeting unless additional notice is required by applicable law.
Section 3. Quorum and Required Vote.
(a) 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.
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(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(a) 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 proxyholder 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.
(b) 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.
Section 5. Record Dates.
(a) 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 180 days nor less than 15 days before the date of any such meeting.
(b) If the Board of Trustees does not so fix a record date:
(1) | 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 |
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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 business days next preceding to the day on which the meeting is held.
(2) | 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 75th day before the date of such other action, whichever is later. |
(3) | For 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 because 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 Person investment advisor or underwriter.
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.
(a) The Trustees shall always 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 that meet the requirements of the 1940 Act as custodian with authority as its agent, but subject to such
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restrictions, limitations, and other requirements, if any, as may be contained in the By-Laws of the Trust:
(1) | 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; |
(2) | To receive and receipt for any moneys due to the Trust and deposit the same in its own banking department or elsewhere as the Trustees may direct; and |
(3) | To disburse such funds upon orders or voucher. |
(b) The Trustees may also employ such custodian as its agent:
(1) | To keep the books and accounts of the Trust or of any Series or class and furnish clerical and accounting services; and |
(2) | 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. |
(c) 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 that meet the requirements of the 1940 Act 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 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.
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(a) 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.
(b) 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 (the “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 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
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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 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.
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(a) To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the Delaware Act, 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 officer and Trustee from and against 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 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 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 Article VIII, Section 2.
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.
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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.
(a) 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.
(b) Upon dissolution of the Trust (or a particular Series, as the case may be), the Trustees shall (in accordance with § 3808 of the Delaware Act) pay or make reasonable provision to pay all claims and obligations of each Series (or the 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 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 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 Delaware Act, 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 Delaware Act.
(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,
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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 Delaware Act; (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 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) 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 (1) 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 (2) 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.
(b) 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.
(a) Subject to the provisions in this section, this Declaration of Trust may be restated 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
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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 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.
(b) 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 Article III, Section 5 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.
Section 6. Filing of Copies, References, Headings. The original or a copy of this Declaration of Trust and each restatement and 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 any such restatements 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 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 Delaware Act, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily exercised by such a business trust.
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 Delaware Act, 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.
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(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 Delaware Act, and thereby to create the relationship of trustee and beneficial owners within the meaning of the Delaware Act 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 Delaware Act. 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.
Section 10. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Trust shall end on a specified date as set forth in the By-Laws, provided, however, that the Trustees may, without Shareholder approval, change the fiscal year of the Trust.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trustees named below do hereby make and enter into this Agreement and Declaration of Trust as of the date first above written.
/s/ Drew Horter
Drew Horter
Trustee